Kansas Relays Quotes, Notes and Records, Day 1
April 21, 2005
Kansas Relays Quotes
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Nick Welihozkiy (Unattached) 207-6
Men’s Hammer Throw
“Coming out to the relays has become an annual event for me. I only had about four days of recovery (from the Mount Sac Relay’s), but I wanted to come out here to have some fun and give it a good competitive effort. It was an ugly throw technically, but it was good enough for a win.”
Laci Heller (Kansas State) 192-3
Women’s Hammer Throw
“I think that my performance could have been a lot better. I have a really bad tendency to get up on my left foot when I throw, and when the wind is pushing it that way it makes it even harder.”
Amber Stoltenburg (South Dakota) 2:13.31
Women’s Unseeded 800 Meter Run
“I felt pretty good. This is the first outdoor 800 that I have run since a preseason outdoor meet. I wanted to come out here and run a good time and hope for the best.”
Andrae Harper (Southwestern Ks) 1:52.82
Men’s Unseeded 800 Meter Run
“I felt good and competed hard today. The competition was very good which I liked. It is a great feeling to win a meet like this.”
Christina Lara (Kansas State) 4:53.31
Women’s Unseeded 1500 Meter Run
“Being from California, this is my first time at the Kansas Relays. It is pretty neat to compete here at KU, who is our big rival. It is nice to win one for our team.”
Erik Sloan (Kansas) 4:00.00
Men’s Unseeded 1500 Meter Run
“Traditionally, I am a steeplechase runner, so this really tested my speed. I felt great and was able to finish strong. It is always special when we can capture a victory in front of the home crowd. This was my first collegiate victory, and it was great to come here at home.”
Ben Delay (Kansas State) 9:46.33
Men’s Steeplechase
“Since I’m just a freshman, coming into a race where there is a lot of quality athletes it feels good to get a victory. It’s a really hard transition from high school. This is the best I’ve run this season. I ran at the Stanford Invite and at the Emporia Relays, but the competition made this my best performance.”
Paige Higgins (Kansas) 10:05.35
Women’s 3000 Meter Run
“We don’t want anybody to step on our turf. We always have the goal of doing well here then doing well in the conference. Our team is working and pushing each other really well. We work really hard and deserve some recognition, so it is great that everyone is coming out here.”
Bryan Niewald (Unattached) 4:53.75 (new meet record)
Men’s Masters Mile
“Running with pressure always helps. It was pretty good conditions again, which it always is here. I ran a little bit in high school and then dropped it for a long time. I picked it up about six years ago. I missed last year’s Relays because of injuries. I was glad to do it again this year, it is a really nice meet.”
Susan Stine-Melgares (Unattached) 20:59.03
Women’s Open 5K Meter Run
“The Kansas Relays is one of my favorite meets. The best I did in college was 5th or 7th place, and to win at KU is amazing. It was a monumental PR (personal record). 21:30 was my best time before. Marla Rhoden is a tough competitor. I was waiting for her to come up on me and I would have to charge. She’s one of the best runners around.”
Pat Melgares (Unattached) 15:53.62
Men’s Open 5K Meter Run
“I feel excellent. When you’re running against the wind, it’s more mental than physical. My wife (Susan Stine-Melgares) motivates me. When I see out there giving it her all, I have to do the best I can.”
Missy Buttry (Wartburgh College) 17:03.68
Women’s College 5000 Meter Run
“This is my first outdoor race and I was hoping to go a little faster. All the girls out there were competing hard. I love coming to meets like this because it always gives you a lot more motivation.”
Julius Kosgei (Harding University) 14:50.88
Men’s College 5000 Meter Run
“It was good to win, but it was very windy. The weather strongly affected my performance. It was my poorest time.”
Diane Nukuri (Butler County) 36:15:92
Women’s 10000 Meter Run
“This was my second 10K since 2001. It wasn’t easy to run by myself. It means a lot to me to run in the Kansas Relays. I went to the Olympics for my country, so I have some experience in big meets.”
Naoyuki Asano (South Dakota State) 31:56:26
Men’s 10000 Meter Run
“Tonight we had good weather and that helped me through the race. My strategy was to follow the guys for 2K and then outrun them. I focused on the contents of my race. I try to do my best regardless of how big the meet is.”
Records
Bryan Niewald, Unattached, Men’s Masters Mile
Relays Record
4:53.75
Previous Record
4:54.05 (2003)
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Notes
In the Men’s Hammer Throw, Nick Welihozkiy (unattached) notched his second first place finish in the past two year’s with a throw of 207-6. Welihozkiy threw 210-9 in the 2004 Kansas Relay’s. Welihozkiy’s father, Toli was a Kansas Relay’s champion in the same event in 1970.
Erik Sloan (Kansas) ran a season best time of 4:00.00 in the Men’s Unseeded 1500 Meter Run. It was his first collegiate victory.
