Kansas Relays Final Day Quotes

April 18, 2009

Complete Results

Kansas Relays Quotes

Invitational Event Winners

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Alan Webb (Nike) — Glenn Cunningham Invitational Mile Champion

On winning the race:

“It was great to go under four minutes and win the race. The last time I was here I didn’t win, so it always feels good to cross the finish line first. I was second-fastest, and I didn’t break Jim (Ryun’s) record. This was first race outdoors this season and I am happy for sure.”

On running a sub-four minute mile:

“It is still cool to see that number. It was good competition the whole way. I kind of sucked off for most of the race and felt a little flat. But my training is going well so I am excited.”

On Jim Ryun being the starter of the race:

“I heard him click it, but he ran out of bullets or something and had to reload. He put a fresh one in the chamber so it worked out well.”

Damu Cherry (Unattached) — Women’s Invitational 100-Meter Hurdles Champion

On her performance:

“It felt pretty good. We didn’t have a lot of time to get ready because the bus was late picking us up, but in spite of that, I’m happy because the weather was a little funny this morning. I’ll take it. A win is always good.”

On her expectations for the season:

“My goal is just to make the World Championship team this year and get a medal because I missed a medal at the (Beijing) Olympics. It was a really close race so I want to get on the podium this time.”

On competing at the Kansas Relays:

“This is my first time here. It’s a really nice track and nice facility. The fans are great, too. I’d love to come back if they’ll have me.”

Antwon Hicks (Unattached) — Men’s Invitational 110-Meter Hurdles Champion

On his performance:

“I feel good about it. It was a good opener. It let me know some of the things I need to work on when I go back.”

On his performance compared to last year’s:

“Last year was a little faster, but last year was also a little windy. I think last year that was my second race and this year it’s my first, so it’s about the same.”

On his expectations for the season:

“To go and make the U.S. Team. That’s probably the number one goal right now, to make the team. That’s what I’m shooting for, to get prepared and ready in June.”

On the Kansas Relays:

“I love the Kansas Relays. I’m probably going to come back here, more than likely.”

Emma Erickson (Unattached)Women’s Invitational 800 Meter Run Champion

On her performance today:

“I was kind of expecting the first 400 meters to come in a little faster. I am more of a sit and kick runner so it was to my advantage. It was a great experience to come out and run against this caliber of athletes.”

On running in the Kansas Relays:

“I have never been to the Kansas Relays before and I am leaving with a great experience and I learned a lot. It was a good stepping stone for me.”

On her goal coming into this race:

“I came in last weekend and ran a 2:07, and I was really hoping to better that mark. I am satisfied competing at that level though.”

On the track conditions:

“The conditions were ideal. I hate the wind, and what runner doesn’t? But I was able to run with some great athletes so it was win-win.”

Kelsey Hendy (Unattached) — Women’s Invitational Pole Vault Champion

On her first time at the Kansas Relays:

“It’s fun, and you’re really well taken care of and the volunteers are really friendly. That part was really good. The weather was really good too.”

On the event overall:

“It was a weak day. Lots of jumps and no big results in the end.”

On her win:

“It always feels good when you win. I’m happy about that, but the height was just not there.

On how far off she was from here personal best:

“About 35 centimeters. 55 is my best and I jumped 20 today.”

Muna Lee (Unattached)Women’s Invitational 200 Meter Dash Champion

On her performance:

“Considering the conditions, it wasn’t that bad. I thought it’d be faster, but it’s okay. I was having a lot of fun here.”

On the start of the outdoor season:

“Last year I opened up with a really fast time, like 21 seconds, but it wasn’t cold. I don’t really know what to expect this year, because usually I don’t run relays until about May.”

Kansas Relays Quotes

Day Four

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Seton Hall – Women’s Sprint Medley Relay Champions

On today’s performance:

“I have to give it up to all my teammates. We went out there and did what we had to do. Last year we won but we got disqualified. We just wanted to come back with a vengeance and wanted to win this time. Without these three ladies we could not have done this.”

