First-year Kentucky Track and Field Head Coach Lonnie Greene will have plenty of momentum to build on into the new year after the Wildcats turned in plenty of solid results to start the 2018-19 season at the Hoosier Open on Friday.
Kentucky won nine individual events and got plenty more strong results at the meet.
UK event winners
Noah Castle picked up in his junior season close to where he left off last outdoor campaign – having made the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the shot put and discus – winning the shot put. He tossed a Gladstein Field House record 63’11.75”/19.50m. That mark tied UK legend Mike Buncic for the third best indoor mark in program history.
Marie-Josée Ebwea-Bile Excel won the triple jump with a mark that should easily be a top-16 NCAAs qualifier come late winter. Her winning mark of 45’2.5”/13.78m smashed the facility record she set last December.
Daniel Roberts won the 60m hurdles in 7.82 and the 200m in 22.04.
Kianna Gray won the 60m in 7.39.
Masai Russell claimed the 400m in 56.38.
Devine Parker won the women’s 200m in 24.20.
The UK women’s 4x400m relay of Russell, Faith Ross, Chloe Abott and Gray won in 3:42.40.
Matt Peare won the men’s pole vault clearing 17’0.75”/5.20m, tying his indoor best.
UK top-three finishes
Transfer high-jumper Rahman Minor was runner-up in his signature event clearing 6’10.25”/2.09m.
Ellen Ekholm was runner-up in the women’s high jump, clearing 5’10.5”/1.79m.
Charles Lenford placed second in the men’s shot put with a mark of 61’6.75”/18.76m, an indoor PB.
Kendall Muhammad placed second in the men’s mile in 4:11.71.
Russell was second in the women’s 60m hurdles in 8.45.
Caleb Wilt was runner-up to Roberts in the men’s 60m hurdles with a sporty early-season 7.93, and third in the 200m in 22.04.
Ross placed second in the women’s 500m, in 1:12.98.
Jacob Smith and Cameron Council went 2-3 in the men’s 300m running respective times of 34.13 and 34.50.
The UK men’s 4x400m relay of Jacob Smith, Cameron Council, Williams Walker and Daniel Roberts were runners-up.
Kamilah Williams was third in the women’s 400m that Russell won.
Jaci Bickett took third place in the women’s pole vault clearing 12’7.5”/3.85m
Latavia Coombs placed third in the women’s triple jump with a mark of 42’0.5”/12.81m.
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Friday’s meet was UK’s first track competition under Greene’s direction.
The Wildcats will open up in 2019 at the Jim Green Invitational Jan. 11-12 inside Nutter Field House, which will take the place of the Kentucky Invitational, as the Wildcats’ home opener.
2018 Hoosier Open + UK results
| Track Events | |
| Heat winners + times of trials advance to finals | |
| W 60m Hurdle Trials | 2. Faith Ross: 8.56Q3. Masai Russell: 8.60Q6. Tatiana Aholou: 8.75Q |
| M 60m Hurdle Trials | 1. Daniel Roberts: 7.97Q2. Caleb Wilt: 7.99Q |
| W 60m Trials | 1. Kianna Gray: 7.39Q2. Celera Barnes: 7.47Q3. Devine Parker: 7.53q7. Zhane Smith: 7.71q |
| M 60m Trials | 2. Jacob Smith: 6.82Q3. Cameron Council: 6.95Q |
| M Mile | 2. Kendall Muhammad: 4:11.71 |
| W 60m Hurdle Finals | 2. Masai Russell: 8.455. Faith Ross: 8.71 |
| M 60m Hurdle Finals | 1. Daniel Roberts: 7.822. Caleb Wilt: 7.93 |
| M 60m Finals | 4. Jacob Smith: 6.855. Cameron Council: 6.91 |
| W 400m | 1. Masai Russell: 56.383. Kamilah Williams: 64.41 |
| M 400m | |
| W 500m | 2. Faith Ross: 1:12.9812. Brooke Nohilly: 1:20.41 |
| M 500m | 5. Nathaniel Bann: 1:04.299. William Walker: 1:06.08 |
| W 200m | 1. Devine Parker: 24.20 |
| M 200m | 1. Daniel Roberts: 22.043. Caleb Wilt: 22.74 |
| W 300m | 4. Celera Barnes: 38.797. Kianna Gray: 40.82 |
| M 300m | 2. Jacob Smith: 34.133. Cameron Council: 34.50 |
| W 4 x 400m Relay | 1. UK (Masai Russell, Faith Ross, Chloe Abbott, Kianna Gray): 3:42.40 |
| M 4 x 400m Relay | 2. UK (Jacob Smith, Cameron Council. William Walker, Daniel Roberts): 3:15.55 |
| Field Events | |
| Throws | |
| W 20lb Weight | 5. Molly Leppelmeier: 59’10”/ 18.24m |
| M 35lb Weight | 7. Charles Lenford Jr.: 53’7”/16.35m |
| W Shot Put | 4. Nicole Fautsch: 50’7.25”/15.42m5. Molly Leppelmeier: 50’6.75”/15.41m10. Ida Eikeng: 42’8.75”/13.02m |
| M Shot Put | 1. Noah Castle: 63’11.75”/19.50m (Meet record) | Tied for No. 3 on UK indoor list2. Charles Lenford Jr.: 61’6.75”/18.76m | Indoor PB4. Josh Sobota: 59’10.5”/18.25m |
| Horizontal Jumps | |
| W Long Jump | 13. Zhane Smith: 17’2.25”/5.24m |
| W Triple Jump | 1. Marie-Josée Ebwea-Bile Excel: 45’2.5”/13.78m (Field House Record)3. Latavia Coombs: 42’0.5”/12.81m |
| Vertical Jumps | |
| W Pole Vault | 3. Jaci Bickett: 12’7.5”/3.85m9. Riley Caudill: 11’7.75”/3.55m |
| W High Jump | 2. Ellen Ekholm: 5’10.5”/1.79m5. Carly Hinkle: 5’6.5”/1.69m |
| M Pole Vault | 1. Matt Peare: 17’0.75/5.20m | Tied indoor pb |
| M High Jump | 2. Rahman Minor: 6’10.25”/2.09m |
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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.
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For more information contact:
Chris Shoals
