Williams, Herman, Ross, Russell, Barnes, Moss, Two Relays Advance to NCAA Championships
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Annika Williams, Tori Herman, Faith Ross, Masai Russell, Celera Barnes, Megan Moss and two relays from the Kentucky women’s track and field team advanced to the NCAA Championships during Saturday’s NCAA East Preliminaries at Hodges Stadium at the University of North Florida.
All totaled, the UK women will have 11 entries in Eugene.
Saturday’s events concluded the East Preliminaries competition. On Wednesday and Friday, the Kentucky men qualified 13 entries for the national meet.
There were no team scores in the Preliminaries, as the goal is to advance individuals and relays to the NCAA Championships, set for June 9-12 in Eugene, Ore. The top 12 finishers in each Preliminaries event advanced; some of the events in Jacksonville had only one round of competition while others required two rounds.
Annika Williams gave the Wildcats a lift to start the day – to be precise, a lift of 5’11.5″/1.82 meters in the high jump that cleared her into the nationals.
Running events were bookended with successful relays:
· The 4×100 unit got things started as Shadajah Ballard, Celera Barnes, Dajour Miles, Megan Moss go through with a season-best 43.70 seconds.
· The 4×400 crew of Masai Russell, Megan Moss, Faith Ross and Dajour Miles wrapped the night with a qualification, finishing seventh with a time of 3:31.81
Between the relays, the highlight was freshman Tori Herman, who steamed to a school record 4:14.12 in the 1500 meters, nipping the old standard of 4:14.91 by Allison Peare in 2014.
In the hurdles, Kentucky’s dynamic duo of Faith Ross and Masai Russell doubled their fun.
· In the 100m hurdles, each qualified with a personal best. Russell’s 12.90 time ties for the No. 3 on the all-time list while Ross slots at No. 5 in UK history with a 12.93 mark.
· In the 400m hurdles, Russell came in fifth place with a mark of 57.25 seconds while Ross was 11th at 57.52.
Megan Moss put up a No. 4 time in school history with a 400m dash time of 52.13 seconds. She needed every bit of the speed as she came in as the No. 12 qualifier in that event.
Celera Barnes got her national qualifier in the 100m dash, finishing ninth with a season-best time of 11.25.
Today’s qualifiers joined hammer thrower Molly Leppelmeier, who advanced to the nationals on Thursday.
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Saturday, May 29 |
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Saturday Events |
Round |
UK Entry |
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First Round |
4. Annika Williams: 5’11.5″/1.82mQ, advances to Eugene 18. Carly Hinkle: 5’7.75″/1.72m |
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First Round |
23. Molly Leppelmeier: 165’0″/50.29m 39. Nicole Fautsch: 155’1″/47.28m |
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Quarterfinals |
6. Kentucky (Shadajah Ballard, Celera Barnes, Dajour Miles, Megan Moss): 43.70Q | advance to Eugene |
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Quarterfinals |
6. Tori Herman: 4:14.12, advances to Eugene, school record, freshman record, PB |
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Semifinals |
35. Perri Bockrath: 10:34.93 |
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Quarterfinals |
7. Masai Russell: 12.90Q (+1.0), advances to Eugene, PB, ties No. 3 on UK all-time list 8. Faith Ross: 12.93q (+1.0), advances to Eugene, PB, No. 5 on UK all-time list 17. Darci Khan: 13.10 (+1.0), PB, No. 7 on UK all-time list 24. Amaya Chadwick: 13.44 (+1.0) |
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Quarterfinals |
9. Celera Barnes: 11.25q, advances to Eugene |
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Quarterfinals |
12. Megan Moss: 52.13, advances to Eugene, PB, No. 4 on UK all-time list |
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Quarterfinals |
5. Masai Russell: 57.25Q, advances to Eugene 11. Faith Ross, 5.52q, advances to Eugene |
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Quarterfinals |
7. Kentucky (Masai Russell, Megan Moss, Faith Ross, Dajour Miles): 3:31.81Q, advances to Eugene |
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Friday, May 28 |
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Event |
Round |
UK Entry |
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First Round |
19. Rahman Minor: 7’1″/2.16m |
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First Round |
7. Charles Lenford Jr: 191’3″/58.29mq, advances to Eugene 10. Josh Sobota: 187’7″/57.18mq, advances to Eugene |
