Inside Kentucky- UK Track 4/2004

UK Holds It’s Own In SEC Track Tournament
By Rich Herles

LEXINGTON, KY. – For the third time this season, the University of Kentucky was the proud sponsor of an indoor track tournament.  What makes this tournament different is that it was the SEC Tournament, which showcased many of the premier athletes in the nation.  In 2000, there were 19 representatives from SEC schools that participated in the Olympics in Sidney.  The University of Kentucky has several athletes that have hopes of getting a shot at making the Olympics this season from the SEC.

One of the big stories at the SEC Tournament this year was Jeff Chakouian.  Chakouian came into the meet having garnered three consecutive SEC Indoor Championships in the Men’s Shot Put.  If he were able to accomplish that feat for a fourth time, it would put him in a very elite class.  There have only been three SEC Track and Field Athletes to win four straight SEC Championships in their event- Hazel Clark of the University of Florida (800 Meters); Gwen Torrence of the University of Georgia (60yards/55meters); and Brad Snyder of the University of South Carolina (Shot Put).

This year was a little different for the three-time All- American.  Not only would he be battling the other SEC shot putters, but on Tuesday before that SEC meet, he strained a muscle in his lower ab while training.  Prior to the start of the meet, Jeff talked about how he felt.  “I strained a muscle in my lower ab, but it isn’t anything major.  I’m going to compete (today).  At least I’m going to give it a try”.  ‘Giving it a try’ is nothing new for the Seekonk, Massachusetts putter.  Jeff not only won the Massachusetts’ State Shot Put Title, as a senior in high school, but he demolished the state record with a monster throw of 67’ 10 ”.  Jeff began the season at home at the Kentucky Invitational Track Meet, where he posted what would be his best indoor toss of 63’ 11” of the season.  In the SEC Championships, Chakouian was not to be denied.  His first throw in the preliminaries was a respectable 60’7 ” that
positioned him atop the heap of SEC throwers.  His second throw of 62’ 2 ” was enough to his fourth SEC Indoor Championship in the Shot Put and etched his name forever in SEC history.  After taken a brief moment to catch his breath, he told the real story.  “It was bad.  I have never had to throw with my body hurting that bad.  It was good to come out on top.  I wanted to go out there and set the bar high (with my first throws).”  When asked about his pre-event comments, he said, “I was just psyching myself out.  I couldn’t come out here feeling that I was hurt.”  As for the nationals, “I’ll be ready to go.  I’m going to enjoy this weekend and then Monday it’s back to work.” 

UK’s David Freeman is one of the standouts when it comes to distance running.  With the SEC Championships being held at home, he stepped it up a notch and captured the Men’s 1 Mile title.  After posting a time of 4:01.36, David responded, “I wanted to stay with the three runners from Arkansas…I knew that if it came down to the kick that I would win… It was great to be able to win it here at home.”  David set himself atop the heap of 13 UK milers when he posted a time of 4:01.47 at the Mayo Invitational Meet.  In Heat 2 of the prelims of this year’s SEC Championships Freeman was the top finisher with a time 4:06.57.  The prelim win had him in good shape for the finals.  When asked about his prelim time he said, “I just wanted to run comfortable and be ready for the finals.”  Next up for Freeman is the NCAA Championships.  Is a sub-4 minute mile in the near future for Freeman?  With a big smile he said, “Well, that’s the plan.”  Congratulations go to David Freeman UK’s second SEC Championship.

Mention long distance running at UK and the name that will immediately pop out is Caitlin Phillips.  The 3-time All-SEC Cross-Country runner and 3000-meter steeplechase UK record holder made a valiant effort to hold off the kick of Tennessee’s Brooke Novak in the 3000-meter run, but the Vol was too much and Caity finished second.  It was a different finish on Sunday.  Caity was entered in the Women’s 5000-meter run.  Throughout the race, she was content to follow, as three different runners took turns taking the lead.  Each time it was Caity that stayed right on their heels.  She described the finish of the race.  “The last 200 I just decided to go.”  There was no way that anyone was going to out kick her today.  Phillips finished the race with a lead of at least 40 yards, as she posted her personal best time of 16:29.90, setting a new Nutter Field House Record and Kentucky’s third SEC Champ. 

Brooke Paterson is one of Kentucky’s best in the Women’s 1 Mile run.  In her past two seasons, Brooke has become a fixture at UK as far as distance runners are concerned.  She sat out the 2002 track season as a ‘red shirt’ after transferring to Kentucky from Ohio State.  She began the 2003 running season by taking sixth place in the SEC Indoor Championships as she recorded a personal best with a time of 4:48.26 in the mile.  During this year’s indoor season, Brooke led all UK milers with a time of 4:44.48, which she set at the Cyclone Classic.  The SEC Championships were up next for Paterson and in the 1 Mile prelims, she finished with a time of 4:46.11, which was second overall and second in Heat 2.  Her whole season had been building up to this year’s SEC championships and Brooke was up to the task.  She set a personal best time of 4:42.00, as she took a very respectable third place in the SEC.  “I knew that she (Miss. State’s Tiffany McWilliams) would go out quickly and it would be a fast pace.  I feel that I kept up until the 800 mark, but then I just couldn’t respond.”  On Tennessee’s Novak challenge for third, “I knew that I was a fast as she was and that I could out kick her.  Overall, I’m pleased with my race.”    

In the Women’s 800-meter event, Beth Heimann tops all others at Kentucky.  Heimann sat out her freshman year as a ‘red shirt’, but roared into the Kentucky record books her sophomore year.  She broke a 13-year school record with her time of 2:05.72 at the SEC East Championships, which gave her an automatic berth in the nationals.  Last year, she placed third in the SEC Championships in the 800 and she earned All-American honors with her eleventh place finish at the NCAA Championships.  In her preliminary heat, she cruised to an easy win with a time of 2:06.15 and guaranteeing her a spot in Sunday’s finals.  Sunday, in a packed field Beth ran her best race of the season with a time of 2:05.93 and gaining a provisional bid to the nationals.

In the Men’s 800 meters, it has been virtually a dead heat between Paul Ciurlys and James Doaty.  The Doaty finished a blink behind Ciurlys with times of 1:50.25 and 1:50.39 at the Meyo Invitational.  Paul Ciurlys has had an outstanding career at UK.  Not only is he a 2-time All-America in the 800 meters and distance medley relay, but Paul is also a part of the school record distance medley relay and 4 x 800 relay teams.  Likewise, James Doaty is also a 2-time All-American and holds the UK record in the 800 meters and the 4 x 800-relay team.  It was only appropriate that at the SEC Championships the two would battle it out neck and neck.  When the dust settled Doaty finished .33 of a second faster that Ciurlys in their preliminary heat (1:49.36 to 1:49.69), as both advanced to the finals.  Both UK runners had a rough start in the finals, but Doaty was able to fight his way back to a fourth place finish with a time of 1:48.64 and Ciurlys finished eighth.

Kentucky had a total of six competitors in the 800-meter event.  Three were freshman (Nick Reeves, Scott Brownlee, and Tom Byers) and each has been steadily improving this year.  In fact, Brownlee and Reeves posted personal bests at the SEC Championships.  Other UK competitors who posted their personal bests at the SEC Championships are: Olubusola Adeagbo’s 56.30 set her new high in the 400 meters; Jackie Gordon equaled her best mark of 56.06 in the 400 meters; Andy Fryman best toss of 16.60 meters in the shot put; and Chris Millisor ran his best 3000 meters with his time of 8:39.98.