KU Track and Field Returns to Action Friday in Jayhawk Classic
Jan. 26, 2012
Meet Notes 
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| Jayhawk Classic | |
| Date | Friday, Jan. 27, 2012 |
| Location | Lawrence, Kan. |
| Venue | Anschutz Pavilion |
| Start Time | 10 a.m. |
| Coverage | Meet Central |
| Results | Live Results |
| Meet Schedule | |
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LAWRENCE, Kan. – For the third and final time of the 2011-12 indoor track and field season, the Kansas Jayhawks will return from a two-week hiatus to host a meet in the newly renovated Anschutz Pavilion. The 2012 Jayhawk Classic will be the largest meet of the season to date, with over 20 schools and around 750 athletes in competition on Friday, Jan. 27, including Emporia State, Oral Roberts, UMKC, Wichita State and a host of other local schools.
“Our athletes have trained really hard over these last two weeks and I think that will show this weekend,” said 12th-year head coach Stanley Redwine. “We have some really good athletes coming and they will help raise the level of competition. I’m really looking forward to seeing how we perform.”
A number of Jayhawks will be in action this weekend looking to earn the all-important national qualifying marks that will assure them a spot in the indoor National Championships in early March.
Diamond Dixon and Paris Daniels will be running in their first 400-meter race of the season. Dixon was the Big 12 outdoor conference champion in the event last season while Daniels was a junior college national champion in the 400 in 2010. Both will be aiming for a sub-53.30 400 meter time to punch their automatic tickets to Boise, Idaho for the national meet. Dixon and Daniels will be joined by Monica Hargrove, who has won multiple sprint events at the international level over the past decade. The three will head to the starting blocks at around 5:20 p.m.
For the men, Kyle Clemons, who earned Second Team All-American honors in the outdoor 400 meters a season ago, will also be running in his first 400-meter race of the season. Oral Roberts will bring a host of top sprinters that are sure to give Clemons and the other KU sprinters a challenge.
A number of Jayhawks will be taking part in their first pentathlon event of the season. All-Big 12 performer, Rebecca Neville, as well as 2011 Missouri high school multi-event state champion and freshman Lindsay Vollmer will be in action and will kick off their day in the 60-meter hurdles at 10 a.m., the first of five events they will compete in throughout the day.
Five-time All-American Andrea Geubelle is set to compete in the triple jump, which slated to begin at approximately 3 p.m. Geubelle currently holds the second-best triple jump mark in the NCAA in 2012 and will be going against two of the top professional jumpers in the U.S. Former Jayhawk and All-American, Crystal Manning, and five-time NCAA Champion Kimberly Williams are also planning to compete Friday, making the mid-afternoon event an intriguing one. Last week, Manning hit an indoor personal best mark of 13.81 meters (45-03.75 ft.), which ranks No. 8 in the world this year.
KU’s Alex Bishop and Demi Payne will again be competing in the men’s and women’s pole vault. Both sophomores rank in the top 20 in the NCAA this season and have both come within arm’s length of the national qualifying marks in the earlier meets this year.
Other notable Jayhawks to lace up the spikes Friday are All-American Rebeka Stowe, who is eyeing the school record in the 3,000 meters, All-American Jessica Maroszek in the shot put, Denesha Morris in the 60 meters and 200 meters and senior Alena Krechyk in the weight throw, who returns to the team after winning the Big 12 indoor title in the same event in 2010.
On the men’s side, the sprints and middle distance races will be some to highlight. Dalen Fink and Dominique Manley, who helped the men’s 4×400-meter relay team qualify for the NCAA West Preliminary last year, will run in the 800 meters and 600 yards, respectively. Nick Canton and Nick Giancana continue to look for some big clearances in the high jump while All-American Donny Wasinger will take part in the 1,000 meters at 5:47 p.m.
“There should be some great races and great competitions to watch,” concluded Redwine. “It’ll be a tough race for Diamond (Dixon) in the 400 and it’ll also be a tough competition for Andrea Geubelle in the triple jump, but if those athletes step up I think it will be a great opportunity for them to qualify for the NCAA (Championships).”
UP NEXT
The Jayhawks will head to New York City for the New Balance Collegiate Invitational to be held Feb. 3-4. Be sure to check out the meet central page for complete coverage as the Jayhawks compete in the Big Apple. Also, be sure to follow on Twitter at KU_Track for updates and results throughout the week.
