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Saunders’ TJ Highlights Six-Win Saturday at Kentucky Invite

Saunders’ TJ Highlights Six-Win Saturday at Kentucky Invite

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Six Wildcat emerged victorious on Saturday to conclude the 2017 Kentucky Track and Field Invitational inside Nutter Field House.
In all The Wildcats can point to seven event victories – six by the eighth-ranked women’s team – from this weekend’s first meet of 2017.
Sha’Keela Saunders carried the banner with a notable season-debut in the triple jump, to follow up her historic long jump season debut a month ago.
On Saturday she won the triple jump, considered the weaker of her two signature events, with an opening mark of 43-feet, 7.25 inches /13.29 meters, which was a personal best and strengthened her place as the No. 2 indoor triple jump performer in school history. 
The mark currently ranks second in the nation, nearly five inches better than the mark teammate Marie-Josée Ebwea-Bile recorded in December. Notably, some of the top returning triple jumpers in the nation have yet to begin their 2017 seasons.
Javianne Oliver ran a solid 7.29-second 60m prelim, and followed it with a 7.31 to win the final.
“The first race was better than the second one,” Oliver said. “I’m still working out a couple of things. Trying to put it all together so I have a good race, but right now I’m still working on different parts. Of course Camp Flo was really hard, and taxing, but we recovered well. Right now – each event – we’re still working on things. Hopefully we keep putting things together as the season progresses.”
 
Freshman Ellen Ekholm won the women’s high jump with a clearance at 5’9.25”/1.76m.
Michelle McKinney ran a personal-best 4:52.81 to win the mile.
Jacob Thomson ran a strong early-season mile time of 4:06.77 to take the tape.
“Everyone has been putting in a lot of hard work the last few weeks.” Thomson said. “Most of the guys wanted to come out here and get a good time. This has probably been the best winter break training we’ve had, both for myself and the team as a group. Just wanted to come out and shake off the dust before we get going the next couple of weeks.”
Kianna Gray overcame losing momentum off the turn to win the 200m in 23.42.
Kentucky had the top collegian finishers in the hurdles on both the men’s and women’s sides.
Nick Anderson ran the nation’s No. 3 early-season time in NCAA Division I, a PR 7.79 to place second overall. Freshman Daniel Roberts ran 7.96 for third, making him the No. 7 performer in school history.
Jacklyn Howell finished second to Kentucky Class of 2015 alumna Leah Nugent in the women’s 60m hurdles. Nugent, a 2016 Olympic Finalist in the 400m hurdles who still trains at UK and serves as a volunteer assistant coach, won in 8.15. Howell ran 8.30, while freshman Faith Ross was third in 8.37.
Kiah Seymour – who has exhausted her eligibility indoors, but figures to contribute heavily to the Wildcats’ cause during this spring as a senior outdoors in the 400m hurdles – competed unattached and won the 400m in 52.91. Nugent was second in 53.23.
Ian Jones ran an indoor personal best 1:52.18 to place second in the 800m.
Kentucky’s women’s 4x400m relay of Saunders, Ross, Howell and Gray placed second to Ohio State in 3:41.25.

Olivia Gruver placed second in the pole vault with a best clearance at 13’5.25″/4.10m.

On Friday Kentucky’s women’s distance medley relay of Caroline McCaslin, Tia Robinson, Jill Weston and Katy Kunc wonOn Friday Kentucky’s women’s distance medley relay of Caroline McCaslin, Tia Robinson, Jill Weston and Katy Kunc won the first race of the Kentucky Invitational in 11:39.53 to highlight the first night of track action in Nutter Field House this season.
With few teams having run early this indoor season, and all results not yet reported from this weekend’s meets, Kentucky’s time leads the nation currently. 
Kentucky will continue a two-week homestand to begin 2017 as next weekend the Wildcats will play host to one of the nation’s most stacked fields for the 2017 McCravy Memorial, which will be shown streaming live on SEC Network+ via ESPN3 and WatchESPN.

