Jayhawk Track And Field Heads To Nebraska For 2011 Big 12 Indoor Championships
Feb. 24, 2011
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Kansas’ men’s and women’s track and field teams will travel to Lincoln, Neb., Feb. 25-26 for the 2011 Big 12 Indoor Championships. The Jayhawks enter the meet, which will be held at the Devaney Center, looking to improve on their team finishes from last season.
Sophomore thrower Mason Finley will lead the charge for the KU men as they look to improve on their 10th place finish from last season. Finley returns to the shot put ring as the reigning Big 12 Champion and enters the meet with the top mark in the NCAA this season at 20.71m (67-11.50 ft.). He is three for three this season in winning the shot put and will also compete in the weight throw.
Other Jayhawk field event competitors who enter the meet near the top of the standings including senior Cooper Merrill in the pole vault and junior Nick Canton in the high jump. Merrill enters the meet with a personal best mark of 5.10m (16-08.75 ft.) in the pole vault and Canton has cleared 2.10m (6-10.75 ft.) in the high jump this season.
The KU men will be led on the track by sophomore Kyle Clemons and senior Kerron Toussaint. Clemons will compete in the 400 and on the 4×400-meter relay team. He enters the meet ranked seventh in the Big 12 in the 400 with his time of 47.17. Toussaint will join Clemons on the 4×400-meter relay team and will also run the 600 yard dash. He enters the meet with the sixth best time among competitors at 1:10.42.
The Jayhawk women took home fifth place in the team competition last year and return several key athletes from that team, along with some outstanding newcomers. Sophomore Taylor Washington returns to defend her title in the 600 yards and is joined in the race by senior Shayla Wilson. Wilson enters the meet with the third best time in the Big 12 this season at 1:21.66, while Washington ranks fifth this season with her time of 1:22. 25.
Freshman Diamond Dixon leads the Kansas newcomers as she enters the meet with the fifth best time in the 400 meters at 53.66. Dixon is the KU record-holder in the event, just five meets in her Jayhawk career. She will also run on the 4×400-meter relay team.
Junior Rebeka Stowe will be busy for the Jayhawks at the meet as she will compete in the mile, 3,000 meters and on the Distance Medley Relay. Stowe has clocked in with the seventh best time in the conference in the mile run with her time of 4:46.62 and was a member of the KU All-American Distance Medley Relay team from last season.
Sophomore Denesha Morris will compete in the 60 meters, 200 meters and on the 4×400-meter relay team. Morris is one of the top participants in the 60 meters with her time of 7.47. Other notable KU performers on the track will be Cori Christensen (1,000m, DMR) and Amanda Miller (3,000m, 5,000m).
The KU women will look for points in the field from senior Jaci Perryman and freshman Demi Payne in the pole vault and from sophomore jumpers Andrea Geubelle and Francine Simpson. Perryman enters the meet ranked fourth in the pole vault and Payne comes in with the ninth best height in the event. Geubelle is ranked fifth in the triple jump in the conference entering the meet with her mark of 12.86m (42-02.50 ft.) and Simpson has the sixth best mark in the long jump at 6.22m (20-05.00 ft.).
The 2011 Big 12 Indoor Championships will begin with the combined events at 10:30 a.m. Friday, running events at 2 p.m. and field events at 3:30 p.m. On Saturday, combined events will start at 10 a.m., field events at 1:30 p.m. and running events at 2:30 p.m.
