SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Kentucky track and field squad is in Sacramento, Calif., for the NCAA Championships. Follow the Cats’ week-long journey both on and off the track through this site, which will feature daily journal entries, a live blog from each of the meet days, full results, pictures, quotes and a schedule of events.

The NCAA Championships, hosted by Sacramento State University, take place June 6-9 at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex.

Daily Journal

June 3, 2007 – 12:35 p.m. PDT – The Wildcats have just arrived in Sacramento after a lengthy flight. Kentucky athletes left the Shively Training Center at 6:30 a.m. EDT this morning thanks to driver Don Stone and his UK bus. The team bussed to Louisville where it caught a 9:05 a.m. EDT flight to Chicago. After a 45-minute flight to the Windy City, the Wildcats returned to the airways for a four-hour flight to Sacramento. Kentucky has arrived safely at the hotel and the athletes are resting for the upcoming days of competition.

June 4, 2007 – 8:35 a.m. PDT – The biggest adjustment the Wildcats must make is the three-hour time difference between Lexington and Sacramento. That difference had many Wildcats waking up early this morning. Conditions, however, were perfect for a morning run or jog. The hotel gave each student-athlete a map of the vicinity and many sights including the California state capitol are within walking/running distance of the hotel. A photo gallery of UKathletics.com’s early-morning journey through downtown Sacramento is available below.

Sacramento is also a big sports town with several professional sports franchises in the area. As the Wildcats were waiting to claim their baggage yesterday at the Sacramento airport, at the adjacent baggage claim were members of the San Antonio Silver Stars and their coach Dan Hughes. They are in town to prepare for tomorrow’s game against the Sacramento Monarchs. It will be a big game for San Antonio’s Erin Buescher, who is making a return to Sacramento after playing for the Monarchs the past two seasons before signing with the Silver Stars this year.

The headlines on the front of the sports page of the Sacramento Bee, the local newspaper in Sacramento, featured the NCAA Track and Field Championships as excitement in the area continues to build. Interestingly enough, the teams mentioned in the article were all teams from the Eastern United States. One of the main premises of the article was how Florida State’s men look to repeat as national champions despite the fact that their entire NCAA Championship roster consists of all sprinters, with the exception of one qualifier in the steeplechase.

This is a light day for the team as most squads are not arriving in Sacramento until later this afternoon. The Wildcats wanted to get acclimated to the area prior to the Championships. At most late-season outdoor track meets, the events tend to take place in the late afternoon and evening to avoid hot temperatures. The Cats have been at both the SEC Championships and NCAA Mideast Regional until after 10 p.m. EDT each night, so that means some events will not be concluding here until after midnight!

June 5, 2007 –
7:41 a.m. PDT – The team is enjoying its time in Sacramento and will head to practice at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex again this afternoon.

The temperatures in town are quite moderate. This morning it is 57 degrees and cloudy. The high today is 70 degrees with partly cloudy skies for the majority of the day.

In case you were wondering about gas prices in California, at most places they are about the same here as in Lexington. Regular gas ranges anywhere from $3.14-$3.19.

A little history about Sacramento, the Capitol of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. One of its nicknames is the City of Trees and that is certainly evident with all of the trees and green space throughout the town, including the busy downtown area. The average daily temperature ranges from 46 degrees to 76 degrees throughout the day. The city was named to the list of America’s Most Liveable Cities.

9:44 p.m. PDT – The team had a nice workout this afternoon at Hornet Stadium at the Alex G. Spanos Complex. Photos of the stadium along with the sprinters’ workouts have now been added to the photo gallery. The excitement in the air is starting to become palpable around the track as teams and individuals across the country are making their final preparations before beginning their quest for the NCAA Championship.

It is a pleasant ride from the hotel to the track on the campus of Sacramento State University. It is a long enough ride that the team is able to see much of the city of Sacramento on the way from one place to the other. Be sure to stay tuned tomorrow as a live blog will be available during the competition. Things begin at 7:30 p.m. EDT as sophomore thrower Ashley Muffet (North Canton, Ohio) will take place in the qualifying round of the discus, and then Luis Luna (Barquisimeto, Venezuela) and Jenna Martin (Nova Scotia, Canada) participate in the first round of the 400-meter dash.

June 6, 2007 – 1:57 p.m. PDT – The team is preparing to head to the track to compete in the opening day of the NCAA Championships. Those athletes who are not competing today will be on hand to support their teammates in their quest for a national title. The Louisville Courier-Journal has a nice article on UK freshman Jenna Martin at the following link: http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070606/SPORTS03/706061273/1002/SPORTS. It talks about Jenna’s adjustment to Kentucky from Nova Scotia and how she has surpassed even her own high expectations this season with a trip to the NCAA Championships.

