Kansas Track and Field Fares Well Across Nation
Feb. 10, 2007
LAWRENCE, KAN. –
The results were good for <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Kansas track and field, as several student-athletes earned NCAA marks in their respective events at track and field meets throughout the country. Among the notable results were Paul Hefferon and Colby Wissel earning provisional marks in the 5,000-meter run at the Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash., and juniors Kate Sultanova and Crystal Manning improving upon their provisional marks in the pole vault and triple jump, respectively, at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
Wissel, who already owns a provisional mark in the 3,000-meter run, finished 10th against some of the nation’s best distance runners in a NCAA provisional time of 13:54. Hefferon, a 2006 Outdoor All-American in the event, closed right on his heels, finishing 13th in a provisional time of 14:03.50.
In Arkansas, Sultanova continued to raise the bar in the pole vault, clearing a career-best 14-00.25 feet. Manning improved her triple jump mark to a career-best 43-20.25 feet, good for third place.
In other news from Arkansas, sophomore Zlata Tarasova broke her own school record in the weight throw, finishing fourth with a throw of 62-01.25 feet. Junior Egor Agafonov finished third in the men’s weight throw with a toss of 71-07.50 feet.
At the ISU Classic in Ames, Iowa, junior Julius Jiles ran a season-best 8.01 seconds in the preliminaries of the 60-meter hurdles. Senior Melissa O’Rourke narrowly missed a provisional mark in the mile run, finishing sixth in 4:48.72. The provisional mark is 4:48 or better.
The weekend’s festivities conclude the regular season for Indoor track and field. Up next for the Jayhawks is the Big 12 Championships on Feb. 23-24 in Ames, Iowa. Stay tuned to kuathletics.com for all the latest information regarding Kansas’ trip to the Big 12 Indoor Championships.
