Jayhawk Track and Field Returns Home for 84th Kansas Relays
April 19, 2011
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Kansas’ men’s and women’s track teams will return home this week for the 84th annual Kansas Relays to be held at Hershberger Track and McCook-Olympic Field at Memorial Stadium April 20-23. The Kansas Relays is one of the premier events held in the U.S. every year, bringing together a collection of talented high school, collegiate and professional athletes for four days of track and field competition.
The Jayhawks will have 73 athletes competing in the Relays this year, 14 of which are ranked in the top 32 nationally in their respective events. KU also has 21 individual athletes and three relay teams that are currently among the top 10 on the Big 12 outdoor performance list.
The KU men’s team, ranked 18th in the latest USTFCCCA national poll, will highlight senior Jordan Scott in the men’s pole vault on Friday at 1:30 p.m. Scott is currently 3rd in Division I track and field with a height of 18-00.50 feet. He will be joined his teammates senior Cooper Merrill, freshman Alex Bishop and junior Kevin Hays.
The men’s discus event will also feature one of KU’s top performers of the year, sophomore Mason Finley, who enters the event with the third-best mark in the nation at 198 ft. Finley won the discus competition at the Arkansas Razorback Spring Invitational, and will vie for his second major Relays title on Saturday at 4 p.m. Senior Brian Bishop will also compete in the discus as the 11th -ranked thrower in the West region and 16th in the nation. Before the discus competition on Saturday, fans will get a chance to witness both athletes in action, as they will also compete in the men’s shot put on Friday at 3 p.m.
Freshman Johann Swanepoel, a native of Olathe, Kan., will throw the javelin in front of a home crowd for the first time in his young KU career. Swanepoel is ranked fifth in the West region and third in the Big 12 in the event. He will throw at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Friday along with teammate Jesse Vaughn, who is also ranked in the top ten in the Big 12 in the event.
On the track, sophomore Kyle Clemons will look to continue his hot streak in the 400 meters after winning the event last weekend at the John Jacobs Invitational. Clemons is ranked eighth in the Big 12 and 15th in the West region in the event and will look to set another personal best time on Friday at 3:20 p.m. in the preliminary round. Senior Keron Toussaint will join Clemons in the event. Toussaint is currently ranked 32nd in the NCAA’s West region.
On the women’s side, sophomore Francine Simpson will compete in the long jump at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, an event in which she holds the second-best mark in the nation. Simpson brought home gold in the event last week at the John Jacobs Invitational. Joining Simpson in the long jump will be fellow sophomore Andrea Geubelle, who is currently ranked 16th in the West region in the event. Geubelle will also take place in the triple jump on Friday at 12:00 p.m. where she has the 13th best mark in the country this season.
Freshman Jessica Maroszek, who won the shot put and discus competition at the Texas Relays, will compete in both events this weekend. The Seymour, Wis., native is currently 35th in the West region in the shot put and eighth in the national rankings for the discus. Maroszek will begin her weekend in the shot put at 11:30 a.m. on Friday and conclude in the discus at 10:45 a.m. Saturday.
On the track, fans will get their first chance to watch standout freshman sprinter Diamond Dixon who will be competing in her first Kansas Relays. Dixon will run in the 100 meter dash, 400 meter dash, and the 4X100 meter relay, which take place on Friday and Saturday. Dixon is currently ranked 8th in the Big 12 and 30th in the nation in the 400 meters.
The 84th edition of the Kansas Relays begins Wednesday, April 20 and continues through Saturday, April 23. Admission into the meet will be granted to those wearing a 2011 Kansas Relays button. The buttons are $10 for adults and $5 for students, youth and seniors and are valid for all four days of the event. Children under five are admitted for free, as are KU students with a valid KU ID. There is also a Kansas Relays family plan which includes two adult and two student/youth buttons for $20.
Live results of the 84th Annual Kansas Relays can be accessed on the KU Relays web site at http://www.kuathletics.com/sports/c-relay/kan-c-relay-body.html or at www.deltatiming.com. For a complete meet schedule, news and information, as well as quotes, results and recaps of each day’s events, visit the KU Relays web site.
