Trio of former UK stars qualify for world track championships, with possibly more to come

Masai Russell added her name to the University of Kentucky’s historic list of female hurdlers Saturday night by earning a spot in this year’s world championships.

Russell, who recently completed her graduate student season at UK by winning three silver medals at the NCAA outdoor championships, finished third in the 100-meter hurdles at the U.S. championships in Eugene, Ore., to claim her berth in next month’s worlds in Hungary.

Saturday’s top three finishers all advance to Budapest. One of those is Keni Harrison, an NCAA champion at UK who has won Olympic and world silver in the 100 hurdles and also once held the world record for the event.

Nia Ali, formerly a Southeastern Conference champion at Tennessee and a national champion at Southern Cal, won the 100 hurdles Saturday in 12.37 seconds. Harrison was second in :12.42 with Russell third in :12.458, just in front of Alaysha Johnson at :12.460.

Another star hurdler who won a national championship at Kentucky, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, has qualified for the world championships in both the 400 meters and the 400 hurdles after her victory Saturday night in the flat 400. McLaughlin-Levrone, who starred as a one-and-done freshman at UK in 2017-18, will represent the U.S. at the worlds for the third time this summer — and could compete in both events.

“The greats always push themselves,” McLaughlin-Levrone said on the CNBC telecast Saturday. “I want to be one of them so I push myself and get out of my comfort zone.”

Two other former Wildcats were to compete in semifinals, and possibly finals, on Sunday night in pursuit of world championship berths.

Abby Steiner finished second in her heat and qualified fourth in the women’s 200 meters with a time of 22.31 seconds.

Daniel Roberts won his heat and placed third overall in the men’s 110 hurdles in 13.12 seconds.

UK volunteer coach Christian Coleman, who earlier in this meet finished second in the 100 meters, was in action again Saturday. Coleman qualified second for Sunday’s semifinals in the 200 in 20.06 seconds.

Former Wildcat Ethan Shalaway finished fifth in the men’s javelin throw on Saturday.

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