March 12, 2011

NCAA Indoor Championship Complete Results

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky track and field junior, Keith Hayes, capped off an incredible three-week run leading up to the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships, with a seventh-place finish in the finals of the 60m hurdles, grabbing two points for the Wildcats on Saturday at the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium in College Station, Texas.   

Hayes, in lane two for the finals, made his way over the hurdles down the 60m stretch in 7.77 seconds for a seventh-place finish. The junior’s time was .02 seconds slower than his preliminary and career-best time of 7.75. Hayes scored Kentucky’s only two points of the championships, with Precious Nwokey and Sharif Webb unable to crack the top eight in the pentathlon and 800m run respectively.

Hayes was tied for 11th in the nation coming into the championships, with eight student-athletes tied at 7.75 making it into the field. Hayes had run 7.75 in three consecutive races, before today, dating back to the preliminary round of the Virginia Tech Final Qualifier.

Hayes was the last Wildcat to qualify for the NCAA Championships but ends as its top finisher. After improving throughout the season, he needed to travel to the VT Final Qualifier on the last weekend of competition for the opportunity to post an NCAA qualifying time. The junior ran consecutive 7.75 in Blacksburg, Va., which proved to be the exact time needed to get him to College Station, Texas. The Kansas transfer, with a time of 7.75, ranks second on UK’s all-time 60m hurdles list behind Mikel Thomas who ran a 7.74 in 2009.

The UK men’s team finished 57th the two points earned by Hayes. The women’s team did not post a score.

UK will be back in action April 1-2 as they travel to Gainesville, Fla. for their first outdoor meet, the Florida Relays.

For continuous updates follow the UK track and field team on twitter @KentuckyTrack, and at Ukathletics.com.