UK Track & Field Set for 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships June 6-9

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The collegiate track and field season will culminate over the next four days when Kentucky competes at the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field.

The meet will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks throughout the week. ESPN2 will show Wednesday’s competition starting at 7:30 p.m. ET, with field events streaming on ESPN3 starting at 3:20 p.m. ET.

Reigning NCAA Indoor Heptathlon Champion Tim Duckworth begins the meet for UK with the first event of the decathlon, the 100m in heat one at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT (local in Eugene) on Wednesday.

The open events start with UK’s men’s 4x100m relay at 7:32 p.m. ET/4:32 p.m. PT and the first Wildcat in an open field event Wednesday will be Elijah Marta in the men’s javelin at 8:45 p.m. ET/5:45 p.m. PT.

All field events will have online broadcasts via ESPN3.

The format

Points are scored at the NCAA Championships by individuals or relay teams finishing top-eight in respective events. Points are awarded on a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis with 10 going to the winner and one going to eight place. The team with the most points at the end of the meet wins the team title.

Athletes qualified to the NCAA Championships finals site by finishing top-12 at two regional meets 10 days ago. The East and West Preliminary Championships. Athletes qualified there based on having top-48 marks in respective events recorded during the season.

The No. 4-ranked Kentucky women’s team has 13 event entries, tied for fourth most in the nation. The No. 14 UK men’s team has 10 event entries, tied for eighth most at the Championships.

The men’s competition will be held Wednesday and Friday with just the men’s decathlon concluding on Thursday.

The women’s competition will take place Thursday and Saturday, with the heptathlon starting on Friday.

The multi-events cross over because they have to be held in two consecutive days.

The meet is being held in Eugene for the sixth year in a row, and will relocate to Austin Texas next year.

 

The quote
“This time of the year, when you’re going to a championship, everybody is on edge and you’ve got things to adjust,” UK head coach Edrick Floréal said. “You’ve got tweaks and those are the things that are the difference between breaking a collegiate record and not making the finals. I feel good about the potential and the training. I think we’ve got to embrace the challenge.”

The UK women’s team body of work

The Wildcats have the No. 4 national ranking going into the NCAA Championships. Kentucky student-athletes have recorded three all-time collegiate top ten performances this season, including Sydney McLaughlin’s collegiate record in the 400m hurdles, and Camacho-Quinn’s second-best performance ever recorded in the 100m hurdles.

The UK men’s team’s body of work

The Wildcats have the No. 14 national ranking and the top slot in the Southeast Region going into the NCAA Championships, as well as five All-SEC selections. Kentucky qualified ten to the finals site of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships; eighth best among all Division I institutions.

UK women’s team deeper dive

Kentucky has 13 qualifying entries into the meet, including the top seeds in the two hurdles races plus the top 4x400m relay time in the nation this season.

Freshman Sydney McLaughlin’s 400m hurdles season-best 52.75, which she ran to win the Southeastern Conference Championship, is the collegiate record. She’s said in meet buildup that her goal for the meet is a new personal-best time.

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn ran the No. 2 time in NCAA history, 12.40, to win the SEC title last month. Her time is .01 off the collegiate record

UK has defending NCAA Champions in the 4x100m relay and pole vault (Olivia Gruver).

UK men’s team deeper dive

Tim Duckworth has the top decathlon score in the NCAA this season, 8,145 in early April. He took bronze in the open long jump at the SEC Championships with the No. 4 mark in the nation.

Freshman Dwight St. Hillaire was top qualifier out of NCAA East Prelims in the 400m running the second fastest time in collegiate history by a freshman, 44.55 (No. 19 on the all-time NCAA list). That time lowered his PB by half a second from the best he ran just two weeks prior.

Sophomore Daniel Roberts ran 12.27 to take silver in the 110m hurdles at SECs, that’s the second fastest time in the nation this year.

Senior Kentuckian Jacob Thomson qualified for the NCAA 10k final for the third year in a row.

Women’s team precedent
UK was fourth with 40 points at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships. The UK women’s team’s best NCAA outdoor finish was second in 2015 with 50 points.

UK placed third with 34 points at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships in March.

Men’s team precedent
UK was fifth with four points last season at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.  The UK men’s team’s best NCAA outdoor finish was ninth in 2008 with 25 points.

UK finished 17th with 12 points at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships.

 

Broadcast windows (Times listed in Eastern)

Wednesday: ESPN3 3:20 p.m. | ESPN2 7:30 – 11 p.m.

Thursday: ESPN3 12:50 p.m. | ESPN2 7 – 10:30 p.m.

Friday: ESPN3: 3:20 p.m. | ESPN: 8:30 – 11 p.m.

Saturday: ESPN3: 2:20 p.m. | ESPN: 6:30 – 9 p.m.

NCAA Division I Championships

Hayward Field — Eugene, OR | June 6-9, 2018

Time (PT) Decathlon (Wed-Thurs) Round  
12:30 PM Decathlon 100 M (3 sections) Finals Sec. 1 | Ln. 8: Tim Duckworth
Decathlon Long Jump Finals Fl. 1 | #1: Duckworth
Decathlon Shot Put Finals Fl. 2 | #3: Duckworth
Decathlon High Jump Finals Fl. 1 | #12: Duckworth
6:56 PM Decathlon 400 M (3 sections) Finals Sec. 1 | Ln. 1: Duckworth
  Day One Total    
10:00 AM Decathlon 110H (6 sections) Finals Sec. 2 | Ln. 3: Duckworth
Decathlon Discus Finals Fl. 1 | #7: Duckworth
Decathlon Pole Vault Finals Fl. 1 | #11: Duckworth
Decathlon Javelin Finals Fl. 1 | #11: Duckworth
6:26 PM Decathlon 1500 M Finals Duckworth
Decathlon Total  

