Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Keep track, and in swim, of Olympic Trials

Here’s how Kentucky connections have fared so far in the U.S. Olympic Trials, Track and Field … and in the U.S. Olympic Trials, Swimming.

Check back here for updates as the Trials continue. (q = qualify; dnq = did not qualify; OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS IN CAPS)

Bonus coverage from Canada, Trinidad

Jenna Martin

Friday, June 29, at the Canadian Olympic Track and Field Trials, JENNA MARTIN (Kentucky) repeats as champion in the women’s 400 meters, and does so in Olympic “A” standard qualifying time, 51.53. … GAVIN SMELLIE (Western Kentucky) makes the Canadian team in the 4-by-100 relay. … Earlier this month, UK alums MIKEL THOMAS and RONDEL SORRILLO qualified for their second straight Olympic Games, representing Trinidad and Tobabo. Thomas placed third in the T&T 100-meter hurdles finals. Sorrillo won the 200 meters and placed third in the 100.

Track and field

Sunday, July 1

Women’s javelin finals – Dana Pounds-Lyon (Lexington) 180-11 (6th).

Friday, June 29

Mikel Thomas

Women’s 200-meter semifinals – Alexis Love (Murray State) 23.10 (dnq, 16th).

Women’s javelin prelims — Dana Pounds-Lyon (Lexington) 170-0 (q, 10th).

Thursday, June 28

Women’s shot put prelims — Ashley Muffet-Duncan  (Kentucky) 5-11 (dnq, 19th).

Men’s discus finals — Chase Madison (Kentucky) 178-9 (12th).

Women’s 200-meter prelims — Alexis Love (Murray State) 23.15 (q, 18th).

Rondel Sorrillo

Monday, June 25

Men’s discus prelims — Chase Madison (Kentucky) 195-4 (q, 10th).

Sunday, June 24

Men’s 100 meters semifinals — Tyson Gay (Lexington/Lafayette) 10.04 (q, 2nd).

Women’s discus finals – Jere’ Summers (U of L) 183-4 (10th); Mary Angell (Kentucky) 174-4 (11th).

Reese Hoffa

Men’s shot put finals — REESE HOFFA (Louisville) 72-2 1/4 (1st).

Men’s 100 meters finals — TYSON GAY (Lexington/Lafayette) 9.86 (2nd).

Saturday, June 23

Men’s shot put prelims — Reese Hoffa (Louisville) 69-7 1/2 (q, 1st)

Women’s 100-meter hurdles semifinals — Danielle Carruthers (Paducah Tilghman) 13.09 (dnq, 16th).

Tyson Gay

Women’s 100 meters semifinals — Alexis Love (Murray State) 11.88 (dnq, 21st).

Men’s 100 meters prelims — Tyson Gay (Lexington/Lafayette) 10.00 (q, 2nd).

Friday, June 22

Women’s discus prelims — Jere’ Summers (U of L) 178-8 (q, 9th); Mary Angell (Kentucky) 176-11 (q, 12th).

Women’s 100-meter hurdles prelims — Danielle Carruthers (Paducah Tilghman) 12.88 (q, 4th).

Women’s 100 meters prelims — Alexis Love (Murray State) 11.49 (q, 21st).

Men’s 10,000-meter finals — Bobby Curtis (St. Xavier) 27:58.48 (10th).

Thursday, June 21

Women’s hammer throw prelims, finals — Kristin Smith (Kentucky) 215-2 (12th).

Men’s hammer throw prelims, finals — Andy Fryman (Mason County/Kentucky) 238-3 (6th).

Swimming

Sunday, July 1

Women’s 50 freestyle heats – Jennifer Bradford (Wildcat Aquatics) 25.65 (dnq, 22nd); Kristen Wilson (Wildcat Aquatics) 26.53 (dnq, tie 96th); Megan Eppler (Wildcat Aquatics) 26.68 (dnq, tie 120th); Aileen Cole (U of L) 26.86 (dnq, 132nd).

