Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Three teams from Kentucky are among the top 10 ranked cross country squads in the Southeast Region, both on the men’s and women’s lists compiled by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Cory Thorne

The top ranking among state schools came from the Louisville men at No. 4. William & Mary is No. 1, followed by North Carolina State, Virginia and Louisville.

The Cardinals, who will host the NCAA Southeast Regional on Saturday, Nov. 14, are coming off a fourth-place finish in the Big East Conference championships. Cory Thorne, a senior, became U of L’s first-ever Big East cross country individual champion.

After Louisville comes No. 5 Duke, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Eastern Kentucky and, at No. 10, Kentucky.

Wesley Ruttoh

EKU, led by individual champion Wesley Ruttoh, captured its fourth consecutive Ohio Valley Conference championship last weekend.

UK, paced by Luis Orta in 13th place, finished seventh at the Southeastern Conference championships.

Ranked women’s teams from the Bluegrass are Western Kentucky, Kentucky and Louisville at 7-8-9.

Duke leads the women’s rankings, trailed by Virginia, N.C. State, North Carolina, William & Mary, James Madison and the three Kentucky teams. Charlotte completes the top 10.

Janet Jesang

Chelsea Oswald

Western got a 1-2 finish from Janet Jesang and Marion Kandie to run away with its fourth consecutive Sun Belt Conference title.

UK, led by freshman Chelsea Oswald in 14th place, took eighth in the SEC meet.

Sixth-place individual Tarah McKay helped U of L’s team take seventh at the Big East meet.

Astros add pair of former Legends to 40-man roster

The Houston Astros announced Thursday that they have purchased the contracts of left-handed pitcher Fernando Abad and infielder Wladimir Sutil, and added the pair to the 40-man roster.

Fernando Abad

Wladimir Sutil

Both former Lexington Legends were eligible to become minor-league free agents if they had not been added to the 40-man roster by Monday.

Abad, 23, has been in the Astros system for seven seasons. The Dominican spent most of the 2009 campaign with High-A Lancaster, where he was 4-6 with a 4.14 ERA over 41 relief appearances. He struck out 79 and walked only eight. He also made three starts for Double-A Corpus Christi, where he was 0-1 with a 3.21 ERA, 13 strikeouts and three walks.

With the 2008 Legends, Abad was 2-7 with a 3.30 ERA over 45 relief outings. He struck out 94 and walked 13 over 76 1/3 innings. Over his seven seasons in the minors, spanning 410 2/3 innings, Abad has struck out 437 and walked only 59.

Sutil, a Venezuelan who played 66 games over parts of two seasons with the Legends, earned Texas League post-season all-star honors with Corpus Christi in 2009. The shortstop hit .273 over 125 games, with a homer, 37 RBI, 77 runs scored and a club-best 19 stolen bases. He had more walks (44) than strikeouts (42).

Sutil played six games for Lexington in 2005, going 6-for-23 (.261) and driving in three runs. In 2006, he played 60 games with the team before being promoted to High-A. He hit .272 for the Legends, with 12 RBI, 31 runs and 20 stolen bases. Over seven seasons in the Astros system, Sutil has 161 stolen bases.

University of Kentucky shortstop Chris Wade, an 11th-round pick in last month’s Major League Baseball draft, announced Monday that he has signed with the Florida Marlins.

Wade, out of Lexington Christian Academy, is the third Wildcat in the 2009 draft group to sign. LHP Chris Rusin, a fourth-round selection, signed with the Chicago Cubs. RHP Clint Tilford, a 31st-round pick, signed with the Colorado Rockies.

CHRIS WADE

The 6-foot, 160-pounder is the first UK shortstop to earn first- or second-team all-SEC recognition since Dickie Parsons in 1961, and one of only four such Wildcat shortstops in the program’s 105-year history.

After redshirting his freshman year, Wade opened the 2008 season as the starting shortstop. He started all 63 games, batting .296 (67-for-226) with five homers and 51 RBI. He also led the SEC with 24 doubles and was named to the SEC’s all-freshman team.

Wade started 50 games last season, missing four because of a hamstring injury. He hit .313 (56-for-179) with six homers and 42 RBI. He also had 10 doubles, a triple and stole 14 bases in 17 attempts. He totaled 14 multi-hit games, nine multi-RBI games and finished the season on a 13-game hitting streak. He also had a 13-game streak as a freshman.

