Two Meets on Tap for Kansas Track & Field This Weekend
April 5, 2012
LAWRENCE, Kan. – After a successful four-day stretch last weekend at the Texas Relays and the Arkansas Spring Invitational, the top-25 ranked Kansas men’s and women’s track and field teams will once again split this weekend for a pair of meets. A small contingent will travel to Stanford, Calif., for the Stanford Invitational with another group heading south for the Emporia State Relays in Emporia, Kan. The meets range from April 6-7.
As of last week, nine KU athletes have recorded a total of 10 marks ranked in the top-25 in the NCAA, with six of those athletes ranked in the top 10. The large number of Jayhawks rising in the ranks propelled both teams in the USTFCCCA rankings earlier this week, with the women now at the No. 9 spot and the men at No. 25.
A strong group of distance runners will be in action at the Stanford Invitational hoping to join the large KU group ranked among the best in the NCAA. Along with the crew of Jayhawks heading to Stanford are senior All-Americans Donny Wasinger, Rebeka Stowe and Cori Christensen as well as juniors Zach Zarda, Austin Bussing, Tessa Turcotte and Kathleen Thompson. Underclassmen Josh Munsch, James Wilson and Reid Buchanan will also be in action alongside their KU teammates, most of whom will compete Friday afternoon in the distance carnival. Wasinger, Munsch, Buchanan, Stowe and Christensen will close out the weekend in California Saturday afternoon in the finals heats of the 800 meters.
Headline the group traveling to Emporia are All-Americans Johann Swanepoel (javelin), Diamond Dixon (800 meters) and Kyle Clemons (4×400-meter relay), with Dixon seeing her first action since her national championship run in the indoor 400 meters a month ago. Fresh off his breakout 400-meter hurdle race that shot him to 11th in the nation, freshman Michael Stigler will look to move up even further in the NCAA rankings in the shorter 110-meter, as will pole vaulter Alex Bishop, who finds himself near the top of the NCAA rankings at No. 12.
Action from the Stanford Invitational will begin at 3:05 p.m. (CT) Friday, April 6 with Christensen, Stowe and Thompson in the women’s 1,500 meters and will conclude a day later at 4 p.m., with the men’s 800 meters. The Emporia State Relays will kick off at 11 a.m., Saturday April 7th with the women’s hammer throw and will end with the men’s 4×400-meter relay closing out the meet at 6:35 p.m. For updates and full results of both meets this weekend log on to kuathletics.com and follow on twitter at KU_Track.
