Fourth and Final Day of Kansas Relays Underway

April 21, 2007

80th <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Kansas Relays<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>

April 21 – Lawrence, Kan.

Click here for updated results.

Saturday’s Event Winners Quotes (Update 5:20 p.m.)


Men’s Long Jump

Eric Babb – Kansas (25-09.25)

On his performance:

“I felt good. I wasn’t able to compete last year because I was injured. I had all my family here today so it was a great accomplishment for me. It was very windy, but it was nice that it was warm not freezing.”

On his feelings after seeing his final mark:

“It was pretty crazy to see. I wasn’t expecting my first jump in the finals to do so well. When I saw that mark, I knew I was going to be able to jump well today.”

On a friendly competition between he and teammate Barrett Saunders:

“Coach Donley said Barrett (Saunders) should be able to go by Monday and that we’ll be able to have a good competition then. I think it’s great to have the two of us jumping so well together.”

Women’s Pole Vault

Bryce Stately – Nebraska (14-03.50)

On her winning performance:

“I told my coach during warm-ups that if it got ten degrees warmer I would be able to clear fourteen feet. I have been training very hard and I knew I was also running very fast, but it was a matter of having the weather to go with it. I didn’t know any of the heights I was clearing until afterwards. I asked the officials and after I cleared 14 feet, I knew I had set a school record.”

Women’s Two-Mile Relay

Allison Poolle – Drake (9:21.42)

On the Kansas Relays:

“It is always fun coming to the Kansas Relays. The fans and people who work here are really great. Every year we come here, and the competition gets better, so we always look forward to competing here.”

On their performance:

“It was a little windy, so not everyone was quite where we wanted to be. But we will definitely take the win.”

On upcoming competition:

“Next week we’re hosting our own meet, and we are really excited. We hope to improve on the two mile-relay because it is on our own track. We hope we can break our school record and qualify for regionals.”


Men’s Two-Mile Relay

Brian Beard – University of Illinois (7:43.89)

On the Kansas Relays:

“This is always a great meet. It was nice to run against solid competition.”

On their performance:

“I am very pleased with our team. Three of us have been running together since high school. It is a pleasure to run with them now rather than against them.”

On upcoming competition:

“Next weekend, we are going to Drake, where we will put together another (two-mile relay) and see if we can improve on our performance today.”

Women’s 800 meters

Kimberly Pancoasc – Nebraska (2:11.12)

On her performance:

“I was happy. No one would take the lead and I didn’t want to take the lead because it was windy. I was like, `heck I will just go’, and so it worked out good. I was happy with it.”

On the Kansas Relays:

“The Relays are really nice. There were a lot of fans and it’s a great stadium to run in. I had a really good time.”

Men’s 800 meter
Elphas Sang – Midamerica Nazarene (1:48.69r)

On his performance:

“I felt very good about my performance. I have been trying to improve and this was good for me. I enjoyed it a lot.”

On the Kansas Relays:

“I like the Kansas Relays because it enables me to run with some really good guys. I am from the NAIA and we can see that when we come to the Kansas Relays we have to be well prepared.”

Women’s 800 meter Invitational
Rebecca Johnstone – Unattached (2:05.99)

On her performance:

“It was definitely a great opportunity to come out here. This is only my second race this season, so it was good to have a competitive field so early in the season. It has been great.”

On the Kansas Relays:

“The Relays have been really cool. This campus is amazing, just jogging around. It’s a little windy but that’s alright.”


Men’s High Jump
Dusty Jonas – Nebraska (7-03.00)

On the High Jump:

“Everybody jumped pretty well. I was surprised to see as many people go over seven feet as there was. Overall the weather and atmosphere are great.”

Compared to his performance at last year’s Relays:

“I didn’t jump nearly as high last year. I jumped 7-feet-5¾-inches and won the invitational. I can’t really look at it to bad because we haven’t had a good day to jump outside all year. We didn’t have an invitational this year but it was still a good experience. The competition was very good.