His career totals with the Wildcats include a .304 average (123-for-405), 11 homers, 93 RBI, 77 runs, 34 doubles and 20 stolen bases in 25 attempts. Perhaps more noteworthy is his defensive prowess. His career fielding percentage of .951 includes a .962 effort as a sophomore.

Wade’s season highlights include a 4-for-5, five-RBI game in his final home game, against Morehead State. He also belted a grand slam homer to give the Wildcats a walkoff victory and series sweep of Indiana State, and hit an 11th-inning homer to knock off New Orleans.

A tip of the cap to Brent Ingram of UK media relations for the details.

First Jodie Meeks. Now Clint Tilford.

Clint Tilford

A day after Meeks announced that he won’t be returning to the University of Kentucky for his senior season, comes word that Tilford also won’t be back, having agreed to terms with the Colorado Rockies.

Of course, we’re talking apples and oranges here. Meeks is pursuing professional basketball, Tilford pro baseball.

And, Kentucky basketball being what it is, you no doubt know all about Meeks. Tilford, for most, not so much.

Nevertheless, the loss of Tilford will have impact the baseball Wildcats, who graduated weekend starters James Paxton and Chris Rusin.

A right-handed pitcher from West Paducah and Heath High School, Tilford was selected by the Rockies in the 31st round (931 overall) of last week’s Major League draft. The 6-foot, 195-pounder was one of four Cats drafted, along with seven players signed by UK for next season.

The Rockies have assigned Tilford to their rookie-league team in the Pioneer League, the Casper (Wyo.) Ghosts. Casper opens its season in one week, June 23, with a seven-game road trip. 

“First, I want to thank Coach Brad Bohannon and Coach Gary Henderson for recruiting me and giving me an opportunity to play at Kentucky,” Tilford said in a statement released by UK. “I really enjoyed my time at Kentucky and wouldn’t change anything about my time there. I learned a lot about the game of baseball during my three years and hope to do my best to represent the program in the future.”

Tilford pitched in 23 games this season, including eight starts. He was used mostly in late-inning relief against Southeastern Conference teams, and as a mid-week starter in non-conference play. He wound up 1-4 with a 7.05 ERA over 52 1/3 innings. He walked 24 and struck out 34, and opposing teams hit .332 against him. But he showed enough flashes to indicate that, with maturity and more work, he may have what it takes to pitch at a higher level. Through his first nine appearances, Tilford had an ERA of 3.16.

He got the start April 28 against in-state rival Louisville. Tilford worked 5 1/3 innings that day, holding the Cardinals to one earned run on seven hits. He struck out five and did not issue a walk. Perhaps his best outing came against Indiana State on March 8, when he fired five innings of two-hit, shutout relief, striking out three.

Tilford’s three-year totals include 50 games, 19 starts, a 5-4 record and 5.85 ERA. He struck out 76 and walked 58 over 112 1/3 innings.

Clint Tilford’s statistics with Kentucky
Year      ERA   W-L   G   GS   CG   SHO   Sv     IP        H     R     ER   BB   SO   2B   3B   HR    BF   Avg.   WP   HB   Bk   SFA   SHA
2007      5.21   1-0  11      3      0       0       0    19.0        31    13     11      7    13      5      0     1     98   .356       3      1     0       1        2
2008      4.61   3-0  16      8      0       0       0    41.0        42    26     21    27    29      5      1      3  187   .271       5      1     0       0        4
2009      7.05   1-4  23      8      0       0       0    52.1        75    48     41    24    34    13      0      6  265   .332       8      7     1       3        5
Totals    5.85  5-4  50    19      0       0       0  112.1      148     87    73    58    76     23      1   10  550   .316     16      9     1       4      11

Taking a closer look at the Houston Astros’ selections in this week’s Major League Baseball Draft.

After all, this is where many of the 2010 Lexington Legends are sure to come from. Background info, courtesy of the Astros media relations staff.

