Bonds Posts NCAA Provisional Mark
Feb. 15, 2009
ISU Classic Results
Tyson Invitational Results
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Lauren Bonds became the third Kansas track and field athlete this season to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships to lead the way for the Jayhawks as they wrapped up competition at both the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., and the ISU Classic in Ames, Iowa, on Saturday.
“We had a lot of personal-bests and a lot of season-bests,” Kansas head coach Stanley Redwine said. “The team as a whole had better performances than they had in previous meets. That’s what it’s about, to keep performing better and better each week.”
Bonds ran an NCAA provisional-qualifying time of 4:43.74 to place fifth in the women’s mile at the ISU Classic. The junior from Hutchinson, Kan., joins junior Jordan Scott (automatic) and senior Colby Wissel (provisional) as 2009 KU NCAA Indoor qualifiers.
Also in Ames, sophomore Amanda Miller placed 13th in the women’s 5,000 meters after running a personal-best time of 17:09.27. On the men’s side, junior Dan Van Orsdel placed 15th in the 5,000 meters in a time of 15:30.54.
In the non-seeded women’s mile, junior Alison Knoll achieved a personal-best time of 5:12.48 to finish in 10th place. Freshman Donny Wasinger continued his weekly improvement in the mile, running another personal best of 4:16.01 to finish in seventh place.
At the Tyson Invitational, Corey Fuller had the best KU finish with a second-place showing in the men’s triple jump. The freshman from Baltimore, Md., had his second top-three finish in as many weeks after jumping 15.09 meters (49-06.25 ft.).
Jordan Scott had another solid performance, placing third in the men’s pole vault. Although his jump of 5.20 meters (17-00.75 ft.) was not enough to make it to the winner’s circle, he still holds the nation’s best pole vault in 2009 (5.50 meters, 18-00.50 ft.). Junior Kirk Cooper placed 10th after a pole vault of 4.90 meters (16-00.75 ft.), matching a season-best.
Keith Hayes, who earned a spot in the 60-meter hurdles consolation race, finished in fifth place Saturday in Fayetteville after clocking in at 8.06.
The Jayhawks now have the next two weeks to prepare for their next meet, the Big 12 Indoor Championships Feb. 27-28 in College Station, Texas.
“The way the schedule is set up is to have that week to not travel and give them an opportunity to get their legs under them and rest,” Redwine said.