Saturday, June 30

Men’s 50 freestyle heats — Wyatt Ubellocker (unattached/Nebraska/Scott County H.S) 22.78 (dnq, 21st); Tyler Reed (Southern Ky./UK) 22.91 (dnq, tie 31st); Eric Bruck (Lexington/Dunbar H.S.) 23.23 (dnq, tie 58th); Matthew Schlytter (U of L) 24.04 (dnq, 159th); Colin Faris (Lexington/Beaumont YMCA/Henry Clay H.S. coach) 24.32 (dnq, 165th).

Women’s 800 freestyle semifinals — Emily Brunemann (Notre Dame Academy) 8:38.70 (dnq, 11th);  Leah Stevens (Lakeside Swim Club) 8:44.24 (dnq, 20th).

Men’s 100 butterfly heats — Maclin Simpson (Wildcat Aquatics) 55.44 (dnq, 96th).

Women’s 200 backstroke heats — Alexandrea Van Oost (Western Kentucky) 2:17.36 (dnq, 67th); Heidi Hatteberg (Lakeside Swim Club) 2:17.46 (dnq, 71st); Chatham Penrod (Wildcat Aquatics) 2:17.60 (dnq, 78th); Caitlyn Forman (Northern Ky. Clippers) 2:19.42 (dnq, tie 124th); Hilary Mishler (Western Kentucky) 2:23.43 (dnq, 182nd).

Friday, June 29

Women’s 100 freestyle heats — Kristen Wilson  (Wildcats Aquatics/Dunbar) 57.48 (dnq, 97th); Megan Eppler (Wildcat Aquatics) 57.75 (dnq, 110th).

Men’s 200 backstroke heats – David Duggans (Wildcat Aquatics) 2:09.05 (dnq, 102nd).

Women’s 200 breaststroke heats — Gisselle Kohoyda (U of L) 2:30.28 (dnq, tie 17th); Stephanie Martin (Western Kentucky) 2:37.46 (dnq, tie 78th). In swim-off to determine 17th place as top alternate to semifinals, Kohoyda finishes second in 2:30.72, behind Allie Szekely’s 2:30.03.

Clark Burckle

Men’s 200 individual medley heats — Michael Pryor (U of L) 2:04.59 (dnq, 33rd); Max Williamson (Northern Ky. Clippers) 2:07.62 (dnq, 93rd); Alex Burtch (U of L) 2:07.87 (dnq, 97th).

Men’s 200 breaststroke finals — CLARK BURCKLE (St. Xavier) 2:09.97 (2nd).

Women’s 200 butterly finals — Kelsey Floyd (Lexington/Tates Creek) 2:10.52 (8th)

Thursday, June 28

Men’s 100 freestyle heats – Tyler Reed  (Southern Ky./Kentucky) 49.90 (dnq, 19th); Wyatt Ubellacker (unattached/Nebraska/Scott County) 51.39 (dnq, 102nd); Eric Bruck (Clemson Aquatics/Lexington/Dunbar) 52.19 (dnq, 151st).

Women’s 200 butterfly heats — Kelsey Floyd (Lexington/Tates Creek) 2:09.02 (q, 3rd); Elaine Breeden (Lexington/Trinity Christian) 2:12.85 (dnq, 17th); Claire Donahue (Western Kentucky) 2:13.01 (dnq, 19th); Sharlene Brady (Northern Ky. Clippers) 2:18.22 (dnq, 83rd).

Men’s 200 breaststroke heats — Clark Burckle (Tucson Ford/St. Xavier) 2:10.30 (q, 1st); Addison Bray (U of L) 2:17.19 (dnq, tie 40th); Max Williamson (Northern Ky. Clippers) 2:18.55 (dnq, 55th); Kameron Chastain (U of L) 2:21.30 (dnq, 92nd).