1st Round (#21): SS Jiovanni Mier, Bonita (Calif.) H.S.; 6-2, 175
Year AVG AB  R  H   2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB OBP
2009   .394   71  37 28   10     1     5    18   22     9   18   .545
Ranked 44th on Baseball America’s draft rankings, noted as having above average speed and a powerful arm that grades out to well-above-average. … Homered in his last at-bat for Bonita High. … Also pitched in high school, and reportedly had his fastball gunned in the 91-93 mph range. … Maintained a 2.80 ERA (4ER/10IP) through the 2008-09 season. … MVP of the Miramonte League in his 2007 junior season (.479 , 3 HR, 30 RBI, 5 SB). … Brother, Jessie Mier, is a catcher for Inland Empire, Class A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
* * * * *
2nd Round (#69): RHP Tanner Bushue, South Central (Ill.) H.S.; 6-4, 190
Year ERA W-L G   IP   H  R ER BB SO
2009   0.62   8-3 13 68.1 31 15    6   22 140
No. 140 in Baseball America’s draft rankings. … As a junior in 2008, Midland Trail Conference Player of the Year (6-0, 2 sv, 47.2 ip, 11 h, 21 w, 126 so).
* * * * *
3rd Round (#100): OF Telvin Nash, Griffin (Ga.) H.S.; 6-2, 220
Year AVG AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO OBP
2009   .527   78 39    7     1   10    40     9    9   .591
A Louisville Slugger High School Pre-Season All-Star in 2009.
* * * * *
3rd (Supplemental-#111): 3B Jonathan Meyer, Simi Valley (Calif.) H.S.; 6-1, 195
Year AVG  H 2B HR RBI BB SO SB
2009   .390 36   10    3     34  13    19    7
177th in Baseball America’s draft rankings. … As a junior in 2008 (.387 , 13 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 43 RBI, .802 SP), led Simi Valley to CIF title. … The Ventura County Star and the Daily News Player of the Year in 2008, as well as All-State First-Team, All-CIF Southern Section First-Team and L.A. Times All-County Team that year.
* * * * *
4th Round (#131): RHP B.J. Hyatt, South Carolina — Sumter; 6-4, 205
Year ERA W-L G/GS S   IP   H  R ER BB SO HR WP
2009   7.24   3-0   16/3   3 32.1 33 34  26   19   31     4     1
Former member of the Coastal Plain League’s Florence RedWolves.
* * * * *
5th Round (#161): SS Brandon Wickoff, Illinois; 5-9, 170
Year AVG  AB  R   H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB-ATT
2009   .373  228 56  85   17    5    4      41  25     7    10-13
Rivals.com Preseason All-Big Ten as junior this season. … All-Ping! Baseball second team. … Finished on a career-best 18-game hitting streak, including nine multiple-hit games, and reached base in every game except one this season. … Had 23 multi-hit games, second-best on team, and 10 multi-RBI games. … In 2008, All-Big Ten SS. … Started all 56 games and hit in No. 3 spot in 50 games. … Hit .369 with team-high 61 RBI, tied for team lead in doubles (12) and tied for Big Ten lead in sacrifice flies (9). … His 37 RBI in Big Ten games ranked second in the league and were third-most in Illini history. … Had 24 mult-hit games and 15 multi-RBI efforts. … Played 56 games in 2007, starting 54, all at third base. … Batted mostly in the No. 2 spot. … Led his high school team to the Illinois State Tournament in 2005 and 2006, placing fourth in his junior season. … 2006 All-State pick by Prep Baseball Report and the Chicago Tribune. (Peoria) Journal Star Player of the Year in 2005.
* * * * *
6th Round (#191): SS Enrique Hernandez, American Military Academy (Puerto Rico); 5-11, 170
2009 Puerto Rico High School Baseball All-Star.
* * * * *
7th Round (#221): LHP Dallas Keuchel, Arkansas; 6-2, 180
Year ERA W-L  G    IP    H  R ER BB SO
2009   4.04   7-3  16 98.0 106 54  44   28  62
186th in Baseball America’s draft rankings. … Led Razorbacks in wins and innings pitched. … 4-3, 4.58 ERA, 61 strikeouts, 74.2 inning pitched and 11 starts in 2008. … Threw five or more innings in six of 11 starts and had 2-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. … In SEC play, 2-1, 4.72, 30 strikeouts over 47.2 innings. … Pitched two seasons for Wareham Gatemen of Cape Cod League; a West Division all-star.
* * * * *
8th Round (#251): RHP Brandt Walker, Stanford; 6-3, 185
Year ERA W-L G    IP   R ER BB SO
2009   7.11   0-1 12 19.0  16   15  13  12
2008   4.50   0-0   6   6.0    5    3     7    4
Opened the year as a starter. … Sophomore season (2008), reached College World Series with the Cardinal. … Pitched in 15 games (two starts) over his first two seasons, going 0-1 with a 6.38 ERA (13er, 18.1 ip. …Graduated in 2006 from St. Stephens Episcopal School in Austin, Texas. … A 2006 first-team Preseason Louisville Slugger All-American. … Ranked No. 7 among 2006 Texas High School players. … Selected by the Texas Rangers in the 21st round of the 2006 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
* * * * *
9th Round (#281): SS Ben Orloff, Cal-Irvine; 5-11, 170
Year AVG GP AB  R  H 2B RBI BB SO SB-ATT
2009   .358  60  254 62  91 11     28   21   16    18-23
2008   .344  60  227 50  78 17     23   30   19    19-28
Named a Louisville Slugger Third Team All-American this year; Top 10 Returning Senior by Rivals.com; Brooks Wallace Award Preseason Watch List. … In 2008, All-Big West Conference first-team honoree; Lincoln NCAA Regional All-Tournament team. … Ranked 12th in the country in sacrifice bunts (16). … Tied for third on UCI career list with 44 stolen bases; seventh in games played (181); tied for 13th in runs (116); tied for 19th in hits (190). … Started 155 consecutive games. … Struck out 35 times in 481 at bats over his last two seasons.
* * * * *
10th Round (#311): 3B Erik Castro, San Diego State; 6-4, 200
Year AVG GP  AB  R  H 2B HR RBI BB SO SB-ATT
2009   .388   58  206 48 80  19   11     56   42   37     3-4