On the rainy conditions:

“No, we’re used to running like this. We had to come out here and win because we knew all of the other girls would be affected by it. Some of us run cross country so we run in bad weather. Plus, we’re from New Jersey, so we are used to the cold. We know we can run better than the girls who aren’t used to it.”

Seton Hall – Men’s Sprint Medley Relay

On today’s performance:

“It was alright. We came out here with a mindset to win so all of us did our best.”

On today’s competition:

“Everyone was running well. They all pushed us to the time we ran. It was competitive, but our time wasn’t very good. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be running ten seconds faster, but it is early and wet. We did have a little bit of an advantage being from Jersey, which is an hour ahead.”

Terrel Cotton — Men’s 200 Meter Dash Champion

On today’s performance:

“I ran pretty well considering the cold weather. I had a good performance today.”

On the competition:

“There is a lot of good competition out here. I’ll see a couple of them throughout the rest of the season.”

Saint Louis — Women’s Two Mile Relay Champions

On today’s performance:

“It’s only the second time since indoor in the four-by-eight that we have run together, so we didn’t know what to expect. I think we ran our best out there. We all came together and ran well.”

On the competition:

“We are heading to Drake next week so we will see a lot of competition there. This is getting us ready for it. After that we have conference, so we are putting things together and we will see how it works out.”

Jatoya Moore (Unattached) – Women’s 200 Meter Dash Champion

On winning the race:

“It felt pretty good. I was kind of nervous because it’s morning and your body’s not up yet. But it felt pretty good winning.”

On the wet conditions:

“I’m used to it. It doesn’t bother me, as long as it’s not thunderstorms.”

Pittsburg State — Men’s Two Mile Relay Champions

On today’s performance:

“It was really good for the team that we had. We were supposed to have a faster guy running with us, but he’s running later today so he decided to rest. We had a senior, John Garrett, step up really big. He probably beat his personal record by two or three seconds, so it was a great day.”

On the cold and rainy weather conditions:

“It wasn’t really that bad. It was a little drizzly on my sunglasses, but other than that, it was a really great day temperature-wise.”

Florissant Valley CC – Women’s 4×100-Meter Relay Champions

Bionca Gildon

On winning the race:

“It felt very good. It’s the second time that we’ve done that. We won it last year (at the Kansas Relays) too. We’re very happy about it.”

On the wet conditions:

“(It affected us) a little bit. But it’s good to work through it. It feels good defending our title.”

Raymon Parker (Iowa Central) – Men’s Long Jump Runner-Up

On coming in second to his teammate:

“It feels pretty good. It’s a tough loss though, because he’s my teammate. But it’s also good because he’s my teammate. It’s good to take second to someone I know.”

On witnessing his teammate and Long Jump Champion get injured:

“Once he hit the board, I felt it for him. We work so hard in practice. Hopefully he’ll be okay later on.”

Merritt Dietz (Oklahoma State) — Women’s Discus Champion

On the win:

“It was okay. Last year I was able to really put together one of my best throws here, but this year wasn’t one of my better days. Still, a win is a win and any time you are able to win at a meet like the Kansas Relays it is special.”

On dealing with the wet conditions:

“It was raining this morning, but it has started to dry up a bit. It wasn’t too bad because the conditions were better than we expected them to be.”

Jennifer Hensel (Minnesota State-Moorhead) — Women’s Pole Vault Champion

On her win:

“First of all, I’m happy. I just wish I could’ve made a few more bars. I haven’t had much practice yet.”

On her Kansas Relays experience:

“This is my fourth Kansas Relays. I’m a senior. I won the Pole Vault last year, so it feels good to win again.”

Jeffery Julmis (Cloud County CC) — Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles Champion

On his performance:

“I’m just happy I dipped at the line like my coach has been telling me, so it was a good race. I hit a couple hurdles, but it’s alright. At least I finished.”

