AUBURN, Ala. ? Both University of Kentucky track and field squads go into the final day of the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships at Auburn University?s Hutsell-Rosen Track with momentum from Saturday?s event finals. After nine events, the UK women rank third led by strong showings in the steeplechase and shot put. The Wildcat men rocketed up to fourth place after six events, racking up big points in the discus.
The Cats? women?s squad has already amassed 46.5 points surpassing last year’s eighth-place total of 42 with a full day of event finals left on Sunday. The UK men stand in fourth with 27 tallies just one point behind third-place Alabama.
?I was just pleased with the way we competed today,? UK head coach Don Weber said. ?I think overall we had a higher percentage of our people compete well and show up big when it counted. I just hope we can continue that tomorrow.?
Junior Andrea Halasek ended the third day of competition for the Cats by setting the women?s steeplechase school record with a personal-best pace of 10:35.76, improving her regional-qualifying mark. Junior Jenna Ortman also ran a personal-best in a time of 10:55.30 to place sixth. Sophomore Lindsay Petri placed seventh with a time of 10:56.77. Halasek posted six tallies for the team while Ortman grabbed three and Petri nabbed two.
The Wildcat men started Saturday out in impressive fashion as junior Chase Madison won the men’s discus competition with a throw of 198-1. Senior Andy Fryman took home fourth with a distance of 186-2 while freshman Colin Boevers threw 179-6 to place seventh. Madison took home 10 points while Fryman nabbed five and Boevers earned two.
Three Cats earned team points in the women’s shot put. Freshman Jennifer Svoboda placed fourth with a put of 50-2. Junior Emilee Strot finished sixth with a heave of 47-3.50. Sophomore Kristin Smith took home seventh place with a personal-best mark of 46-10.25. Svoboda nabbed 5 points for the Cats while Strot grabbed three and Smith posted two.
Multi-sport freshman athletes Victoria Dunlap and Derrick Locke both produced points in their SEC Outdoor Championships debut.
Dunlap placed in a tie for third in the women’s high jump with a leap of 5-8.75, adding 5.5 points to the Cats’ meet total. Freshman Ashley Newby finished ninth overall with a personal-best height of 5-5.
Earlier in the day, Dunlap and Strot made their debuts in the women’s javelin throw. Both ladies made the event finals for three additional throw attempts. Strot placed ninth measuring 126-10 for her best throw. Dunlap threw a distance of 130-5 to finish seventh overall and earn the Cats two team points.
Meanwhile, Locke took home fifth place overall in the men’s long jump hitting the dirt at 24-11. Locke earned the Cats an additional four points in the meet standings. Freshman Brendan Ames finished 14th overall with a personal-best jump of 22-5 which ranks him ninth all-time in the UK record books.
In the final event of the evening, senior Andre Silva placed eighth in the men?s steeplechase with a time of 9:06.28. Freshmen Zac Noel (9:28.40) and J. D. Horton (9:34.28) both posted personal-0best times finishing 13th and 14th respectively.
The Cats advanced several qualifiers on both squads to the finals of 400m dash and 1,500m run on Sunday.
Two Wildcat men advanced to the men’s 400 meter dash final. Seniors Nathan Browning (47.16) and Justin Harrison (47.06) both made the cut. Harrison’s time was a season-best mark. Sophomore Jenna Martin qualified for the women’s 400 meter finals with a season-best time of 53.40, improving her regional-qualifying mark. Freshman Jazmyn Shorter also ran a personal-best time in the event with a mark of 56.17.
The UK women qualified three runners in the women’s 1500 meter final. Senior Lavera Morris along with juniors Jenna and Jessica Ortman all automatically qualified by finishing in the top four in their respective prelims. Morris (4:25.48) and Jenna Ortman (4:27.18) finished second and third, respectively, in the first heat while Jessica Ortman (4:28.80) placed fourth in the second heat. Senior John Richardson qualified for the men’s 1500 meter final by finishing third in the first heat. Richardson’s time of 3:45.27 ranks fifth going into the final.
In the men’s 110 meter hurdles, junior Mikel Thomas qualified for the finals with a time of 13.96. Thomas’ time ranks eighth going into the final.
Competition for UK will resume at 4:00 p.m. ET Sunday with the men?s and women?s triple jump leading up to a full evening of event finals.
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.
