Bonds, Stowers Second at Big 12 Championships

Feb. 28, 2009

Complete Results

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Lauren Bonds set a school record in the women’s 1,000 meters, and Charity Stowers ran a top-10 national time in the women’s 600 yards as each finished as the runner-up in their respective events Saturday to pace Kansas on day two of the 2009 Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships in front of a record 3,750 fans at the Gilliam Indoor Track & Field Stadium.

Bonds was in third place as she and her opponents made the final turn, but she found an extra gear down the stretch as she made a run at the event title before finishing in second with the Kansas 1,000-meter record time of 2:46.60. The junior from Hutchinson, Kan., ended up just .09 seconds behind the winner, Nichole Jones of Baylor. With her runner-up finish, Bonds scored eight points for the KU women, who ended up in ninth place with 25.5 total points. She later followed with a personal-best time of 9:54.32 in the 3,000 meters to place 21st.

In the women’s 600 yards, there were two sections for the finals, with the top times in each section being combined to determine the event placings. Stowers, a senior from Hartwell, Ga., took first place in section one with a season-best time of 1:21.80, but she fell just shy of winning the Big 12 Championship when Texas A&M’s Sandy Wooten ran 1:21.50 in section two. Judith Nwousu of Texas also ran 1:21.80 in section two to tie with Stowers, but upon further review Stowers won the tiebreaker as she was credited with a time of 1:21.798 to Nwousu’s time of 1:21.799. Stowers also earned eight points for the Jayhawks. Freshman Shayla Wilson followed in eighth place with a time of 1:24.11, scoring one point.

Colby Wissel, the 2007 Big 12 Champion in the men’s 3,000 meters, placed third in the same event Saturday with a season-best and NCAA provisional-qualifying time of 8:04.00. The senior from Elm Creek, Neb., scored for the second time in these Big 12 Championships, giving the Jayhawks six points with his performance in the 3,000 meters a day after scoring four points in the 5,000 meters. All told, the KU men finished in 11th place with 32.5 points.

Freshman Keith Hayes completed his solid Big 12 Championships debut with a fifth-place finish in the men’s 60-meter hurdles. The Wichita, Kan., product improved on his career-best time by clocking in at 7.92, .01 off the NCAA provisional qualifying standard. Hayes picked up four points for the Kansas men.

Keron Toussaint scored three points for the Jayhawks after recording a sixth-place finish in the men’s 600 yards. The sophomore from Lawrence, Kan., posted a time of 1:10.58.

Junior Kelsey Erb tied for fifth place in the women’s high jump, leaping 1.68 meters (5-06 ft.) to net 2.5 points for KU.

In the women’s shot put, senior Stephanie Horton chalked up one point for the Jayhawks with an eighth-place finish after a throw of 14.41 meters (47-03.50 ft.).

The women’s 4×400-meter relay team of Kendra Bradley, Shayla Wilson, Sha’Ray Butler and Stowers ran a season-best time of 3:42.82 to finish in seventh place and put two points on the board for the Jayhawks.

The men’s 4×400-meter relay team of Jarrell Rollins, Hayes, Toussaint and Reggie Carter scored two points as well, posting a time of 3:16.28 to place seventh.

Freshman Nick Canton posted a season-best high jump of 2.05 meters (6-08.75 ft.), but he just missed out on scoring with a ninth-place finish.

Junior Brian Bishop achieved a season best in the men’s shot put with a throw of 14.95 meters (49-00.75 ft.), giving him a 12th-place finish.

Freshman Corey Fuller placed 13th in the men’s triple jump, recording a personal-best mark of 15.16 meters (49-09 ft.).

Final Team Standings

Men
1. Texas – 115
2. Nebraska – 102.5
3. Texas A&M – 84
4. Baylor – 71
5. Oklahoma – 66
6. Texas Tech – 62
7. Missouri – 56
8. Oklahoma State – 51
9. Iowa State – 49
10. Kansas State — 35
11. KANSAS – 32.5
12. Colorado – 16

Women
1. Texas A&M – 130
2. Texas Tech – 103.5
3. Nebraska – 96.5
4. Baylor – 86
5. Texas – 83.5
6. Oklahoma – 65
T7. Kansas State – 52
T7. Missouri – 52
9. KANSAS – 25.5
10. Oklahoma State – 18
11. Iowa State – 17
12. Colorado — 11

Kansas Scorers (Both Days)

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

Men’s 60-Meter Hurdles
5. Keith Hayes (4 points) – 7.92

Men’s 600 Yards
6. Keron Toussaint (3 points) – 1:10.58

Men’s 3,000 Meters
3. Colby Wissel (6 points) – 8:04.00

Men’s 4×400-Meter Relay
7. Kansas (2 points) – 3:16.28

Women’s Weight Throw
6. Zlata Tarasova (3 points) – 17.58 meters (57-08.25 ft.)

Women’s 600 Yards
2. Charity Stowers (8 points) – 1:21.80
8. Shayla Wilson (1 point) — 1:24.11

Women’s 1,000 Meters
2. Lauren Bonds (8 points) – 2:46.60

Women’s High Jump
T5. Kelsey Erb (2.5 points) — 1.68 meters (5-06 ft.)

Women’s Shot Put
8. Stephanie Horton (1 point) — 14.41 meters (47-03.50 ft.)

Women’s 4×400-Meter Relay
7. Kansas (2 points) – 3:42.82