Women’s 200 butterfly semifinals – Kelsey Floyd (Lexington/Tates Creek) 2:09.82 (q, 5th).

Men’s 200 breaststroke semifinals — Clark Burckle (Tucson Ford/St. Xavier) 2:10.01 (q, 1st).

Wednesday, June 27

Women’s 200 freestyle heats – Kelsey Floyd  (Lexington/Tates Creek) did not start.

Men’s 200 butterfly heats — Riley Martin (U of L) 2:02.55 (dnq, 58th); Maclin Simpson (Wildcat Aquatics) 2:05.41 (dnq, 110th); Kevin Bandy (U of L) 2:05.93 (dnq, 116th).

Women’s 200 individual medley heats — Hannah Runyon-Hass (Western Kentucky) 2:18.38 (dnq, 42nd); Abigail Chin (U of L) 2:21.22 (dnq, 84th).

Tuesday, June 26

Women’s 100 backstroke heats – Caitlyn Forman (Northern Kentucky Clippers) 1:03.84 (dnq, 72nd); Chatham Penrod (Wildcat Aquatics) 1:04.03 (dnq, 83rd); Heidi Hatteberg (Lakeside) 1:04.28 (dnq, 96th); Hilary Mishler (Western Kentucky) 1:04.39 (dnq, 100th); Kirsten Nitz (Thorobred Nautic) 1:05.54 (dnq, 144th); Kristina Brandenburg (U of L) 1:05.62 (dnq, 148th).

Men’s 200 freestyle heats — Tyler Reed (Southern Ky./Kentucky) 1:51.86 (dnq, 59th); Riley Martin (U of L) 1:56.62 (dnq, 124th).

Women’s 100 breaststroke heats — Gisselle Kohoyda (U of L) 1:11.58 (dnq, 58th); Kaylin Burchell (Madison Central) 11:11.73 (dnq, 63rd).

Men’s 100 backstroke heats — Lee Duggans (Wildcat Aquatics) 58.08 (dnq, 99th).

Claire Donahue

Women’s 400 freestyle heats — Leah Stevens (Lakeside) 4:15.44 (dnq, 29th); Emily Brunemann (Notre Dame Academy) 4:16.38 (dnq, 37th).

Women’s  100 butterfly finals — CLAIRE DONAHUE  (Western Kentucky) :57.57 (2nd); Kelsey Floyd (Lexington/Tates Creek) 58.22 (4th); Elaine Breeden (Lexington/Trinity Christian) 58.43 (5th).

Men’s 100 breaststroke finals — Clark Burckle (St. Xavier) 1:00.81 (7th).

Monday, June 25

Men’s 400 individual medley heats — Max Williamson (Northern Kentucky Clippers) 4:30.64 (dnq, 66th).

Women’s 100 butterfly heats — Claire Donahue (Western Kentucky) 57.82 (q, 2nd); Elaine Breeden (Lexington/Trinity Christian) 58.38 (q, 3rd);  Kelsey Floyd (Lexington/Tates Creek) 58.67 (q, 6th); Emily Conway (U of L)1:03.10  (dnq, 139); Kirsten Nitz (Thorobred Nautic) 1:03.47 (dnq, 147) .

Men’s 400 freestyle heats — Riley Martin (U of L) 4:02.39 (dnq, 83rd).

400 individual medley heats – Emily Brunemann (Notre Dame Academy) 4:50.03 (dnq, 20th); Hannah Runyon-Hass (Western Kentucky) 4:52.01 (dnq, 37th); Leah Stevens (Lakeside Swim Team) 4:53.28 (dnq, 42nd); Sharlene Brady (Northern Kentucky Clippers) 4:57.23 (dnq, 73rd); Abigail Chin (U of L) 5:01.15 (dnq, 104th).

