Jayhawks Travel to Texas Relays and ESU/State Farm Relays
April 5, 2007
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
The University of Kansas track and field teams head to the Austin, Texas and the Texas Relays Thursday to compete against a large variety of highly touted track and field programs from across the nation. The relays will serve as excellent preparation for the Kansas Relays, which runs from April 18 through April 21.
Among the Jayhawks competing will be 2007 indoor weight throw national champion junior Egor Agafonov, who will make his outdoor debut in the men’s hammer throw. A 2006 All-American in the event, Agafonov is the school record holder in the event with a throw of 233-0 feet. Fellow teammate, Russian student-athlete and school record holder sophomore Zlata Tarasova will also be making her 2007 outdoor debut in the event. Last year, Tarasova shattered the previous KU record in the women’s hammer throw by over 21 feet.
Junior Ashley Brown, fresh off a sweep at the Tulsa Duels, will once again be competing in the 400-meter and 100-meter hurdle events. For her efforts at the Tulsa Duels, Brown was named the Big 12 Co-Female Track and Field Athlete of the Week. She currently owns the fastest mark in the Big 12 in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 59.03 seconds.
Also competing for the women’s team will be senior Abby Emsick in the discus and sophomore Stephanie Horton in the shot put. Both earned regional qualifying marks at the Tulsa Duels and currently sit second and fourth in the Big 12 Conference standings in their respective events.
On the men’s side, junior Colby Wissel, the 2007 Big 12 cross country champion, will compete in the men’s invitational mile run. Junior Julius Jiles will compete in both the men’s 110-meter and 400-meter hurdles. The men’s team will also run a series of relays, including the 4x800m.
In men’s field events, junior Hugh Murphy will compete in the javelin while senior Cody Roberts is throwing in the men’s discus. Freshman Jordan Scott, the 2007 Big 12 indoor pole vault champion, makes his outdoor debut in the event against a highly competitive field.
A contingent of Jayhawks will also head to the Emporia State/State Farm Relays on April 7 in Emporia, Kan. Among the Jayhawks competing will be women’s pole vaulters Libby Harmon and Laura Gjerde and men’s multi-event athlete Josh Kirk, who will compete in three events, the 110-meter hurdles, the shot put and the discus, in preparation for the decathlon at the Kansas Relays and Big 12 Championships.
Stay tuned to kuathletics.com for all the results and information about the Texas Relays and the Emporia State/State Farm Relays .
– KU –
