The Kentucky track and field teams got plenty more quality performances this past weekend at two meets – the Clemson Invitational and Vanderbilt Invitational.
Daniel Roberts, who was named Southeastern Conference Men’s Runner of the Week last Tuesday, lowered his 60m dash and hurdles personal bests for the second weekend in a row.
Roberts broke Nick Anderson’s school record in the 60m hurdles with a third-place 7.68 at the Clemson Invitational, dropping his PB by .03.
The performance is third best in the nation – the two better were in the same race. Roberts placed third in the dash final with a PB 6.65, which ranks No. 4 on the UK all-time list and is ninth best on the NCAA Division I 2018-19 performance list at press time.
Chloe Abbott ran a season best 52.98 to win the women’s 400m with a time of 52.98. That time ranks fourth best in the nation to date.
Abbott anchored UK’s runner-up 4x400m relay, which ran 3:33.51. Faith Ross, Abby Steiner, Masai Russell and Abbott’s time is No. 7 on the UK indoor all-time list.
Ross was runner-up in the women’s 60m hurdles final in 8.24 and Russell was fourth.
Kianna Gray was runner-up in the women’s 60m final running 7.36, while Steiner was just behind in 7.37.
Steiner was third in the women’s 200m final with a season best 23.43, which ranks eighth in the nation so far. Gray was fifth.
UK sent a few throwers to the Vanderbilt Invitational, where Noah Castle placed second in the men’s shot put with a mark of 61’9.75”/18.84m.
Charles Lenford Jr. was fourth in that competition bettering his indoor PB for the second week in a row tossing 61’9.75”/18.64m
Micaela Hazlewood placed fifth, Nicole Fautsch was ninth and Molly Leppelmeier was 10th in the women’s shot put.
On Friday at Vandy, Micaela Hazlewood was seventh in the weight throw with a mark of 61’6.25”/18.75m, which ranks No. 7 on the UK all-time list. Leppelmeier’s ninth-place mark of 59’9.75”/18.23m ranks No. 9 on the UK all-time list.
Lenford placed third in the men’s weight throw with a mark of 60’0.5”/18.30m.
Back at Clemson, Carly Hinkle and Ellen Ekholm went 3-4 with 5’8”/1.73m clearances in the women’s high jump.
Ben Young and Brennan Fields went 2-3 in the men’s 3k with respective times of 8:17.44 and 8:21.21.
Marie-Josée Ebwea-Bile Excel, who continues to top the DI performance list with a triple jump from last December, placed fourth in the women’s long jump, while Tatiana Aholou was fifth.
Dwight St. Hillaire was fourth in the men’s 200m and Rahman Minor was fifth in the men’s high jump.
| Clemson Invitational | |||
| Friday, January 18 | |||
| Women | Long Jump | Final | 4. Marie-Josée Ebwea-Bile Excel: 19’8”/5.99m5. Tatiana Aholou: 19’6.25”/5.95m |
| Women | Pole Vault | Final | 4. Alison D’Alessandro: 12’3.5”/3.75m5. Riley Caudill: 11’9.75”/3.60m6. Jaci Bickett: 11’9.75”/3.60m |
| Women | 60m Hurdles | Prelim | 2. Faith Ross: 8.28Q4. Masai Russell: 8.40Q |
| Men | 60m Hurdles | Prelim | 2. Daniel Roberts: 7.71Q – T-PB6. Tai Brown: 7.90q – Collegiate PB, No. 5 UK all-time list –7. Caleb Wilt: 8.03q |