Time (PT) Wednesday Running Events Round UK Entry
4:32 PM Men 4×100 M Relay

3 Heats. Advance top 2 from each heat plus next best 2

Semis Ht. 1 | Ln. 7: UK
4:46 PM Men 1500 M Semis  
5:02 PM Men 3000 M Steeplechase Semis  
5:32 PM Men 110 M Hurdles

3 Heats. Advance top 2 from each heat plus next best 2

Semis Ht. 3 | Ln. 3: Daniel Roberts
5:46 PM Men 100 M Semis  
6:00 PM Men 400 M

3 Heats. Advance top 2 from each heat plus next best 2

Semis Ht. 3 | Ln. 4: Dwight St. Hillaire
6:14 PM Men 800 M Semis  
6:30 PM Men 400 M Hurdles Semis  
6:44 PM Men 200 M Semis  
6:56 PM Men Decathlon 400m   Sec. 1 | Ln. 1: Duckworth
7:08 PM Men 10000 M Final Jacob Thomson
7:48 PM Men 4×400 M Relay Semis  

Time (PT) Wednesday Field Events Round UK Entry
2:00 PM Men Hammer Finals  
5:00 PM Men Pole Vault Finals  
5:45 PM Men Javelin (2 flights)
Top-9 advance to final
Finals Fl. 1 | #6. Elijah Marta
6:00 PM Men Long Jump (2 flights)

Top-9 advance to final

Finals Fl. 2 | #7. Fred Dorsey III
6:40 PM Men Shot Put (2 flights)

Top-9 advance to final

Finals Fl. 1 | #10. Noah Castle
Fl. 2 | #5. Nikolas Huffman

Time (PT) Thursday Running Events Round UK Entry
4:02 PM Women 4×100 M Relay
3 Heats. Advance top 2 from each heat plus next best 2
Semis Ht. 2 | Ln. 4. UK
4:16 PM Women 1500 M Semis  
4:32 PM Women 3000 M Steeplechase
2 Heats. Advance top 5 from each heat plus next best 2
Semis Ht. 2 | Ln. 4: Katy Kunc
5:02 PM Women 100 M Hurdles
3 Heats. Advance top 2 from each heat plus next best 2
Semis Ht. 1 | Ln. 5: Jasmine Camacho-Quinn
5:16 PM Women 100 M

3 Heats. Advance top 2 from each heat plus next best 2

Semis Ht. 1 | Ln. 7: Celera Barnes

Ht. 3 | Ln. 6: Kianna Gray

5:30 PM Women 400 M Semis  
5:44 PM Women 800 M Semis  
6:00 PM Women 400 M Hurdles
3 Heats. Advance top 2 from each heat plus next best 2
Semis Ht. 3 | Ln. 4: Sydney McLaughlin
6:14 PM Women 200 M

3 Heats. Advance top 2 from each heat plus next best 2

Semis Ht. 1 | Ln. 7: Jasmine Camacho-Quinn

Ht. 2 | Ln. 7: Kianna Gray

Ht. 3 | Ln. 1: Kayelle Clarke

6:26 PM Men Decathlon 1500M Final Duckworth
6:38 PM Women 10000 M Final  
7:18 PM Women 4×400 M Relay

3 Heats. Advance top 2 from each heat plus next best 2

Semis Ht. 3 | Ln. 5. UK

Time (PT) Thursday Field Events Round  
1:30 PM Women Hammer Finals  
4:30 PM Women Pole Vault Finals Olivia Gruver
5:15 PM Women Javelin Finals  
5:30 PM Women Long Jump Finals  
6:10 PM Women Shot Put Finals  

Time (PT) Friday Running Events Round UK Entry
5:32 PM Men 4x100m Relay Final TBD
5:42 PM Men 1500 M Final  
5:54 PM Men 3000 M Steeplechase Final  
6:12 PM Men 110 M Hurdles Final TBD
6:22 PM Men 100 M Final  
6:32 PM Men 400 M Final TBD
6:44 PM Men 800 M Final  
6:57 PM Men 400 M Hurdles Final  
7:07 PM Men 200 M Final  
7:25 PM Men 5000 M Final  
7:51 PM Men 4×100 M Relay Final  

Time (PT) Friday Field Events Round UK Entry
5:00 PM Men High Jump Finals  
5:05 PM Men Discus (2 flights) Finals Fl. 1 | #2. Noah Castle
5:40 PM Men Triple Jump Finals  

Time (PT) Saturday Running Events Round UK Entry
3:32 PM Women 4x100M Relay Final TBD
3:41 PM Women 1500 M Final  
3:54 PM Women 3000 M Steeplechase Final TBD
4:12 PM Women 100 M Hurdles Final TBD
4:22 PM Women 100 M Final TBD
4:32 PM Women 400 M Final  
4:44 PM Women 800 M Final  
4:57 PM Women 400 M Hurdles Final TBD
5:07 PM Women 200 M Final TBD
5:25 PM Women 5000 M Final  
5:51 PM Women 4x100m Relay Final TBD

Time (PT) Saturday Field Events Round UK Entry
3:00 PM Women High Jump Finals Ellen Ekholm
3:05 PM Women Discus Finals  
3:40 PM Women Triple Jump (2 flights) Finals Fl. 1 | #6. Marie-Josee Ebwea-Bile

For the most in-depth coverage of the UK cross country and track and field program follow the @KentuckyTrack social media channels on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook as well as on  UKathletics.com.

 ‑ GO CATS –
For more information contact:
Jake Most