All-Mountain West Conference second team as utility/DH. … Homered in four consecutive games against three different opponents May 10-15 (vs. Air Force, San Francisco, Utah). … Two of his team-leading 11 home runs came at PETCO Park (home of the San Diego Padres) against UC Davis on April 3; the first player in the 10 col­legiate games played in the Major League stadium to hit two homers in a game. … .496 on-base percentage led the Aztecs. Also led in batting, homers and RBI. … Errorless in 19 games at catcher and four appearances at first base. .… Batted .446 (33-for- 74) with runners in scoring position … Hit .400 in league play with eight doubles, seven homers, 24 runs and 29 RBI.
* * * * *
11th Round (#341): C David “Bubby” Williams, Crowder (Mo.) College; 6-0, 190 
NJCAA Division I Baseball All-Region 16 Team in 2008. … As a freshman last year, 1st Team All Region and  Region 16 Player of the Year.
* * * * *
12th Round (#371): RHP Geoffrey Thomas, Stephenson (Ga.) H.S.; 6-0, 187
Year  ERA W-L     IP BB SO
2009    0.51   3-2  27.2    23   48
Team MVP in 2006 and 2008, all-county in 2007 and 2008. … Rawlings/Perfect Game USA Preseason All-Region Team this season. … Participated in the Major League Baseball Inaugural Break­through Series and was a MLB Urban Academy All-Star selection in 2008.
* * * * *
13th Round (#401): OF Jake Goebbert, Northwestern University; 6-0, 205
Year AVG GP AB  R  H 2B HR RBI BB SO SB-ATT
2009   .280  30  107 24 30  10     4     23   18   15     2-3
2008   .353  49  173 41 61  22   10     48   28   27     3-3
As a sophomore in 2008, second-team All-Big Ten. … The Wildcats’ Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient. … Broke a 31-year-old school season record by posting a Big Ten-leading 22 doubles; also led team in HR, RBI, BB and with .665 slugging percentage, . 458 on-base percentage. … Hit safely in 17 straight games. … Pitched twice, at Illinois and in a home win over Elmhurst, and did not allow a run. … ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District V team . … Academic All-Big Ten.
* * * * *
14th Round (#431): LHP David Berner, San Jose State; 6-2, 205
Year ERA W-L G/GS CG SV    IP  H  R ER BB SO
2009   3.20   7-2   13/13    3     0  95.2 84 43  34   15   84
In 2008, made 14 appearances, 13 starts. … Tossed 83.0 innings, second-most on the team and seventh-most in the WAC. … Led the Spartans with 67 strikeouts, fifth-most in the conference. … Went at least 4.2 innings in every start.
* * * * *
15th Round (#461): CF Ryan Humphrey, St. Louis Community College–Meramec; 6-0, 195
Year AVG GP-GS  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI
2009   .278    44-44  133  37    6    0    0      21
* * * * *
16th Round (#491): 1B Ronald Sanchez, Manuela Toro (Puerto Rico) H.S.; 5-10, 170
* * * * *
17th Round (#521): RHP Justin Harper, Oklahoma City University; 6-3, 210
Year ERA W-L G/GS CG SV   IP   H    R ER BB SO
2009   4.94   9-3  15-14     4     0 71.0  63  44  39   38   86
Went 2-1 with 6.00 ERA as sophomore, fanning 42 over 36 innings. … Ranked as top junior-college prospect in Arizona by Baseball America. … 0-2, 3.24 ERA, 14 strikeouts, 25 innings as freshman. … All-state for Greenway High School in Phoenix, Ariz. 
* * * * *
18th Round (#551): RHP James (J.B.) MacDonald, Boston College; 6-2, 190
Year ERA W-L G/GS CG SV  IP   H  R ER BB SO
2009   4.86   5-7   15-15    1    0 96.1 96 58  52   32  71
Started 11 games and made one relief appearance as a junior in 2008, going 4-7. … As a sophomore, pitched in 13 games, totaling 28.1 innings; 1-0, one save, 23 strikeouts. … Went six straight appearances — 9.2 innings — without surrendering an earned run. … Played four years at Danvers High School, earning Northeastern Conference MVP and all-region honors in 2005.
* * * * *
19th Round (#581): CF Brian Kemp, St. Johns; 5-9, 180
Year AVG  GP-GS  AB  H  R 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB-ATT
2009    .379    52-52  219 83 68   13    3     3     35   25   25   16-21
2008 pre-season All-Big East selection as a sophomore. … Played 36 games, all starts, batting a team-high .360 with 20 RBI, three doubles, five triples and one home run. … Stole a team-best 16 bases in 21 attempts and had 15 multi-hit games. … Had a 15-game hitting streak. … As a freshman, started 56 games and batted .348, with team-bests of 53 runs and 25 stolen bases. … Louisville Slugger freshman All-American; All-Big East third team.
* * * * *
20th Round (#611): RF Julio (J.D.) Martinez, Nova Southeastern (Fla.); 6-3, 194
Year AVG GP-GS AB  H  R 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB-ATT E FLD%
2009   .428     55-55 187 80 73  15    2  15      57  41   26      8-9       6  .921
2008   .370     51-50 192 71 54  18    1  12      56  27   18      6-7       1  .989
Set single-season program record in runs scored (73) while placing second in batting average this season; top 10 season in slugging percentage (.770), hits, home runs, RBI, total bases (144) and walks. … Set NSU career home run record April 17 vs. Barry University, hitting his 31st. … Sophomore season of 2008, led team in RBI, second in at-bats, runs, hits, doubles, homers and total bases (124). …  First-Team All-Sunshine State Conference, Daktronics All-South Region Second-Team, NCBWA All-South Region First-Team, ABCA/Rawlings All-America Baseball third team. .. Finished with 21 multiple hit and 10 multiple RBI games. … As freshman in 2007, hit .379 with 5 HR, 29 RBI. … Back-to-back state title teams at Flanagan High School. … Team Gold Glove winner senior year. … 2006 MLB Draft 36th Round Pick of the Minnesota Twins.
* * * * *

