By Jacob Most
May 3, 2013 –
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Kentucky track and field team’s Matt Hillenbrand and Adam Kahleifeh finished second and fifth with respective 1,500-meter personal best times of 3:44.66 and 3:45.99 at the IU Billy Hayes Invitational on Friday.
Hillenbrand was the top collegiate finisher in the race.
Friday’s race was Kentucky’s final tune-up for the SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which begin Thursday, May 9.
Hillenbrand’s time is the second-fastest 1,500M performance by a Southeastern Conference competitor this season. Kahleifeh’s time ranks No. 8 in the conference. Keffri Neal posted No. 3 SEC time over 1,500 meters at the Stanford Invitational earlier this season.
The conference championships will be held at the Audrey J. Walton Track Stadium on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia from May 9-12.
Kentucky will enter the SEC Championships defending one individual championship, as Andrew Evans claimed the event title last season in Baton Rouge, La. UK has claimed the last five SEC discus titles with Chase Madison, Rashaud Scott and Colin Boevers also having claimed conference titles over the past five seasons.
The Wildcats will also send two 2013 SEC indoor champions in the form of Cally Macumber (3,000 meters) and Hillenbrand (mile) to Missouri next week.
Raymond Dykstra, a 2012 All-American, was SEC javelin runner-up last season. Luis Orta was 2012 SEC 3,000-meter steeplechase runner-up and 2012 SEC indoor runner of the year.
Next week’s SEC meet begins the championship portion of the outdoor season.
The NCAA East Preliminary Championships are scheduled to be held in Greensboro, N.C. May 23-25, and the NCAA Outdoor Championships will take place June 5-8 in Eugene, Ore.
Kentucky’s top-3 1,500-meter performances this season all rank inside the East Region top-48 threshold, which is the qualifying standard for a NCAA East Preliminary Championship berth.
The Kentucky track and field program is currently running its third annual Shoe Drive. Supporters are encouraged to donate any type of shoes in any condition into collection bins located across the UK campus.
Shoe drive drop-off locations include the Johnson Recreation Center, Shively Sports Center (adjacent to Cliff Hagan Stadium) and CATS (attached to Memorial Coliseum).
The UK shoe drive runs until May 10, benefitting those less fortunate who lack access to adequate footwear. For more information on the UK Track and Field Shoe Drive visit http://www.uktrackandfieldshoedrive.com/.
One week remains in the #uktf #shoedrive. #donate #WeAreUK #BBN twitter.com/KentuckyTrack/…
— UK Track and Field (@KentuckyTrack) May 3, 2013