UK Results – Saturday January 14

Field Events

Women’s High Jump

1. Ellen Ekholm: 5’9.25″/1.76m

Men’s High Jump

4. Justin Kretchmer:
6’8.25″/2.04m

Men’s Long Jump

6. Fred Dorsey: 23’6″/7.16m

15. Cameron Short:
22’1.75″/6.75m

Women’s Shot Put

9. Adriana Brown:
48’1.25″/14.66m

11. Nicole Fautsch:
44’11.75″/13.71m

Women’s Pole Vault

2. Olivia Gruver: 13’5.25″/4.10m

Men’s Pole Vault

7. Tim Duckworth: 16’6″/5.03m

Men’s Shot Put

3. Nik Huffman: 59’4″/18.08m

7. Noah Castle: 55’1.5″/16.80m

12. Charles Lenford:
52’3.75″/15.94m

15. Logan Bryer: 48’11″/14.91m

17. Cameron Short:
46’3.5″/14.11m

Women’s Triple Jump

1. Sha’keela Saunders:
43’7.25″/13.29

(PR, No. 2 UK all-time)

Running Events

Women’s 60m Hurdles

1. Leah Nugent (UK, 2016): 8.15

2. Jacklyn Howell: 8.30

3. Faith Ross: 8.37

 

Prelims
1. Leah Nugent (UK, 2015): 8.28Q

2. Jacklyn Howell: 8.36Q

3. Faith Ross: 8.37Q

Men’s 60m Hurdles

2. Nick Anderson: 7.79 (PR)

3. Daniel Roberts: 7.96 (No. 7 UK
all-time)

8. Cameron Short: 8.59

 

Prelims

2. Nick Anderson: 7.90Q

4. Daniel Roberts: 8.20q

6. Cameron Short: 8.31Q

11. Caleb Wilt: 8.40

Women’s 60 meters

1. Javianne Oliver: 7.31

Prelims
1. Javianne Oliver: 7.29Q

Men’s 60 meters

3. Graig Green: 6.80

5. Kenshard Hamilton: 6.81

 

Prelims

3. Kenshard Hamilton: 6.80Q

6. Craig Green: 6.86q

Women’s Mile

1. Michelle McKinney: 4:52.81

4. Caroline McCaslin: 4:53.77

5. Katy Kunc: 4:55.25

10. Avery Bussjager: 5:02.95

27. Claire Crosby: 5:17.78

Men’s Mile

1. Jacob Thomson: 4:06.77

3. Kendall Muhammad: 4:07.73

4. Ben Young: 4:07.84

5. Brennan Fields: 4:12.05

13. Raine Wireman: 4:23.29

Women’s 400 meters

1. Kiah Seymour (unattached): 52.91

2. Leah Nugent (UK, 2015): 53.23

8. Faith Ross: 55.57

Men’s 400 meters

17. Will Walker: 49.62

Women’s 800 meters

4. Devynn Miller: 2:15.79

5. Jill Weston: 2:15.83

9. Tia Robinson: 2:16.44

Men’s 800 meters

2. Ian Jones: 1:52.18

11. Alex Carrabre: 1:55.92

Women’s 200 meters

1. Kianna Gray: 23.42

Men’s 200 meters

4. Kenshard Hamilton: 21.75

Men’s 3,000 meters

4. Mick Iacofano: 8:32.38

8. Daniel Southard: 8:40.26

9. Gabe Harm: 8:47.24

16. Matthew Thomas: 8:52.25

19. Tanner Dowdy: 8:58.29

25. Cole Dowdy: 9:05.88

Women’s 4x400m Relay

2. UK (Saunders, Ross, Howell, Gray):
3:41.25

Men’s 4x400m Relay

6. UK (Walker, Anderson, Roberts,
Green): 3:20.59

 

UK Results – Friday January 13

Field Events

Women’s Weight Throw

5. Brandi Walker: 60’7.25”/ 18.47m

31. Nicole Fautsch: 39’2.50”/11.95m     

Men’s Weight Throw

3. David Cline: 54’7”/19.68m

5. Logan Bryer: 62’10”/19.15m

9. Charles Lenford: 57’0”/17.37m

Running Events

Women’s DMR

1. UK (McCaslin, Robinson, Weston,
Kunc): 11:39.53

5. UK (McKinney, Miller, Crawford,
Bussjager): 12:06.99 

Men’s DMR

3. UK (Fields, Walker, Thomas,
Young): 9:55.56

4. UK (Muhammad, Jones, Carrabre,
Harm): 10:05.50    

—
The most up-to-date coverage of the UK track and field program is available via @KentuckyTrack handles on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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