Jan. 29, 2011
LEXINGTON, Ky. – As the 2011 Rod McCravy Memorial Meet concluded, the University of Kentucky track and field team tabulated four individual victories and placed four others in the top five of their respective events on Saturday at E.J. Nutter Field House.
After an impressive freshman campaign, sophomore Cally Macumber notched her first-career victory in the women’s one-mile run with a personal-best time of 4:48.70. Macumber earned All-Southeastern Conference honors in cross country, indoor and outdoor track a season ago and was the Cats top finisher at the NCAA Southeast Regional during this year’s cross country season. Up-and-coming freshman Taylor Wendler followed closely behind Macumber to claim a seventh-place finish in 4:56.56. Wendler improved from her previous performance at the Kentucky Invitational, where she posted a time of 4:57.45.
Senior Sharif Webb, the only returning indoor All-America honoree on the men’s side for the Cats, won the 800-meter run in his first try at the event this season, with a time of 1:50.59. Webb holds the second-fastest time in UK history at 1:47.86, set last season in Fayetteville, Ark. Freshman Matt Hillenbrand had a solid performance in the 800m, recording a top-10 finish with a time of 1:53.59.
“We didn’t prepare specifically for the 800m leading up to today, so I was impressed with his (Webb) performance,” head coach Don Weber said. “I saw his facial expression on the backstretch and thought he was done, but as he came around the turn he had more left and pushed through the line.”
Freshman Julie Nunn picked up the Wildcats second win of the day and the first of her young career in the women’s 400m dash with a time of 54.78. It marked the first time Nunn ran in the 400m on the collegiate level after running in the 200m dash and 4x400m relay at the Kentucky Invite. Sophomore Shiara Robinson set a personal-best time of 55.81 to finish seventh in the 400m dash, marking the second-straight meet she has put together career-best performances.
“Both girls ran courageously,” assistant coach for women’s sprints Althea Thomas said. “They are both very young in their careers but they are taking what they learn in practice and applying it very efficiently.”
In his final season in the blue and white, Keenan Hall won his first long jump title, landing in the pit 23-07.25/7.19m from the launching board. Hall was the only UK athlete entered into the event.
Junior Josh Nadzam, coming off his first career victory two weeks ago at the Kentucky Invitational, recorded his second consecutive personal best in the mile with a time of 4:06.70.
“Nadzam, strategically ran a great race,” assistant coach of distance events Thomas Morgan said. “He (Nadzam) just didn’t close well at the end and that’s all conditioning. This is the second competition of the year and as the season progresses his fitness will continue to improve and win races like that. He was also slightly under the weather.”
Also in the men’s mile was junior Luis Orta who finished 11th overall in the men’s one-mile run with a time of 4:10.49, roughly three seconds away from his personal-best time of 4:07.30.
Junior transfer Keith Hayes backed up his win in the 60m hurdles at the Kentucky Invite on Jan. 15, with a second-place finish Saturday in 7.80 seconds, shaving valuable hundredths-of-a-second off his previous personal-best mark of 7.84. Hayes currently sits second on UK’s all-time list in the 60m hurdles, trailing Mikel Thomas by .06.
Senior Colin Boevers added his second top-five finish of the year in the shot put, posting a mark of 55-06.25/16.92m to take fourth. Boevers made his way into the finals on his opening toss of 54-03.25/16.54 meters and on his fourth throw secured his final position. Freshman Isiah Kent finished in 14th place with a long throw of 50-00.50/15.25m, which was an improvement of 1-08.25 from the Kentucky Invite where he threw 48-03.25/14.71m in his UK debut.
On the women’s side in the shot put, senior Mary Angell launched the shot further than any time in her career to lock down a fifth-place finish at 51-01.75/15.59m. Angell’s previous-best mark was 50-11.50 and with her new mark, the senior solidified her fifth-place position on UK’s all-time shot put list.
The men’s 4x400m relay team that includes Kadeem Kushimo, Hayes, Cody Miller and Webb finished second in the event with a time of 3:12.22. It was their best mark of the season after posting a 3:14.14 at the Kentucky Invite, also grabbing a second-place finish.
