UK to Compete at Florida Relays and More

By Jacob Most

April 3, 2014 –

Meet Central: Florida Relays | Stanford Invitational | Bellarmine Invitational

GAINESVILLE, Fla., and STANFORD, Calif., and LOUISVILLE, Ky.  – The Kentucky track and field teams will break out into three groups traveling to three separate meets this weekend, the Florida Relays, Stanford Invitational and Bellarmine Invitational.

The largest group of Wildcats (36) will travel to the Florida Relays, while three men’s distance runners (Matt Hillenbrand, Adam Kahleifeh and Mackay Wilson) will compete at Stanford and 11 will make the trip to Bellarmine.

The Florida Relays and Stanford Invitational will be streamed live via Flotrack Pro (Subscription).

Kentucky’s top sprinters, throwers, jumpers and women’s distance runners will compete in Florida.

Both the Florida Relays and Stanford Invitational have been designated “National Meets of the Week” by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Four of the top women’s teams, including the fifth-ranked Wildcats, and four of the top-10 men’s teams will be in the Florida Relays field.

Five of the top-10 ranked men’s teams and three of the top women’s teams will compete at the Stanford Invitational, which is considered the fastest early-season meet in the nation for distance runners.

The Florida Relays will notably mark the debut at the longer distances in the repertoires of UK’s elite sprinters and hurdlers.

Kendra Harrison, who posted the fastest 100-meter hurdles time by any American this season last weekend at the Texas Relays is scheduled to make her 2014 debut in the 400m hurdles. She is the top returning finisher in the event from the 2013 NCAA Championships as she placed fourth at the National Championships last year. She was fifth in the 2013 NCAA 100m Hurdles Championship.

Dezerea Bryant, the 2014 NCAA Indoor 200m Champion will race that distance for the first time outdoors this season. Bryant ran the fourth fastest all-conditions 100m dash in the world last weekend at the Texas Relays, a wind-assisted 11.13 (+2.7).

Leah Nugent is also scheduled to make her 400m hurdles debut.

At the Stanford Invitational Matt Hillenbrand and Adam Kahleifeh will race in separate sections of the 5k and Mackay Wilson will make his 2014 debut in the 3,000m steeplechase. Wilson was a SEC All-Freshman Steeplechaser last season, while Hillenbrand and Kahleifeh finished 1-2 respectively in the SEC Indoor 3k Championship.

Hillenbrand also won the SEC Indoor Mile for the second consecutive season.

The Florida Relays will also give UK an opportunity to continue experimenting with its relay lineups. Last weekend at the Texas Relays the UK women set the school record in the 4x400m relay and ran the second-fastest 4x100m relay in school history.

The Florida Relays will begin for UK on Friday at Noon ET. The Stanford Invitational will begin for UK with Mackay Wilson at approximately 8:59 p.m. ET.