Kentucky Track & Field Sends Split Squads to Corky Classic, Vanderbilt Invite

LEXINGTON Ky. – Fresh off nine event wins, two school records, and a freshman record at the 30th Annual Rod McCravy Memorial, the University of Kentucky Track & Field program will return to competition this weekend, sending athletes to Texas Tech’s Corky Classic and the Vanderbilt Invite.

Sprinters and jumpers will be competing in Lubbock, while the distance and throws squads—along with select women’s sprinters—will be in action in Music City. Both meets will run from Friday, January 17-Saturday, January 18 and will be streamed on ESPN+ (Corky Classic) and SECN+ (Vanderbilt Invite).

Record breakers Cha’iel Johnson, Sharmelle Holmes, and Kate Powers are all back in action this week after their historic performances at the McCravy. Now the school record holder in the 600m, Johnson will be in action at the Corky Classic, competing in the 400m and 4x400m.

Holmes—the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week after breaking Abby Steiner’s 60m freshman record—will also race in Lubbock, as she is entered in the 60m and 200m, where she holds national rankings of seventh and 15th, respectively.

Powers will compete in her signature event—the weight throw—at the Vanderbilt Invite, looking to improve on her school record of 21.64m that she set at the McCravy. The All-American from a season ago currently ranks fifth in the NCAA in the event.

Victoria Perrow—NCAA No. 2 in the 60m—will also race at the Corky Classic on the heels of her McCravy win. The senior set her first personal best in the event since 2022 at 7.25 seconds to take the win and the early SEC lead in the 60m.

Miles Jones and Clinton Muunga will highlight the Wildcats in the Men’s 60m, as each have taken a win in the event this season and hold season best times of 6.67 and 6.68, respectively.

Olympic finalist Carlie Makarawu will make his season debut in the 200m at the Corky Classic, an event in which he holds the Zimbabwe National Record.

All-American Oneika McAnnuff will also make her season debut in her signature event, racing 400m for the first time since qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor National Championships last summer.

At the Vanderbilt Invite, Patrick Faust looks to build off his McCravy win in the 800m. Faust lowered his personal best in the event by six seconds in his Kentucky—and NCAA Division 1—debut. His time of 1:50.27 currently ranks seventh in the nation.

A full schedule of Wildcat entries can be found below.

The Wildcats will sit idle next week before returning to the track at the Razorback Invitational from January 31-February 1. The meet will be hosted at Arkansas’ Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville.

Event Schedule

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