Jayhawks Off to Solid Start at Texas Relays
April 7, 2011
AUSTIN, Texas –
The Jayhawks are off and running at the 84th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin, Texas for the four-day meet that began on Wednesday. 33 members of the men’s and women’s teams will see action this weekend and are poised to continue their strong start to the 2011 outdoor season.
Rebecca Neville led off for the Jayhawks in the women’s heptathlon. The event ran for two days with 25 participants competing in seven different track and field events. The sophomore Neville recorded personal bests in three of the events and finished 13th in the overall point standings with a total score of 5,000. Neville’s best finish came in the long jump where she hit a distance of 5.74m (18-10.00ft.), a personal best, and finished in fifth place. Neville took 7th place in the 200 meter dash and set another personal best mark, crossing the finish line in 25.06.
KU had both men’s and women’s teams competing in the 4X800 meter relay on Thursday afternoon. The women, junior Cori Christensen, freshman Diamond Dixon, Junior Rebeka Stowe, and junior Shayla Wilson, finished fifth out of 14 teams and passed the baton around in 8:54.80. On the men’s side, freshmen Dalen Fink, Dominique Manley, Nick Seckfort, and senior Keron Toussaint ran a time of 7:38.30 to finish in ninth place.
Cooper Merrill was the lone field athlete competing on Thursday for the Jayhawks. In the ‘B’ section of the pole vault, Merrill cleared the bar at 4.90m (16-00.75ft.) and finshed in 15th. The mark ties a personal best for the senior from Leawood, Kan.
Two members of the team took part in the preliminary rounds of the men’s and women’s 400-meter hurdles. Freshman Pieter Marx ran a solid race, finishing in 55.97 but failed to qualify for the finals, placing in 47th. Kathryn Lupton placed 39th with a time of 1:03.83 in the event. The sophomore will again be in action in the 100-meter hurdle prelims on Friday morning.
Two more days of action are in store in Austin, with impressive performances sure to come from several Jayhawks. Sophomore Mason Finley, who last week notched the second longest discus throw in the nation, is the reigning champion in the event. Jessica Marozsek will also look to improve upon her impressive performance last week in Arkansas when she brought home gold in both the shot put and the discus throw. The freshman will compete in the discus, which begins Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. KU will have both men’s and women’s teams in the 4X400 meter relay, as well as the sprint medley relay.
For complete Kansas results and live updates, follow www.kuathletics.com.
Kansas Agate 4/6/11 – 4/7/11
Texas Relays
4/6/11
Women’s Heptathlon (100m Hurdles, High Jump, Shot Put, 200m)
100m Hurdles
8. Rebecca Neville, 14.26
High Jump
16. Rebecca Neville, 1.61m (5-03.25ft.) ***Personal Record
Shot Put
23. Rebecca Neville, 9.28m (30-05.50ft.)
200 Meters
7. Rebecca Neville, 25.06 ***Personal Record
4/7/11
WOMEN’S RESULTS
Heptathlon (Long Jump, Javelin, 800m)
Long Jump
5. Rebecca Neville, 5.74m (18-10.00ft.) ***Personal Record
Javelin
20. Rebecca Neville, 28.42m (93-03ft.)
800 Meters
17. Rebecca Neville, 2:27.10
Total Points
13. Rebecca Neville, 5,000
400 Meter Hurdles (Prelims)
39. Kathryn Lupton, 1:03.83
4X800 Meter Relay
5. Christensen, Dixon, Stowe, Wilson, 8:54.80
MEN’S RESULTS
400 Meter Hurdles (Prelims)
47. Pieter Marx, 55.97
4X800 Meter Relay
9. Fink, Manley, Seckfort, Toussaint, 7:38.30
Pole Vault (Section B)
15. Cooper Merrill, 4.90m (16-00.75ft.) *** Ties Personal Best