On his expectations for the season:

“I’m trying have a season-best of 13.5 seconds. So, hopefully, God will help me get that best.”

Ben McKim (Northwest Missouri State) – Men’s Shot Put Winner

On not qualifying for last year’s competition:

“I came my freshman year, which was two years ago. Last year, I had a tough time coming out of the gates in the beginning so I didn’t throw a distance far enough to get here to throw.”

On winning the event after not qualifying last year:

“It felt great. To have such a frustrating year, not only did I struggle out of the gates last year, I had a pretty rough year altogether last year. To come back this year and be able to win here and throw 58, I was stoked.”

On his loud yells as he throws:

“You have to have a good yell. Every thrower needs a good yell. It helps the shot put go farther.”

Florissant Valley CC — Men’s 4X100-Meter Relay Champions

Anthony Riley

On his team’s performance:

“We gave it all that we had. We are a small JUCO team trying to prepare for the next level and trying to get a little faster. We were pretty happy with our time. We have run it better this year but I guess it was just the weather.”

On the competition at the Kansas Relays:

“We competed against some good relay teams, especially the team in lane four (Kansas City Community College). They were a great team. I ran against some of those guys in the 100 meters.”

Lauren Bonds (Kansas) — Women’s 1,500 Meter Run Champion

On qualifying for regionals:

“I wanted to qualify for regionals this weekend, so I am glad to get it out of the way.”

On running at Memorial Stadium:

“It was awesome. My mom was here and all of my teammates are here. It was really exciting and fun.”

On setting a good pace:

“Setting a good pace was all up to my teammate Kellie Schneider. I owe so much to her for coming out here and rabbiting today. It was only two days after her own race so I am really indebted to her.”

On her plan for the rest of this season:

“I am going to go to Drake next weekend, try to run a little faster and maybe run an 800. I will just try to have fun the rest of this year until conference season.”

Silas Kisorio (Oklahoma Christian) – Men’s 1,500 Meter Run Champion

His thoughts on his performance:

“I thought that I might get a sub-3:40. I was hoping to get some more push but that is all I had today.”

On the importance of the rabbit:

“It is really important. You do not know what pace you are going so the rabbit will give you the right pace.”

On the wet conditions:

“The wet track definitely made a difference. When I was really close to the rabbit he would splash mud up in my face so I had to back up a little bit.”

On running in the Kansas Relays:

“It means a lot for me to run here because these are my peers.”

Leander Ernest (Missouri State) — Women’s 800 Meter Run Champion

On her performance today:

“Today was okay and the weather was nice. I tried to run a good 800 but I didn’t do that today. I guess I just run to win, which is stupid and my coach would be mad. I did what I could today. Even though I cant go back and run it again, I wish I could. I am okay with what I did today. I’m not happy but it is okay.”

On running in the Kansas Relays:

“It is great because you get fans cheering you on, which is always good. I like the way they have the video cameras everywhere and all of the interviews. It is really nice and it is a good meet. It gets me hyped and makes me want to compete.”

Julius Bor (Cloud County CC)Men’s 800 Meter Run Champion

On his performance today:

“It was good, but I thought it was a little slow. On the second lap I decided to just go for it and see what happens.”

On the wet track:

“It makes a difference. It makes it slower and you can’t run as fast.”

On competing in the Kansas Relays:

“I like running in the Kansas Relays. I won here last year so I came back here to win again. I really like running in the Kansas Relays.”

Santana Lowery (Florissant Valley) – Women’s 100 Meter Dash Champion

On the win:

“I did well, but I didn’t run quite as fast as I thought I would because of the weather.”

On her goals:

“My goals for the rest of the season are to crack 11.1 in the 100 meters and 22.6 in the 200 meters.”

Romel Lewis (Kansas City Community College) – Men’s 100 Meter Dash Champion

On the win:

“Well, I am not originally a 100-meter runner. I am originally a 400-meter runner, so I am just learning the race each time I run it. This wasn’t my best race, but I am still excited to get the win. I was just trying to do what my coach told me to do. I tried to stay low as far as I could and then relax and try to take it home.”

