Kentucky earns 28 track and field All-America honors

Twenty-eight Kentucky athletes earned All-America honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) during the 2017 indoor and outdoor seasons.

Nineteen Wildcats earned All-America status during the recently completed outdoor season. UK had 10 first team honorees (from five entries — UK had five Wildcats in the 4-by-100-meter relay rounds) and saw nine pick up second-team status.

First-team honors went to the first through eighth placers at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Ninth through 16th placers earned second-team status, while honorable mention was given to those who finished 17th through 24th.

Kentucky finished the season with three individual NCAA Champions — two individuals plus the 4-by100 relay championship team.

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn was first team All-America in the 100 hurdles where she was outdoors national runner-up, in the 4-by-100 relay where she ran the winning second leg and in the 60 hurdles indoors. She’s now been named first team All-America six times and second team twice over her two-year career.

Sha’Keela Saunders was a first-team selection in the long jump indoors and out, and second team in the outdoor 4-by-400 and indoor triple jump. She finished her UK career as a 12-time All-American (six in long jump, four in triple jump, two in 4-by 400 relay).

Destiny Carter picked up first-team status in the 4-by-100 to go along with second-team honors in the 100, 200 and long jump. Including her junior season after transferring before the 2016 season, she finished her eligibility as an eight-time All-American (second team in 2017 indoor long jump).

Nick Anderson picked up first team All-America status for the third time.

Olivia Gruver, NCAA champion in the outdoor pole vault, and bronze medalist in the same event indoors, picked up her first two first-team honors.

Fred Dorsey (long jump), Tim Duckworth (decathlon), Justin Kretchmer (high jump), Ethan Shalaway (javelin) and Jacob Thomson (10,000 meters) picked up honorable mention accolades.

Sarah Blake (javelin), and the 4-by-100 relay of Carter, Kayelle Clarke, Precious Hitchcock and Saunders were the UK women’s team’s honorable mention awardees.

Kentucky’s women’s team finished fourth at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships with 40 points, and sixth indoors with 26. The UK men’s team placed 59th outdoors with four points, and 22nd indoors with 10.

This story was originally published June 20, 2017 at 12:08 PM with the headline "Kentucky earns 28 track and field All-America honors."