Regional Marks Come Quickly for Kansas at Day One of Texas Relays

April 5, 2007

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>The University of <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Kansas track and field teams struck early and often at day one of the 80th Texas Relays. Senior Janiece Gatson, sophomore Zlata Tarasova and NCAA champion Egor Agafonov each earned qualifying marks in their respective events for the Midwest Regional Championships.

Gatson ran 1:00.76 in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, just two one-hundredths of a second off her personal best time and placing 19th overall. Junior Ashley Brown finished 10th in 59.10, seven one-hundredths off her performance at the Tulsa Duels, which entered the weekend as the ninth-fastest time in the nation. Also on the track, the men’s 4×800-meter relay team finished fifth in 7:34.01.

Tarasova and Agafonov both made successful hammer throw debuts for the Jayhawks. Tarasova, the school record holder, threw 200-01 feet in the women’s hammer, earning a regionally qualifying mark and finishing second. Agafonov, the 2007 NCAA Indoor national champion in the men’s weight throw, won the men’s hammer, finishing with a 223-04 toss. Coming into the weekend, Agafonov’s throw would have registered as the third-best in the nation and Tarasova’s would have represented the ninth-best throw in the women’s event.

Kansas will have junior Crystal Manning competing in the triple jump, 2007 Indoor All-American Kate Sultanova and freshman Britany Parker participating in the pole vault and several sprinters in men’s and women’s hurdles events.

Stay tuned to kuathletics.com for all the latest results from the 80th Texas Relays.