Jayhawks Head to Big 12 Indoor Championships
Feb. 25, 2009
Kansas Meet Notes
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas track and field’s best athletes are geared up and ready to compete as the 2009 Big 12 Indoor Championships await the Jayhawks this weekend, Feb. 27-28, in College Station, Texas.
Twenty-six men and 20 women will represent KU at the Gilliam Indoor Track & Field Stadium. The Kansas women are coming off the best Big 12 indoor finish in school history a year ago in Lincoln, Neb., when they placed third. They will look to build on that success this weekend. The Jayhawk men finished in 10th place last season.
Three KU athletes have either provisionally or automatically qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships thus far, and many other Jayhawks have their sights set on posting qualifying marks in College Station. Jordan Scott is the lone automatic qualifier for Kansas, as he has twice posted a mark of 5.50 meters (18-00.50 ft.) in the pole vault. The junior from Watkinsville, Ga., ranks fourth in the nation this season in the pole vault, and has taken home the event title in four of the six meets he has competed in. The two that he did not win, he finished second and third, respectively.
Colby Wissel and Lauren Bonds have each recorded provisional qualifying times, with Wissel doing so in two events. Wissel most recently provisionally qualified in the 5,000 meters at the Husky Invitational in Seattle, Wash., with a time of 13:54.95. The senior from Elm Creek, Neb., also qualified in the mile after running 4:01.92 at the Husker Invitational in his home state of Nebraska. Bonds, a junior from Hutchinson, Kan., owns a provisional qualifying mile time as well, 4:43.74 at the ISU Classic in Ames, Iowa.
The action begins Friday at 11 a.m. CST with the women’s pentathlon 60-meter hurdles. The official Web site of the Big 12 Conference, www.big12sports.com, will have live results as well as live video of the championships.
KANSAS NOTES
KU MEN’S BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS LINEUP
Brian Bishop (shot put)
Jacob Breth (multi, 4×400)
Nick Canton (high jump)
Alex Carey (60m, 200m)
Reggie Carter (4×400)
Kirk Cooper (pole vault)
Eric Fattig (LJ, TJ)
Corey Fuller (triple jump)
Keith Hayes (60m hurdles)
Bret Imgrund (DMR)
Corbin Kratovil (multi)
Patrick McGowan (DMR)
Cooper Merrill (pole vault)
Corey Mims (600, 4×400)
Keyen Porter (60m hurdles)
Clint Robison (pole vault)
Jarrell Rollins (400m, 4×400)
Nate Scherzer (high jump)
Clay Schneider (1,000m)
Jordan Scott (pole vault)
Jareb Stallbaumer (LJ, TJ)
Keron Toussaint (600, 4×400)
Darryl Trotter (triple jump)
Dustin Turner (LJ, 60m)
Donny Wasinger (3K, DMR)
Colby Wissel (3K, 5K)
KU WOMEN’S BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS LINEUP
Elizabeth Beisner (high jump)
Lauren Bonds (3K)
Kendra Bradley (400, 4×400)
Sha’Ray Butler (400, 4×400)
Claire Christie (pole vault)
Sasha Cunningham (400, 4×400)
Aubree Dorsey (600, 200m)
Kelsey Erb (high jump)
Hayley Harbert (3K, 5K)
Danielle Hayes (pole vault)
Stephanie Horton (shot put)
Victoria Howard (60m, 200m)
Abby Jones (pole vault)
Amanda Miller (3K, 5K)
Emily Reimer (shot put)
Charity Stowers (600, 4×400)
Zlata Tarasova (weight throw)
Shayla Wilson (600, 4×400)
Mackenzie Wills (pole vault)
Kara Windisch (3K, 5K)
SETTING THE SCENE
Dates: Friday, Feb. 27-Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009
Location: College Station, Texas
Facility: Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium
Host: Texas A&M University
Live Video, Live Results: www.big12sports.com
Combined Events Start Times:
Friday – 11 a.m. CST (women’s pentathlon 60m hurdles)
Saturday – 3 p.m. CST (men’s heptathlon 60m hurdles)
Running Event Start Times:
Friday – 2 p.m. CST (women’s 60m hurdles prelims)
Saturday – 3 p.m. CST (men’s heptathlon 60m hurdles)
Field Event Start Times:
Friday – 4 p.m. CST (men’s weight throw)
Saturday – 3 p.m. CST (women’s shot put)
THE CHAMPIONSHIP
The Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Championships make their first appearance at the Gilliam Indoor Track & Field Stadium in College Station, Texas, hosted by Texas A&M. The Kansas women’s team finished in a school-record third place at last year’s indoor championships in Lincoln, Neb., while the Jayhawk men placed 10th.
THE VENUE
The recently completed Gilliam Indoor Track & Field Stadium features a six-lane, 200-meter, hydraulic-banked track as well as an eight-lane straightaway that resides in the McFerrin Athletic Center.
JAYHAWK TO WATCH
Jordan Scott, Jr., Pole Vault, Watkinsville, Ga.
Scott ranks fourth in the nation with an automatic NCAA-qualifying pole vault of 5.50 meters (18-00.50 ft.). In six meets this season, he has finished in the top three every time, including four victories.
