Sprinter Ivory Williams Added to Kansas Relays Invitational 100-Meter Dash Field

April 19, 2011

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas Relays 100-meter dash record-holder, Ivory Williams, is set to return to Memorial Stadium to defend his Invitational 100-meter dash title.

Last year, Williams posted a blazing-fast time of 9.95 in the elite event, which was the top mark in the world at the time. Williams, who is from Jefferson County, Texas, inked his name in the Kansas Relays record books with the time. The previous record of 10.01 was set by Brendan Christensen in 2007. The win earned Williams the title of Most Outstanding Male Performer.

With Williams’ Tuesday commitment, both of 2010’s Most Outstanding Performers are now slated to return, as last year’s Most Outstanding Female Performer, Veronica Campbell-Brown, will be defending her Invitational 200-meter dash title.

A three-time junior world champion, Williams has seen his career grow in recent years. At the in U.S. Championships in 2009, Williams ran the fastest qualifying time in the 60-meter dash. A year later, he followed that performance up with a 2010 U.S. Championship in the same event.

In 2009, he ran the 150-meter street race in the Great City Games in Manchester, U.K., and finished third behind Marlon Devonish and Usain Bolt. Just a month later, Williams ran the 100-meter dash in a personal-best time of 9.93, cracking the 10-second mark for the second time in his career.

The men’s Invitational 100-meter dash will be contested Saturday afternoon, at 2:20 p.m., at Hershberger Track and Memorial Stadium. Tickets for the 84th Kansas Relays can be purchased at Memorial Stadium or online at KUAtheltics.com. Advance orders can also be made by emailing the KU ticket office at kuticketsku.edu or by calling 800-34-HAWKS.