Arkansas Twilight and Payton Jordan Invitational Up Next For Track and Field

May 1, 2008

<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>LAWRENCE, Kan. – This weekend marks the final tune up for the University of Kansas track and field teams before the Big 12 Championships May 16-18. The majority of the Jayhawks will look to improve upon their marks at the Arkansas Twilight on May 2 while several distance runners head to Stanford, Calif. for the Payton Jordan Invitational on May 4.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>

Friday starts with the women’s hammer throw at 11 a.m. (CST) at the University of Arkansas. The running events begin with the women’s 400-meter relay at 7 p.m. with the Twilight concluding after the men’s 1,500-meter run at 8:50 p.m. In California on Sunday, seniors Colby Wissel and Paul Hefferon run in the 5,000 meters at 9:45 p.m. (CST), while sophomore Lauren Bonds competes in the 1,500-meter run at 5 p.m.

Joining the Jayhawks and the 27th ranked women (USTFCCCA) in Fayetteville, Ark., are four Big 12 opponents with five more at the StanfordUniversity meet.

Last weekend seniors Egor Agafonov, Crystal Manning and Maresia Pencil and juniors Stephanie Horton and Nickesha Anderson each grabbed individual titles, while the women’s 800-meter relay team ran to the second-fastest finish in school history. The biggest story though may have been the several near-misses for qualifying marks. 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.).

As the Jayhawks try to reverse their fortunes this week, log on to www.kuathletics.com at the end of each day’s events for complete results.