There are plenty of restaurants in the vicinity of the hotel for athletes to choose from. The hotel also offers an excellent evening reception with a small dinner, popcorn and free soft drinks each evening fron 5-6:30 p.m. PDT – all FREE – that the athletes and staff have enjoyed taking part in. One of the restaurants in the area is called the Memphis BBQ Company, and the Blues Burger is a must have.

It is currently 72 degrees and sunny right now in Sacramento – perfect weather for track and field competition. Temperatures will be about the same during Muffet’s competition and will be in the 60s during Luis and Jenna’s races.

If you were wondering how that basketball game came out last night with our airport friends from San Antonio, the Silver Stars made a late-game comeback, but were unable to complete the rally in a 74-57 loss to Sacramento. Erin Buescher played 22 minutes with three points, three rebounds and five steals in her return to her native California.

A link to Wednesday’s live track blog is available

June 7, 2007 –
1:11 p.m. PDT – The excitement is definitely in the air from last night’s successes on the first day of the NCAA Championships. Athletes and staff are spending the morning relaxing, practicing, sitting by the pool, jogging and walking about Sacramento. A pair of NCAA Mideast Regional Champions compete this evening as the men’s 4×400 relay squad and John Richardson (1,500 meter) compete this evening at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex.

The excitement back in Lexington centers around the new coaching staff announced by head women’s basketball coach Matthew Mitchell. The latest addition is WNBA standout Wendy Palmer. The connection to Sacramento is that Palmer’s Seattle Storm square off with the Sacramento Monarchs this evening at Arco Arena. The Sacramento Bee reports that Palmer may get the starting nod this evening in favor of Lauren Jackson, who did not travel with the team to Sacramento due to an illness.

Of course track headlines the Bee today and again the successes of teams from the Southeast tend to make up the majority of the content. Also in the news, there is discussion of how Stan Van Gundy, who is expected to take the Orlando Magic head coaching job in the latest drama in the sports world, made his decision to take the job after visiting the Sacramento area for a tour of the Kings’ facilities with his wife yesterday.

From a fan’s perspective, visiting an NCAA Championship may find the fan among a sea of opposing fans who are seen as rivals. For student-athletes, coaches and staff, the championships are a good opportunity to see our friends from various other schools. While the competitive element is certainly prevalent, off the track these events are a good reunion for student-athletes and staff to reunite with colleagues and fellow athletes from across the country.

A link to Thursday’s live blog is available

June 8, 2007 – 2:21 p.m. PDT – What a great day for a walk around the city of Sacramento. The team hotel is right next to the river – well, actually two rivers. Across the street from the hotel, the America River and the Sacramento River converge. Along the river all the way into Old Town Sacramento is a teriffic walking/biking path.

Old Town Sacramento is a cool place and a great way to get away from the daily grind. Taking a look back in time in Sacramento, the area also features some nice shops and tourist attractions. Despite the highway being the divider between Old Town and the current downtown, there is a neat walkway under the interstate that features a wall display of the history of Sacramento and all of its famous people. That leads you directly into a huge mall downtown.

The mall has everything you could want from eateries to local stores to the chain department stores seen in every other city. With the warm climate, the mall is two stories but the walkways between stores are completely outside with trees and local flowers throughout.

The Wildcats are hoping to regroup from a difficult night on Thursday as Luis Luna and Jenna Martin hope to qualify for the NCAA Finals in the 400 meter dash. That competition commences at 8:55 p.m. EDT.

A link to tonight’s live blog is available

Kentucky’s Schedule of Events

Wednesday, June 6

7:30 p.m. EDT – Ashley Muffet – Women’s Discus Qualifying 9 p.m. EDT – Luis Luna – Men’s 400 Meter First Round 9:20 p.m. EDT – Jenna Martin – Women’s 400 Meter First Round

Thursday, June 7

8:15 p.m. EDT – Gavin Ball – Men’s Shot Put Qualifying 9:05 p.m. EDT – John Richardson – Men’s 1,500 Meter Semifinals 9:45 p.m. EDT – Men’s 4×400 Meter Relay Semifinals

Friday, June 8

8:55 p.m. EDT – Luis Luis – Men’s 400 Meter Semifinals 9:05 p.m. EDT – Jenna Martin – Women’s 400 Meter Semifinals

Saturday, June 9

1:37 p.m. EDT – Luis Luna – Men’s 400 Meter Finals 1:44 p.m. EDT – Jenna Martin – Women’s 400 Meter Finals

Click on the thumbnail for the larger version. More photos will be added throughout the week.