Track & Field

Director of track & field and cross country Joe Franklin expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, saying, “We saw a lot of positive things this weekend across the board. Trey Allen, Jayden Ulrich, and Cade DeWitt were all very impressive today, and we also were able to see multiple athletes write their names into our record books with their performances here.”

Last season, the Cardinals boasted an impressive six NCAA All-Americans, including Allen and Yeast. Looking to build on this success, Franklin and his coaching staff have also brought in five additional athletes through the transfer portal during the offseason. These new additions will undoubtedly strengthen the team and provide valuable depth to the roster.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville track & field teams put on an impressive performance at the Rod McCravy Memorial Invite, which took place at the Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center. The Cardinals secured eight podium finishes and witnessed 12 athletes achieve personal-best marks over the two-day event.

Willis took home the gold with a personal-best leap of 7.82m (25-8), currently the fourth-best jump in the NCAA. Burkey finished in third place with a mark of 7.69m (25-2.75), ranking sixth in the nation.

Junior Logan Coles made history for UK by setting a new school record in the weight throw, with a distance of 68’04.50”/20.84 meters. Coles surpassed the previous record set in 2017 by David Cline.

Allen’s exceptional performance in the men’s high jump secured him the top spot in the nation with a final height of 2.24m (7-4.25). He achieved this impressive feat on his third and final attempt, after flawlessly clearing the bar in his previous three jumps.

Director of track & field and cross country, Joe Franklin, expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, “It was a very good season opener…shows the progress they’ve made in their training.”

A total of 26 schools and clubs will be participating in the meet, including several universities from Kentucky and the surrounding areas. There will also be representatives from three Power 5 schools – Stanford, Tennessee, and Texas.

On December 2, the Cardinals will start the season with a split between the Commonwealth College Opener in Louisville and the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in Boston, Massachusetts. After the new year, competition will resume with the Rod McCravy Memorial Invite on January 12-13 and the Bellarmine Open on January 19. The team will then host the PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational on January 26-27.

Hall has won 12 Regional Assistant Coach of the Year awards from the USTFCCCA, eight of which were earned during his time at Kentucky.