Mason Finley Takes Second In Shot Put At 2011 NCAA Indoor Track And Field Championships
March 11, 2011
COLLEGE STATION, Texas –
Kansas sophomore thrower Mason Finley finished second in the shot put at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships to score eight points for KU, while freshman sprinter Diamond Dixon advanced to the finals in the 400 meters on Friday afternoon at the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium on the Texas A&M campus.
Finley, who took fifth place in the event as a freshman, finished as the NCAA runner up with his mark of 19.75 meters (64-09.75 ft), which he achieved on his third throw of the day. He held the lead in the competition following the three preliminary throws and did not drop to second place until Leif Arrhenius of BYU recorded a throw of 19.92 meters (65-04.25 ft.) in the fifth round.
Finley, who also finished second in the shot put at the 2011 Big 12 Indooor Championships, recorded four throws of 64 feet or further during the competition after fouling on his first throw of the meet. He still owns the longest throw in the shot put in the 2011 Indoor Season with his mark of 20.71 meters (67-11.50 ft.), which he recorded at the KU-MU Dual Meet on Jan. 14.
Dixon broke her own KU record in the 400 meters as she finished second in her heat and was the final qualifier for the finals in the event with her time of 53.06. Her previous career-best was 53.10, which she set at the 2011 Big 12 Indoor Championships. The El Paso, Texas, native will run in the finals on Saturday evening at 5:40 p.m.
Also competing for the KU women on Saturday will be sophomore jumper Andrea Geubelle in the triple jump at 3:30 p.m., and the Jayhawk 4×400-meter relay team composed of sophomore Denesha Morris, junior Shayla Wilson, senior Kendra Bradley and Dixon will take the track at 7:10 p.m., in the final event of the meet.
2011 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships
Kansas Agate
Men
Shot Put
2. Mason Finley, 19.75m (64-09.75 ft.)
Women
400 Meters
8. Diamond Dixon, 53.06 (advance to finals) (school record/personal best)