Men’s 100 breaststroke heats — Clark Burckle (St. Xavier) 1:01.23 (q, 8th); Kameron Chastain (U of L) 1:03.30 (dnq, 42nd); Addison Bray (U of L) 1:04.32 (dnq, 75th); Luke Musser (Western Kentucky) 1:04.60 (dnq, 85th); Kenneth Crapse (Cardinal Aquatics/U of L) 10:4.74 (dnq, 89th); Michael Haefner (U of L) 1:05.73 (dnq, 125th).

Women’s 100 butterfly semifinals — Elaine Breeden (Lexington/Trinity Christian) 58.18 (q, 2nd); Kelsey Floyd (Lexington/Tates Creek) 58.53 (q, tie 6th); Claire Donahue (Western Kentucky) 58.53 (q, tie 6th).

Men’s 100 breaststroke semifinals — Clark Burckle (St. Xavier) 1:00.83 (q, 8th).

The pre-season roster of athletes on the Women’s Watch List for The Bowerman is made up entirely of juniors and seniors.

The Bowerman is the most prestigious individual award for collegiate track and field. The men’s watch list was released Wednesday.

Three of the 10 women listed are from Texas A&M — sprinters Jessica Beard, Gabby Mayo and Jenebe Tarmoh. Mayo also hurdles.

The first women’s watch list of the season, with name, class, school, event(s) and hometown:

Joanna Atkins, sr., Auburn, sprints, Stone Mountain, Ga.
Jessica Beard, sr., Texas A&M, sprints, Euclid, Ohio
Ti’erra Brown, jr., Miami (Fla.), hurdles, Hampton, Va.
Semoy Hackett, jr., LSU, sprints, Scarborough, Trinidad & Tobago
Amber Kaufman, sr., Hawaii, jumps, San Jose, Calif.
Gabby Mayo, jr., Texas A&M, sprints/hurdles, Raleigh, N.C.
Sheila Reid, jr., Villanova, distance, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
Jeneba Tarmoh, jr., Texas A&M, sprints, San Jose, Calif.
Brianne Theisen, sr., Oregon, combined events, Humboldt, Sask., Canada
Kim Williams, sr., Florida State, jumps, Kingston, Jamaica

Gay, Phillips among T&FN’s top 10 in world

Tyson Gay

Dwight Phillips

Lexington’s Tyson Gay finished fourth in Track & Field News magazine’s voting for Men’s Athlete of the Year. Former University of Kentucky competitor Dwight Phillips ranked ninth.

Kenyan middle-distance runner David Rudisha was a unanimous pick for the men’s award.

Croatian high-jumper Blanka Vlasic took women’s honors.

Other winners included hurdler David Oliver (U.S. men’s athlete), sprinter Allyson Felix (U.S. women’s athlete), Rudisha for his 800-meter world-record 1:41.01 (men’s performance of the year) and Polish hammer-thrower Anita Wlodarczyk for her world-record 256-11 (women’s performance).

After Rudisha, the men’s rankings saw Americans take the next three spots: Oliver, shot-putter Christian Cantwell and Gay. Gay’s long-time rival, Usain Bolt of Jamaica, finished 15th.

Felix was the top American woman, second to Vlasic.

Event-by-event world rankings had Gay first in the 100 meters and fourth in the 200 globally, 1-3 nationally, where he also was seventh in the 400.

Reese Hoffa

Danielle Carruthers

Phillips ranked No. 1 in the world and nation in the long jump, while Louisville native Reese Hoffa was second to Cantwell in the shot put.

Paducah Tilghman graduate Danielle Carruthers ranked fifth in the nation and ninth in the world in the women’s 100-meter hurdles.

Other men’s national rankings had St. Xavier graduate Bobby Curtis fourth in the 5,000 and 10,000, and Ballard graduate Ray Sharp fourth in the 50-kilometer walk.

Former UK standout Allison Grace ranked ninth nationally in the 10,000.

Of course, I’m talking about the indoor track and field season kicking into gear.