48th Round (#1451): LHP Steven Rodriguez, Gulliver Prep (Fla.) H.S.; 6-3, 215
A 2008 Under Armour All-American. … Also named an All-American Prospect.
* * * * *

49th Round (#1481): 1B Matthew Smith, Mississippi; 6-3, 230
Year AVG GP AB   H  R 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB-ATT FLD%

2009   .336   64  232 78 52 15    2    8    59    30    57     4-6        .988

Appeared in 61 games, drawing 60 starts in 2008. … Hit .283, with 40 RBI, 39 runs, 11 doubles, a triple and 14 home runs. … His 14 home runs set the Ole Miss freshman record as he posted a .527 slug­ging percentage. … Also drew 22 walks and posted 17 multiple-hit games, 11 multiple-RBI games.
* * * * *

50th Round (#1511): LHP Spencer Hylander, Oklahoma Baptist; 6-1, 195
Year ERA W-L G/GS CG SV IP   H   R ER BB SO

2009   5.02   5-1   16/10   4   0   61.0 61 34 26   26   56
* * * * *

Rondel Sorrillo

Kentucky junior Rondel Sorrillo finished a strong second place in Saturday’s 200-meter dash for men at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Sorrillo came up big after UK discus throwers Rashaud Scott and Chase Madison failed to score at Fayetteville, Ark.

