AUBURN, Ala. ? The University of Kentucky track and field team will compete at the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships this weekend at host Auburn University?s Hutsell-Rosen Track.
Three Wildcats will start competition on Thursday afternoon in the women?s heptathlon. Going into the event, freshman Danielle Sampley and junior Ashley Trimble rank in the conference?s top two slots. The pair also owns the top two scores all-time at UK along while freshman Ashley Newby ranks fifth in school history. Sampley set both the freshman and varsity records at Kentucky in the heptathlon earlier this year.
The Kentucky squads enter the SEC Outdoor Championships looking to improve upon their finishes of last season. The Wildcat women finished eighth, while the UK men placed 10th.
This season the UK men are ranked at No. 17, one of eight SEC squads ranked nationally in the latest top-25 poll. Other conference teams in the rankings include No. 3 Florida, No. 4 LSU, No.8 Auburn, No. 14 Tennessee, No. 15 Arkansas, No. 22 South Carolina and No. 24 Georgia.
The Cats? men?s squad has entered 17 new top-10 times/marks into the all-time UK record books this season, with two new varsity records and four updated freshman standards. Junior Mikel Thomas set the UK record in the 110m hurdles twice this year with his best finish at 13.85. Freshman Derrick Locke?s long jump of 25-3.25 set a new varsity and freshman record at UK. Other rookies setting new standards include Brendan Ames (110m hurdles ? 14.14), Colin Boevers (Discus ? 181-4) and Grant Lindsey (High Jump ? 7-3.25).
Senior John Richardson leads the conference in the 1500m run with a time of 3:41.87. In the high jump, freshman Grant Lindsey?s mark leads the SEC and ranks fifth nationally. The Wildcat men also own three of the top four conference spots in the discus led by Chase Madison at the top (202-9), with senior Andy Fryman third (192-1) and junior Rashaud Scott fourth (187-7). Madison?s discus mark ranks third in the nation and tops the Mideast Region. Kentucky has accumulated 23 regional-qualifying marks in 15 different outdoor events and won two weekly SEC honors so far this season.
On the women?s side, Kentucky will compete against six top-25 teams. No. 2 LSU leads the SEC pack, while No. 9 Florida, No. 13 Arkansas, No. 19 Ole Miss, No. 23 Tennessee and No. 25 Auburn will provide tough competition.
The Wildcat women?s squad has entered 18 new top-10 times/marks into the all-time UK record books this season, with three new varsity records and two updated freshman standard. Junior Jessica Ortman broke the school record in the steeplechase with a time of 10:40.88. In the women?s pole vault junior Maggie Tincher set the school record at a height of 12-1.50. Sampley broke the UK freshman long jump record hitting the dirt at 20-5, and also holds both heptathlon records. Kentucky has accumulated 20 regional-qualifying marks in 13 different outdoor events and won two weekly SEC honors so far this season.
Video coverage of the Championships will be on a tape-delayed basis aired by FSN South on Sat. May 24 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Live stats will be available via link on the track and field schedule page.
A full recap of the Cats? performances will be available after competition each day on UKathletics.com.
Kentucky SEC Outdoor Championship Participants Competing on Thursday May 15
Women?s Heptathlon ? 3:30 p.m. ET
Ashley Newby
Danielle Sampley
Ashley Trimble
