The University of Kentucky track and field program had a strong showing on the opening day of the Rod McCravy Memorial Meet in Louisville, Kentucky. The team secured four event wins and broke two program records at the Norton Sports & Learning Center.
Graduate Kennedy Lightner set a new school record in the men’s 300 meters, finishing with a time of 32.45 seconds, surpassing Dwight St. Hilliaire’s 2021 record of 32.70 seconds. Lightner’s impressive performance took place in the same city where Hilliaire had set the previous record.
Freshman Kate Powers had an outstanding debut as a Wildcat, breaking an 18-year-old freshman record in the women’s weight throw with a distance of 65’0″/19.81 meters. This throw also earned her a sixth-place ranking on the UK all-time performers list.
The Wildcats also had victories in the women’s high jump, pole vault, and men’s 300 meters. Charity Hufnagel cleared a height of 6’00.75″/1.85 meters to win the women’s high jump, marking her first event win as a Wildcat. Payton Phillips took the top spot in the women’s pole vault with a personal best vault of 14’0″/4.27 meters, ranking her third on the UK all-time performers list.
In the sprints and hurdles events, several Wildcats advanced from the preliminaries to the next round. Victoria Perrow, Hannah Douglas, and Emmi Scales qualified for the 60-meter dash semifinals, while Alexis Glasco and Scales moved on in the 60-meter hurdles.
Kentucky will continue the Rod McCravy Memorial Meet on Saturday with more events scheduled, including the men’s and women’s pole vault, shot put, triple jump, and several running events. The team looks poised for more strong performances as they continue to compete at a high level.
