UK women’s track team ranked No. 1 in nation for first time

The University of Kentucky’s women’s track and field team is ranked No. 1 in the nation for the first time ever.

Coach Edrick Floreal’s Wildcats are the top-ranked team in the latest edition of the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association computer rankings.

Kentucky moved up from the No. 2 position after winning the LSU Invitational over the weekend. The meet in Baton Rouge, La., included six of the top 15 teams in last week’s rankings – including the then-No. 1 (Arkansas) and No. 5 (Florida) teams.

The Wildcats turned in six individual performances at LSU that are now ranked in the top five nationally.

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (100-meter hurdles) and Sha’Keela Saunders (long jump) both moved up to second in their respective events.

Destiny Carter (100) and Kiah Seymour (400 hurdles) are both ranked third, while Kianna Gray (100) and Jacklyn Howell (100 hurdles) took ownership of fourth nationally.

Kentucky’s relays are also ranked inside the national top five. The 4-by-100 relay squad of Javianne Oliver, Precious Hitchcock, Carter and Gray ran :43.14 two weeks ago, which is No. 3 nationally.

UK’s 4-by-400 relay team of Gray, Jasmine Mitchell, Carter and Seymour has a season-best time of 3:28.45, which is No. 4 in the NCAA.

Oliver is ranked No. 7 in the 100 meters.

Ariah Graham’s 2:03.24 time in the 800 recorded at the Florida Relays last month continues to rank No. 8 nationally.

The computer rankings are intended as a projection of NCAA Championships finishes based on performances so far this year. The NCAA Championships will take place June 8-11 at Oregon’s Hayward Field.

Kentucky will host the Kentucky Relays on Saturday before the SEC Championships May 12-14.

Thomson breaks UK record

Kentucky’s Jacob Thomson, a sophomore from Louisville, won his heat of the 5,000 meters at Stanford’s Payton Jordan Invitational late Sunday night, running a personal best and school-record time of 13:43.49.

The time broke Thomas Morgan’s previous record of 13:45.57 recorded at Stanford in 2004.

Thomson’s time leads the Southeastern Conference this season, and ranks No. 18 nationally.

This story was originally published May 2, 2016 at 7:45 PM with the headline "UK women’s track team ranked No. 1 in nation for first time."