April 26, 2009

PHILADELPHIA and SAN DIEGO – On the final day of competition at the Triton Invitational in San Diego, Kentucky track and field throwers collected six NCAA regional-qualifying marks Saturday while the Wildcat men’s 4x100m relay notched another NCAA mark at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia.

At the Triton Invitational, senior Rashaud Scott earned two of the NCAA marks with a pair of third-place finishes in the men’s discus and shot put. Scott threw the discus 197-1 feet from the ring for one mark. He heaved the shot a season-best distance of 60-3.75.

Also in the men’s shot put, sophomore Colin Boevers placed seventh with a season-best measurement of 56-0 to claim a regional-qualifying mark.

The women’s shot put throwers posted three regional marks. Sophomore Mary Angell placed eighth overall after recording a personal-best distance of 48-5.50 to improve her seventh-place standing all-time at UK. Senior Ashley Muffet’s throw of 48-3.50 was good for ninth overall. Sophomore Jennifer Svoboda placed tenth with a throw measuring 47-4.25.

At Penn Relays, the 4x100m relay squad of junior Kwasi Obeng, senior Jose Acevedo, freshman Justin Austin and senior Brandon Austin crossed the finish line at 40.31 to place sixth in the college final and earned a regional-qualifying mark.

Several Wildcats turned in top-10 performances on the final day of competition.

At the Relays, the 4x200m relay team of freshman Justin Austin, senior Jose Acevedo, junior Kwasi Obeng and senior Brandon Austin placed sixth in the 4x200m Relay Championship of America, turning in a time of 1:22.81.

At the Triton Invitational, the women’s 4x400m relay team of sophomore Jazmyn Shorter, classmate Brittany Cabbler, freshman Precious Nwokey and sophomore Danielle Sampley claimed first place in a time of 3:53.56.

Nwokey also posted three top-10 finishes. She landed a season-best long jump mark of 17-11.75 to place fourth overall. Additionally, Nwokey cleared a height of 5-3 in the high jump to finish in seventh overall. She placed fifth in the 100m hurdles with a season-best time of 14.93.

Shorter placed ninth in the 200m dash, clocking in at 25.68. She also notched a fifth-place finish in the 400m dash, crossing the line in 56.93.

Cabbler finished sixth in the 400m dash in a time of 57.05.

Three men’s jumpers also placed in the top 10 of their events.

Sophomore David Banks’ leap of 48-11 earned him third place in the triple jump. Freshman Steve Crouse placed sixth with a triple jump mark of 47-2.50.

Freshman Imani DuPerry hit the dirt of the long jump pit at 20-11.75 to finish eighth overall.

Kentucky will split squads next weekend at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Track Classic and Stanford’s Cardinal Invitational.

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