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First Round |
41. Joseph Palmer: 48’2″/ 14.68m (+0.3) |
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Quarterfinals |
11. UK (Kennedy Lightner, Lance Lang, Rodney Heath Jr., Dwight St. Hillaire): 39.45Q, advances to Eugene |
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Quarterfinals |
23. Dylan Allen: 3:51.54 |
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Quarterfinals |
3. Tai Brown: 13.41wQ (+2.2), advances to Eugene |
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Quarterfinals |
7. Lance Lang: 10.08Q (+1.6), advances to Eugene | No. 2 on the all-time UK list |
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Quarterfinals |
11. Dwight St. Hillaire: 45.91q, advances to Eugene |
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Quarterfinals |
5. Kenroy Williams: 50.18Q, advances to Eugene | No. 2 on all-time UK list |
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Quarterfinals |
3. Lance Lang: 20.06wQ (+3.2), advances to Eugene |
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Quarterfinals |
3. Kentucky (Kenroy Williams, Lance Lang, Dwight St. Hillaire, Kennedy Lightner): 3:04.23, advances to Eugene |
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Wednesday, May 26 |
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Events |
Round |
UK Entry |
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First Round |
28. Charles Lenford Jr.: 200’11″/61.24m |
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First Round |
10. Trey Causey III: 24’10.5″/7.58, advance to Eugene |
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First Round |
T1. Keaton Daniel: 17’6.5″/5.35m, advance to Eugene 16. Joseph Jardine: 16’10.75″/5.15m | Personal best 22. Dalton Shepler: 16’10.75/5.15m | Personal best 28. Lincoln Young: 16’4.75″/5.00m |
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First Round |
10. Josh Sobota: 61’6.25″/18.75m, advance to Eugene | Season best 11. Charles Lenford Jr.: 61’5″/18.72m, advance to Eugene | Season best |
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First Round |
1. Tai Brown: 13.47wQ (+2.7), advance to quarterfinals on Friday |
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First Round |
14. Dylan Allen: 3:44.25q, advance to quarterfinals on Friday 32. Jake Allen: 3:47.18 |
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First Round |
11. Lance Lang: 10.20Q (+1.3) advance to quarterfinals on Friday | No. 4 on all-time UK list 34. Rodney Heath Jr.: 10.38w (+2.7) |
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First Round |
6. Dwight St. Hillaire: 45.46Q, advance to quarterfinals on Friday |
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First Round |
5. Kenroy Williams: 50.67Q, advance to quarterfinals on Friday |
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First Round |
5. Lance Lang: 20.39Q (+1.5), advance to quarterfinals on Friday |
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Thursday, May 27 |
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Event |
Round |
UK Entry |
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First Round |
11. Molly Leppelmeier: 211’6″/64.46m, advance to Eugene 32. Jade Gates: 189’6″/57.76m |
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First Round |
36. Siobhan Szerencsits: 12’10.25″/3.92m |
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First Round |
30. Nicole Fautsch: 50’7.25″/15.42m Molly Leppelmeier, Foul |
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First Round |
7. Faith Ross: 12.91wQ (+2.2), advances to quarterfinals on Saturday 17. Masai Russell: 13.13Q (+1.5) 21. Amaya Chadwick: 13.15q (+1.5) | PB, No. 8 on UK all-time list 22. Darci Khan: 13.15wq (+3.0) 26. Shadajah Ballard: 13.34w (+2.2) |
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First Round |
7. Tori Herman: 4:16.55Q | PB, No.3 on UK all-time list, improves UK freshman record |
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First Round |
12. Celera Barnes: 11.37Q (+1.2), advances to quarterfinals on Saturday |
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First Round |
6. Megan Moss: 52.39Q | PB, improves No. 5 mark on UK all-time list, advances to quarterfinals on Saturday |
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First Round |
12. Faith Ross: 58.43Q 15. Masai Russell: 58.55q |
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First Round |
27. Abby Steiner: 23.59 (+1.2) 33. Dajour Miles: 23.77 (+1.1) |
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