Kate Powers Breaks Hammer Throw Freshman Record to Open Outdoor Season

TAMPA, Fla. — Despite being off for a couple of weeks ahead of the outdoor season, freshman Kate Powers continues to break records as the Kentucky Track & Field program opened the outdoor season at the USF Alumni Invitational hosted by the University of South Florida.

On her outdoor debut for the Wildcats, Powers continued to impress everyone this year as on her first attempt in the women’s hammer throw, she threw a mark of 194’6”/59.30 meters, already setting a new Kentucky freshman record. Powers, however, was just warming up.

After two foul attempts and a throw just a touch shorter than the first, Powers achieved 200 feet in her fifth attempt throwing 200’1”/61.00 meters. She was not finished there as on her final attempt she let go of a monstrous throw of 207’6”/63.26 meters officially breaking Ashley Muffet’s throw of 186’6”/56.84 meters set in 2006 by 21 feet to set the new Kentucky freshman record.

Powers becomes only the fifth woman in program history to throw over 200 feet and it marked the fourth time this year Powers has set a freshman record after breaking the indoor weight throw record three times during the indoor season.

In addition to the women’s hammer throw, UKTF won four other events today with 22 finishes in the top 10. The Wildcats will conclude the USF Alumni Invitational tomorrow.

FINALS RECAP

SPRINTS & HURDLES

200M

WOMEN – Freshman Morgan Davis placed ninth with a time of 23.96 (+3.1).

MEN – Graduate student Kennedy Lightner won the event with a time of 20.46 (+1.0). Freshman Shavique Bascus placed third with a time of 20.69 (+1.0) tying for 10th on the UK all-time performers list. Freshman Miles Jones finished sixth with a time of 21.02 (+1.7) while junior Clinton Muunga was ninth at 21.11 (+1.7). Freshman Troy Lane closed out the top 10 crossing the line at 21.20 (+1.7).

400mH

WOMEN – Freshman Oneika McAnnuff placed fifth with a time of 1:00.45 with freshman Ava Alexander just behind in sixth with a time of 1:00.52 and junior Alexis Glasco in seventh with a time of 1:01.47.

DISTANCE

800M

WOMEN – Freshman Lyric Olson finished sixth with a time of 2:07.96, just a second shy of the UK freshman record of 2:06.47 set by Sherry Hoover in 1986.
MEN – Junior Alex Justus finished second with a time of 1:51.06.

5000M

WOMEN – Junior Mollie Roden won in her event debut with a time of 17:13.03.
MEN – Freshman Caden Miracle won with a time of 14:39.36.

JUMPS

POLE VAULT

WOMEN – Sophomore Kaitlyn Cain and graduate student Kristen Masucci earned top-10 finishes as they both shared a mark of 12’3.50”/3.75 meters that ranks tied for 10th on the UK all-time performers list. Cain finished fifth overall while Masucci tied for sixth.

MEN – Senior Dalton Shepler and sophomore Brayden Jackson finished second and third respectively with a mark of 16’8.75”/5.10 meters. The height is a personal best for Jackson and sees him tied for 10th on the UK all-time performers list.

LONG JUMP

WOMEN – Freshman Morgan Davis finished fourth with a mark of 19’11”/6.07 meters in her UK outdoor debut.

THROWS

HAMMER THROW

WOMEN – Freshman Kate Powers won with a freshman record throw of 207’6”/63.26 meters. Senior Simisola Akinrinsola set a new personal best of 166’2”/50.66 meters to finish eighth.

MEN – Junior Logan Coles finished second with a throw of 211’11”/64.60 meters while senior DaRoyce Flemons finished just outside the top 10 with a throw of 172’4”/52.54 meters.

Event Results

Event Lineup (all info tentative and subject to change before the meet)

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