Feb. 27, 2011
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The 2011 Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships concluded with the Kentucky women’s track and field team finishing eighth overall in the team standings and equaled last year’s total of 38 points, Sunday at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark.
The women’s team surpassed the men in the team standings but the Wildcats best performance of the day came from Junior Keith Hayes who with a career-best time of 7.78 claimed a runner-up finish in the men’s 60m hurdles. Hayes’ time improved his previous-best mark of 7.80 set at the Rod McCravy Memorial Meet on Jan. 29. The seniors time ranks second on UK’s all-time 60m hurdles list, only trailing Mikel Thomas who posted a best time of 7.74 in 2009.
“Going into the finals our plan was to win it but he had a lifetime-best and we know he has more left in the tank,” assistant coach of men’s sprints and hurdles Erin Tucker said. “We’re around 17-20 position in the national rankings right now and it will probably take 7.74 to make it to the NCAA Championships, so we’ll go to Virginia Tech next week and try to make it happen. It will be like the first round of nationals next week and we’re excited about it.”
For the women, senior Mary Angell captured the women’s best individual performance of the day, finishing third in the shot put with a career-best mark of 51-05.25/15.68m. The senior moved passed injured teammate Jennifer Svoboda for fourth all-time on UK’s shot put list and has now furthered her personal-best mark three times this season. Angell’s previous best was 51-01.75, which she set at the Rod McCravy on Jan. 29.
Although Angell had the best finish of the day, sophomore Shelby Kennard produced the school’s best mark ever in the women’s pole vault at 12-11.50/3.95m to finish seventh in the event. Kennard’s height moved her passed teammate Samantha Stenzel who held the school record of 12-10.00 for a year. With a seventh place finish, the sophomore collected two points for the women’s team.
The women’s distance medley relay team of Cally Macumber, Shiara Robinson, Allison Peare and Taylor Wendler took to the track for the first time this season and pulled together for an impressive third-place finish with a time of 11:39.45. With the six points earned for their finish the women’s squad equaled the 38 points scored a season ago.
The men’s team finished ninth overall in the team standings with a late four points by the men’s 4x400m relay squad. The 4×4 relay team of Kadeem Kushimo, Keith Hayes, Cody Miller and Sharif Webb put together a fifth-place finish with a season-best time of 3:10.55.
Senior Josh Nadzam completed his final SEC Indoor Championships with a career-best sixth-place finish in the men’s one-mile run with a time of 4:08.76. Nadzam came into the finals with the fourth-fastest time after the preliminary round with a similar time of 4:08.87. With the sixth-place performance picked up three points for the men’s team bring their total to 13.
Coming into the 800m run with the SEC’s top time, senior Sharif Webb had a devastating beginning to his SEC championship aspirations. Webb fell coming around the turn and ended up inside the rail to end his chances to defend his top preliminary time.
“It’s extremely disappointing because he had a chance to win,” head coach Don Weber said. “We looked at the tape and it didn’t look like anyone was around him so we aren’t sure if he stepped on the rail or not. We are just glad he has already qualified for the NCAA championships.
The men’s distance medley relay of Adam Kahleifeh, Kyron Joseph, Matt Hillenbrand and Luis Orta picked up three points for the men with a sixth-place finish in 9:59.17. The group’s time marked their best of the season, which was previously 10:10.80 set at the Virginia Tech Elite Meet on Feb. 5.
Both teams will compete at the Iowa State Qualifier in Ames, Iowa, March 3-4 as a last chance to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships, March 11-12 in College Station, Texas.
For continuous updates and everything UK track and field follow @KentuckyTrack and at UKathletics.com.
Women’s Final Team Standings
1. LSU – 135
2. Arkansas – 118
3. Tennessee – 78
4. Auburn – 57
5. Florida – 55
6. Georgia – 54
7. South Carolina – 51
8. Kentucky – 38
9. Alabama – 33
10. Mississippi – 24
11. Vanderbilt – 10
12. Mississippi State – 9
Men’s Final Team Standings
1. Florida – 148
2. Arkansas – 136.50
3. LSU – 98
4. Alabama – 65.50
5. Georgia – 55.33
6. Auburn – 47.33
7. Tennessee – 46.33
8. South Carolina – 26
9. Kentucky – 20
10. Mississippi – 19
Women’s Point Scorers (Days 1-3)
Precious Nwokey – 12 points (1st – Pentathlon, 7th Long Jump)
Mary Angell – 6 points (3rd – Shot Put)
Distance Medley Relay – 6 points (3rd)
Heather Smith – 5 points (4th – Weight Throw)
Terri-Ann Grant – 4 points (5th – High Jump)
Cally Macumber – 3 points (6th – 3,000m Run)
Shelby Kennard – 2 points (7th – Pole Vault)
Men’s Point Scorers (Days 1-3)
Keith Hayes – 8 points (2nd – 60m Hurdles)
4x400m Relay – 4 points (5th)
Josh Nadzam – 3 points (6th – Mile)
Distance Medley Relay – 3 points (6th)
Colin Boevers – 2 points (7th – Shot Put)
Women’s Results (Sunday)
Women’s Pole Vault (Auto: 4.30m)
7. Shelby Kennard – 12-11.25/3.95m (2 points)
12. Samantha Stenzel – 11-11.75/3.65m
Women’s Shot Put (Auto: 16.90m)
3.Mary Angell – 51-05.25/15.68 (6 points)
Women’s Distance Medley Relay (Auto: 11:05.50)
3. Kentucky – 11:39
Cally Macumber, Shiara Robinson, Allison Peare, Taylor Wendler
Women’s 4x400m Relay (Auto: 3:34.00)
9. Kentucky – 3:43.76
Men’s Results (Sunday)
Men’s Triple Jump (Auto: 16.15m)
10. Steve Crouse – 50-04.50/15.35m
11. Keenan Hall – 48-08.00/14.83m
12. David Banks – 48-02.50/14.69m
Men’s 60-Meter Hurdles Finals (Auto: 7.70)
2. Keith Hayes – 7.78 (8 points)
Men’s 800-Meter Run Finals (Auto: 1:48)
DNF. Sharif Webb
Men’s Mile Run Finals (Auto: 3:59.00)
6. Josh Nadzam – 4:08.76 (3 points)
Men’s Distance Medley Relay (Auto: 9:32.00)
6. Kentucky – 9:59.17 (3 points)
Adam Kahleifeh, Kyron Joseph, Matt Hillenbrand, Luis Orta
Men’s 4x400m Relay (Auto: 3:06.50)
5. Kentucky – 3:10.55 (4 points)
