Two Program Records Fall for the Wildcats on Opening Day of Rod McCravy Memorial Invitational
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Kentucky Wildcats track and field team kicked off the 2026 calendar year today at the Rod McCravy Memorial Invitational in Louisville, Ky.
The Wildcats totaled eight event wins on day one of their first of three home meets of 2026, highlighted by freshman Vanice Kerubo Nyagisera and junior Patrick Faust, for the second consecutive meet, breaking the Kentucky school record in the women’s and men’s 600m events, respectively.
Freshman Kemarah Howard kicked off the new year by posting the seventh-best mark in UK program history, 1.79m/5-10.50, in the women’s high jump event at the top of the day. In the men’s high jump event, Devin Sealey tied his personal best distance of 2.05m/08.75 to finish tied for second.
In the men’s long jump, freshman Kingi McNair posted the ninth-best distance in program history, placing second with a mark of 7.57m.
At the start of the running events for the afternoon, Sharmelle Holmes advanced to the women’s 60m final, Denzel Simusialela and Miles Jones advanced to the men’s 60m final. In the following events, Emmi Scales, Camden Bentley and Kori Martin advanced to the women’s 60m hurdles final, with Scales breaking her personal best time and maintaining her No. 4 spot on the Kentucky all-time leaderboard and the best time in the NCAA this season. Anthony Waterman, breaking his personal best time and climbing to No. 6 on the all-time UK leaderboard, advanced to the men’s 60m hurdles final tomorrow afternoon.
In the penultimate event of the day, Kentucky won the women’s DMR event with a time of 11:22.72 and placed second in the men’s relay with a time of 9:55.64.
In day one’s final event, Simusialela claimed the eighth win of the day for the Wildcats by placing first in the men’s 200m final with a 21.06 time.
Day two of the Rod McCravy Memorial Invitational will kick off tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. ET, starting with Dahlia Beasley, Meagan Ewers, Julia Gunnell and Addison Stadsholt competing for the Wildcats in the women’s shot put event.
Follow Kentucky Track and Field and Cross Country on Facebook, Instagram, X, and UKathletics.com.
Event Schedule
| Rod McCravy Memorial Invitational: Friday, January 9: ALL TIMES IN EASTERN TIME | |||
| Women’s High Jump | 12:00 p.m. | FINAL | 2. Kemarah Howard – 1.79m (PR) (No. 7 UK All-Time)
14. Julia Gunnell – 1.60m 17. Dahlia Beasley – 1.60m |
| Men’s High Jump | 12:00 p.m. | FINAL | 2. Devin Sealey – 2.05m (PR) |
| Women’s Weight Throw | 1:30 p.m. | FINAL | 3. Kate Powers – 21.28m
6. Meagan Ewers – 19.56m 15. Gwyn Lori – 16.88m 18. Addison Stadsholt – 15.90m (PR)
|
| Men’s Weight Throw | 1:30 p.m. | FINAL | 13. Brock Conrad – 18.14m
14. Grayson Brashear – 18.12m 23. Cian Crampton – 14.79m
|
| Women’s Long Jump | 1:30 p.m. | FINAL | 13. Dahlia Beasley – 5.64m
14. Skylar Reynolds – 5.61m 26. Julia Gunnell – 5.18m
|
| Men’s Long Jump | 1:30 p.m. | FINAL | 2. Kingi McNair – 7.57m (PR) (No. 9 UK All-Time)
|
| Women’s 60m | 3:00 p.m. | PRELIMS | 2. Sharmelle Holmes – 7.32 (Q)
9. Stacey Onyepunuka – 7.44 (Q) 16. Naseera Eufa Quansah – 7.53 (Q) 23. Sanaa Washington – 7.58 (Q) 34. Briana St. Louis – 7.64 41. Briley Cline – 7.73
|
| Men’s 60m | 3:25 p.m. | PRELIMS | 4. Denzel Simusialela – 6.68 (Q)
5. Miles Jones – 6.74 (Q) 10. Coy Hyre – 6.81 (Q) 23. Zyrie Stewart-McLaren – 6.93 (Q) 29. Jack Marek – 6.97 30. Kaylib Nelson – 6.98