The University of Kentucky Invitational is set for Friday and Saturday inside Nutter Field House.

Along with UK, men’s and women’s teams from Eastern Kentucky, Kentucky State, Louisville, Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Michigan State, Western Carolina and Alabama will compete. Florida A&M will compete in men’s events only. Central Florida, Marshall and Vanderbilt will send only women’s teams.

Friday’s competition, limited to the weight throws and triple jumps for men and women, plus men’s high jump and women’s pole vault, begins at 6 p.m.

Saturday’s schedule starts at 10:30 a.m. with the women’s high jump and long jump. The first track event, semifinals of the women’s 60-meter hurdles, is set for 12:30 p.m. The final event, the men’s 4-by-400-meter relay, is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.

First Bowerman Watch List released

The Bowerman Men’s Watch Committee, in conjunction with the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, released its first crop of candidates for collegiate track and field’s most prestigious award. All three of last season’s finalists have graduated.

The list of possible successors includes 2009 finalist German Fernandez and three sophomores. Washington State’s Jeshua Anderson is on the list for a record ninth time.

One, Alabama’s Kirani James, is scheduled to compete at UK this weekend.

The preliminary watch list, in alphabetical order, with athlete, year, school, event(s) and hometown:

Jeshua Anderson, sr., Washington State, hurdles, Woodlands, Calif.
Robby Andrews, soph., Virginia, distance, Englishtown, N.J.
Sam Chelanga, sr., Liberty, distance, Nairobi, Kenya
Charles Clark, sr., Florida State, sprints, Virginia Beach, Va.
Jeff Demps, soph./jr., Florida, sprints, Winter Garden, Fla.
German Fernandez, jr./soph., Oklahoma State, distance, Riverbank, Calif.
Mason Finley, soph., Kansas, throws, Salida, Colo.
Walter Henning, sr., LSU, throws, Kings Park, N.Y.
Kirani James, soph., Alabama, sprints, Gouyave, Grenada
Christian Taylor, jr., Florida, jumps, Fayetteville, Ga.

Kentucky connections on T&FN annual list

Tyson Gay at the Beijing Olympics.

Track & Field News magazine’s annual lists of Top 40 performers in the nation for the 2010 season is loaded with Kentucky connections. In addition to the top 40 nationals, T&FN tacks on a list of foreign collegians.

Event leaders included Lexington’s Tyson Gay in the men’s 100 and former UK competitor Dwight Phillips in the men’s long jump. Gay had six of the 10 fastest times by an American in 2010, including the top three. Phillips had the top 11 best jumps by an American last season, ranging from 27-9 1/4 to 27-2.

Here are the Kentucky connections listed.

WOMEN
100-meter hurdles — 5. Danielle Carruthers (Paducah Tilghman) 12.68.
Mile — (foreign collegian) Janet Jesang (WKU) 4:41.57.
3,000 — (foreign collegian) Janet Jesang (WKU) 9:11.09.
5,000 — 24. Allison Grace (UK) 15:49.10.
10,000 – 11. Allison Grace (UK) 32:54.99.
Half-marathon — 22. Allison Grace (UK) 74:20.
4-by-200 relay — 18. UK 1:35.23.
4-by-400 relay — 32. UK 3:35.14.
Shot put — 8. Ashley Muffet (UK) 57-3 1/2; 17. Jere’ Summers (Lvl.) 55-9 1/4; 36. Chinwe Okoro (Russell, Lvl.) 52-7 1/4.
Discus — 8. Jere’ Summers (Lvl.) 188-1; 13. Ashley Muffet (UK) 181-10; 32. Mary Angell (UK) 173-0; 37. D’Ana McCarty (Lvl.) 171-5.
Hammer throw — 11. Kristin Smith (UK) 212-7; 19. Jere’ Summers (Lvl.) 207-4; 29. D’Ana McCarty (Lvl.) 204-2; 40. Lindsey Cook (Lvl.) 195-9.
Javelin — 10. Dana Pounds Lyon (Lexington) 172-6.
Heptathlon — 22. Precious Nwokey (UK) 5,543.