Texas A&M, under Coach Pat Henry, swept the men’s and women’s team championships. LSU, then coached by Henry, is the only other school to sweep the men’s and women’s crowns, in 1989 and 1990.

Sorrillo, a junior who competed for Trinidad and Tobago at last year’s Beijing Olympics, finished in 20.70 seconds. Florida State junior Charles Clark won in 20.55.

Sorrillo’s eight points pushed the Wildcats’ total to 15, moving the team from 30th place to 15th. Sorrillo was involved in all 15 points, placing fifth in Friday’s 100-meter dash and anchoring UK’s 4-by-100-meter relay to a sixth-place finish.

Gavin Smellie

In the 200, after Sorrillo came Auburn freshman Marcus Rowland in 20.82, Texas A&M’s Gerald Phiri in 20.83 and Western Kentucky senior Gavin Smellie in 20.96. Smellie’s four points put the Hilltoppers in a tie for 46th place with Louisville, 4-4.

In the discus, seniors Scott and Madison both have career bests of more than 200 feet. They didn’t come close to that distance at the University of Arkansas’ John McDonnell Field.

Chase Madison

Martin Maric, a senior from Cal, came through on the final throw of the competion – 196 feet, 3 inches — to nip Arizona State’s Ryan Whiting by an inch.

Scott, the defending champion, was coming off a school-record and NCAA-leading 216-2 regional victory. He was eliminated after three attempts Saturday. After opening at 179-3, Scott fouled his last two tries to wind up in 10th.

Rashaud Scott

Madison made it in on his third throw overall, 182-0, but was unable to improve. He fouled on four of his six attempts and finished ninth.

Louisville’s Andrew Hackney came in 12th at 177-2.

U of L’s Jere’ Summers, who qualified first in the women’s discus with a mark of 183-2, fouled on all three attempts in Saturday’s finals. That left her 12th overall. D’Andra Carter of Texas Tech won wth a throw of 182-6.

Texas A&M secured the men’s team title by placing second to Florida State in the final event, the 4-by-400 relay. The Aggies wound up with 48 points. Florida State, Florida and Oregon tied for second place with 46 each.

Southeastern Conference teams bagged eight of the top 17 spots. In addition to Florida’s second-place tie, the SEC had LSU in fifth, South Carolina sixth, Arkansas ninth, Georgia 11th, Auburn 12, UK 15th and Mississippi State 17th.

A&M’s women totaled 50 points. Second-ranked Oregon edged Arizona State for second place, 43-41. Western Kentucky tied for 52nd place with four points.

The SEC had three teams in the women’s top 10: No. 6 LSU, No. 9 Florida and No. 10 Tennessee.

Rondel Sorrillo was Kentucky’s top performer Friday, the rain-delayed third day of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Fayetteville, Ark.

Sorrillo ran the third-fastest 100 meters in UK history to place fifth in the country, timed in 10.22 seconds. LSU’s Trindon Holliday won in 10.00.

Sorrillo, a junior who competed for Trinidad and Tobago in the 200-meter dash at last summer’s Beijing Olympics, also anchored the Wildcats’ 4-by-100 relay Friday.

Rondel Sorrillo

The foursome of Gordon McKenzie, Jose Acevedo, Kwasi Obeng and Sorrillo clocked 39.27, good for sixth place. The time ranks fourth-best in school history.

Sorrillo is set to run the 200-meter finals Saturday, to be televised live by CBS. Also in the finals is Gavin Smellie of Western Kentucky.

The Southeastern Conference dominated the relay, placing 1-2-4-5-6-7. Clemson, from the Atlantic Coast Conference, broke up the pack by finishing third.

Florida won in 38.58. Holliday anchored LSU to second place in 38.67. After Clemson came Mississippi State, South Carolina, UK and Auburn.

Corey Thorne

Tone Belt

Louisville had two finalists Friday, both placing seventh.

Tone Belt cleared 7-1 1/2 in the high jump. Scott Sellers of Kansas State won at 7-5.

Cardinals steeplechaser Corey Thorne finished the 3,000-meter event in 8:45.86. Kyle Perry of Brigham Young took top honors in 8:29.24.