Wildcat Scorers by Event ? SEC Outdoor Championships after Day 3
WOMEN (points earned)
Shot Put
4. Jennifer Svoboda ? 50-2 (5)
6. Emilee Strot ? 47-3.50 (3)
7. Kristin Smith ? 46-10.25 (2)
Steeplechase
3. Andrea Halasek ? 10:35.76 (6)
6. Jenna Ortman ? 10:55.30 (3)
7. Lindsay Petri ? 10:56.77 (2)
High Jump
T3. Victoria Dunlap ? 5-8.75 (5.5)
Javelin
7. Victoria Dunlap ? 130-5 (2)
Hammer Throw
6. Kristin Smith ? 191-1 (3)
Heptathlon
2. Danielle Sampley ? 5377 (8)
3. Ashley Trimble ? 5295 (6)
8. Ashley Newby ? 4784 (1)
MEN (points earned)
Steeplechase
8. Andre Silva ? 9:06.28 (1)
Long Jump
5. Derrick Locke ? 24-11 (4)
Discus
1. Chase Madison ? 198-1 (10) SEC CHAMPION
4. Andy Fryman ? 186-2 (5)
7. Colin Boevers ? 179-6 (2)
Hammer Throw
4. Andy Fryman ? 212-6 (5)
WOMEN?S TEAM STANDINGS AFTER DAY 3
1) Florida 70
2) Arkansas 52.50
3) KENTUCKY 46.50
4) Ole Miss 30
5) LSU 26.50
6) Auburn 26
7) Alabama 23
8) Tennessee 21
9) Mississippi State 20
10) Georgia 18
11) South Carolina 10.50
12) Vanderbilt 7
MEN?S TEAM STANDINGS AFTER DAY 3
1) Arkansas 45
2) Auburn 39
3) Alabama 28
4) KENTUCKY 27
5) Florida 22
6) Tennessee 21
7) Ole Miss 17
8) LSU 16
9) Georgia 12
10) Mississippi State 6
11) South Carolina 1
Kentucky SEC Outdoor Championship Participants Competing on Sunday May 17
Women?s Triple Jump ? 4:00 p.m. ET
Ke?Undra Bishop
Men?s Triple Jump ? 4:00 p.m. ET
David Banks
Women?s Discus ? 4:30 p.m. ET
Emilee Strot
Jennifer Svoboda
Men?s High Jump ? 6:00 p.m. ET
Grant Lindsey
Greg Wilson
Women?s 4×100 Meter Relay? 6:00 p.m. ET
Bianca Tyson/ Jenna Martin/ Jazmyn Shorter/ Danielle Sampley
Men?s 4×100 Meter Relay? 6:10 p.m. ET
Brandon Austin/ Gordon McKenzie/ Kwasi Obeng/ Jose Acevedo
Women?s 1500 Meter Run Final ? 6:20 p.m. ET
Lavera Morris
Jenna Ortman
Jessica Ortman
Men?s 1500 Meter Run Final ? 6:30 p.m. ET
John Richardson
Men?s 110 Meter Hurdles Final ? 6:50 p.m. ET
Mikel Thomas
Women?s 400 Meter Run Final ? 7:00 p.m. ET
Jenna Martin
Men?s 400 Meter Run Final ? 7:10 p.m. ET
Nathan Browning
Justin Harrison
Men?s Shot Put ? 7:30 p.m. ET
Colin Boevers
Andy Fryman
Chase Madison
Rashaud Scott
Women?s 800 Meter Run Final ? 7:40 p.m. ET
Lavera Morris
Jessica Ortman
Women?s 400 Meter Hurdles Final ? 8:05 p.m. ET
Ashley Trimble
Men?s 200 Meter Dash Final ? 8:35 p.m. ET
Jose Acevedo
Women?s 5000 Meter Run ? 8:45 p.m. ET
Andrea Halasek
Taylor Miller
Katherine Peterson
Lindsay Petri
Men?s 5000 Meter Run ? 9:05 p.m. ET
J.D. Horton
Josh Nadzam
Andre Silva
Women?s 4×400 Meter Relay? 9:25 p.m. ET
Lavera Morris/ Jenna Martin/ Jazmyn Shorter/ Danielle Sampley
Men?s 4×400 Meter Relay? 9:35 p.m. ET
Jose Acevedo/ Kwasi Obeng/ Nathan Browning/ Mikel Thomas
