TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ? Kentucky track and field athletes are in their first day of competition at the 2007 Southeastern Conference Championships at the Sam Bailey Track and Field Stadium hosted by the University of Alabama. Live updates of the performances of UK?s athletes will be available below. Check back with ukathletics.com throughout the day for updated results.
Sophomore thrower Ashley Muffet (North Canton, Ohio) improved to second in UK history with a personal-best toss of 189-11 in the women?s hammer throw to finish second in the event. Georgia standout Jenny Dahlgren captured the event with a meet record of 227-0. Kentucky freshman Emily Bernhardt (Marietta, Ga.) was sixth with a toss of 181-3, while fellow rookie Kristen Smith (Marietta, Ga.) was 15th with a toss of 151-2.
Junior Alek Grietens (Nipomo, Calif.) finished 12th in the men?s hammer throw with a toss of 168-11. Auburn?s Cory Martin captured the event for the second time in three years with a toss of 234-4.
Junior mid-distance runner John Richardson (Ocean City, N.J.) qualified for the finals in the men?s 800-meter run, finishing seventh with a time of 1:49.68, in his first attempt at that event this season. Junior Stephan Smith (Tallahassee, Fla.) just missed qualifying for the finals with a time of 1:50.19. The finals take place at 7:50 p.m. EDT Sunday.
For the second consecutive year, women?s mid-distance runners Georganne Way (Lititz, Pa.) and Lavera Morris (Orlando, Fla.) each qualified for Sunday?s final in the women?s 800-meter run. Way finished eighth with a time of 2:07.54, her best mark of the season, while Morris was ninth with, finishing in 2:07.66. Sunday?s final is scheduled for 8 p.m. EDT.
In the men?s 200-meter dash preliminaries, Jose Acevedo (Caracas, Venezuela) had a qualifying time of 21.13, his season-best mark. The finals for the men?s 200-meter dash are scheduled for 8:35 p.m. EDT Sunday.
Kentucky Results on Friday at the SEC Championships
Men?s Hammer Throw
12. Alek Grietens ? 168-11
Women?s Hammer Throw
2. Ashley Muffet ? 189-11
6. Emily Bernhardt ? 181-3
15. Kristen Smith ? 151-2
Men?s 800-Meter Run Preliminaries
7. John Richardson ? 1:49.68q
10. Stephan Smith ? 1:50.19
24. Nick Reeves ? 1:56.78
27. Scott Geisinger ? 2:01.66
Women?s 800-Meter Run Preliminaries
8. Georganne Way ? 2:07.54q
9. Lavera Morris ? 2:07.66q
13. Jackie Gordon ? 2:12.97
Men?s 200-Meter Dash Preliminaries
8. Jose Acevedo ? 21.13 (-0.1)q
16. Gordon McKenzie ? 21.42 (+0.9)
18. Brandon Austin ? 21.55 (+0.9)
23. Nathan Browning ? 21.90 (-0.6)
25. Kwasi Obeng ? 22.13 (+0.1)
Women?s 200-Meter Dash Preliminaries
20. Jenna Martin ? 24.27
Men?s 400-Meter Hurdle Preliminaries
10. Mikel Thomas ? 52.56
Women?s 400-Meter Hurdle Preliminaries
10. Ashley Trimble ? 1:01.45
Women?s 10,000-Meter Run
7. Taylor Miller ? 37:33.45
