Throwers Highlight KU's Outing at Emporia Spring Open
March 31, 2013
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EMPORIA, Kan. – Kansas women swept each of the throwing events as the KU men’s and women’s track & fields competed at the Emporia Spring Open Saturday. In all, Kansas athletes claimed titles in nine events at the meet held inside Fran Welch Stadium.
The Jayhawks had several of its All-American throwers in action Saturday as seniors Heather Bergmann and Alena Krechyk and junior Jessica Maroszek took part in the festivities in Emporia.
Bergmann, a two-time First Team All-American in the javelin, picked up where she left off a year ago by earning the victory in the event. The Concordia, Kan., native waited until her final attempt of the competition to unleash her farthest throw, hitting a mark of 49.88 meters (163’8″) to earn her the easy victory. Her mark beat the next finisher by more than 12 feet and propels her to No. 6 in the NCAA this season.
Krechyk also turned in a winning performance, taking the hammer throw title Saturday afternoon. The reigning Big 12 hammer throw champion unleashed a top mark of 63.63 meters (208’9″) on her fourth attempt of the competition. No other competitor was able to come within nine feet of that mark, giving the senior her sixth hammer throw victory in her last nine outings. Kreckyk now sits at sixth in the nation and first in the Big 12 in the event.
In the discus, Maroszek broke the Fran Welch Stadium record in the event. The school record holder only got off three fair throws on the day but her second-attempt mark of 54.23 meters (177’11”) was good enough to earn the victory over freshman teammate Anastasia Muchkayev. Maroszek’s throw was the third-best of her career and is the fourth-farthest in the NCAA this season.
After her runner-up finish in the discus, Muchkayev returned for the shot put later in the day and snagged an event title of her own. The Be’er Sheva, Isreal native didn’t waste any time, posting a mark of 16.28 meters (53’5″) in her first attempt of the competition. Muchkayev then fouled on her next four attempts but it didn’t matter as she topped Maroszek by a full meter. Her performance was the fourth and final top-10 NCAA performance on the day for the Jayhawks as she now sits at No. 7 on the national leaderboards.
Three other KU women claimed wins in Emporia. Sophomore Ashley Shearer was victorious in the high jump after she cleared a top bar of 1.66 meters (5’5.25″). Senior Kathleen Thompson won the 3,000-meter Steeplechase in just her second-career appearance in the event, clocking in with a personal-best time of 11:36.43. Freshman Rhavean King picked up her first win as a Jayhawk as she broke the meet record in the 800 meters with a time of 2:23.26.
On the men’s side, sophomore Austin Hoag took his first victory in a KU uniform as he topped the field in the high jump. The Lawrence native cleared his first four heights without a single foul and got over a personal best 2.01 meters (6’7″) for the win.
Junior Dominique Manley paced a large KU contingent in the 800 meters. He turned in the top time of the day, completing the half-mile in 1:55.71 to earn the second outdoor win in his KU career.
AUSTIN, Texas – It was a light final day for the Jayhawks on fourth and final day of the 86th Annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays as KU had competitors in only two events Saturday.
Running in the final of the 100 meters, senior Paris Daniels held her own in a field full of national title contenders. The St. Louis native posted the sixth-fastest qualifying time Friday in the semifinals, crossing the finish in 11.42. In the final Saturday, Daniels nearly duplicated her semifinal effort as she sprinted to the finish in a wind-aided 11.43 to place seventh overall.
The 4×200-meter relay team was the only group in action for the KU men Saturday. Shawn Smith, Kyle Clemons, DeMario Johnson and Drew Matthews passed the baton around in 1:25.44, which was good enough to earn the quartet a ninth-place finish.
The Jayhawks now move into the heart of the outdoor season as both men’s and women’s track teams head to Tempe, Ariz. for the Sun Angel Classic next Friday and Saturday, April 5-6. Log on to KUAthletics.com for updates on the Jayhawks’ performances and follow on twitter at KU_Track.
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