Masai Russell just missed breaking her own record in Saturday’s win. (UK Athletics Photo)
Kentucky’s next rising national track star continued her impressive senior season Saturday when Masai Russell broke the Southeastern Conference Championship and facility record to win the 60-meter hurdles at the SEC indoor meet in Fayetteville, Ark.
Her winning time was 7.77 seconds — only .02 off the collegiate mark she set last month in Lubbock, Texas.
Russell’s victory marked the fifth time in the last six years a Wildcat won gold in the SEC 60 hurdles. The two former Wildcats who won the SEC 60 hurdles were Jasmine Camacho-Quinn and Kent Harrison, the top two finishers at the 100-meter hurdles at the last Olympics.
Camacho-Quinn won SEC Indoors in 2017 and 2018 while Harrison won in 2014 and 2015.
“I wanted to come out with the win,” Russell told John Anderson on the SEC Network after her win. “I’ve always been like second or third at SECs so to finally come out on top and win is just a blessing. All my hard work has truly paid off .
“So it’s about truly trusting the process and honestly trusting your training and trusting your coaches because no one would have expected me to be putting up the numbers that I have been putting up. But it just takes time.”
