Jan. 31, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – University of Kentucky sprinter Jose Acevedo claimed two event titles on the final day of competition at the Penn State National Invitational with wins in the 200m dash and 4x400m relay Saturday on the Nittany Lions’ Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track.
Acevedo earned first place with his 200m dash time of 21.35. The senior also ran the opening leg of the men’s 4x400m relay that won the invitational title with a finish of 3:13.90.
UK freshman Justin Austin and seniors Mikel Thomas and Brandon Austin joined Acevedo on the championship team.
Two Wildcats entered the UK record books with their performances.
In the men’s shot put, senior Chase Madison threw his best indoor distance as a Wildcat with a measurement of 59-0 to place second overall and rank ninth all-time at UK. The throw also earned Madison a provisional mark in the event.
Sophomore Adam Henken’s fifth-place finish of 8:16.27 in the 3,000m run is the 10th-best time in school history.
Freshman Luis Orta broke the freshman record in the 5,000m run with a time of 14:33.82 – his second freshman record-brekaing performance in two collegiate meets. Two weeks prior, Orta set the new freshman standard for the 3,000m run.
Several other Kentucky athletes placed in the top-10 of their events.
In the women’s triple jump, sophomore Ke’Undra Bishop hit the dirt with a season-best distance of 40-1.25 to finish fourth overall. On the men’s side, sophomore David Banks matched his season-best distance of 48-10.25 on his final attempt to finish sixth overall.
In the men’s shot, senior Rashaud Scott finished sixth overall with a throw of 57-5.75. Two Wildcats placed in the top 10 of the shot put on the women’s side with sophomore Jennifer Svoboda throwing 47-1.50 for eighth place followed by classmate Mary Angell’s mark of 46-8.25 in ninth.
Two UK freshmen finished seventh in their events. First-year Spencer Patterson cleared a season best height of 6-7 in the men’s high jump while classmate Kevin Carney wrapped up the final day of the heptathlon to finish with 4717 total points.
A pair of Wildcat women ran personal best times on the track. Sophomore Jazmyn Shorter’s eight-place 200m dash time of 24.53 tied her personal-best from last season while senior Jenna Ortman ran her best time of 9:56.39 in the women’s 3,000m run to finish eighth.
Senior Jessica Ortman finished 10th overall in the 3,000m invitational, clocking in at 10:00.81.
In the men’s 1,000m run invitational, freshman Trent Halasek placed eighth with a time of 2:33.01. Meanwhile, junior Will Rover took home ninth place by clocking in at 2:30.22 in the other 1,000m run contest.
UK freshman Mike Knisley finished eighth overall in the men’s 800m run crossing the finish in 1:54.91..
Kentucky returns home to host the Rod McCravy Memorial Meet next weekend to kick off the second month of the indoor season.
Click on UKathletics.com for the latest track and field news.
