TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ? Four Kentucky track and field athletes qualified for the finals of their respective running events Saturday, highlighted by junior Lavera Morris (Orlando, Fla.) finishing first in the preliminaries of the women?s 1,500-meter run on Saturday at the 2007 Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The four-day event, which concludes Sunday, is being hosted by the University of Alabama at Sam Bailey Track and Field Stadium.
Morris, who recorded a season-best time of 4:27.42 in the 1,500 on Saturday, and seniors Georganne Way (Lititz, Pa.) and John Richardson (Ocean City, N.J.) all have qualified for the finals of both the 800 and 1,500-meter events to take place on Sunday. Each of the three runners had strong performances in both events at last season?s SEC Outdoor Championships. The men?s 1,500-meter finals are slated for 6:30 p.m. EDT Sunday, while the women?s are scheduled for 6:40 p.m. EDT.
The Kentucky women?s team is currently in fifth place overall with 22 team points. Sixteen of those 22 points have been scored by sophomore thrower Ashley Muffet (North Canton, Ohio), who finished second in the women?s shot put on Saturday with a toss of 49-6.50. She also finished second in the hammer throw on Friday.
The SEC Track and Field Championships continue Sunday beginning at 2 p.m. EDT with the women?s discus. Live results will be available at http://www.flashresults.com/2007_Meets/outdoor/sec/, while live updates will be available on ukathletics.com following the conclusion of each event.
Senior thrower Gavin Ball (Cottage Grove, Wisc.) improved his personal-best toss in the discus by nearly two feet as he finished fifth in the event with a mark of 175-3. His throw ranks as the seventh-best in school history in that event.
Senior sprinter Luis Luna (Barquisimeto, Venezuela) qualified for the finals of the men’s 400-meter dash with the fourth-fastest time of the day – 46.66. The finals take place at at 7:10 p.m. EDT Sunday. Junior Justin Harrison (Wheaton, Ill.) finished 12th and recorded a season-best time of 47.02.
Freshman sprinter Jenna Martin (Nova Scotia, Canada) picked up a personal-best time of 53.18 in the women?s 400-meter dash, just narrowly missing a spot in Sunday?s final. It ranks as the third-fastest time in school history in that event.
Sophomore distance runner Andrea Halasek (Georgetown, Ky.) picked up a regional-qualifying mark in the women?s 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:48.06 to finish seventh in the event. Junior Andre? Silva (Centereach, N.Y.) improved his personal-best time in the men?s 3,000-meter steeplechase, finishing in 9:07.42.
Complete results and a recap of Kentucky?s participation in the SEC Track and Field Championships will be available at ukathletics.com.
Kentucky Results on Saturday at the SEC Championships (May 12, 2007 ? Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Women?s Shot Put
2. Ashley Muffet ? 49-6.50
13. Kristen Smith ? 36-8.25
Women?s 400-Meter Dash Preliminaries
10. Jenna Martin ? 53.18
19. Kleo Mack ? 56.78
Women?s 1,500-Meter Run
1. Lavera Morris ? 4:27.42Q
9. Georganne Way ? 4:34.61q
16. Katherine Peterson ? 4:40.18
Women?s 3,000-Meter Steeplechase
8. Andrea Halasek ? 10:48.06
Men?s 100-Meter Dash Preliminaries
16. Brandon Austin ? 10.65 (+0.4)
17. Gordon McKenzie ? 10.67 (+0.4)
Men?s 400-Meter Dash Preliminaries
4. Luis Luna ? 46.66Q
12. Justin Harrison ? 47.02
27. Kwasi Obeng ? 48.17
29. Jose Acevedo ? 48.25
31. Nathan Browning ? 48.31
Men?s 1,500 Meter Run
7. John Richardson ? 3:49.29Q
17. Jonathan Thomas ? 3:55.79
24. Nick Reeves ? 4:01.38
25. Stephan Smith ? 4:02.82
Men?s 3,000-Meter Steeplechase
9. Andre? Silva ? 9:07.42
Men?s Discus
5. Gavin Ball ? 175-3
12. Alek Grietens ? 147-11
