Diamond Dixon Named Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week

Jan. 31, 2012

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas sophomore Diamond Dixon was named Female Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week for Jan. 22-28 after claiming the 400 meter title at the Jayhawk Classic on Friday, Jan. 27.

Dixon, who is the reigning Big 12 Champion in the outdoor 400 meters, beat out world-class professional sprinter Monica Hargrove in the event Friday with a time of 53.75 to earn the victory. The sophomore’s finish broke the Anschutz facility record of 54.02, which stood for nearly 20 years. Her time, which converts to 53.05 on the NCAA qualifying list, is now No. 1 in the nation among collegiate athletes and ranks 16th overall in the U.S. this year. The Houston, Texas native has now collected race victories in the 60 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters and 600 yards during 2011-12, all of which are top-10 performances in the Big 12 this season.

This week’s Big 12 honor is the second for Dixon, as she was named Athlete of the Week last year on May 10 after her school record-breaking performance at the Arkansas Twilight on May 6. Dixon was also named the Big 12 Female Freshman Track Athlete of the Year in 2011 for her outstanding debut season at KU. She joins junior Andrea Geubelle as Jayhawks who have taken home Athlete of the Week honors this season. Geubelle was named Athlete of the Week on Jan. 17 after winning both the long and triple jump competitions at the Kansas-Missouri Dual Meet on Jan. 13. Dixon’s weekly honor marks the fifth time a KU female has been named Big 12 Athlete of the Week.

The Kansas track and field teams will return to action this weekend when they travel to New York City for the New Balance Collegiate Invitational Feb. 3-4. Dixon and Geubelle will take their nation-leading marks up against some of the country’s top track and field athletes, while their KU teammates attempt to move up on the NCAA yearly performance lists. Action is set to begin Friday at 10:20 a.m. (CST) with the women’s 60-meter hurdles and will kick off Saturday with the women’s long jump at 9:30 a.m. (CST). Log on to kuathletics.com for live meet coverage as well as complete recaps of the two-day event.