KU Throwers Compete at Missouri Relays

April 2, 2005

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Six throwers from the Univeristy of Kansas track and field teams competed at the Missouri Relays Friday and Saturday. Junior Jen Widerstrom highlighted the event as she rebroke her own school record in the hammer throw.

Widerstrom broke the KU record last season at the ESU Spring Twilight meet and improved on that record Friday with a best toss of 182-01. She finished as the top collegiate and second overall.

The Jayhawks recorded two more victories on Friday. Junior Sheldon Battle won the hammer throw, improving on his regional qualifying performance with a throw of 184-10. Fellow junior Colin Dutton finished fifth in the event with a toss of 176-10.

In harsh weather conditions, KU junior Denita Miller made it two for two on the year as she won the women’s javelin with a throw of 149-01.

On Saturday, Battle got his second win of the meet in the discus. The Jayhawks finished one, two in the event with Battle throwing 188-07, while sophomore Cody Roberts also joined the regionally qualifying ranks with a second place, 173-02 effort.

Junior Gavin Ball turned in a season best, regionally qualifying effort of 59-04.25 as he won the shot put.

The KU throwers and the rest of the Jayhawks will compete in two events next week. Most of the team will travel to Austin, Texas for the Texas Relays, which will be held April 6-9. The group that does not travel to Austin will head to Emporia, Kan., for the State Farm-Euler Invitational on Saturday.