Jayhawks Open Weekend with Solid Showing at Mesa Classic
April 6, 2013
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MESA, Ariz. – Kansas’ Jessica Maroszek, Alena Krechyk and Paris Daniels turned in NCAA top-five performances while Jayhawks claimed wins in four other events as the KU mens’ and women’s track & field teams competed at the Mesa Classic Friday. The meet hosted by Mesa Community College was the first of two meets the Jayhawks will compete in this weekend in the greater Phoenix area.
Maroszek kicked things off for the Jayhawks early in the day as she participated in a competitive gathering of the discus throw. The junior out of Seymour, Wis., hit a distance of 55.60 meters (182’5″) on her third throw of the day to post her best mark ever in NCAA competition. The throw is the third farthest in the NCAA this season and earned Maroszek a fourth-place finish in a field that saw the top-three finishers post marks that rank in the top-16 of the world rankings in 2013.
Krechyk was another KU thrower that had a successful day in Mesa. The senior turned in a season-best toss of 66.86 meters (219’4″) to win the event for the second-consecutive week. Her throw is the second-farthest in the nation this year and is No. 2 on KU’s all-time hammer throw list, seven feet behind her own school record mark.
The Jayhawk women again dominated on the track, winning three of the five events in which they were entered. The Kansas dominance was on full display in the 200 meters, as Kansas took the top-five spots in the event. The senior, Daniels, broke the meet record with a time of 23.25, outpacing runner-up Diamond Dixon, who clocked in at 23.57. Both times were good enough to break the meet record and move the KU duo into the top-15 of this season’s NCAA rankings.
Kansas’ 4×100-meter team of Andrea Geubelle, Sydney Conley, Denesha Morris and Dixon turned in an impressive time in the event. The quartet passed the baton around in 45.09 to win the event easily and break the meet record. KU’s time currently sits them among the top-25 times in the nation this season.
Junior Josh Munsch ran away from the field in the 800 meters. Munsch completed the two laps around in 1:51.92, earning the win with a time over four seconds faster than the next finisher. His race was also the fastest of his career.
Like the women, the KU men also dominated the 200 meters. Five Jayhawks finished in the top-eight with Kyle Clemons coming away with the win. The senior sprinted to the finish in 21.51, his fastest time in nearly two seasons. Junior DeMario Johnson led the race for the first 150 meters before Clemons beat him in the final stretch. Johnson went on to claim the runner-up finish with a time of 21.85.
Two underclassmen had solid outings as freshman Nick Maestretti and sophomore Aaron Blevins took part in the pole vault. Maestretti was able to clear a top bar of 4.88 meters (16’0″), only fouling twice through three clearances. The 16-foot bar earned him a tie for first. Blevins managed to get over 4.73 meters (15’6.25″) but could not clear the next height in the progression, saddling him with a tie for fourth.
The Jayhawks will continue their two-day swing in Arizona when they compete at the 34th Annual Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, Ariz., Saturday, April 6. Action from Sun Angel Stadium will begin at 1 p.m. (CT) with the women’s open pole vault and will conclude at 11:10 p.m. with the men’s and women’s 4×400-meter relays. Log on to KUAthletics.com for a complete recap of the day’s events and get live updates by following on Twitter at KU_Track.
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