March 22, 2009
TEMPE, Ariz. – The defending national champion in discus, Kentucky thrower Rashaud Scott, began the 2009 outdoor season where he left off last year – winning the discus competition. Scott’s personal-best throw of 212-9 broke the nine-year-old meet record at Arizona State’s Baldy Castillo Invitational held at the Joe Selleh Track inside Sun Angel Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., Saturday.
The senior made his mark on the second throw of the competition. Scott’s throw ranks second all-time at UK and earned him an NCAA regional-qualifying mark.
Two other Wildcats earned regional-qualifying marks in the men’s discus. Senior Chase Madison’s fourth throw of 196-7 earned him fourth place overall while sophomore Colin Boevers placed ninth after his fifth throw measured 175-1.
In the men’s shot put, Madison earned a second regional-qualifying mark fresh off of his sixth-place finish in the event at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships last weekend. The senior’s throw of 58-4.50 placed him second overall. Boevers placed eighth with a distance of 53-3.
On the women’s side, senior thrower Ashley Muffet notched two additional regional-qualifying marks in the shot put and discus to go with the one she achieved by winning the hammer throw competition Friday night. Muffet placed second in the shot put with a distance measuring 53-4.50 on her third throw. In the discus, she claimed fifth overall with a throw of 163-6 on her first attempt from the ring.
On the track, sprinter Jose Acevedo also earned two regional-qualifying marks Saturday. The senior won the 200m dash in a time of 20.80 to claim his first NCAA mark. Earlier in the evening Acevedo finished second in the 100m dash crossing the finish in 10.45 seconds for the second mark.
Wildcat Ashley Trimble continued her brilliant senior year by winning the women’s 400m hurdles in a time of 59.64 and clinching a regional-qualifying mark. Earlier Trimble earned another regional-qualifying mark in the 100m hurdles, clocking in at 13.85 to place fourth overall.
Jumper David Banks had one of his best outings of his young career by attaining his personal-best distance in the long jump and securing a regional-qualifying mark in the triple jump. On his sixth and final attempt, the sophomore achieved his personal-best long jump mark of 22-7.25 to place third overall and move into ninth place all-time at UK. In the triple jump, it was again Banks’ final attempt that secured him an NCAA mark of 49-8.50 to place second overall.
Freshman Steve Crouse finished fourth in the triple jump with a leap of 47-11, good for eighth all-time in the UK annals.
Another UK freshman made her mark on the record books. Lexington native Samantha Stenzel broke the women’s pole vault freshman record in her first career outdoor meet. Stenzel cleared a height of 11-1.75 on her second attempt to finish seventh overall and break the record of teammate Mary Chris Durham. Durham, a junior, placed ninth in the competition.
Junior Katherine Peterson won the women’s 3,000m run in a time of 10:05.44. Classmate Claire Laverty placed ninth, crossing the finish line in 10:39.99.
Sprinter Jazmyn Shorter posted two second-place finishes on the day in the women’s 200m and 400m dashes.
In the women’s 200m dash, the sophomore led a trio of Wildcats across the line with a time of 24.90. Classmates Danielle Sampley (25.09) and Ke’Undra Bishop (25.34) finished third and fourth overall, respectively.
Shorter’s time of 56.82 placed her second in the 400m dash. Classmate Brittany Cabbler finished third in a time of 57.04 while Sampley took home seventh, clocking in at 59.10.
Several other Wildcats achieved top-10 performances Saturday.
Freshman Luis Orta finished third overall in the men’s 3,000 meter steeplechase in a time of 9:13.14.
In the women’s triple jump, Bishop placed third overall with a distance measuring 39-2.25 on her second attempt.
Junior Kwasi Obeng also notched a third-place finish in the men’s 400m dash with a time of 47.66.
In the men’s 110m hurdles, junior Geoffrey Daley placed sixth overall in a time of 14.54, just 0.18 seconds off of his personal-best mark that ranks fifth all-time at UK. Freshman Imani DuPerry finished 10th in the event, crossing the finish in 15.13.
On the women’s side, sophomore Ashley Newby placed eighth overall in the women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 14.68.
In the women’s discus, senior Emilee Strot finished seventh with a throw of 152-1 while sophomore Mary Angell came in 10th with a mark of 151-10. Strot also placed eighth overall in the women’s shot put with a mark of 46-6.
In the men’s 100m dash, freshman Alex Williams clocked in at 10.78 to place seventh overall. Senior Brandon Austin finished eighth with a time of 10.82. Classmate Gordon McKenzie placed ninth in 11.00 seconds.
Williams and Austin also placed in the top-10 of the 200m dash. Williams edged Austin at the line to take seventh in 21.80, while Austin took home eighth in 21.81.
In the men’s 3,000 meter run, senior Bruce Hordusky finished seventh overall, crossing the finish in 8:34.44.
Freshman Spencer Patterson placed tenth in the men’s high jump, clearing a height of 6-4.75.
Next week, the Wildcats will send split squads to the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif., and the Yellow Jacket Invitational in Atlanta.
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