Muffet Crowned Women’s Discus Champion at SEC Championships

May 16, 2009

GAINESVILLE, Fla. –

Kentucky track and field thrower Ashley Muffet became the school’s first women’s SEC Outdoor Champion since 2002 and first-ever throwing event winner at the conference outdoor championships when she won the women’s discus title on the third day of the 2009 Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships Saturday at host University of Florida’s Percy Beard Track within James G. Pressly Stadium.

Muffet threw last in the second flight and recorded the top mark of the day on her first throw from the ring measuring 182-0 and held off the competition for the title to earn the Cats 10 points. She is the first women’s outdoor throwing event conference champion at Kentucky. Additionally, she is the first UK women’s outdoor SEC champion in any event since former Wildcat Janet Crawford claimed the high jump title in 2002. The discus title is the second conference crown for the North Canton, Ohio, native after claiming the SEC Indoor shot put title in 2007.

“It was a big win for Ashley,” said UK assistant coach for throws Doug Reynolds. “It was special because she beat (Tennessee’s Annie Alexander) who is ranked number one in the country in discus so that’s a really big deal. It sets us up for the Mideast Regional and Nationals because we will have to face her again and again over the next two meets.”

After three days of competition, the women rank third overall with 39 points while the men stand ninth with 18 tallies. The conference meet concludes Sunday with field events beginning at noon ET while running events will get out of the blocks at 5:00 p.m.

Muffet was joined by three other Wildcat women in the discus final on day three.

Senior Emilee Strot moved into third overall on her fifth throw of 166-2 to claim six points for UK. Sophomore Mary Angell heaved the shot 157-6 feet from the ring on her fifth attempt to finish fifth overall and take home four points. Classmate Jennifer Svoboda placed ninth with a mark of 148-5.

“I thought all our women’s discus throwers really stepped it up today,” Reynolds said. “Even with Svoboda in ninth, that is critical because it denies another team’s athlete from making the final and possibly moving up to score in the final. I thought they all did a great job.”

On the track, freshman Luis Orta smashed his men’s 3,000m steeplechase freshman record at UK by over six seconds crossing the line in 8:52.39 to place second overall and collect eight points for the Cats. It marks the third time this season Orta has set the steeplechase freshman standard at UK this year.

In the men’s shot put, senior Rashaud Scott threw a personal-best mark of 62-2.25 on his third throw to place second overall and claim eight points for the Blue and White. He moved into a fifth-place tie all-time at UK in the event. Classmate Chase Madison placed eighth overall with a mark of 56-8.75 on his second attempt. Sophomore Colin Boevers threw a personal-best mark to make the final on his first attempt from the ring. His measurement of 56-6 checked in at ninth place.

Sophomore Danielle Sampley made her season debut in the women’s long jump and advanced to the final. She hit the dirt at 19-11.75 on her final jump to place fourth overall and post five points for Kentucky.

Five Wildcats clinched spots in their respective event finals on Sunday with solid performances in the preliminaries.

Junior Rondel Sorrillo made a season debut in the 100m dash. He crossed the line in 10.33 to place seventh and advance to the Sunday final. Sorrillo’s time ranks him in a tie for ninth all-time at UK in the sprint.

In the men’s 400m dash preliminaries, senior Jose Acevedo clocked in at a personal-best time of 46.62 to place eighth; qualifying for the Sunday final. His 0.2 second improvement moves him up one spot to ninth on UK’s all-time list in the event.

Classmate Mikel Thomas made his season debut in the men’s 110m hurdles placing fifth overall with a time of 14.03 to advance to the day four final.

Senior Jessica Ortman advanced to the 1,500m run final by finishing ninth overall in a season-best time of 4:28.99.

On the men’s side, sophomore Josh Nadzam advanced to his first SEC event final in the 1,500m run. Nadzam placed 12th overall with a personal-best time of 3:52.61 to run again on Sunday.

The UK men are ranked at No. 25 coming into the meet, one of seven SEC squads ranked nationally in the latest top-25 poll. Other conference teams in the rankings include No. 2 Florida, No. 7 South Carolina, No.8 Arkansas, No. 12 LSU, No. 13 Auburn and No. 20 Georgia.

On the women’s side, Kentucky will compete against four top-25 teams. No. 4 LSU leads the SEC pack, of No. 12 Tennessee, No. 14 Auburn and No. 19 Arkansas.

Video coverage of the Championships will be aired on a tape-delayed basis by FSN South on Sat. May 23 at 6:00 p.m. ET. Live stats will be available at UKathletics.com.

A full recap of the Cats’ performances will be available after each day of competition on UKathletics.com.

Wildcat Scorers by Event – SEC Outdoor Championships after Day 3

WOMEN (points earned) – 39

Discus

1. Ashley Muffet – 182-0 (10) SEC CHAMPION

3. Emilee Strot – 166-2 (6)
5. Mary Angell – 157-6 (4)

Long Jump

4. Danielle Sampley – 19-11.75 (5)

Hammer

3. Ashley Muffet – 192-01 (6)
8. Kristin Smith – 168-11 (1)

Heptathlon

3. Ashley Trimble – 5530 (6)
8. Precious Nwokey – 4833 (1)

MEN (points earned) -18

Steeplechase

2. Luis Orta – 8:52.39 (8)

Shot Put

2. Rashaud Scott – 62-02.25 (8)
8. Chase Madison – 56-08.75 (1)

Decathlon

8. Kevin Carney – 6066 (1)

WOMEN’S TEAM STANDINGS AFTER DAY 3 (6 SCORED EVENTS)

1) Florida 46
2) Arkansas 45
3) KENTUCKY 39

4) Mississippi State 22
4) Alabama 22
6) LSU 14
7) Tennessee 11
8) Georgia 9
8) South Carolina 9
8) Auburn 9
10) Ole Miss 8

MEN’S TEAM STANDINGS AFTER DAY 3 (9 SCORED EVENTS)

1) Arkansas 53
2) Georgia 52
3) LSU 46.50
4) Florida 41
4) Tennessee 35
6) Auburn 32
6) South Carolina 31
8) Alabama 18.50
9) KENTUCKY 18

10) Mississippi State 15.50
11) Ole Miss 8.50

Kentucky SEC Outdoor Championship Participants Competing on Sunday May 17

Women’s Javelin – 12:00 p.m. ET

Jennifer Svoboda

Natalie Wise

Women’s Triple Jump – 1:00 p.m. ET

Ke’Undra Bishop

Danielle Sampley

Men’s Triple Jump – 3:00 p.m. ET

David Banks

Steve Crouse

Women’s Pole Vault – 3:00 p.m. ET

Mary Chris Durham

Samantha Stenzel

Men’s Discus – 3:30 p.m. ET

Colin Boevers

Alek Grietens

Chase Madison

Rashaud Scott

Women’s High Jump – 5:00 p.m. ET

Ashley Newby

Precious Nwokey

Men’s 4×100 Meter Relay- 5:00 p.m. ET

Gordon McKenzie / Jose Acevedo / Kwasi Obeng / Rondel Sorrillo

Women’s 4×100 Meter Relay- 5:10 p.m. ET

Jazmyn Shorter / Precious Nwokey / Ashley Trimble / Danielle Sampley

Men’s 1500 Meter Run Final – 5:20 p.m. ET

Josh Nadzam

Women’s 1500 Meter Run Final – 5:30 p.m. ET

Jessica Ortman

Men’s 110 Meter Hurdles Final – 5:40 p.m. ET

Mikel Thomas