Kentucky pole vaulter Keaton Daniel, a five-time SEC champion, received his first individual NCAA title on Friday on the indoor championships in Boston.
The senior beat out Arkansas State junior Bradley Jelmert by means of two heights for the gold medal. He beforehand received NCAA outdoor silver and bronze medal in 2021 and 2022.
After each pole vaulters cleared 18 ft, 6.5 inches/5.65 meters, Daniel cleared the following top at 18 ft, 8.25 inches/5.70 meters on his second try. Jelmert, who had two misses on the peak, opted to forgo his closing try and transfer to a closing try on the subsequent top. He fouled on his solely try at 18 ft, 10.25 inches/5.75 meters.
The victory comes after Daniel received his second Southeastern Conference indoor title and fifth general SEC gold medal on the SEC Indoor Championships two weeks in the past. He has led the nation since Jan. 20 when he set a Kentucky faculty report on the Corky Classic by clearing 19 ft, 0.25 inches/5.80 meters.
Rifle
Former Kentucky star Mary Tucker, now a fifth-year senior at West Virginia, earned the second individual NCAA title of her profession when she received smallbore on the 2024 NCAA Rifle Championships on Friday in Morgantown, West Virginia. Tucker received the 2021 NCAA title in smallbore whereas a sophomore with the Wildcats.
The Sarasota, Florida, native took first place with a 462.0 mark within the smallbore individual finals. She earned a spot within the finals after capturing a qualifying rating of 596 to steer the sector.
Kentucky sophomore Sofia Ceccarello and freshman Braden Peiser made the individual finals, ending fifth and sixth, respectively.
After capturing an opening-day smallbore combination rating of two,353, West Virginia was six factors forward of second-place TCU’s 2,347. Kentucky is third with 2,338. The competitors continued Saturday with air rifle.
Kentucky, which certified fourth for the eight-team occasion, has received the nationwide title 4 instances — 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2022 — with six runner-up finishes. Last 12 months, UK completed third.
Gymnastics
Senior Raena Worley earned her fourth profession 10.0, all this season, and received her twenty eighth all-around title because the No. 6 Kentucky gymnastics crew (8-4, 4-3 SEC) defeated host North Carolina (5-11, 1-5 ACC) 197.800-196.525 on Friday.
The Wildcats’ whole tied their program-best away general rating, which was set final season at Illinois.
Worley’s good rating as soon as once more got here on the ground train.
Kentucky will shut out its regular-season schedule subsequent week in Nashville, Tennessee, on the inaugural Kidney Care Women’s Gymnastics Championships.
Men’s tennis
No. 5 Kentucky (12-2, 3-0 SEC) continued its undefeated convention run with a 6-1 victory towards No. 27 Florida (6-5, 2-1 SEC) on Friday on the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex. The Gators claimed the doubles level earlier than the Wildcats dominated singles.
Softball
No. 3 LSU (20-0) continued its undefeated begin to the season Friday night time by defeating No. 21 Kentucky 6-2 at John Cropp Stadium.
The Tigers took management of the sport within the high of the second inning, scoring a pair of runs due to a handed ball and a walk with the bases loaded to make it a 2-0 lead. LSU scored three extra runs within the high of the third inning as Kentucky (14-5) dedicated three errors.
Baseball
No. 25 Kentucky made a number of uncharacteristic miscues that contributed to an early four-run gap from which it couldn’t recuperate, in a 13-1 loss to Kennesaw State (8-6) at Kentucky Proud Park on Friday. The loss ended an eight-game win streak for the Wildcats (12-2).