Janet Jesang

In women’s action, Western Kentucky’s Janet Jesang, a junior from Uganda, placed fifth in 16:32.59. Illinois junior Angela Bizzarri snared first place in 16:17.94. Runner-up Nicole Blood of Oregon was more than 8 1/2 seconds back in 16:26.58.

UK heptathlete Ashley Trimble began Friday in 19th place. She rallied to finish 14th with 5,459 points. Oregon’s Brianne Theisen was the only competitor to break 6,000 points, scoring 6,086.

Ashley Trimble

Trimble scored 680 points in the long jump (17-9 3/4), then finished with career bests in the final two events. Her javelin throw of 118-8 was worth 594 points, and her 800-meter time of 2:11.32 scored 945 more.

U of L’s Seidre Forde fell 8 1/4 inches shy of qualifying for finals of the women’s triple jump. Needing a top-12 finish, she finished 21st at 41-10.

… And a clarification

However, a later check of UK’s meet notes, as well as the media guide listings of “top 10 marks” in each event, showed that Buncic threw 217-4.

And now …

You’ve got to love how the Kentucky men stepped up to take third place in the team standings. The top five in individual events, as well as the top three relays, automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships, June 10-13, at Arkansas.

The 20th-ranked Wildcats have been snake-bitten with injuries for most of the outdoor season, particularly in the sprints.

But there was Rondel Sorrillo, who didn’t even compete outdoors until the Southeastern Conference meet because of injuries, taking third place in the 200 meters and anchoring the second-place 4-by-100-meter relay.

Rondel Sorrillo

“Better than SEC, but it still hurts,” said Sorrillo, who ran the 200 for Trinidad and Tobago at last summer’s Beijing Olympics — beating eventual gold-medal winner Usain Bolt in the first round. “It hurts, but I’m back.”

What hurts?

“My butt, my hamstrings, my calves,” he said. “Both legs.”

Jose Acevedo

There was Jose Acevedo, who also ran the 200 at Beijing, representing Venezuela.

He ran second on the 4-by-100 relay, then anchored the third-place 4-by-400 relay. That despite a foot injury that, Coach Don Weber said, would have kept a less-determined sprinter out of the meet.

When Justin Austin went down at the Penn Relays, the Cats had to plug holes on both relays.

Also missing was Mikel Thomas, a 2008 Olympian for Trinidad and Tobago in the 110-meter hurdles. He suffered a broken collarbone during practice, a week-and-a-half ago.

Kwasi Obeng

Stephan Smith

Saturday, Kwasi Obeng did the job on the relays, running the third leg on the quick relay and leading off the 4-by-4.

Stephan Smith, a half-miler, filled in on the second leg of the 4-by-4.

“Considering the way we’ve been for most of the outdoor season, especially in our sprint group — hurt and banged up as much as we have been — it’s a great day,” Weber said. “Especially for those guys.”

Now, being off next weekend, the Cats will try to “maintain” fitness and continue the healing process.

Erin Tucker

Don Weber

“We can get a little bit better,” Weber said, “so that’s encouraging.”

In the 4-by-100, UK led through three legs. Obeng’s handoff to Sorrillo didn’t go too well, though, allowing 100-meter champion Trindon Holliday of LSU to be first out of the final exchange zone.

“Trindon … had the baton first because (Sorrillo) had to wait on Kwasi to get the baton,” said Erin Tucker, UK’s sprints and hurdles coach. “Anytime, the four-by-one, when you have to wait a little bit, you lose that acceleration and then you’ve got to start back up from square one. … You want to get the baton going full speed.”

The good news is that the problem was due in part to Sorrillo accelerating, finally, through the zone. By his own admission, Sorrillo had been deficient in that area during practice. And now Obeng and Sorrillo have nearly two weeks to work on the final exchange.

Gordon McKenzie

Tucker said Gordon McKenzie “ran an awesome leadoff leg. … Jose built off it. … Kwasi just looked like a superstar because he’s out in front. And then we had the little thing with Rondel.”

As good as the sprint results were, UK came out best in the weights.

Rashaud Scott, who won the shot put on Friday, added the discus title Saturday. Having successfully defended his regional title, Scott will try to repeat as national champion at Arkansas.

And consider this: all six of his throws Saturday were better than second-place finisher Greg Pilling of Central Michigan.

Pilling threw 197-2, two feet ahead of UK’s Chase Madison.

Rashaud Scott

Madison, a senior who transferred in 2007 from Iowa State, can relate to UK’s sprinters.

