Track & Field
Kunc, Alumna Bryant Advance on Day One at USATF Outdoors

Kunc, Alumna Bryant Advance on Day One at USATF Outdoors

by Jake Most

DES MOINES, Iowa – Kentucky track and field senior Katy Kunc advanced to her first United States 3,000-meter steeplechase final, and Class of 2015 alumna Dezerea Bryant ran a personal best to qualify for the 100m semifinal on Thursday, the first day of the 2018 USATF Outdoor Championships being held this weekend at Drake Stadium.
 
Kunc, who’s last collegiate race was the NCAA final earlier this month, moved on to the U.S. 3k steeplechase final, running within a quarter of a second of her PR, 9:55.76q to advance on time from the second heat, placing seventh. The final is Saturday at 4:20 p.m. ET/3:20 CT (local).

“I’m really excited,” Kunc said. “I tried to go out more aggressive than I did at NCAA’s. It worked out well. I was able to see the barriers a lot better. Had really good waters today. Once the group kind of separated I just tried to hang on as best I could. I knew I had to run under 10 minutes to get in the final so I’m excited.”

Bryant, a two-time NCAA 200m Champion at UK, advanced to the U.S. 100m semifinal with a PB 10.99Q. The semifinal is at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 CT (local) on Friday. It’ll be broadcast live on NBC Sports Gold subscription service. There’s a 11 p.m. – 1 a.m. ET delayed NBCSN window Friday too. The final will be at 8:22 p.m. ET.
 image
Also on Thursday, senior Jacob Thomson was named to the 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-America Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country team, selected by CoSIDA.
 
Thomson will run in the U.S. 5k final on Sunday.

Sydney McLaughlin was entered to represent UK in the 400m, but after warming up, felt tightness in her quadriceps and elected to withdraw following an all-time great collegiate freshman season. McLaughlin announced after winning the NCAA 400m hurdles title and leading UK’s 4x400m relay to fourth place that she intends to turn professional.

She was named the first freshman finalist for The Bowerman on Wedesday. Fan voting for track and field’s highest individual honor is under way until Thursday, June 28.
 
Friday’s action at USATFoutdoors will feature defending 100m hurdles champion, UK Class of 2015 alumna Keni Harrison in the first round, and Bryant in the 100m.

Wildcats current and alumni alike are also competing at the Jamaican and Trinidad and Tobago Championships this weekend.
 
Whereas the other three years of every four-year Olympic cycle, the U.S. Championships serve as a qualifying meet for Americans seeking to compete at major championships, the IAAF World Championships occurring one year before, and one year after each quadrennial Summer Olympic Games, this year National Championships represent in some measure the most prestigious competition available to many athletes.

That said, for athletes who compete for European nations – notably NCAA heptathlon and decathlon champion Tim Duckworth, who represents Great Britain, and NCAA triple jump bronze medalist Marie-Josee Ebwea-Bile, who represents France, the biennial European Championships in athletics are likely the top target for this summer. The European Championships will be August 7-12 in Berlin’s OlympiaStadion.

The British Championships will be June 30-July 1, and the French Championships are July 5-8 in Albi Municipal Stadium.

For North America and Caribbean athletes the NACAC Championships – the track and field equivalent to soccer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup – will also be contested this summer.
 

DAY ONE — THURSDAY, JUNE 21ST

NBC Sports Gold 1:00 CST

Event

Division

Round

UK result

3k Steeple

Women

First Round

10. Katy Kunc: 9:55.76q

100m

Women

First Round

4. Dezerea Bryant (Class of 2015): 10.99Q | PB

DAY TWO — FRIDAY, JUNE 22ND

NBC Sports Gold 11:30am CST
NBCSN (delayed) 10:00pm – 12:00am CST

Time (CT)

Event

Division

Round

UK entry

3:15pm

3k  Steeple

Men

First Round

 

3:20pm

Hammer Throw

Men

Final

 

3:50pm

100m Hurdles

Women

First Round

Ht. 1 | Ln. 3: Keni Harrison (Class of 2015)

‘4:40pm

400m Hurdles

Women

First Round

 

5:10pm

400m Hurdles

Men

Semifinals

 

5:30pm

100m

Women

Semifinals

Ht. 2 | Ln. 5: Dezerea Bryant

5:30pm

Triple Jump

Men

Final

 

5:50pm

100m

Men

Semifinals

 

6:05pm

400m

Women

Semifinals

 

6:20pm

400m

Men

Semifinals

 

6:50pm

800m

Women

Semifinals

 

7:05pm

800m

Men

Semifinals

 

7:22pm

100m

Women

Final

TBD

7:30pm

100m

Men

Final

 

7:40pm

20,000m Race Walk

Women

Final

 

DAY THREE — SATURDAY, JUNE 23RD

NBC Sports Gold 10:00am CST
NBC LIVE 3:00pm – 5:00pm CST

Time (CT)

Event

Division

Round

UK entry

1:10pm

200m

Men

First Round

 

1:30pm

Pole Vault

Men

Final

 

1:35pm

200m

Women

First Round

Ht. 4 | Ln. 2: Destiny Carter

2:10pm

Javelin Throw

Men

Final

 

2:15pm

Long Jump

Women

Final

Sha’Keela Saunders (Class of 2017)

2:20pm

Hammer Throw

Women

Final

 

2:20pm

100m Hurdles

Women

Semifinals

TBD

2:30pm

High Jump

Women

Final

 

2:35pm

110m Hurdles

Men

First Round

Ht. 3 | Ln. 2: Daniel Roberts
            Ln. 3: Nick Anderson

2:45pm

Shot Put

Men

Final

 

3:03pm

400m Hurdles

Women

Semifinals

Ht. 1 | Ln. 4: Faith Ross

            Ln. 8: Kiah Seymour (Class of 2017)

3:20pm

3k Steeple

Women

Final

Katy Kunc

3:36pm

400m Hurdles

Men

Final

 

3:46pm

1,500m

Women

Final

 

4:08pm

400m

Women

Final

 

4:30pm

400 m

Men

Final

 

4:40pm

1,500m

Men

Final

 

4:52pm

100m Hurdles

Women

Final

TB

DAY FOUR — SUNDAY, JUNE 24TH

NBC Sports Gold 11:30am CST
NBC LIVE 3:00pm – 5:00pm CST

Time

Event

Division

Round

 

1:45pm

High Jump

Men

Final

 

1:55pm

Pole Vault

Women

Final

 

2:00pm

200m

Men

Semifinals

 

2:10pm

Shot Put

Women

Final

 

2:15pm

200m

Women

Semifinals

TBD

2:20pm

Discus Throw

Men

Final

Fl. 2: Andrew Evans

2:25pm

Long Jump

Men

Final

 

2:30pm

110m Hurdles

Men

Semifinals

TBD

3:04pm

800m

Women

Final

 

3:13pm

800m

Men

Final

 

3:22pm

5,000m

Women

Final

Cally Macumber (Class of 2014)

3:44pm

400m Hurdles

Women

Final

 

3:55pm

3k Steeple

Men

Final

 

4:10pm

200m

Men

Final

 

4:20pm

200m

Women

Final

 

4:30pm

5,000m

Men

Final

Jacob Thomson

4:52pm

110m Hurdles

Men

Final

 



For the most in-depth coverage of the UK cross country and track and field program follow the @KentuckyTrack social media channels on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook as well as on UKathletics.com.
 

Related Stories

View all