Kansas Agate
Kansas Relays 4/20-4/23
WOMEN’S RESULTS
100 Meter Dash (Prelims) – 11:55 p.m. Friday (4/22)
Diamond Dixon
200 Meter Dash (Prelims) – 10:15 a.m. Friday (4/22)
Taylor Washington
400 Meter Dash (Prelims) – 3:05 p.m. Friday (4/22)
Diamond Dixon
Taylor Washington
Kendra Bradley
Shayla Wilson
800 Meter Run – 1:35 p.m. Saturday (4/23)
Shayla Wilson
Maddy Rich
Anna Barber
1,500 Meter Run – 5:40 p.m. Thursday (4/21)
Rebeka Stowe
Cori Christensen
Kathleen Thompson
3,000 Meter Run – 6:35 p.m. Thursday (4/21)
Kara Windisch
Amanda Miller
Kyra Kilwein
Tessa Turcotte
Madison Moser
Devin Wiegers
5,000 Meter Run – 6:50 p.m. Thursday (4/21)
Devin Weigers
100 Meter Hurdles (Prelims) – 9:05 a.m. Friday (4/22)
Kathryn Lupton
400 Meter Hurdles (Prelims) – 12:40 p.m. Friday (4/22)
Kathryn Lupton
4X100 Meter Relay (Prelims) – 4:15 p.m. Friday (4/22)
Kansas
4X400 Meter Relay (Prelims) – 6:45 p.m. Friday (4/22)
Kansas
4X880 Yard Relay
Kansas
Distance Medley Relay – 2:35 p.m. Friday (4/22)
Kansas
4X1 Mile Relay – 6 p.m. Friday (4/22)
Kansas
Pole Vault – 10:30 a.m. Saturday (4/23)
Jaci Perryman
Julia Cummings
Demi Payne
Tara Turnbull
Abby Jones
Sara Hedberg
Abby Row
Claire Christie
Long Jump – 1:30 p.m. Saturday (4/23)
Francine Simpson
Andrea Geubelle
Jamaica Collins
Triple Jump – 12 p.m. Friday (4/22)
Andrea Geubelle
Jamaica Collins
Amanda Caines
Shot Put – 11:30 a.m. Friday (4/22)
Jessica Maroszek
Heather Bergmann
Elise Umbarger
Discus Throw – 10:45 a.m. Saturday (4/23)
Jessica Maroszek
Hammer Throw – 4:30 p.m. Thursday (4/21)
Elise Umbarger
Javelin Throw – 2 p.m. Friday (4/22)
Heather Bergmann
Heptathlon – 10:30 a.m. Wednesday (4/20) – 12:30 p.m. Thursday (4/21)
Rebecca Neville
MEN’S RESULTS
100 Meter Dash (Prelims) – 12:15 p.m. Friday (4/22)
Kyle Clemons
400 Meter Dash (Prelims) – 3:20 p.m. Friday (4/22)
Kyle Clemons
Keron Toussaint
800 Meter Run – 5:20 p.m. Thursday (4/21)
Nick Seckfort
Dalen Fink
Dominique Manley
Brendan Soucie
Sam Jones
Sean Proehl
Derrick Perry
Patrick Helmick
Ebo Browne
1,500 Meter Run – 6:00 p.m. Thursday (4/21)
Donny Wasinger
Josh Munsch
Austin Bussing
Clay Schneider
3,000 Meter Steeplechase – 6:20 p.m. Thursday (4/21)
Eric Dyson
5,000 Meter Run – 7:15 p.m. Thursday (4/21)
Donny Wasinger
Nick Caprario
Zach Zarda
Josh Baden
Emilio Trujilio
400 Meter Hurdles (Prelims) – 1 p.m. Friday (4/22)
Pieter Marx
Isaac Bradshaw
4X400 Meter Relay (Prelims) – 7:05 p.m. Friday (4/22)
Kansas
4X880 Yard Relay
Kansas
Distance Medley Relay – 2:50 p.m. Friday (4/22)
Kansas
4X1 Mile Relay – 6:25 p.m. Friday (4/22)
Kansas
High Jump – 11 a.m. Saturday (4/23)
Nick Canton
Nick Giancana
Pole Vault – 1:30 p.m. Friday (4/22)
Jordan Scott
Ryan Hays
Cooper Merrill
Alex Bishop
Kevin Hays
Long Jump – 10 a.m. Saturday (4/23)
Darryl Trotter
Jareb Stallbaumer
Triple Jump – 3:00 p.m. Friday (4/22)
Jareb Stallbaumer
Darryl Trotter
Shot Put – 3 p.m. Friday (4/22)
Mason Finley
Brian Bishop
Joel Krause
Discus Throw – 4 p.m. Saturday (4/23)
Mason Finley
Brian Bishop
Joel Krause
Hammer Throw – 12 p.m. Thursday (4/21)
Scott Penny
Javelin Throw – 5:30 p.m. Friday (4/22)
Johann Swanepoel
Iain Trimble
Jesse Vaughn
Daniel Hitman
Decathlon – 10 a.m. Wednesday (4/20) – 4:20 p.m. Thursday (4/21)
Nick Canton
