KU Track to Split for Trio of Meets this Weekend
Feb. 6, 2013
Meet Notes in PDF Format
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| Tyson Inv. // ISU Classic // Husky Classic | |
| Dates |
Friday, Feb.8, 2013 |
| Locations | Fayetteville, Ark. Ames, Iowa Seattle, Wash. |
| Venues | Randall Tyson Track Center Lied Recreation Center Dempsey Indoor Track |
| Start Times | Fri – 11 a.m. (CT) Sat – 11 a.m. (CT) |
| Coverage | Tyson Inv. – Webstream ($) |
| Meet Home | ArkansasRazorbacks.com Cyclones.com GoHuskies.com |
| Meet Schedules: Tyson | ISU | Husky | |
| Live Results: Tyson | ISU | Husky | |
LAWRENCE, Kan. – For the first time this indoor season, the Kansas Jayhawk track and field teams will separate for three different meets across the country, as athletes will compete at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., some at the ISU Classic in Ames, Iowa while others head to the Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash. All three will be two-day meets for KU, each taking place Friday and Saturday, Feb. 8-9.
KU_Track QUICK HITS
- This weekend Kansas will be competing on tracks they will see later on this indoor season as Iowa State will host the Big 12 Indoor Championships Feb. 22-23 and Arkansas will host the NCAA Championships inside the Tyson Center March 8-9.
- The Kansas women find themselves ranked No. 1 in the nation for the first time in program history. It also marks the highest ranking for either men’s or women’s KU programs since the current system began in 2008.
- If the regular season were to end today, the Kansas women would have eight Jayhawks qualify for the NCAA Championships in eight events. Last season the national runner-up team had five athletes and a relay team qualify in six events.
- Andrea Geubelle is one of only three females in the NCAA who ranks in the top-three in two different events. The senior sits at No. 1 in the long jump and No. 2 in the triple jump.
- Junior Josh Munsch posted a career-performance in the mile last weekend in New York, clocking in at 4:04.15. Only two Jayhawks (Charlie Gruber and Colby Wissel) have run faster indoor miles in the last 20 years.
- Alena Krechyk broke her own school weight throw record for the fourth time at the Armory Collegiate with her toss of 21.76 meters (71-4.75 ft.). The mark is the second-farthest in the NCAA.
- The quartet of Brendan Soucie, Drew Matthews, Nick Seckfort and Josh Munsch ran to a season-best time in the distance medley relay in New York. Their time of 9:46.92 was the sixth-fastest in school history and ranks them 11th in the NCAA this year.
- The KU men currently find five athletes among the all-important top-16 of the NCAA rankings; junior Alex Bishop in the pole vault and the men’s DMR relay team.
- Last week at the Armory Collegiate Invite, freshman Evan Landes improved on his personal best 3K time by over 16 seconds, finishing in 8:11.75.
LAST TIME OUT
Four Jayhawks posted school records as the KU men and women completed a successful weekend at the Armory Collegiate Invitational in New York City. Andrea Geubelle jumped to a school and meet record (6.69m) en route to a victory in the long jump. Alena Krechyk followed suit with a school and meet record of her own (21.76m) in the weight throw.
Natalia Bartnovskaya tied the school record and notched a win in the pole vault with her mark of 4.30 meters (14-1.25 ft.). Several other KU women moved up on the national performance lists including Paris Daniels, who ran to a career best in the 200 meters (23.46) and Francine Simpson, who leaped to a season best in the long jump (6.31m).
On the men’s side senior Kyle Clemons smashed the school record in the 500 meters (1:01.32), finishing second by just .01 seconds. The men’s DMR team of Nick Seckfort, Drew Matthews, Brendan Soucie and Josh Munsch ran the sixth-fastest relay in school history (9:46.92) with Munsch going on to run the seventh-fastest indoor mile in school history (4:04.15).
KU’S RECORD-SETTING WEEKEND
There were some big changes in the KU record books last weekend with four Jayhawks etching their names atop the school charts. Andrea Geubelle, who already finds herself with the best triple jump mark in school history, took down the previous school mark by 11 inches with her leap of 6.69 meters in the long jump. Alena Krechyk broke her own school record in the weight throw for the fifth time, recording a mark of 21.76 meters (71-4.75 ft.) and besting her previous mark by 2.5 feet.
Natalia Bartnovskaya tied her career best as well as the school record with her clearance of 4.30 meters (14-1.25 ft.). Kyle Clemons clipped the two-year-old record in the rarely-run 500 meters with his time of 1:01.32.
KU WOMEN CLAIM NO. 1
The KU women’s track & field team ascended to the nation’s No. 1 ranking as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Feb. 5. This marks the first time any KU squad – men’s or women’s – has found itself ranked No. 1 since the current system began in 2008.
The women were ranked second in the preseason and remained in the No. 2 spot for the first two regular-season lists. Last outdoor season, KU set the program high with its No. 2 ranking the week prior to the NCAA Championships.
