Jayhawks See Success at Drake Relays and Sooner Invitational
April 26, 2008
DES MOINES, IOWA/NORMAN, OKLA. – Seniors Egor Agafonov, Crystal Manning and Maresia Pencil and juniors Stephanie Horton and Nickesha Anderson each grabbed individual titles for the University of Kansas track and field teams at the Drake Relays and Sooner Invitational on Saturday.
Agafonov recorded the fourth-best toss in the NCAA this year in winning the hammer throw in Oklahoma. Including his indoor season, Agafonov has now won each of the eight competitions in which he has competed. His toss measured 68.94 meters (226 feet, 2 inches).
Anderson bested her school-record in winning the 100-meter dash in Iowa, though the time of 11.18 was wind-aided. Anderson currently holds the record at 11.23 from last weekend’s Kansas Relays.
Manning won the women’s triple jump with a leap of 12.99 meters (42-07.50 ft.) at Drake Stadium, while Horton won the women’s shot put at the Sooner Invitational, besting her regional mark with a toss of 15.88 meters (52-01.25 ft.).
Pencil was less than a second away from qualifying for the NCAA Regionals with her winning finish of 2:10.54 in the 800-meter run.
Kansas was teased with several near-qualifying times. In Oklahoma, senior Matt Baysinger was fourth in the 800-meter run, finishing one-tenth of a second off the regional qualifying mark. Freshman Keron Toussaint was less than a second off the regional time in the men’s 400-meter dash (sixth at 47.75) and in the men’s long jump competition, junior Dustin Turner and sophomore Eric Fattig were tantalizingly close to the 7.34 meters needed to qualify. Turner was fifth at 7.33 meters (24-00.75 ft.) and Fattig was sixth at 7.31 meters (23-11.75 ft.).
Junior Zlata Tarasova avoided the near-miss trend with her second throw in the finals of the hammer throw. Tarasova’s regional qualifying toss of 56.16 meters (184-03) was a season-best and placed her fourth at John Jacobs Field. Sophomore Lauren Bonds improved her 3,000-meter steeplechase time by over 20 seconds from a week ago with a regionally qualifying eighth-place time of 10:40.45 at the Drake Relays.
Senior Julius Jiles placed third in the 110-meter hurdles with a finals time of 13.91 at Drake Stadium, while senior multi-events athlete Josh Kirk was third in the men’s pole vault with his effort of 4.75 meters (15-07 ft.) at the Sooner Invitational.
Kansas heads to Fayetteville, Ark. next weekend for the Arkansas Twilight with some Jayhawks going to Stanford, Calif. for the Payton Jordan Invitational on May 4.
KU RESULTS at DRAKE RELAYS:
Men: 110m Hurdles: 3-Jiles (14.01p, 13.91f) 1,500m: 9-Wissel (3:57.32) 3,000m Steeplechase: 20-McGowan (9:54.39) 5,000m: 10-Hefferon (14:26.32), 18-Caprario (15:12.28) Long Jump: 18-Saunders (6.71m) Pole Vault: 10-Cooper (4.75m)
Women: 100m: 1-Anderson (11.48p, 11.18f), 9-Howard (11.88) 100m Hurdles: 7-Brown (13.69p, 13.48f) 400m Hurdles: 15-Butler (1:02.05) 3,000m Steeplechase: 8-Bonds (10:40.45) 5,000m: 19-McGregor (17:37.86), 20-Harbert (17:38.78), 21-Windisch (17:41.68) 400m Relay: p-KU (45.28) 800m Relay: 2-KU (1:36.59) Pole Vault: 12-Cummings (3.70m), 20-Harmon (3.70m)
KU RESULTS at SOONER INVITATIONAL:
Men: 200m: 10-Toussaint (22.11), 11-Murphy (22.38), 19-Rollins (22.86), 20-Frigon (22.88) 400m: 6-Toussaint (47.75), 9-Rollins (48.84), 11-Frigon (49.70), 12-Krik (50.10), 13-Murphy (50.28) 800m: 4-Baysinger (1:50.50), 14-Peterson (1:56.60), 23-Schmitt (1:59.85) Hammer: 1-Agafonov (68.94m) Long Jump: 5-Turner (7.33m), 6-Fattig (7.31m) Pole Vault: 3-Kirk (4.75m) Triple Jump: 6-Fattig (14.33m)
Women: 200m: 11-Gaines (25.92), 16-Barber (27.34) 400m: 8-Gaines (57.24), 10-Barber (59.69) 800m: 1-Pencil (2:10.54), 3-Stowers (2:11.94), 7-Gruenbacher (2:15.49) Hammer: 4-Tarasova (56.16m), 10-Umbarger (38.97m) Javelin: 3-Cunningham (40.53m), 7-Radovich (34.98m), 8-Reimer (34.22m) Shot Put: 1-Horton (15.88m), 6-Reimer (13.57m) Discus: 6-Horton (43.11m), 12-Lacy (34.84m)
