Track & Field
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Kennedy Lightner - Track & Field - University of Kentucky Athletics

KennedyLightner

  • position Sprints
  • class Graduate Student
  • Hometown Little Rock, Ark.
  • High school North Little Rock
  • Major Communication
BIO

https://tfrrs.org/athletes/7476242/Kentucky/Kennedy__Lightner_.html

Personal Bests:

Indoor:

60 – 6.77

200 – 20.45

300 – 32.45

400 – 46.20

Outdoor:

100 – 10.19 (1.3)

200 – 20.23 (0.7)

400 – 45.41

In The Record Book:

  • Holds the school record in the indoor 300m with a time of 32.45 set in 2024
  • Member of team that holds the UK school record in the outdoor 4x400m relay with a time of 2:59.93 set in 2022
  • Ranks 2nd all-time in the indoor 400m with a time of 45.41 set in 2024
  • Ranks 2nd all-time in the indoor 200m with a time of 20.42 set in 2024
  • Member of 4×100 relay team that ranks 3rd all-time with a time of 38.96 set in 2024
  • Member of outdoor 4x100m relay team that ranks 4th all-time with a time of 39.18 set in 2022
  • Member of outdoor 4x100m relay team that ranks 8th all-time with a time of 39.36 set in 2023
  • Member of outdoor 4x100m relay team that ranks 9th all-time with a time of 39.93 set in 2023
  • Ranks T-10th all-time in the outdoor 100m dash with a time of 10.29 set in 2023

Career Accolades 

  • 2024 USTFCCCA Second-Team All-America
  • 2024 All-SEC Second Team
  • 2024 Indoor SEC 200m Bronze Medalist
  • 2023 USTFCCCA Second-Team All-America – 4×400 relay
  • 2023 USTFCCCA Honorable Mention – 200m
  • 2023 Indoor USTFCCCA Second-Team All-America – 200m
  • Second team All-SEC in the indoor 200m and 4x400m, outdoor 4x400m (2022) 
  • SEC silver medalist in outdoor 4x400m (2022), 7th in collegiate history (2:59.93)
  • SEC bronze medalist in the indoor 200m and 4x400m (2022) 
  • First team All-American in the indoor and outdoor 4x400m (2021, 2022) 
  • Honorable mention All-American in the 4x100m (2021)
  • NCAA silver medalist in the indoor 4x400m (2021) 
  • First team All-SEC in the outdoor 4x400m (2021)
  • SEC gold medalist in the outdoor 4x400m (2021)

2023-24 (Grad)

Outdoor

  • Won the 200m with a time of 20.46 (1.0) at the USF Alumni Invitational
  • Placed 3rd in the 400m with a personal best time of 45.41 at the Battle on the Bayou
  • Member of the 4×100 relay team that placed 5th with a time of 39.65 at the Battle on the Bayou
  • Member of the 4×400 relay team that placed 8th with a time of 3:10.53 at the Battle on the Bayou
  • Member of 4×100 relay team that placed 3rd with a time of 38.96 at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational
  • Placed 5th in the 200m with a time of 20.30 (1.8) at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational

Indoor

  • Placed 4th with a personal best time of 6.77 in the 60-meter dash at the Indiana Early Bird meet
  • Won the 200m with a time of 20.92 at the Indiana Early Bird meet
  • Member of 4×400 relay that won with a time of 3:14.30 at the Indiana Early Bird meet
  • Won and set a school record in the 300m with a time of 32.45 at the Rod McCravy Memorial meet
  • Won with a time of 20.42 in the 200m at the Corky Classic
  • Member of 4×400 relay team that placed 6th with a time of 3:10.22 at the Corky Classic
  • Member of 4x4oo relay team that placed 6th with a time of 3:08.36 at the Razorback Invitational
  • Member of 4×400 relay team that placed 9th with a time of 3:08.73 at the Tiger Paw Invitational
  • Placed third with a time of 20.51 in the 200m at the SEC Indoor Championships
  • Member of 4×400 relay team that placed 6th with a time of 3:08.00 at the SEC Indoor Championships

2022-23 (Senior)