MEN
100 — 1. Tyson Gay (Lafayette) 9.78; (foreign collegian) Rondel Sorrillo (UK) 10.19 (10.05 wind-aided).
200 — 1. (tie with Walter Dix) Tyson Gay (Lafayette) 20.29; (foreign collegians) Rondel Sorrillo (UK) 20.29; Gavin Smellie (WKU) 20:46.
400 — 7. Tyson Gay (Lafayette) 44.89.
800 — 36. Sharif Webb (UK) 1:47.64.
3,000 — 29. Bobby Curtis (St. Xavier) 7:57.28; (foreign collegian) Soufiani Bouchikhi (EKU) 7:59.20.
5,000 — 10. Bobby Curtis (St. Xavier) 13:18.97.
10,000 — 4. Bobby Curtis (St. Xavier) 27:33.38.
20K walk — 15. Ray Sharp (Ballard) 1:46:24.
50K walk — 4. Ray Sharp (Ballard) 4:31:04
3,000 steeplechase — (foreign collegian) Matt Hughes (Lvl.) 8:34.18.
4-by-100 relay — UK 39.62.
4-by-200 relay — 18. WKU 1:24.36; 21. UK 1:24.72.
4-by-400 relay — 34. WKU 3:06.99.
Triple jump — 19. Andre Black (Lvl.) 53-4 1/4.
Long jump — 1. Dwight Phillips (UK) 27-9 1/4; 23. Wesley Smith (Lvl.) 25-8; 28. Tone Belt (Lvl.) 25-6 1/4; (foreign collegian) Rudon Bastian (Lvl.) 25-10.
Discus — 10. Chase Madison (UK) 201-0; 22. Rashaud Scott (UK) 193-8; 28. Colin Boevers (UK) 192-1.
Shot put — 2. Reese Hoffa (Lvl. native) 72-8 1/2; 11. Jeff Chakouian (UK) 65-11; 29. Steve Hnat (Lvl.) 62-6 3/4.
High jump — 30. Grant Lindsey (UK) 7-2 1/2.

What a way to start the University of Kentucky’s indoor track and field season.

Competition was simply outstanding in the Kentucky Invitational, with eight Southeastern Conference schools (UK, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt), two from the Big Ten (Michigan State, Ohio State), two from the Atlantic Coast Conference (Georgia Tech, Miami) and three in-state visitors (Louisville, Eastern Kentucky, Western Kentucky). Add to that post-collegiate Olympians such as Reese Hoffa, Perdita Felicien, Hazel Clark and Dee Dee Trotter, to name a few.

Hoffa, a world champion indoors and outdoors, as well as a two-time Olympian, blasted the Nutter Fieldhouse record in the shot put with a final-attempt distance of 69-6 3/4.

Nutter records also fell to Florida’s Mariam Kevkhishvili in the women’s shot and Western Kentucky’s Janet Jesang in the women’s 3,000 meters.

Don Weber

“An excellent field for an early season meet,” said Don Weber, UK head coach. “Obviously, very few if anybodyis where they want to be at this time of year, just coming back from Christmas break. To be competitive in a variety of events is certainly an encouraging start. So I feel pretty good about it, and when you look at some individual situations, (there has been) some significant development from one year to the next.”

Most noteworthy, he said, is Kristin Smith, who set a school record of 64-1 3/4 in Friday’s weight throw.

“She said, ‘as a freshman, rather than just focusing on me, I worried about how good everybody else was and that really was intimidating to me, and interfered with my development’,” Weber said.

No more, which is a lesson the coach hopes the rest of his team will get after a competition such as the one this weekend. Focus on improving your own performance rather than worry about what someone else.