JAYHAWKS FLYING AT THE TOP OF THE NCAA
The Jayhawks have used the early-season meets to climb near the top of the NCAA performance charts. Currently, KU has nine athletes ranked in the nation’s top-20 in nine events on the women’s side and two athletes in two events on the men’s side. The No. 20 mark is an important ranking to stay above since the top-16 performers in each event at season’s end will punch tickets to the NCAA Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., March 8-9.
A year ago, Jayhawk men and women ended the indoor and outdoor seasons ranked in the NCAA top-10 in 17 events and No. 1 in three events, including the women’s indoor 400 meters, women’s indoor triple jump and the women’s indoor 4×400-meter relay.
GEUBELLE GAINING GROUND
Senior Andrea Geubelle has had a fast start to her final campaign in Lawrence. The University Place, Wash., product has collected a litany of early-season accolades that have her among top collegiate athletes this year. Here are some of her accomplishments thus far:
- Listed on the Bower Watch Mention List in the preseason.
- Has amassed a total of four victories in the long jump and triple jump in four meets.
- Broke Anschutz facility record in the long jump with mark of 6.25 meters (20-6.25 ft.).
- Holds No. 2 triple jump mark in the NCAA at 13.45 meters (44-1.5 ft.).
- Broke long jump school record in her win at the Armory Collegiate Invitational with her nation-leading leap of 6.69 meters (21-11.5 ft.).
- Named the National Female Athlete of the Week by the USTFCCCA Feb. 4.
- Earned Big 12 Conference Athlete of the Week honors Feb. 6.
VAULTING VIRTUOSOS
The KU pole vaulters have been arguably the most impressive event group thus far in 2013. Juniors Natalia Bartnovskaya and Demi Payne have each climbed their way into the NCAA’s top-six rankings. Bartnovskaya tied the school record after clearing 4.30 meters (14-1.25 ft.) last weekend, while Payne recently moved up to No. 4 on the all-time school performance lists with her PR height of 4.25 meters (13-11.25 ft.). Bartnovskaya’s mark has her at No. 3 in the nation with Payne at No. 6.
On the men’s side Alex Bishop has put himself in a NCAA qualifying position after notching a personal-best height of 5.31 meters (17-5 ft.) two weeks ago. The mark is the 16th-best in the nation this season. Sophomore Greg Lupton also has been impressive, clearing 5.30 meters (17-4.5 ft.) in a win last week at the Armory Collegiate Invitational. Lupton’s mark has him on the outside looking in at the moment, sitting at No. 20 in the NCAA rankings.
RELAYS UP THE RANKS
Two KU relay teams posted some impressive time last week at the Armory Collegiate Invitational. The first coming in the distance medley relay with Nick Seckfort (1,200m), Drew Matthews (400m), Brendan Soucie (800m) and Josh Munsch (1,600m) competing for the Jayhawks. The group finished fifth in one of the most competitive fields they will see all season, however their time made a bit of Kansas history. The four passed the baton around in 9:46.92 to mark the sixth-fastest DMR run in school history. The time also puts them at 11th in the NCAA.
The men’s 4×800-meters entered the school’s all-time performance list as Seckfort, Dalen Fink, Soucie and Daniel Koech completed the rarely-run two-mile race in 7:43.68. The time is the third-fastest ever run by a Kansas squad and is the best 4×800-meter relay race posted by the Jayhawks in nearly 10 years.
STANLEY’S SUCCESS
Head coach Stanley Redwine has taken Kansas track & field to a level it hasn’t seen in quite some time during his 12 years at the helm. During Redwine’s tenure, he has seen 73 indoor and outdoor Big 12 Champions, 117 First Team All-Americans and 11 NCAA Champions come through his program at KU.
Redwine’s teams have also collected a combined five top-10 NCAA team finishes, including last year’s indoor runner-up finish for the KU women.
IN REDWINE’S WORDS
This weekend will present the athletes with their first really competitive meets of the season. How do you think the Jayhawks will handle the big stage?
“We’re looking for everyone to keep getting better as the season progresses. As we train harder the performances have continued to get better. We’re excited about where we are but know we haven’t hit our ceiling yet.”
Will the performances this weekend help the coaches determine who will be a part of the teams that go to conference or will the athletes have some more time to prove themselves?
“These meets are our last before we go to the Big 12 Championships so yes, definitely. We’ll know after this weekend who we’re taking and which events they’ll be competing in.”
With all the national recognition the women’s team is getting, how have you and the other coaches kept the ladies humble and focused on the goals ahead?
“We have really good coaches who have been there before. The fact that we all have been there before is good because we know how to handle it. The athletes are definitely excited and we want to keep that excitement, but we also need to make them understand that the target on our back is even larger. We need to continue to compete to the best of our ability and hopefully the recognition will keep coming.”
Compared to previous seasons it seems like many of the athletes are progressing faster than they have before. Why do you think that is?
“They’re progressing as fast as the nation is progressing. All of our competition is progressing fast and I think our athletes are really adapting to that. It’s not just an issue anymore of how we are performing compared to last year, it’s how well we’re progressing compared to our competition and I think we’ll continue to see that.”
