Kansas Renews Rivalry with Missouri
Jan. 14, 2009
Meet Schedule
LAWRENCE, Kan. – For the first time since 1976, the Kansas track and field teams will face off with the Missouri Tigers in the Kansas vs. Missouri dual meet Friday on the Bill Easton Track inside Anschutz Pavilion. It is also the first time ever for the women’s teams to face off.
“I think it’s really good,” head coach Stanley Redwine said of the ‘Border Dual’ renewal. “I talked to Rick (McGuire), the coach at Missouri, and we thought it would be a good idea to bring our friendly rivalry back and that’s what we wanted to do.”
Nine different Jayhawks have won an event title at the first two meets of the season, and all of them will be in action Friday against the Tigers.
Jordan Scott has been the standout thus far, winning the men’s pole vault at both the Cyclone Holiday Preview in December and the Arkansas Invitational last weekend. Both times the junior from Watkinsville, Ga., achieved the NCAA Provisional Qualifying standard and is already a virtual lock to make the NCAA Championships. He will look to continue his success inside the friendly confines of Anschutz.
Freshman Keith Hayes won the men’s 60-meter hurdles in Arkansas, and he will be competing in that event once again, as well as the 200 meters and the 4×400-meter relay against Missouri. Junior Lauren Bonds took first place in the women’s 3,000 meters at the Arkansas Invitational, but will be competing in the mile run and the distance medley relay on Friday. Freshman Jamaica Collins was victorious in the women’s long jump at the Cyclone Holiday Preview, and looks to replicate that feat against the Tigers in both the long jump and triple jump.
The other six KU event champions will all be competing in single events on Friday, with Kelsey Erb competing in the high jump, Hayley Harbert running the 3,000 meters, Stephanie Horton throwing in the shot put, Zlata Tarasova competing in the weight throw, and Mackenzie Wills participating in the pole vault.
Sixty-one other Jayhawk athletes will be competing against Missouri on Friday looking to join their teammates in the 2009 winner’s circle. It is the first time in 32 years that Kansas track and field athletes have gotten a chance to make a statement in a dual atmosphere against their Border Showdown rivals, and Redwine believes that it will be the start of a re-born tradition.
“We’re going to go there next year,” Redwine said. “So it’s going to be a home and home deal. It should be fun. We’re looking forward to having fun and giving our athletes an opportunity to compete.”
The field events will begin at 1:00 p.m. Friday with the women’s weight throw and will end with the men’s shot put at 5:30 p.m. the track events start at 3 p.m. with the women’s 60-meter hurdles and wrap up with the men’s 4×400-meter relay at 7 p.m.