Kentucky will leave E.J. Nutter Field House for the first time this season as they travel to Blacksburg, Va., for the Virginia Tech Elite Meet on Feb. 4-5.
For continuous updates follow the UK track and field team on twitter @KentuckyTrack, and at Ukathletics.com.
Women’s Events
Women’s High Jump (Auto: 1.85m)
9. Terri-Ann Grant – 5-07.25/1.71m
Women’s Long Jump (Auto: 6.38m)
22. Kayla Parker – 17-08.00/5.38m
25. Michelle Canterna – 17-01.25/5.21m (unattached)
Women’s Shot Put (Auto: 16.90m)
5. Mary Angell – 51-01.75/15.59m
Women’s 60m Hurdles Prelims (Auto: 8.14)
3. Precious Nwokey – 8.52q
— Ashley Newby – FS
Women’s 60m Hurdles Finals (Auto: 8.14)
9. Precious Nwokey – 8.60
Women’s 60m Dash Prelims (Auto: 7.26)
10. Jazmyn Shorter – 7.61q
13. Kayla Parker – 7.63q
Women’s 60m Dash Finals (Auto: 7.26)
13. Jazmyn Shorter – 7.64
15. Kayla Parker – 7.70
Women’s One Mile Run (Auto: 4:37.00)
1. Cally Macumber – 4:48.70
8. Taylor Wendler – 4:56.56
28. Anna Bostrom – 5:13.28
32. Megan Wright – 5:16.26
33. Hiruni Wijayaratne – 5:17.47
Women’s 400m Dash (Auto: 52.60)
1. Julie Nunn – 54.78
7. Shiara Robinson – 55.81
Women’s 800m Run (Auto: 2:05.00)
17. Allison Peare – 2:18.11
28. Megan Wright – 2:22.25
Women’s 200m Dash (Auto: 23.20)
6. Jazmyn Shorter – 24.43
18. Kayla Parker – 25.10
Women’s 4x400m Relay (Auto: 3:34.00)
— Kentucky ‘A’ – DNF
Men’s Events
Men’s Shot Put (Auto: 19.30m)
4. Colin Boevers – 55-06.25/16.92m
16. Isiah Kent – 50-00.50/15.25m
Men’s Long Jump (Auto: 7.90m)
1. Keenan Hall – 23-07.25/7.19m
Men’s 60m Hurdles Prelims (Auto: 7.70)
1. Keith Hayes – 7.84q
8. Brandon Bagley – 8.28q
Men’s 60m Hurdles Finals (Auto: 7.70)
2. Keith Hayes – 7.80
12. Brandon Bagley – 8.34
Men 60m Dash Prelims (Auto: 6.60)
3. Kyron Joseph – 6.81q
14. Kadeem Kushimo – 6.95q
27. Steve Crouse – 7.11
33. Robbie Graham – 7.15
38. Ben Mason – 7.19
40. Cody Miller – 7.21
44. Cortlandt Harris – 7.31
Men 60m Dash Finals (Auto: 6.60)
9. Kyron Joseph – 6.85
13. Kadeem Kushimo – 6.91
Men’s ‘Bill Lee’ One Mile Run (3:59.00)
3. Josh Nadzam – 4:06.70
11. Luis Orta – 4:10.49
24. Walter Luttrell – 4:16.55
25. Matt Hillenbrand – 4:16.61
31. Trent Halasek – 4:17.54
Men’s 800m Run (Auto: 1:48.00)
1. Sharif Webb – 1:50.59
10. Matt Hillenbrand – 1:53.59
20. Matt Frawley – 1:56.76
Men’s 200m Dash (Auto: 20.83)
5. Kyron Joseph – 21.48
7. Kadeem Kushimo – 21.75
9. Ben Mason – 21.88
11. Keith Hayes – 21.99
16. Cody Miller – 22.14
22. Cortlandt Harris – 22.39
24. Robbie Graham – 22.41
41. Brandon Bagley – 22.82
Men’s 4x400m Relay (Auto: 3:06.50)
2. Kentucky ‘A’ – 3:12.22
5. Kentucky ‘B’ – 3:18.61