Jordan Anthony Sets Freshman Record At Tom Jones Memorial

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Kentucky track & field freshman Jordan Anthony improved the men’s 100 meter dash freshman record by a total of eight milliseconds in his debut today at the Tom Jones Memorial hosted by the University of Florida in the James G. Pressly Stadium at Percy Beard Track.

The record was shared by Jim Green and Lance Lang at 10.24 seconds. Green set the record in 1967 and went unchallenged for 54 years before Lang matched the record in 2021. After 56 years, Anthony improved the record recording a wind legal 10.16 (1.0) this afternoon.

“I went out there to run my race to see where I was at and whatever happens, happens and that’s what happened.” Anthony said after the race.

This is the second freshman record Anthony has improved this season after he improved the men’s 60 meter dash record during the indoor season and they’re not something that keeps the freshman sprinter awake at night.

“I think records are meant to be broken. At any point in time, they’re going to be broken. My thought was to come in here and just do what I’ve been doing since high school. Nothing has changed, just a different uniform.”

Personal Bests

Payton Phillips won the women’s pole vault with a personal best of 13’3.75”/4.06 meters. Phillips tied her teammate Siobhan Szerencsits at 13’3.75”/4.06 meters but earned the win after having one fewer miss.

Phoebe McCowan placed eighth in the women’s 800 meters with a personal best time of 2:05.01. Her time moved her to eighth on the UK all-time performers list. Bryanna Lucas also set a personal best time of 2:06.60 in the event to place 16th.

On her second throw of the day, Simisola Akinrinsola set a personal best of 50’7.50”/15.43 meters in the women’s shot put to finish fifth. The mark ranks ninth on the UK all-time performers list.

Both Kennedy Lightner and Myles Anders earned personal bests in the men’s 100 meter dash. Lighter recorded a 10.29 (1.2) to finish 13th. His time sits tied at ninth on UK all-time performers list while Anders placed 28th with a personal best time of 10.44 (0.1).

Colleen Branch earned a personal best time of 11.61 (1.6) in the 100 meter dash to finish 42nd.

Notables

A 4×100 relay team of Victoria Perrow, Anthaya Charlton, Masai Russell, and Karimah Davis won with a time of 43.12.

The 4×100 relay team wasn’t the only relay team to earn a win on the day as the men’s 4×400 comprised of Wayne Lawrence Jr., Brian Faust, Brandon Miller, and Kennedy Lightner set a season best 3:02.05 to capture the event. The time ranks fourth on the UK all-time performers list.

Siobhan Szerencsits tied for second place in the women’s pole vault at 13’3.75”/4.06 meters.

Dennis Ohene-Adu was also a runner-up in the men’s shot put with a mark of 59’4”/18.08m just six millimeters from matching his personal best.

Wayne Lawrence Jr. placed ninth in the men’s 400 meters with a time of 45.79 and moved to third on UK all-time performers list.

On the men’s side, the 4×100 relay team of Jordan Anthony, Kennedy Lightner, Myles Anders, and Langston Jackson placed 13th with a time of 39.93. Their time ranks sixth on the UK all-time performers list.

Kentucky Track and Field will now turn its focus to the Michael Johnson Invite hosted by Baylor University on April 21-22.

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