Wildcats Open Outdoor Season at Black and Gold Challenge
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky Wildcats are set to open the 2026 outdoor track and field season this weekend in Orlando, Fla. at the Black and Gold Challenge on March 20-21, hosted by UCF.
Last weekend, the Wildcats closed out the indoor season with the conclusion of the NCAA Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. UK totaled five scorers on the final day of the championships, including Emmi Scales (60m Hurdles), Theo Mudzengerere (Triple Jump), Vanice Kerubo Nyagisera (800m), Denzel Simusialela (200m) and the women’s 4x400m relay team.
This weekend, Kentucky will send 63 athletes to Orlando for the Black and Gold Challenge to compete across 33 total events. The outdoor opener will feature as the first of nine scheduled meets for the Wildcats, concluding with the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore. on June 10-13.
The field for this weekend’s meet includes power-conference programs Louisville, Clemson, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan and host UCF.
Day one of the outdoor season will kick off tomorrow morning at 10:30 a.m. ET, starting with Dahlia Beasley and Julia Gunnell competing in the women’s javelin throw. Tomorrow’s events will conclude with the 1500m invite race at 7:30 p.m.
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Event Schedule
| Black & Gold Challenge: Friday, March 20: ALL TIMES IN EASTERN TIME | |||
| Women’s Javelin | 10:30 a.m. | FINAL | Dahlia Beasley, Julia Gunnell
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| Women’s Long Jump | 12:00 p.m. | FINAL | Skyler Reynolds
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| Men’s Long Jump | 12:00 p.m. | FINAL | Kingi McNair
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| Women’s Hammer | 12:30 p.m. | FINAL | Kate Powers, Addison Stadsholt, Gwyn Lori, Meagan Ewers
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| Men’s Hammer | 12:30 p.m. | FINAL | Brock Conrad
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| Women’s Pole Vault | 2:00 p.m. | FINAL | Chelsea Wetzel, Kaylee Daniel, Annie Murphy, Sarah Ferguson
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| Men’s Pole Vault | 2:00 p.m. | FINAL | Jack Marek, Grant Harrison
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| Women’s Shot Put | 5:00 p.m. | FINAL | Gwyn Lori, Meagan Ewers |
| Men’s Shot Put | 5:00 p.m. | FINAL | Brock Conrad, Grayson Brashear
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| Women’s 400m Hurdles | 5:00 p.m. | FINAL | Emmi Scales, Kashia Hoo, Kahalia Hoo, Alene Washington, Vanice Kerubo Nyagisera
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| Men’s 400m Hurdles | 5:20 p.m. | FINAL | Anthony Waterman |
| Women’s 200m | 5:40 p.m. | FINAL | Stacey Onyepunuka, Briana St. Louis, A’Laji Bradley, Tressia Davis, Naseera Efua Quansah, Julia Gunnell, Dahlia Beasley, Rukia Nusra Omulisia, Camden Bentley
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| Men’s 200m | 6:15 p.m. | FINAL | Miles Jones, Oscar Baltan Vivero, Coy Hyre, Kaylib Nelson, Zach Morgan, Zyrie Stewart-McLaren
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| Women’s 2000m Steeplechase | 6:50 p.m. | FINAL | Noel Barlette |
| Women’s 1500m | 7:10 p.m. | INVITE | Janet Jepkemboi Amimo, Ally Kruger, Ann Lemirisho, Noel Barlette
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| Men’s 1500m | 7:30 p.m. | INVITE | Ed Bird, Collins Kiprop Kipngok, Nicola Baiocchi, Eyan Turk, Levi Kipkurui Bichii, Miles Brush, Jackson Wyatt, Tony Anania, Sami Hattab, Caden Mircale
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| Black & Gold Challenge: Saturday, March 21: ALL TIMES IN EASTERN TIME | |||
| Women’s High Jump | 10:00 a.m. | FINAL | Kemarah Howard |
| Men’s High Jump | 10:00 a.m. | FINAL | Devin Sealey
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| Men’s Triple Jump | 10:00 a.m. | FINAL | Theo Mudzengerere
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| Women’s Discus | 10:00 a.m. | FINAL | Kate Powers, Addison Stadsholt, Gwyn Lori
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| Men’s Discus | 10:00 a.m. | FINAL | Brock Conrad, Grayson Brashear
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| Men’s 110m Hurdles | 11:00 a.m. | PRELIMS | Anthony Waterman |
| Women’s 100m Hurdles | 11:20 a.m. | PRELIMS | Emmi Scales, Camden Bentley, Julia Gunnell, Kashia Hoo, Dahlia Beasley
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| Women’s 4x100m | 12:30 p.m. | FINAL | Kentucky |
| Men’s 4x100m | 12:45 p.m. | FINAL | Kentucky
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| Women’s 800m | 12:55 p.m. | FINAL | Janet Jepkemboi Amimo, Doricah Minsari Isoe
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| Men’s 800m | 1:15 p.m. | FINAL | Patrick Faust, Nicola Baiocchi, Jackson Wyatt, Levi Kipkurui Bichii, Tony Anania
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| Women’s 100m Hurdles | 1:35 p.m. | FINAL | TBD |
| Men’s 110m Hurdles | 1:45 p.m. | FINAL | TBD |
| Women’s 400m | 2:00 p.m. | FINAL | Oneika McAnnuff, Cha’iel Johnson, JahQueen McClellan, Tressia Davis
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| Men’s 400m | 2:20 p.m. | FINAL | TK Pahuwa, Brandon Nyandoro, Coy Hyre, Patrick Faust
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| Women’s 100m | 2:45 p.m. | FINAL | Sharmelle Holmes, Naseera Efua Quansah
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| Men’s 100m | 3:05 p.m. | FINAL | Denzel Simusialela, Miles Jones, Jack Marek, Kaylib Nelson, Zyrie Stewart-McLaren, Zach Morgan
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| Women’s 4x400m | 3:50 p.m. | FINAL | Kentucky |
| Men’s 4x400m | 4:10 p.m. | FINAL | Kentucky |