| Women | Mile | Final | 10. Rachel Boice: 5:03.9814. Perri Bockrath: 5:07.50 |
| Women | 60m | Final | 3. Abby Steiner: 7.41Q 4. Kianna Gray: 7.35Q6. Celera Barnes: 7.53Q |
| Men | Mile | Final | 5. Kendall Muhammad: 4:10.827. Gabriel Szalay: 4:14.1411. Dylan Allen: 4:18.9614. Tom Moulai: 4:22.85 |
| Men | Long Jump | Final | 5. Robbie Springfield: 23’4.75”/7.13m |
| Men | 60m | Prelim | 4. Daniel Roberts: 6.69Q8. Dwight St. Hillaire: 6.83q9. Jacob Smith: 6.8510. Cameron Council: 6.89 |
| Women | 400m | Final | 1. Chloe Abbott: 52.98 – No. 5 on UK all-time list – |
| Women | 60m Hurdles | Final | 2. Faith Ross: 8.244. Masai Russell: 8.39 |
| Men | 60m Hurdles | Final | 3. Daniel Roberts: 7.68 – UKTF record, PB5. Tai Brown: 7.996. Caleb Wilt: 8.00 |
| Men | 400m | Final | 4. Nathaniel Bann: 47.7610. William Walker: 49.12 |
| Women | 60m | Final | 2. Kianna Gray: 7.364. Abby Steiner: 7.376. Celera Barnes: 7.47 |
| Men | 60m | Final | 3. Daniel Roberts: 6.65 – PB, No. 4 on UK all-time list –8. Dwight St. Hillaire: 6.90 |
| Saturday, January 19 | |||
| Women | High Jump | Final | 3. Carly Hinkle: 5’8″/1.73m4. Ellen Ekholm: 5’8″/1.73m |
| Women | 800m | Final | 9. Emily Akin: 2:15.4310. Brooke Nohilly: 2:17.21 |
| Men | 800m | Final | 11. Gabe Szalay: 1:54.95 – PB – |
| Men | Pole Vault | Final | 4. Matt Peare: 16’2.75”/4.95m8. Lincoln Young: 14’9”/4.50m |
| Women | 200m | Final | 3. Abby Steiner: 23.43 – SB -5. Kianna Gray: 23.7912. Devine Parker: 24.3217. Celera Barnes: 24.6127. Janie O’Connor: 25.29 |
| Women | Triple Jump | Final | 7. Zhane Smith: 39’1.75″/11.93m |
| Men | High Jump | Final | 5. Rahman Minor: 6’11.75”/2.13 |
| Men | 200m | Final | 4. Dwight St. Hillaire: 21.266. Jacob Smith: 21.3021. Tai Brown: 22.3227. Nathaniel Bann: 28.90 |
| Women | 3k | Final | 4. Caitlin Shepard: 9:57.37 – PB –6. Sophie Carrier: 10:08.657. Kelli Walsh: 10:13.858. Sarah Michels: 10:16.289. Mallory Liggett: 10:17.21 |
| Men | 3k | Final | 2. Ben Young: 8:17.443. Brennan Fields: 8:21.215. Trevor Warren: 8:32.147. Patrick Schaefer: 8:38.00 |
| Women | 4 x 400m Relay | Final | 2. UK (Ross, Steiner, Russell, Abbott): 3:33.51 – No. 7 UK indoor all-time list – |
| Men | 4 x 400m Relay | Final | 4. UK (Bann, St. Hillaire, Council, Smith): 3:13.40 |
| Vanderbilt Invitational | |||
| Friday, Jan. 18 | |||
| Women | Weight Throw | Final | 7. Micaela Hazlewood: 61’6.25”/18.75m – No. 7 on UK all-time list –9. Molly Leppelmeier: 59’9.75”/18.23m – No. 9 on UK all-time list –24. Nicole Fautsch: 54’2.75”/16.53m |
| Men | Weight Throw | Final | 3. Charles Lenford Jr.: 60′ 0.5”/18.30m |
| Saturday, Jan. 19 | |||
| Women | Shot Put | Final | 5. Micaela Hazlewood: 52’3.75”/15.94m9. Nicole Fautsch: 49’7.25”/15.12m10. Molly Leppelmeier: 47’11”/14.60m |
| Men | Shot Put | Final | 2. Noah Castle: 61’9.75”/18.84m 4. Charles Lenford Jr.: 61’9.75”/18.64m – Indoor PB — |
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