** UPDATE **
When this release was originially published June 30, four former Wildcats had qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Venezuela has since had a runoff for the 4x400m relay, and former Kentucky sprinter Jose Acevedo did not finish in the top four and will no longer be competing in the Olympics. Jenna Martin, Rondel Sorrillo and Mikel Thomas will still be competing in London.
June 30, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. – When the world’s best track and field athletes convene in London for the 2012 Summer Olympics, four former Kentucky track and field stars will be among them.
Jenna Martin (Canada), Rondel Sorrillo (Trinidad & Tobago), Mikel Thomas (Trinidad & Tobago) and Jose Acevedo (Venezuela) have each punched their tickets to the Olympic games, which will take place in London this year from July 27 to August 12.
Martin qualified Friday by winning the 400-meter dash with an Olympic ‘A’ standard time of 51.53. Sorrillo will race in the 100m and 200m for Trinidad & Tobago, and will be joined at the games by Thomas, who will race in the 110m hurdles. Sorrillo finished third in the 100m and won the 200m at the Trinidad and Tobago trials. Sorrillo will also be racing in the 4x100m relay. Representing Venezuela, Acevedo will compete in the 4x400m relay.
Martin is the UK all-time record holder in the 400m, clocking a time of 51.91 in 2007.
Sorrillo holds both the 100m and 200m records at Kentucky. While at UK, the 2008 Olympian ran 10.05 in the 100m and 20.29 in the 200m, with both times coming in 2010.
Thomas owns the UK all-time record in the 110m hurdles with a time of 13.57 recorded in Fayetteville, Ark., in 2008. Thomas also has the fourth-fastest 400m-hurdle time in Kentucky history (51.40).
Acevedo has the fourth-fastest 200m (20.58) and 400m (46.17) times in UK history, and has been a part of each of the top-five fastest 4x400m relay times in Wildcat history.
UK rising sophomore thrower Raymond Dykstra just missed out on the Olympics. Dykstra finished fourth in the javelin at the Canadian Track and Field Trials with a final mark of 71.13m/233-04.
