Feb. 14, 2009
AMES, Iowa – It was another day of record-setting performances for the University of Kentucky track and field team at the Iowa State Classic Saturday on the Lied Recreation Athletic Facility track as Wildcat senior Mikel Thomas broke his own 60m hurdle varsity record and Luis Orta re-set his 3,000m run freshman standard.
Thomas is familiar with the Iowa State track, he set the 60m hurdles record on it last year – and repeated the feat this season. The native of Trinidad and Tobago won the 60m hurdle final in a blistering time of 7.74, edging his 2008 record of 7.75. The time is Thomas’ fourth NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the event after four meets this season. His updated mark stands fifth in the country this year.
Orta had already broken two UK freshman records in the 3,000m and 5,000m runs, each more than 18 years old, when he took the track in Ames this evening. The Caracas, Venezuela native broke the 3,000m standard again by over three seconds with a fifth-place time of 8:19.25.
The Cats didn’t just set records at the Classic; they also achieved more NCAA provisional marks.
Sophomore Mary Angell posted the third provisional mark of the season for the Wildcat women with her sixth-place throw of 50-0.75 in the shot put. The personal-best distance earns Angell a provisional mark and ranks fifth all-time at UK.
Senior Jessica Ortman also earned a provisional mark in the women’s 800m run with a season-best finish of 2:08.32. Her time fell just 0.08 seconds short of her personal-best time set in Ames in 2008 that ranks fourth all-time at UK.
In the men’s 60m dash, senior Gordon McKenzie placed second overall in a time of 6.74 to earn his second NCAA mark in the sprint this season.
Fellow senior Jose Acevedo turned in a season-best time of 47.15 in the men’s 400m dash to collect his second NCAA mark of the year in the event.
Acevedo also earned his second provisional mark in the men’s 4x400m relay this season by anchoring the team of freshman Justin Austin, Thomas and senior Brandon Austin. The quartet posted a season-best time of 3:08.57 to finish second overall.
The women’s 4x400m relay team placed third overall at the Classic. The team of sophomore Jazmyn Shorter, senior Ashley Trimble, sophomore Brittany Cabbler and freshman Precious Nwokey turned in a time of 3:43.75.
Several Wildcats notched top-10 individual performances as well.
On the track, sophomore Adam Henken ran a personal-best time on the mile to place sixth overall in the mile run crossing the finish in 4:08.08. Freshman Alex Williams finished fourth in the men’s 60m dash in a time of 6.80.
In the field events, senior Chase Madison placed ninth in the men’s shot put with a throw measuring 57-4.75. Sophomore David Banks placed fifth in the men’s triple jump with a distance of 47-9.25 while freshman Steve Crouse finished eighth, hitting the dirt at 46-10.25.
Kentucky takes next weekend off to prepare for the 2009 Southeastern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships at Nutter Field House in two weeks.