Outdoor

  • Member of 4×400 relay team that won with a time of 3:05.87 at the UCF Black & Gold Invite
  • Placed 7th in the 200m with a personal best time of 20.46 at the Texas Relays
  • Member of 4×100 relay team that placed 13th with a time of 39.93 at the Tom Jones Memorial that ranks 6th on the UK all-time performers list
  • Placed 13th with a personal best time of 10.29 (1.2) at the Tom Jones Memorial that ties for 9th on the all-time performers list
  • Member of 4×400 that won with a season best time of 3:02.05 at the Tom Jones Memorial that ranks 4th on the UK all-time performers list
  • Member of 4×100 relay team that won with a season best 39.36 at the Michael Johnson Invitational that is No. 6 on the UK all-time performers list
  • Placed 3rd in the 200m with a personal best time of 20.33 (0.2) that ranks at No. 4 on the UK all-time performers list
  • Member of 4×100 relay team that won with a time of 39.39 at the Jim Green Invitational
  • Won the 100 meters with a personal best time of 10.19 (1.3) at the Jim Green Invitational to tie for third on the UK all-time performers list
  • Member of 4×400 relay team that won with a time of 3:08.07 at the Jim Green Invitational
  • Member of 4×100 relay team that placed sixth with a time of 39.67 at the SEC Outdoor Championships
  • Qualified for NCAA Championships with a time of 19.90 in the 200m at the NCAA East Preliminaries
  • Qualified for NCAA Championships with a time of 3:05.20 in the 4×400 relay at the NCAA East Preliminaries
  • Placed 19th with a time of 20.55 in the 200m at the NCAA Championships
  • Placed 16th with a time of 3:02.78 in the 4×400 relay at the NCAA Championships
  • Placed 3rd with a time of 20.51 in the 200meter dash at the SEC Indoor Championships
  • Member of 4x4oo relay team that placed 6th with a time of 3:08.00 at the SEC Indoor Championships

Indoor

  • Picked up two wins, 300m (32.85) and 4×400 (3:11.14) at the Commonwealth College Opener.
  • Member of 4×400 team that won the Rod McCravy Memorial with a 3:11.64.
  • Placed second in 200 meters (21.04) at the Rod McCravy Memorial.
  • Won the 200 meters at TTU Red Raider Open with a 20.64.
  • Placed 3rd in the 200 meters at the Tiger Paw Invite with a season best 20.54.
  • Member of 4×400 team that won the Arkansas Qualifier with a 3:06.14.
  • Scored points at the SEC Championships with a 7th place finish in the 200 meters (20.73).
  • Placed 16th at the NCAA Indoor Championships with a time of 20.71

2021-22 (Junior) 

Outdoor 

  • Ran in the school record 4x400m relay for a silver medal and seventh fastest time in collegiate history (2:59.93) at SEC Championships 
  • Ran in sixth place 4x400m at SEC Championships (3:02.98) 
  • Tied 400m personal best (46.20) with second place finish at Kentucky Invitational and ran in fastest 4x100m of the season (39.18) 
  • Earned outdoor personal best (20.70) in the 200m at SEC Championships 
  • Ran in winning 4x100m (39.59) relay at Drake Relays 
  • Ran in winning 4x400m relay (3:02.21) at Florida Relays 

Indoor 

  • Finished third in the 300m (33.07) with the third fastest 300m for UK all-time and was a member of the winning 4x400m relay team at the Cardinal Classic 
  • Won the 300m with a time of 32.75, the fifth-fastest in collegiate history and second-fastest in Kentucky history at the Jim Green Invitational, ran in the winning 4x400m relay (3:05.01) 
  • Set a new school record in the 200m (20.52) and ran a 44.68 split in the winning 4x400m relay at the Red Raider Open 
  • Broke his previous school record of 20.52 with a 20.45 run at the Tiger Paw Invitational
  • Earned a bronze medal in the 200m (20.60) and 4x400m (3:04.04) at SEC Championships \Qualified for NCAA Championships in the 200m and 4x400m 

2020-21 (Sophomore)
Indoor 

  • Transfer from Arkansas Baptist 
  • Made his first appearance at the NCAA Championships in the finals of the 4×400-meter relay 
  • UK earned the silver medal with a school-record time of 3:03.61 
  • Received first-team All-America honors 

Outdoor 

  • Part of the eighth-place 4x400m relay team at NCAA Championships (3:03.63), earning first team All-America honors 
  • Part of 18th-ranked honorable mention 4x100m relay for UK at NCAA Championships (39.56) 
  • Helped the Wildcats qualify for the NCAA Championships in the 4×100 and 4×400 relays 
  • Helped UK win the SEC Championships gold medal in the 4x400m relay, as he anchored the school-record time of 3:01.71 
  • Earned first-team All-SEC 
  • Anchored the victorious 4×100 relay at the Kentucky Invitational 
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