At Iowa State, he broke a bone in his left foot. A titanium screw was inserted to fix the bone. It didn’t work.

Chase Madison

When he arrived at UK for his entrance physical, “they said, ‘well, you’re either going to have to have another surgery on that thing to fix it because they did it totally incorrect, or you’re never going to throw again,’” Madison said when interviewed before last winter’s SEC Indoor Championships.

He opted for surgery, which involved taking bone from his ankle and grafting the bone to his foot. Oh, and four screws and a plate.

He went from June 2006 until April 2008 without throwing a disc in competition.

Now, he throws in pain. Look at his foot and you can actually see the plate and a screw sticking out from the bone. Pain limits his practice time, but he’s a believer in quality workouts over quantity. When he does throw, he throws with purpose.

Saturday, he said his pain was controlled as well as could be expected: “I had quite a bit of Aleve in me.”

“It’s nice to be back to a national meet. I haven’t been since 2006, since I’ve been hurt,” he said. “It was a decent day, I guess. Could have expected a lot more, could have been a lot worse. So, regroup and get ready for two weeks.”

U of L: A crown of Thorne’s

Corey Thorne

Louisville’s highlight Saturday came from Corey Thorne, who outkicked Eastern Michigan’s Josh Karanja to win the 3,000-meter steeplechase in a stadium-record 8:36.98. Karanja finished in 8:37.20.

“It’s going to be just like that at nationals,” Thorne said. “Whether it goes fast or slow, it’s going to come down to who has the best kick. So coming out here, it’s kind of like a trial.”

Ron Mann

Head coach Ron Mann and distance coach Brice Allen prepared Thorne well.

“One of the things that Coach Allen and I have done over the last 10 days is doing a lot of speed work over the barriers, preparing for that last quarter,” Mann said. “Those barriers come up very quickly and you’ve got to be ready for it. He did a nice job of executing that.”

Tarah McKay

Jere' Summers

U of L also had two automatic qualifiers in women’s events.

Tarah McKay ran fourth at 1,500 meters. Jeré Summers, the surprise winner of Friday’s discus, took second in Saturday’s shot put.

McKay, a junior from St. Clements, Ontario, Canada, improved one spot from her regional finish of a year ago.

Summers, a junior from Oakland, Calif., is a two-time Most Outstanding Field Event Performer in the Big East.  She transferred to U of L after competing two indoor seasons and one outdoor season at Cal State Northridge.

WKU: Smellie is good

Gavin Smellie

Western Kentucky senior Gavin Smellie won the men’s 200 meters, tying the Cardinal Park record of 20.45 seconds. (Auburn freshman Marcus Rowland was runner-up, followed by Sorrillo. Earlier, Rowland false-started out of the 100 meters, an event in which he was ranked No. 2 in the region and No. 4 in the nation.) 

Smellie, a Canadian, also led off the Hilltoppers’ second-place 4-by-400 relay and anchored the eighth-place 4-by-100 relay. The first seven spots in the quick relay went to Southeastern Conference schools, led by LSU and Kentucky.

Western’s women placed third in the 4-by-100 relay.

EKU: I go, you go, we all go for Mugo

Stanley Mugo

Eastern Kentucky’s top finish of the day came from Stanley Mugo in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

 

A junior from Kenya and the Ohio Valley Conference’s Co-Male Track Athlete of the Year, Mugo placed 10th.

By placing among the top 12 in the region, he still has a chance of receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships (bids to be announced Tuesday). His time Saturday was 9:00.89. However, he ran 8:52.07 in April at the Penn Relays.

Regions and records

The Mideast, one of four regionals, is comprised of 167 teams from 12 states (Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin).

Cardinal Park records were set in 22 of Saturday’s 28 events. Two others were tied, and another was negated because it was wind-aided.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UK’s Scott was among five athletes setting regional records, and the only male.  

Phoebe Wright

Women’s meet records went to: 

* U.S. Olympic Trials champion Kara Patterson of Purdue, who won javelin for the fourth year in a row, this time at 192-1.

* Two-time defending NCAA champ Tiffany Ofili of Michigan, 12.96 in the 100-meter hurdles.

* Tennessee former walk-on and now top-ranked Phoebe Wright, 2:02.20 in the 800.

* Middle Tennessee State’s Sarah Nambawa, ranked second nationally, with a triple jump of 45-9.