The University of Kentucky track and field team made waves at the two-day Tom Jones Invitational, setting multiple records and posting personal bests that have the Wildcats poised for an exciting finish to the season, culminating in the SEC champtionships on campus in Lexington.
The star of the weekend was freshman sensation Collins Kiprop Kipngok, who broke the UK 1500m freshman record with a time of 3:42.67 accoriding to ukathletics.com, securing second place in the event. This achievement marked Kipngok’s fifth broken record of the season, just two weeks after his performance at the Stanford Invitational where he set the UK 3000m steeplechase record.
The Wildcats also saw impressive finishes in the sprints. Sophomore Morgan Davis took the top spot in the women’s 200m final, clocking a personal-best 23.37. Kentucky’s success continued in the men’s 5000m final, where sophomore Miles Brush edged out two Auburn runners, claiming victory with a time of 14:41.51.
Freshman Janet Jepkemboi Amimo added to the record-breaking success, setting a new UK women's 800m freshman record with a time of 2:05.23.
Across both days of competition, Kentucky athletes set a remarkable eight personal records. Other notable performances included Grayson Brashear in the men’s discus, Morgan Davis and Briley Cline in the women’s 100m, A’Laji Bradley and Alysia Johnson in the women’s 400m, Kori Martin in the 100m hurdles, and Miles Jones in the men’s 100m.
For the weekend, the Wildcats posted two freshman records, two event wins, five top-10 UK performances, and an impressive 16 personal records. With continued success across multiple events, Kentucky is making its mark in the early stages of the outdoor season.
The Cats will now head back to Lexington for two consecutive home meets. The first being the Jim Green Invitational on May 2nd and 3rd. Kentucky will also host the SEC Outdoor Championships on May 15th through 17th.