April 11, 2009
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On the final day of competition at the Sea Ray Relays hosted by the University of Tennessee, several Kentucky track and field seniors led the Wildcats to seven NCAA regional-qualifying marks at the Tom Black Track in LaPorte Stadium.
Senior thrower Ashley Muffet continued her impressive outdoor campaign, winning the women’s discus title while collecting an NCAA regional-qualifying mark in both the discus and shot put.
In the women’s discus invitational, Muffet threw a personal-best distance of 180-7 for the win. The mark moves her into second all-time at UK. Senior Emilee Strot also notched an NCAA mark with a throw of 166-10 to place fourth. Sophomore Mary Angell’s season-best mark of 152-4 was good for seventh while classmate Jennifer Svoboda took home tenth with a throw measuring 147-0.
Muffet placed fourth in the women’s shot put with a distance of 51-0.75 to earn her second NCAA mark of the day. Svoboda placed tenth overall, recording a throw of 45-10.50
In the men’s shot put invitational, senior Rashaud Scott threw a season-best mark of 58-5.75 to place third overall. Classmate Chase Madison finished fourth posting a distance of 58-4.50. Both earned regional-qualifying marks for their efforts.
Senior Alek Grietens placed third in the men’s hammer invitational with a regional-qualifying mark of 188-9.
The final NCAA mark of the day for the Wildcats was earned on the track by a senior-laden men’s 4x100m relay squad.
The team consisting of senior Gordon McKenzie, senior Brandon Austin, freshman Justin Austin and senior Jose Acevedo finished second, crossing the finish line in 40.22 to earn the mark.
Austin, Austin and Acevedo also won the men’s 4x200m relay posting a time of 1:23.97 with junior Kwasi Obeng.
The women’s 4x400m relay squad of sophomore Jazmyn Shorter, senior Ashley Trimble, sophomore Brittany Cabbler and freshman Precious Nwokey ran a season-best time of 3:42.38 to place fifth.
Three eighth-place finishes rounded out the Wildcats’ top-10 performances Saturday.
Junior Claire Laverty placed eighth in the women’s steeplechase, crossing the line in 11:24.88.
The men’s 4x800m relay team of freshman Trent Halasek, sophomore Matt Frawley, sophomore Josh Nadzam and junior Will Rover posted an eighth-place time of 7:48.81.
In the men’s distance medley relay, freshman Luis Orta, senior Stephan Smith, sophomore Matt Wagner and senior Bruce Hordusky finished eighth, completing the race in 10:09.83.
The Wildcat men hold the No. 9 position in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll released Wednesday. Last season, the UK men placed ninth nationally at the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Championships, the Cats’ best finish in the 87-year history of the championships, with three medalists and seven All-America honorees.
Kentucky will send split squads to the Penn Relays and the UCSD Triton Invitational in two weeks.
