TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – University of Kentucky track and field athletes are currently in their final day of competition at the 2007 Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships hosted by the University of Alabama at the Sam Bailey Track and Field Stadium.
Check back with ukathletics.com throughout the day for live updates below.
Junior distance runner John Richardson (Ocean City, N.J.) claimed the men’s 1,500-meter title for the second consecutive year with a personal-best time of 3:43.02. It was the eighth-best time in that event in school history.
“I am just honored to be competing in this conference with athletes of this caliber and I am thrilled to come out on top,” Richardson said. “Words just can’t describe this. I was running really smooth and at about the 2:50 mark I just decided that it was then or never. I was a little worried about the wind on the final straightaway, but I was able to come out on top. I just chalk that up to my training and my coaches.”
Still fatigued from winning the 1,500 meter, Richardson came back an hour later to score in the 800-meter run as well, as he finished seventh in that event.
On the women’s side, junior Lavera Morris (Orlando, Fla.) posted a personal-best time in the 1,500-meter run, finishing fifth with a time of 4:23.62. Senior Georganne Way (Lititz, Pa.) followed Morris in sixth place.
Morris ran a gutsy race in the 800 meter, finishing fifth against a difficult field with a season-best time of 2:06.44
Sprinter Luis Luna (Barquisimeto, Venezuela) registered a personal-best in the men’s 400-meter dash finals with a mark of 46.31, the fourth-best time in school history.
Sophomore thrower Ashley Muffet (North Canton, Ohio) finished third in the women’s discus with a personal-best toss of 162-11. Her mark was the sixth-best in the discus in school history. Muffet looks to finish as UK’s top points scorer as she now has accumulated 22 points. She has accounted for 22 of the team’s 28 points.
Freshman thrower Emily Bernhardt (Marietta, Ga.) also qualified for the finals of the women’s discus and finished ninth with a personal-record throw of 139-4.
“I think on the whole, with the small group that we brought, we did an excellent job of competing and pulling out points this weekend,” UK throws coach Doug Reynolds said. “We didn’t necessarily have the highlight performances that we had hoped for, but they did a great job of coming out and giving everything they had. That competitiveness says a lot about the character, integrity and passion these kids have for Wildcat athletics.”
The Kentucky men’s 4×100 relay squad finished first in its heat but fifth overall with a time of 40.33.
Andre’ Silva is currently leading a pack of Wildcats in the men’s 5,000-meter run. Following the conclusion of that event, Andrea Halasek and Taylor Miller compete in the women’s 5,000-meter run.
Kentucky at the SEC Championships on Sunday (May 13, 2007 – Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Men’s 1,500-Meter Run
1. John Richardson – 3:43.02 – SEC CHAMPION
Women’s 1,500-Meter Run
5. Lavera Morris – 4:23.62
6. Georganne Way – 4:30.84
Women’s Discus
3. Ashley Muffet – 162-11
9. Emily Bernhardt – 139-4
Men’s 400-Meter Dash
5. Luis Luna – 46.31
Men’s 4×100 Meter Relay
5. Kentucky – 40.33
Men’s 800-Meter Run
7. John Richardson – 1:51.59
Women’s 800-Meter Run
5. Lavera Morris – 2:06.44
8. Georganne Way – 2:11.72
Men’s 200-Meter Dash
8. Jose Acevedo – 21.55 (-0.5)