|
| Women’s Pole Vault | 3:30 p.m. | FINAL | 6. Chelsea Wetzel – 3.90m
Kaylee Daniel – NH Annie Murphy – NH |
| Women’s 60m Hurdles | 3:50 pm. | PRELIMS | 1. Emmi Scales – 8.07 (Q)
7. Camden Bentley – 8.32 (Q) (PR) 8. Kori Martin – 8.36 (Q) 11. Rukia Nusra Omulisia – 8.50 (Q) 43. Dahlia Beasley – 9.38
|
| Men’s 60m Hurdles | 4:05 p.m. | PRELIMS | 1. Anthony Waterman – 7.84 (Q)
|
| Women’s 60m | 4:20 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | 2. Sharmelle Holmes – 7.26 (Q)
10. Stacey Onyepunuka – 7.48 11. Naseera Eufa Quansah – 7.50 18. Sanaa Washington – 7.56
|
| Men’s 60m | 4:30 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | 3. Denzel Simusialela – 6.64 (Q)
5. Miles Jones – 6.70 (Q) 9. Coy Hyre – 6.78 14. Zyrie Stewart-McLaren – 6.86 (PR)
|
| Women’s 60m Hurdles | 4:40 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | 1. Emmi Scales – 7.99 (Q) (PR) (No. 4 UK All-Time)
7. Camden Bentley – 8.31 (Q) (PR) 8.Kori Martin – 8.33 (Q) 12. Rukia Eufa Omulisia – 8.39
|
| Men’s 60m Hurdles | 4:50 p.m. | SEMIFINAL | 1. Anthony Waterman – 7.82 (Q) (No. 6 UK All-Time) |
| Women’s 400m | 5:10 p.m. | FINAL | 2. A’Laji Bradley – 54.91
3. JahQueen McClellan – 55.24
|
| Men’s 400m | 5:30 p.m. | FINAL | 2. Tyrique Johnson – 47.70
5. Brandon Nyandoro – 47.88
|
| Women’s 600m | 5:45 p.m. | FINAL | 1. Vanice Kerubo Nyagisera – 1:26.52 (PR) (Kentucky Record)
15. Alene Washington – 1:36.03
|
| Men’s 600m | 6:05 p.m. | FINAL | 1. Patrick Faust – 1:17.14 (PR) (Kentucky Record) |
| Women’s DMR | 6:25 p.m. | FINAL | 1. Kentucky – 11:22.72 |
| Men’s DMR | 6:40 p.m. | FINAL | 2. Kentucky – 9:55.64 |
| Women’s 200m | 7:00 p.m. | FINAL | 4. Tressia Davis – 24.18
6. Sanaa Washington – 24.23 (PR) 15. Briley Cline – 24.75 |
| Men’s 200m | 7:40 p.m. | FINAL | 1. Denzel Simusialela – 21.06 |
| Rod McCravy Memorial Invitational: Saturday, January 10: ALL TIMES IN EASTERN TIME | |||
| Women’s Shot Put | 10:30 a.m. | FINAL | Dahlia Beasley, Meagan Ewers, Julia Gunnell, Addison Stadsholt
|
| Men’s Shot Put | 11:00 a.m. | FINAL | Grayson Brashear, Brock Conrad |
| Women’s 60m | 11:30 a.m. | FINAL | Sharmelle Holmes |
| Men’s 60m | 11:35 a.m. | FINAL | Denzel Simusialela, Miles Jones |
| Women’s 60m Hurdles | 11:40 a.m. | FINAL | Emmi Scales, Camden Bentley, Kori Martin |
| Men’s 60m Hurdles | 11:45 a.m. | FINAL | Anthony Waterman |
| Men’s Pole Vault | 12:00 p.m. | FINAL | Grant Harrison, Jack Marek |
| Men’s Triple Jump | 12:00 p.m. | FINAL | Theo Mudzengerere |
| Women’s Mile | 12:00 p.m. | FINAL | Noel Barlette, Doricah Minsari Isoe, Lyric Olson |
| Men’s Mile | 12:12 p.m. | FINAL | Tony Anania, Nicola Baiocchi, Levi Kipkuri Bicchi, Jakcson Wyatt |
| Women’s 300m | 12:20 p.m. | FINAL | Briley Cline, Tressia Davis, Hannah Douglas, Sharmelle Holmes, Kashia Hoo, JahQueen McClellan, Rukia Nusra Omuliaia, Stacey Onyepunuka, Naseera Eufa Quansah, Emmi Scales, Brianna St. Louis, Sanaa Washington |
| Men’s 300m | 1:00 p.m. | FINAL | Oscar Baltan Vivero, Anthony Waterman |
| Women’s 800m | 1:35 p.m. | FINAL | Jayla Atkinson, Dahlia Beasley, Julia Gunnell |
| Men’s 800m | 1:50 p.m. | FINAL | Patrick Faust |
| Women’s 3000m | 2:00 p.m. | FINAL | Elly Heine, Ava Hendren, Ally Kruger, Baylor Wolfe |
| Men’s 3000m | 2:15 p.m. | FINAL | Alex Alston, Miles Brush, Lincoln Herald, Caden Miracle, William Russell, Eyan Turk |
| Women’s 4x400m | 2:30 p.m. | FINAL | Kentucky |
| Men’s 4x400m | 3:00 p.m. | FINAL | Kentucky |