Some event-by-event highlights from Saturday, with ladies first:

60-meter hurdles — Felicien (8.13) prevailed in a photo finish over Danielle Carruthers (8.1311) and Vonette Dixon (8.1391).

“I totally didn’t react to the gun,” said Felicien, the 2003 world champion, eight-time Canadian national champion and former University of Illinois standout. “I’m happy to come out with a win. First race of the season.”

Felicien was the Olympic gold-medal favorite going into the 100-meter hurdles finals at the 2004 Athens Olympics. However, she clobbered the first hurdle and fell. She missed the 2008 Beijing Olympics due to a foot injury.

“We don’t need to talk about that. That was six years ago,” Felicien said of her Athens mishap. “There’s always going to be motivation, but it’s been so many years and I’ve done well since then that I’m not using that as a centerpiece or focal point of my season or my career. Just race my race.”

Her light at the end of the tunnel this season is the Indoor World Championships, March 12-14 at Doha, Qatar.

“The plan is to go there, be ready for Doha, be on the podium,” Felicien said.

Danielle Carruthers

Carruthers, a former Kentucky high school (Paducah Tilghman) and Big Ten (Indiana) champion, is Felicien’s club teammate (Speed Dynamics) and training partner. Carruthers lives in Atlanta now, but spent the last week training at Naples, Fla., due to cold weather.

“We’ve been training really hard,” Carruthers said. “I had some great sessions before I came (up) here. … We did a lot for about a week and a half, every day — hard, hard, hard! Then I drove 10 hours back to Atlanta, had Thursday off, drove five hours here, and race the next day. I’m just trying to get in shape and get ready for Millrose.”

60 — Carruthers also competed in Saturday’s 60-meter dash, placing second in the consolation heat and ninth overall (7.53). 

Sheniqua Ferguson

Auburn junior Shaniqua Ferguson won in an NCAA provisional-qualifying 7.28, ahead of Speed Dynamics’ Ebonie Floyd-Broadnax (7.34).

Janet Jesang

3,000 — WKU’s Jesang, a senior from Uganda, blazed to an NCAA automatic qualifying mark of 9:11.09. New Balance’s Sarah Bowman, who won the NCAA mile title for Tennessee last March, was a distant second in 9:28.63.

4-by-400 relay — Kentucky got its lone win of the day from the foursome of Jenna Martin, Jazmyn Shorter, Brittany Cabbler and Precious Nwokey, 3:39.94 to Florida’s 3:39.96. All are juniors except for Nwokey, a sophomore from Houston. 

Precious Nwokey

Nwokey had the Wildcats’ fastest split, 54-flat, and was recognized by Weber as someone who has made “dramatic improvement” since last season.

High jump — Chaunte Howard, a 2004 Olympian out of Georgia Tech, topped former Auburn star Raevan Harris, 6-2 to 6-0 3/4. Howard barely missed at 6-4, which would have tied the fieldhouse record. 

Mariam Kevkhishvili

Shot put — Florida’s Kevkhishvili, with a put of 60-7 1/4, won by exactly six feet over Tennessee’s Annie Alexander. Kevkhishvili also set a national record for the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. (No, not the Bulldogs.) UK had a good showing as Ashley Muffet and Jennifer Svoboda placed 4-5, just ahead of Louisville’s Jere’ Summers.

Long jump — Miami (Fla.) got its only win from Deandra Doyler (20-4 1/4). Rachel Gehret, who placed fourth in the high jump, and Louisville teammate Amaka Omenyinma placed 2-3 at 19-10 1/4 and 19-8 1/4.

                            MEN’S EVENTS
60 hurdles — Eric Mitchum (7.72), an all-American out of Oregon, bested former Tennessee standout Karl Jennings (7.85).

