Kentucky’s track and field competed in its postseason SEC Indoor Championship meet in Bryan-College Station, Texas, this past weekend. The Wildcats had 24 athletes compete in 14 different events, with nine setting personal records. 

Sophomore Julia Gunnell set a personal best in the pentathlon events, finishing in fourth place out of five. She placed fifth place in the shot put and fourth place in the 800-meter. Later on in the competition, she placed ninth overall in the women’s pentathlon with a total of 3,908 points, which was her personal best, placing her 10th on the Kentucky all-time list. 

Junior Carlie Makarawu continued his historic season by setting another school record in the 200-meter prelims. He broke the same record two weeks ago in Clemson at the Tiger Paw Invite. He ran a 20.20, which broke the SEC indoor meet record, as well as the venue record for the Fasken Indoor Facility. Makarawu will compete in the 200-meter final for the gold medal. 

To end day one of the competition, the Wildcats took home seventh and sixth place in the men’s and women’s Distance Medley Race (or DMR) events.

Patrick Faust, Alex Justus, Caden Miracle and Brandon Nyandoro participated in the men’s DMR, setting a season record best with a time of  9:37:91. The women’s DMR team consisted of Jenna Schwinghamer, Stacey Onyepunuka, JahQueen McClellan and Janet Jepkemboi Amimo, leading them to a time of 11:11.55 earning them a sixth place finish. 

Day two’s events began at 11 a.m. with Logan Coles, Daroyce Flemons and Grayson Brashear competing in the men’s weight throw final. Alexis Glasco, Emmi Scales, Kori Martin and Camden Bentley competed in the women’s 60-meter hurdles prelims. 

Sophomore Kate Powers got the gold medal for the first time in her college career with a 22.13-meter in the women’s weight throw final event. She beat Ole Miss’ Skylar Soli and Auburn for the gold medal. With Powers’ second season in Lexington, she holds the all-time program record for women’s weight throw. 

On day two, five Wildcats qualified for the final in their individual competitions, including Collins Kiprop Kipngok in the men’s mile, Sharmelle Holmes in the women’s 60-meter, Schwinghamer and Jepkemboi Amimo in the women’s 800-meter and Glasco in the women’s 60-meter hurdles. 

Day three events began at 2:30 p.m with Brashear competing in the men’s shot put final and ending with the men’s and women’s 4-by-400-meter relay final. 

With Powers’ gold medal title in the women’s weight throw final on day two, the Wildcats placed 10th overall on the women’s side amid 16 other SEC programs, with 36 total points across the three-day meet. On the men’s side the Wildcats placed 12th, with Makarawu taking home the silver medal in the 200-meter final. 

Junior Luke Brown and senior Payton Phillips both received medals in their individual events, with Brown receiving a silver medal with a personal best of 16.87-meter in the triple jump, which broke his own UK all-time record. Phillips took home the bronze medal in the women’s pole vault final with a height of 14-feet-3.7-inches, which marked her personal best. 

To end out the SEC Championships, the 4-by-400-meter relay teams both achieved season best times, with the women’s team recording the fifth fastest in Kentucky’s program history and the sixth fastest time in the NCAA this season. On the men’s side of the relay, the Wildcats placed 11th with a season best of 3:11.92. 

The Wildcats will receive a week off before traveling to Virginia Beach for the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 14-15.