TicketsCINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati track and field team traveled south to Lexington, Ky., for the Kentucky Relays Saturday and returned to Cincinnati with eight victories and six more marks that rank among the all-time best in program history as the Bearcats took in one final competition before the conference meet next week. Annette Echikunwoke won a pair of events to lead the charge while the women produced all-time Top 10 marks both on the track and in the field
// BLAUT KEEPS MOVING UP
Make it seven for seven for Loretta Blaut, who remained undefeated in the high jump this outdoor season as the returning All-American continued to round into form and climb higher once again. In her victory, which included a meet record mark, Blaut cleared 1.83m (6-00.00) for her fourth clearance of 1.80m or better this spring while also moving into a tie for the third-best mark in UC history with Jasmine Cotten, who cleared the same mark in 2009. Blaut, the 2017 American indoor champion, will look to sweep the titles next week in Houston as she will enter with a big lead on the rest of the field.
// ANNETTE TAKES TWO
Echikunwoke was one of six individuals to win titles on the day and took home gold in a pair of events as she won the hammer and the shot put. First up, she captured the hammer throw as she tossed the ball out to 61.72m (202-06). She came back later to take the shot put title as she won with a best of 15.64m (51-03.75).
// BREEDEN FINDING HER MARKS
Senior Nicole Breeden had a strong day in the throws as well as she captured the javelin title and was the team's top finisher in the discus as the event runner-up. Breeden opened the day in the javelin and tossed the spear out to 38.31m (125-08). That mark, which came in just her second time competing in the event, moved her into the Top 10 in UC history as she now ranks #8. Breeden followed that up in the discus as the sent the platter out to a personal-best mark of 46.62m (152-11) to post the #7 mark in UC history. With the javelin mark, Breeden now has her name on three different Top 10 lists as she also ranks #7 in the hammer.
// SPRINTING INTO THE RECORD BOOK
Haisha Bisiolu and Tiona Lattimore had strong showings in the sprints once again as both fared well in the 100m dash before helping the 4x400m relay to victory. Individually, Bisiolu ran 11.89 to win the 100m dash while Lattimore clocked in at 11.90 to lower her PR by 0.02 and improve her standing in the program's all-time Top 10 at #8. That mark also improved her qualification in the U.S. Junior National Championships later this summer. The duo came back later in the day and joined with Bryana Robinson and Deanna Gesicki to run 3:39.34 and win the 4x400m relay. That time, which came virtually as they ran by themselves and defeated the second-place team by nearly 14 seconds, moved the team into #7 on the program's all-time Top 10 ledger. It also pushed them into second on the American's 2017 order list, less than a second off the leading time after improving the Bearcats' season-best time by nearly five seconds.
// CATHERINE BACK IN FORM
Last year, Brooke Catherine cleared 4.00m to become just the sixth Bearcat woman to do so while also earning a berth into the NCAA East Preliminary Round competition. After clearing 3.90m and 3.88m on three occasions this year, Catherine got back into the 4m range as she won the pole vault with a best of 4.03m (13-02.50) on the day. That marks moved her up to #5 on the all-time list and puts her in position for a return trip to the preliminary rounds.
// TUDOR STAYS PERFECT
Macklin Tudor took part in the discus and, while he didn't break any records on the day, he did win his sixth discus competition in a row as the senior took the tile with a toss of 59.18m (194-02), winning by just under 18 feet. Tudor, who broke the shot put and discus school records last week at the Penn Relays, will enter his final conference competition next week as a big favorite in the discus and will have a strong battle on his hands to take home the shot put title as well.
// OFF THE GRIDIRON
After two years on the football roster at UC, Joshuwa Holloman traded in his cleats for spikes this week and took to the track for the first time since high school. The sprinter, a four-time state champion in Michigan, took to the blocks for the 100m dash and posted a time of 10.99 to lead all Bearcats on the day.
// SO CLOSE
A trio of men came close to winning, but had to settle for second place on the day. In the high jump, Mike Wood cleared 1.88m (6-02.00) to finish second overall. In the shot put, freshman Aaron Deaton took second as he had a best of 14.81m (48-07.25) on the day. Lastly, Billy Rook, in just his second collegiate meet, cleared a personal best of 4.30m (14-01.25) for his runner-up finish.
// IN THE BLOCKS
The American Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships await the Bearcats next week in Houston as the competition runs Friday through Sunday on the University of Houston campus. The women enter as the defending champions and will look to add just their second conference crown in program history after taking second at the past two conference indoor meets.
Kentucky Relays (5/6/17)
Women's Results
100m Dash
1. Haisha Bisiolu - 11.89 (-0.1)
2. Tiona Lattimore - 11.90 (-0.1) - PR & US Juniors Qualifier & UC #8
9. Bryana Robinson - 12.28 (-0.1)
13. Aliya Barnes - 12.55 (+1.3)
15. Sylvana Ross - 12.65 (+1.4) - PR
19. Juliana Puopolo - 12.83 (+1.3)
100m Hurdles
3. Aliya Barnes - 14.17 (+1.1)
11. Juliana Puopolo - 14.86 (+1.1)
400m Dash
3. Sylvana Ross - 56.62
1,500m Run
10. Hannah Markel - 4:52.07
4x400m Relay
1. Cincinnati - 3:39.34 - UC #7
B. Robinson (55.5), Lattimore (54.4), Gesicki (54.8), Bisiolu (54.5)
High Jump
1. Loretta Blaut - 1.83m (6-00.00) - PR & Meet Record & UC #3-t
Pole Vault
1. Brooke Catherine - 4.03m (13-02.50) - PR & UC #5
3. Lily Bunse - 3.73m (12-02.75)
5. Rachel Coghill - 3.60m (11-09.75)
Shot Put
1. Annette Echikunwoke - 15.64m (51-03.75)
3. Ashley Williams - 14.23m (46-08.25)
Discus
2. Nicole Breeden - 46.62m (152-11) - PR & UC #7
4. Alexis Gray - 45.11m (148-00)
5. Ashley Williams - 44.10m (144-08) - PR
Hammer
1. Annette Echikunwoke - 61.72m (202-06)
Javelin
1. Nicole Breeden - 38.31m (125-08) - PR & UC #8
Men's Results
100m Dash
7. Joshuwa Holloman - 10.99 (+1.5) - PR
12. Tevin-Lloyd Thompson - 11.07 (+1.2)
13. Mykel Chambers - 11.20 (+1.2)
17. Khalid Fuller - 11.26 (+0.4)
23. Kelvin Williams - 11.68 (+1.5)
110m Hurdles
3. Kelvin Williams - 15.45 (-0.4)
200m Dash
8. Jaashir Morris - 22.22 (+0.7) - PR
High Jump
2. Mike Wood - 1.88m (6-02.00)
Pole Vault
2. Billy Rook - 4.30m (14-01.25) - PR
Nathan Alexander - no height
Shot Put
2. Aaron Deaton - 14.81m (48-07.25)
Discus
1. Macklin Tudor - 59.18m (194-02)
Hammer
11. Aaron Deaton - 39.50m (129-07)
14. Chris Province - 34.83m (114-04)
Javelin
7. Chris Province - 43.21m (141-09) - PR