March 19, 2015
SAN ANTONIO – The Kentucky track and field teams will spend spring break in the Lone Star State as the Wildcats will begin the outdoor season this weekend at the University of Texas-San Antonio Challenge Invitational.
Plenty of Wildcats will make their debut this weekend. Kentucky’s NCAA Indoor Championship qualifiers will get reacquainted with competing on and around a 400-meter track, but will compete sparingly. The NCAA Indoor Championships were contested last weekend, with the UK women’s team finishing in a school-record fifth place.
Friday’s action is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. ET with the first five events of the decathlon. Timothy Duckworth will make his debut in the event, and he will be joined by Nathan Donnellon.
The javelin and hammer throws will also be contested on Friday.
Saturday action starts with the decathlon at 10:30 p.m. The first running events will get under way on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Among the most notable season debuts this weekend will be that of Raymond Dykstra. The defending Southeastern Confernce Javelin Champion and NCAA Silver Medalist did not compete in any indoor throws, so this weekend will be an eagerly awaited opportunity for the senior captain to test himself in competition.
Madison Jacobs and Rebecca Famurewa will have the chance to throw the discus for the first time in a while.
Other Wildcats to watch this weekend include Robert Sandlin, who is entered in the 1,500m. He owns a mile personal best of 4:01.20 and a 1,500m PR of 3:48.20.
UTSA, Manhattan, Texas, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas Tech are in the UTSA Challenge Invitational.
Last outdoor season, the UK women’s team earned the best NCAA Outdoor Championships finish in school history, seventh overall with 26 points. The Wildcat men finished 15th overall with 14 points. The result was the team’s fourth-highest placement and fifth-best total ever.
At the 2014 SEC Outdoor Championships, The UK women finished in fourth place in the final team standings with 104 points. The fourth place finish marked the first time since 1983, when there were only seven teams in the league, that the Wildcats placed fourth or higher.
In the 2014 SEC men’s team standings, UK finished sixth with 65.50 points. UK’s sixth-place finish was the highest placing since 1996.
