Kianna Gray Named SEC Freshman of the Week

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky track and field’s Kianna Gray was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week by the league office on Tuesday.

Gray turned in a spectacular weekend of performances in four events running the nation’s third-fastest 100-meter time of this young season, the No. 6 200m time in addition to anchoring the No. 5 4x100m relay and leading off the No. 3 4x400m relay.

Among the notables of her great performances were that she became the second fastest Wildcat at 200m s all-time. Gray finished as the top collegian and fifth overall (after the first heat featured four seasoned pros, including Olympic medalists) with a time of 22.86.  

She bettered the freshman record she set in her season debut two weeks ago. Only Class of 2015er Dezerea Bryant has run faster in a Kentucky uniform. Her top time 22.18, which she used to win the NCAA Championship last June, is the fastest non-altitude time in collegiate history, and No. 2 all time at any elevation.

The time is better than the Olympic Entry Standard and is one of three sub-23 200s run by a collegian woman this season.

Gray placed second to NCAA leader Shayla Sanders in the 100m with a time of 11.21w.

She anchored UK’s 43.31 4x100m relay.

Gray concluded the weekend with a flourish as she ran leadoff on the UK school-record 4x400m relay, with a time of 3:28.45.

Gray is the second Wildcat to earn SEC Freshman of the Week honors through three weeks of the outdoor season. Jasmine Quinn earned the accolade on March 22, after she ran a 13.01 100m hurdles, which remains the nation-leading time.

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