Jordan Scott Three-Peats as Big 12 Champion
Feb. 27, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Jordan Scott won his third-consecutive Big 12 Championship in the pole vault after tying a career-best vault of 5.55 meters (18-02.50 ft.) to lead Kansas on the first day of the 2009 Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Championships in front of 3,146 fans at the Gilliam Indoor Track & Field Stadium.
“It feels great to come here and keep my streak alive,” Scott said of his victory. “This is my third indoor championship, so it’s good to know that I keep getting better.”
“It’s really good for the University of Kansas and Jordan,” Kansas head coach Stanley Redwine said. “He found a way to get it done, and that’s what we need. He stepped up and got the job done.”
With his performance, Scott moves from fourth to a tie for second in the nation in the pole vault this season. The junior from Watkinsville, Ga., joins Egor Agafonov (2006-2008, weight throw) as the only two Jayhawks to pull off the Big 12 Championship three-peat. It also marks the fifth time in seven meets this season that Scott has won the pole vault title. With the NCAA Indoor Championships coming up in two weeks at the same venue, he is poised to make a run at a national championship.
“I am really looking forward to nationals,” Scott said. “I want to reach that next level, so I am going to get it.”
Scott scored 10 points for the Jayhawk men, who stand in seventh place with 17.5 points with day one in the books. Junior Kirk Cooper added 3.5 points for KU after a season-best pole vault of 5.00 meters (16-04.75 ft.), good for a tie for fifth place. Sophomore Cooper Merrill followed in 10th place with a personal-best leap of 4.85 meters (15-11 ft.).
Colby Wissel netted four points for KU in the men’s 5,000 meters. The senior from Elm Creek, Neb., placed fifth with a time of 14:18.08.
“I thought that was good on their part,” Redwine said of Cooper and Wissel scoring. “Obviously we always want to do better. We thought they were capable of doing better. As excited that I am that they scored, I want the team to perform better.”
Zlata Tarasova scored the only three points for the Kansas women. The senior from Togliatti, Russia, placed sixth in the hammer throw with a mark of 17.58 meters (57-08.25 ft.). The Jayhawk women stand in 11th place through one day.
Lauren Bonds and 12 other athletes broke the facility record in the prelims of the women’s 1,000 meters. Bonds placed third in her heat and fifth overall with a season-best time of 2:51.47 to qualify for tomorrow’s finals.
Keron Toussaint was one of three competitors to break the facility record in the men’s 600 yards, posting a time of 1:10.23 to place second in the third heat. The sophomore from Lawrence, Kan., qualified for Saturday’s finals with his performance, which was also a personal-best 600-yard time.
Despite hitting the last hurdle, freshman Keith Hayes ran a personal-best time of 7.97 in the 60-meter hurdles en route to finishing third in the first heat. The Wichita, Kan., product qualified for Saturday’s final after posting the sixth-best time out of the two heats. Freshman Keyen Porter also ran a personal-best in the 60-meter hurdles (8.06), but it was not enough to advance to the finals.
Shayla Wilson and Charity Stowers each qualified for Saturday’s finals in the women’s 600 yards. Wilson, a freshman from Milford, Del., placed second in the fourth heat with a personal-best time of 1:23.13. Stowers, a senior from Hartwell, Ga., also finished second in the third heat with a time of 1:23.19. All told, Wilson posted the seventh-best time of all the heats while Stowers had the eighth-best time to make it into the finals.
Sophomore Amanda Miller ran a personal-best time of 17:03.28 to finish in 10th place in the women’s 5,000 meters.
Eric Fattig and Jareb Stallbaumer each recorded personal bests in the men’s long jump. Fattig, a senior from Kearney, Neb., jumped 7.24 meters (23-09 ft.) to finish in 12th place. Stallbaumer, a sophomore from Wetmore, Kan., posted a jump of 7.14 meters (23-05.25 ft.) to place 13th.
Kendra Bradley won the fourth heat in the women’s 400 meters, but she did not qualify for the finals. The sophomore from Leavenworth, Kan., posted a season-best time of 56.77, the 11th-best time of the prelims. Freshman Sasha Cunningham also ran a personal-best time of 58.08, 16th overall in the prelims.
Senior Jarrell Rollins ran a season-best time of 48.84 in the 400 meters, good for the 18th-best time of the prelims.
Junior Danielle Hayes set a personal-best in the pole vault (3.55 meters [11-07.75 ft.) to tie for ninth place with freshman teammate Mackenzie Wills, who posted the same mark. Sophomore Abby Jones tied a personal-best vault of 3.55 meters (11-07.75 ft.) as well, but finished tied for 11th.
In the men’s heptathlon, Jacob Breth achieved personal bests in the 60 meters (7.46), long jump (5.96 meters [19-06.75 ft.]) and shot put (14.20 meters [46-07.25 ft.]). The junior from Wichita, Kan., stands 15th overall in the heptathlon through four events. Corbin Kratovil is in 17th place, highlighted by a personal-best long jump of 5.99 meters (19-08 ft.). The final three events of the heptathlon will take place tomorrow.
The second and final day of the Big 12 Championships begins at 3 p.m. CST tomorrow with men’s heptathlon 60-meter hurdles, the men’s and women’s high jump and the women’s shot put.
“I just think everyone needs to step up to their expectation,” Redwine explained. “Our athletes are ready to go. We asked them to compete, and they have to step up and find a way to get it done.”
Team Standings (Through Day One)
Men
1. Nebraska – 42.5
2. Iowa State – 24
3. Texas – 22
T4. Missouri – 21
T4. Oklahoma – 21
6. Oklahoma State – 19
7. KANSAS – 17.5
8. Texas A&M – 14
T9. Kansas State – 6
T9. Texas Tech – 6
11. Colorado – 2
12. Baylor – 0
Women
1. Nebraska – 56
2. Texas Tech – 35
3. Kansas State – 28
T4. Missouri – 21
T4. Oklahoma – 21
6. Texas A&M – 19
7. Baylor – 17
8. Texas – 16
9. Iowa State – 12
10. Oklahoma State – 5
11. KANSAS – 3
12. Colorado — 1
Kansas Scorers
Men’s Pole Vault
1. Jordan Scott (10 points) – 5.55 meters (18-02.50 ft.)
5. Kirk Cooper (3.5 points) – 5.00 meters (16-04.75 ft.)
Men’s 5,000 Meters
5. Colby Wissel (4 points) – 14:18.08
Women’s Weight Throw
6. Zlata Tarasova (3 points) – 17.58 meters (57-08.25 ft.)