On the track conditions:

“The weather wasn’t very warm and as a result I think I could run faster. The track itself was okay. I liked the track.”

Liz Kooistra (Wisconsin Eau Claire)Women’s 400 Meter Dash Champion

Her thoughts on the race:

“It was a good race for me. I don’t think too much about it and I just go out there and try to run my race. It is my first and last year here, but it is nice to come in first in the 400.”

On the track conditions:

“The track conditions were good. I was afraid that it was going to be a little wet today, but they were good.”

On the competition:

“I was fourth coming in so I knew I was going to have some good competition. There were some good athletes to push me and it was a good race overall.”

Sean Pickstock (Dickinson State) — Men’s 400 Meter Dash Champion

His thoughts on the race:

“The race went pretty well. I didn’t get out the way I wanted to and it was kind of a slow time for me. This is only my second race of the season so I just wanted to go out and try and get my race plan together before nationals.”

On his goal coming into this race:

“Last year my personal record was a 47.1, so I wanted to get at least a 47.2 or 47.3. But I am so thankful that God came out here and let me run and finish the race.”

His thoughts on the Kansas Relays:

“This is my first time out here but I have always heard about it. This is a great meet to come to and it has a lot of competition. I really liked it.”

Kianna Elahi (Iowa State) — Women’s 400-Meter Hurdles Champion

Her thoughts on the race:

“I felt really good today. My coaches told me to get out hard and run smooth and fast. It’s been working and I have improved a couple of seconds from last week.”

On the track conditions:

“They were great. Even if the sun wasn’t out right now, I feel like the conditions were perfect. Personally, I like it a little cooler than hot so it worked out well.”

Her thoughts on the Kansas Relays:

“It is pretty cool. It is a big meet so it is good to get that bigger meet experience. You just get in the right mindset. It was really cool to be here because I was here last year and it brought back some memories.”

Allan Ayala (Dickinson State) — Men’s 400-Meter Hurdles Champion

His thoughts on the race:

“It was a pretty good race. I am just coming off of an injury so I wanted to get back in shape. It was nice weather and a nice track and a nice stadium.”

His thoughts on the Kansas Relays:

“This is the biggest meet that we go to every year. We never get nice weather here. It is usually like 25 mile per hour winds, but today we had a 70 degree day. I love coming here every year and I always look forward to this meet.”

Charisse Bacchus (Unattached) — Women’s Long Jump Champion

On her performance overall:

“It could have been a little bit better, but after coming of an injury—I bruised my heel, it’s not as bad as I thought. It’s my fist competition since coming back.”

On the competition:

“Crystal Manning, who jumped for KU last year and was the Big 12 Champion in the long and triple, jumped against me. Also Lorian Price, who is a high-caliber jumper as well. The competition was pretty stiff. It was great to compete with them.”

Seton Hall — Men’s 4X400-Meter Relay Champions

Christopher Cox

On his team’s performance:

“We did good. We switched our first leg from yesterday. We had a good first leg runner, and our second leg runner is strong and he brought us through with a good split. I felt like I did well too bringing us back into first.”

On pulling ahead in the last leg:

“I have done a lot of strength work. Our coach works us out with strength and then speed so I figured I would be able to get in between there some time.”

On competing in the Kansas Relays:

“It is definitely a meet that we look forward to. We really like how the city around us has a big emphasis on going to the Relays. We aren’t used to that upstairs. Back in New Jersey, track isn’t as big as it is down here. It is cool seeing a lot of fans come out to support us.”

Missouri State – Women’s 4X400-Meter Relay Champions

Rashida Allen

On the race:

“It was challenging, running behind Nickesha Anderson and trying to keep up. We were very nervous, but it was a great race. And the weather was pretty good.”

Leander Ernest

On the team’s goals:

“We were just aiming to make regionals, whether we won or not. And we did make regionals, so we’re happy.”