On competing in the Kansas Relays:

“I think it’s really exciting. I like the stadium and all the fans that showed up.”

Women’s 4×100 (47.42)

Krista Harmon – Wichita State

On competing in the Kansas Relays:

“It’s really exciting since it’s so close to home.

On her last year competing at the Relays:

“I qualified for the 400-meters which I’ve never done before so that’s exciting.”

On the weather:

“The wind was pretty strong on the back stretch but it helped the second runner.”


Men’s 4×100 (41.20)

Seth Cavenee – Wichita State

On competing in the Kansas Relay’s:

“It’s a really exciting time out here.”

Competing at the Kansas Relays for the first time:

“It’s pretty exciting watching from the stands. It’s definitely a different atmosphere down here.”

On the WSU women winning right before their race:

“It did help watching them come back (and win). I was very proud and happy for them.”

Women’s Invitational Long Jump

Grace Upshaw – Unattached (21-08.00)

On her performance:

“It was alright. I would have liked to been carried by the wind and get a really big jump. I think the wind hurt me because it was hard to get in a good, consistent series (of jumps).”

On competing in a collegiate meet:

“It’s good. I ran in El Paso last week, but that was definitely more low key than this. This is the first time I have ever been at Kansas and I like it because it brings me back to my college days (at the University of California).”

Women’s 1500 meters
Lasaira Del Valle – Unattached (4:25.77r)

On the race:

“It was a new race for me. When I was at Kansas State, I just ran the 800 meters, but now I am running the 1500 meters for my country (Puerto Rico).

On the pace of the race:

“My coach told me to just be comfortable because we are just learning how to race. He told me to be patient because an 800 meters runner has to go out fast from the gun. When I got to the last 300 (meters) I knew I could push it all the way to the finish line.”

Men’s 1500 meters

Matt Teagancamp – Unattached (3:43.01r)

On racing close to home:

“This is the first time I’ve run back in the Kansas City area since I was in college, so it has been six years now. I was hoping for a nicer day. The temperature is good but it’s normal springtime wind. This was a really good opener for my outdoor season. It’s nice to get close to my hometown (Lee Summit) and go out and give the crowd some excitement, it was a really good time.”

On his race preference:

“I definitely wish it would have been the mile. I think the overall crowd can relate better to a mile. It is easier for them to understand a four-minute mile than it is for a conversion to a 1500 (meter). I think it is something that would have been nice, maybe next year.”

Nebraska Omaha (Women’s Sprint Medley, 1st Place, 3:59.78)

Senior Angela Kampschnieder

On competing at Kansas Relays:

“We enjoy coming to Kansas Relays. We like coming here and competing against teams that we don’t usually see. It kind of emulates Drake Relays. We go there next weekend, so it, a good pre-Drake meet.”

On winning the event:

“I think we’re excited. We definitely weren’t expecting it. We went out there and did what we could. We had pretty good conditions, we’ve been running in the cold weather the last couple of weeks or so we were pretty excited about the weather here. You’re going to have different conditions at every meet, so you have to do what you can.”

Cloud County Community College (Men’s Sprint Medley, 1st Place, 3:26.59) Freshman Adam Bialis

On the Kansas Relays:

“I’ve never competed at the Kansas Relays; I’ve just competed at Texas Relays. Kansas Relays has been a great time. It’s beautiful today. You couldn’t ask for better.”

University of Kansas (Men’s Long Jump, 1st Place, 25-09.25)

Senior Eric Babb

On his performance:

“I felt good. I wasn’t able to compete last year because I was injured. I had all my family here today so it was a great accomplishment for me. It was very windy, but it was nice that it was warmer than freezing.”

On his feelings after seeing his final mark:

“It was pretty crazy to see. I wasn’t expecting my first jump in the finals to do so well, so when I saw that mark, I knew I was going to be able to jump well today.”

On a friendly competition between he and teammate Barrett Saunders:

“Coach Donly said Barrett (Saunders) should be able to go by Monday and that we’ll be able to have a good competition then. I think it’s great to have the two of us jumping so well together.”