D'Angelo Cherry

60 — This was an SEC trifecta. Mississippi State sophomore D’Angelo Cherry zipped to the win (6.65), trailed by Alabama senior Ray Jadusingh (6.69) and Auburn sophmore Harry Adams (6.73). After Miami’s Cory Nelms in fourth, SEC sprinters from six schools took the next nine spots.
200 — More SEC domination of the sprints here. Ex-Seton Hall blazer Obra Hogans, fourth in 21.44, was the only non-SEC runner to crack the top eight. Georgia sophomore Torrin Lawrence ruled in 21.29, followed by Tennessee senior Evander Wells in 21.20. Both are provisional qualifying marks.

800 — Things got crazy here when a photographer strayed onto the track near the finish line with a lap left, triggering a collision that knocked out a pair of runners. Kentucky junior Sharif Webb, a junior college transfer, avoided the pileup and went on to win the first heat in 1:51.07.

Sharif Webb

Mile — Former Tennessee performer Andrew Dawsom (4:11.52) won out over a pair of Michigan State runners, freshman Isaiah VanDoorne (4:12.12) and Spencer Beatty (4:12.35).

3,000 — One of the more exciting finishes came with Louisville junior Matt Bruce (8:13.50) holding off UK sophomore Luis Orta (8:14.11).

4-by-400 relay — Florida led from the second exchange on and finished in 3:06.40, fourth-best in Gators history. Mississippi State (3:09.80) rallied for second, followed by UK (3:11.64). A dropped baton on the final straightaway cost Alabama a chance to hold off Mississippi State.

Shot put — Hoffa led all the way despite a worthy challenger in Shore Athletic Club’s Rhuben Williams, the runner-upat 65-11. Georgia senior Israel Machovec was third (58-1 1/4), followed by UK junior Colin Boevers (57-6 1/2).

Colin Boevers

“It was a good opener. I threw well,” Boevers said. Doug Reynolds, UK throws coach, “told us to execute what we do in practice, and I feel like I did it pretty well. I didn’t quite connect on any throws, so I know there’s more in the tank.”

Boevers was impressed by Hoffa, a two-time Olympian and a world champion indoors and outdoors.

“Reese Hoffa, he’s really a hero in this sport and he’s incredible to watch,” Boevers said. “This is my first time competing with him. I was kind of jittery at first, but I settled in. I did my thing and he ended up with a great throw, and it was an honor to compete with him.”

Reese Hoffa

Hoffa would like to add a World Championships indoor gold to the one he won in 2006. (He won silver medals in 2004 and 2008.)
“World Indoors in Doha, that’s where my eye’s on right now,” said Hoffa, who represents the New York Athletic Club.

Hoffa says he’s better equipped now than he was in 2008, when he won the U.S. Olympic Trials but finished seventh at the Beijing Olympics.

“I think I’m more comfortable being in a limelight position,” Hoffa said. “Beijing, although I had had some success, it was nothing like having everybody have their eye on you. And, if you’re not used to that, there’s no way to prepare for that. You’ve just got to experience it, live through it and learn from it.”

Long jump — How about a 1-2-3-5 finish for Louisville? Wesley Smith, a sophomore, led the pack at 25-4 1/2. Tone Belt, who won Friday’s high jump, was second (25-2 1/2), followed by Rudon Bastian (25-1 1/4), UK’s Keenon Hall (24-7 1/4) and Friday’s runner-up in the triple jump, Andre Black (24-3 1/2).

“It was pretty good. That’s our second meet,” said Jake Jacoby, U of L’s jumps coach. “We’re still working on things and they’re dialing in fairly well. I was very happy with the way we performed tonight.”

Daily competition in practice keeps Jacoby’s group sharp.

“They’re jawing all the time,” he said. “It’s a day-to-day thing. They challenge each other in the weight room and on the track, and it makes for a good, solid corps.”

Pole vault — Florida junior Eric Foran won in a jumpoff, clearing 16-2 3/4 after tying with Georgia sophomore Allen Brandon at 16-0 3/4. Third-place Logan Lynch of Michigan State also cleared 16-0 3/4, but had one more miss.