KU Track and Field Competes Well, Battle Qualifies
Jan. 20, 2006
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
The University of Kansas men’s and women’s track teams were in Lawrence on Friday competing in the annual KU/KSU/MU Triangular, their first of two consecutive home meets. The Kansas State Wildcats won the competition for the Jug for the eighth-straight year by scoring a men’s and women’s combined point total of 265. Kansas was second with 240.5, and Missouri placed third with a score of 212.5.
The highlight of the day was Sheldon Battle’s automatic qualification in the shot put for the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. Having already provisionally qualified in the event in last week’s Arkansas Invitational, Battle had a toss of 65-08.25 on Friday to beat the field and put him in the championship meet in March. He also won the weight throw with a toss of 68-07.75, improving on his mark from last week that already had him provisionally qualified for the indoor championships. His two victories on the day made it the second week in a row he won both competitions.
Several meet records fell at the hands of the Jayhawks as well. Tiffany Cherry won the 60-meter dash in a time of 7.55, beating the meet record by .08. Aaron Thompson broke two meet records of his own, one in the 60-meter dash (6.75) and the other in the 60-meter hurdles (7.94). The senior out of Lenexa, Kan., also finished second in the triple jump with a leap of 46-04.75.
Senior Charisse Bacchus had a great day in the meet also. In addition to finishing second in both the 60-meter dash and 60-meter hurdles, the senior from Trinidad had a victory in the long jump with a leap of 19-11.00.
The Jayhawks finished one-two in the men’s pole vault with junior Josh Kirk winning the competition (16-00.75) and freshman John McDonald finishing second (15-07.00). Other victories on the day for Kansas included Adrian Carey in the 200-meter dash (21.74), Paul Hefferon in the 3000-meter run (8:27.07), Matt Baysinger in the 600-yard run (1:11.07) and the men’s 4×400-meter relay team (3:16.14).
“I thought it was a good meet for us,” head coach Stanley Redwine said after the meet. “We’re definitely happy with where we are, and we need to continue to get better.”
The Jayhawks remain at home next weekend for the Jayhawk Invitational in the Anschutz Sports Pavilion on Saturday, Jan. 28. The competition kicks off at 9 a.m. with the women’s weight throw.
