LEXINGTON, Ky. ? This weekend the University of Kentucky track and field team welcomes one of the best fields ever to visit E.J. Nutter Field House for a collegiate track meet. The Rod McCravy Memorial Track Meet competitors include nine teams in the latest men?s and women?s top-25 rankings.
Competition begins Friday at 6 p.m. ET and continues Saturday at 10:30 a.m. ET. The two-day event is free to the public and live stats will be available at UKathletics.com. This will be the final home meet this season for the Wildcats.
The competition looks fierce this weekend with so many ranked teams in attendance. The four ranked men?s squads include three SEC foes: No. 2 Tennessee, No. 11 Florida, No. 16 South Carolina and No. 21 Ohio State. The five teams ranked on the women?s side include two of the top three schools in the nation: No. 2 Tennessee, No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 10 South Carolina, No. 11 Florida and No. 17 Georgia Tech. In all 18 schools, including the Wildcats and in-state rival Louisville, will be in action.
?I think this McCravy field might be the best we?ve ever had,? UK head coach Don Weber said. ?I?d say it is probably going to be one of the top meets in the nation this year because of the quality of teams we have coming in. There are a lot of ?super-meets? with dozens of teams invited but the top seven or eight teams they?d have wouldn?t be any better than ours this weekend.?
The Rod McCravy Memorial Track and Field meet is named in honor of Rod McCravy, a former University of Kentucky track athlete who died in 1987 at the age of 19 while sleeping in his dorm room. Although only a sophomore, Rod had already become one of the team?s leaders. A social work major, Rod is remembered as a dedicated, enthusiastic athlete who was a conscientious student and outstanding human being. He set the then-UK freshman record in the 400 hurdles and finished sixth at the TAC National Junior Championships. A meet named in Rod?s honor enables the Kentucky track and field family to remember him, as well as provide an on-going opportunity to speak to UK athletes about his impact on our program and those he surrounded.
Be sure to check out live stats both Friday and Saturday available at UKathletics.com with recaps following the conclusion of each day?s action.
