Two UK Track & Field Alumni, Senior Thomson Finish Top-10 Sunday at USAs

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UK MEDIA RELATIONS
TRACK & FIELD 

June 24, 2018

Two Alumni, Senior Thomson Finish Top-10 Sunday at USAs

Kayelle Clarke repeats T&T silver

DES MOINES, Iowa – Kentucky alumnus Andrew Evans took fourth in the discus, Class of 2017 alumna Kiah Seymour finished sixth in the 400-meter hurdles and senior Jacob Thomson placed 10th in his last race in a Wildcat uniform to conclude the USATF Outdoor Championships Sunday at Drake Stadium.

In Trinidad and Tobago, just graduated senior Kayelle Clarke ran a personal best 22.74 to repeat as silver medalist at her national championship.

UK Class of 2014 Andrew Evans had a bit of hard luck in finishing fourth in the discus with a pretty good mark of 212’2”/64.66m.

The top three all threw beyond 66 meters (216’6”). Evans’ season best is 216’8”/66.04.

The last time three Americans passed the 66m threshold was 2000. Reggie Jagers won with a mark of 225’1”/68.61m, the best throw by an American since 2011 (notes by Jon Mulkeen of IAAF).

UK Class of 2017 Kiah Seymour – who was 2016 NCAA silver medalist – placed sixth in her first USATF 400m hurdles final, running 57.70.

Thomson finished 10th, passing three competitors on the bell lap and holding them off down the stretch to post a time of 13:45.03.

“Wanted to come out and compete,” Thomson said. “Get in the top group and see what I could do the last mile. I came away with a top-10 finish. I was hoping for a little more, but not too disappointed.”

UK Class of 2014 Cally Macumber led the women’s 5k for the first five-plus laps, eventually finishing 16th in 16:17.08.

Sophomore Daniel Roberts (13.75, -0.1) and Class of 2017 alumnus Nicholas Anderson (13.81, -1.7) placed 11th and 12th respectively in the men’s 110m hurdles semifinals.

Kentucky alumni Keni Harrison (100-meter hurdles) and Sha’Keela Saunders (long jump) won USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships on Saturday.

Earlier on Saturday, UK senior Katy Kunc executed an audacious race plan, taking a huge lead in the first few laps of her first U.S. 3k steeplechase final to earn a top-10 finish, ninth place in 10:01.83.

Whereas the other three years of every four-year Olympic cycle, the U.S. Championships serve as a qualifying meet for Americans seeking to compete at major championships, the IAAF World Championships occurring one year before, and one year after each quadrennial Summer Olympic Games, this year National Championships represent in some measure the most prestigious competition available to many athletes.

That said, for athletes who compete for European nations – notably NCAA heptathlon and decathlon champion Tim Duckworth, who represents Great Britain, and NCAA triple jump bronze medalist Marie-Josee Ebwea-Bile, who represents France, the biennial European Championships in athletics are likely the top target for this summer. The European Championships will be August 7-12 in Berlin’s OlympiaStadion.

The British Championships will be June 30-July 1, and the French Championships are July 5-8 in Albi Municipal Stadium.

For North America and Caribbean athletes the NACAC Championships – the track and field equivalent to soccer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup – will also be contested this summer.

DAY ONE — THURSDAY, JUNE 21ST
Event Division Round UK result
3k Steeple Women First Round 10. Katy Kunc: 9:55.76q
100m Women First Round 4. Dezerea Bryant (Class of 2015): 10.99Q | PB

DAY TWO — FRIDAY, JUNE 22ND
Event Division Round UK entry
100m Hurdles Women First Round 1. Keni Harrison (Class of 2015): 12.46Q (+0.8)
100m Women Semifinals 5. Dezerea Bryant (Class of 2015): 11.07wQ (+2.2)
100m Women Final 6. Bryant (Class of 2015): 11.17 (+0.6)

DAY THREE — SATURDAY, JUNE 23RD
Event Division Round UK entry
Long Jump Women Final 1. Sha’Keela Saunders (Class of 2017): 21’5.5”/6.54m (-2.2)
100m Hurdles Women Semifinals 1. Keni Harrison (UK Class of 2015): 12.60Q (-0.6)
110m Hurdles Men First Round 12. Nick Anderson (UK Class of 2017): 13.84Q (-1.2)

14. Daniel Roberts: 13.95Q (-1.2)

400m Hurdles Women Semifinals 5. Kiah Seymour (Class of 2017): 56.32Q

13. Faith Ross: 59.21

3k Steeple Women Final 9. Katy Kunc: 10:01.83
100m Hurdles Women Final 1. Keni Harrison (UK Class of 2015): 12.46 (-1.4)

DAY FOUR — SUNDAY, JUNE 24TH
Event Division Round UK entry
Discus Throw Men Final 4. Andrew Evans (UK Class of 2014): 212’2”/64.66m
110m Hurdles Men Semifinals 11. Daniel Roberts: 13.75 (-0.1)
12. Nicholas Anderson (UK Class of 2015): 13.81 (-1.7)
5,000m Women Final 16. Cally Macumber (Class of 2014): 16:17.08
400m Hurdles Women Final 6. Kiah Seymour (UK Class of 2017): 57.70
5,000m Men Final 10. Jacob Thomson: 13:45.03

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

 ‑ GO CATS –
For more information contact:
Jake Most

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