Finley And Scott Take Home Titles At 2010 Big 12 Outdoor Track And Field Championships

May 15, 2010

COLUMBIA, Mo. –

Live Results

Kansas’ talented duo of freshman Mason Finley and junior Jordan Scott combined to score 20 team points and get the Jayhawks on the board with wins in the shot put and pole vault at the 2010 Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships here Saturday.

Despite rainy and windy conditions, Finley scored 10 team points for the Jayhawks with his winning toss of 19.12m (62-08.75 ft) in the shot put.

“We have practiced in these conditions a lot,” said Finley, a native of Salida, Colo. “That helped me prepare. I warmed up well and got a good start with my first throw.”

Finley threw far enough to win the event with his first throw of 18.33m, but continued to improve with each throw in the preliminaries.

“It started raining pretty bad in the finals,” said Finley, who also won the 2010 Big 12 Indoor shot put title. “I had to put socks over the tips of my shoes to help with the traction. That helped me and I was able to get my best throw of the day on my first throw in finals.”

Finley then recorded a foul on his fifth throw before returning to the ring for a sixth and final throw in which he registered 18.90m, which was his second best mark of the day. All five of Finley’s marks on Saturday would have won the title.

“Even though I knew I had won the competition I didn’t want to end on a foul,” said Finley, who will compete in the discus on Sunday afternoon. “My first throw definitely set the tone for the day. To improve on every throw was great, but mostly I am just happy to get a win and also help the team.”

The weather forced Scott and his fellow pole vault participants indoors, but it did not slow the Watkinsville, Ga., native down as he was the only athlete to clear 5.39m (17-08.25 ft) on his way to his third Big 12 Outdoor title.

“Vaulting indoors is never a problem,” said Scott, who has won a total of six Big 12 pole vault titles in his career. “On a day like today you never know what might happen if you were trying to go up against those weather conditions. We were all fortunate they moved the event inside and we were back on an even ground. It was a great competition. Everybody pretty much did better than they have all year, so it was a great competition all around.”

Scott passed on the first three heights in the competition, choosing to enter the field at 5.19m. He missed on his first attempt at that height before clearing easily on his second attempt. He again missed his first attempt at the following height of 5.29m, before moving on with his second run through.

Not only was Scott the only athlete to clear 5.39m, but he did it on his first attempt. Once he was the only remaining competitor, he had the bar set at 5.70m, but missed on his three attempts.

“I am pretty happy with my performance,” said Scott, who took home the 2007 and 2008 titles before taking a redshirt in 2009. “I won so I am not upset at all. I don’t like clearing bars on second attempts, I like clearing them and getting them out of the way so I am working on my consistency. I didn’t have to make any on third attempts so overall I feel pretty good.”

Scott was not the lone Jayhawk to score in the pole vault as senior Ryan Hays netted three points by taking fifth place in the event. Hays set a new personal best by clearing 5.19m (17-00.25 ft). He shattered his previous career best mark of 5.05m.

“I got chills when Ryan went over the bar,” said his proud teammate Scott. “I have been training with him for four years now and for him to finally clear 17-feet was amazing. It was really fun to watch.”

Also scoring points for the KU men on Saturday afternoon was senior Eric Fattig in the long jump. Fattig made his way to the finals by leaping 7.48m (24-07) on his first jump of the day.

Fattig entered the finals in fifth place, but was passed on the fifth round of jumps by Julian Reed of Texas A&M. He quickly responded by leaping 7.57m (24-10 ft) to regain his fifth place spot and take home four points for the Jayhawks.

Kansas sophomore Donny Wasinger advanced to Sunday’s finals in the 1,500 meters by finishing second in his heat with a time of 3:49.55. His time was his fastest of the season and just off his career-best time of 3:49.03, which he set last season.

KU freshman Kyle Clemons also advanced to Sunday’s finals in the 400 meters. Clemons clocked in at 46.48 in his preliminary heat, finishing with the sixth fastest time overall.

Jayhawk freshman Andrea Geubelle collected eight points for the KU women with her second place finish in the long jump. A native of University Place, Wash., Geubelle tied her career-best with a leap of 5.58m (20-04.50 ft). Geubelle recorded her second-place mark with her first jump of the day.

Kansas freshman Rebecca Neville took home sixth place in the heptathlon, scoring three points for the Jayhawk women. She tallied 4,728 points in the two-day affair.

Neville began the second day of the heptathlon with a second place mark in the long jum by recording a leap of 5.52m (18-01.50 ft). She garnered 706 points for her jump. Neville then moved on the javelin where she registered a mark of 22.49m (73-09 ft), which gave her 335 points. She concluded the heptathlon by recording a time of 2:24.13 in the 800 meters. Neville’s 800 meters time garnered her 768 points.

KU senior Lauren Bonds won her 1,500 meters preliminary, advancing to Sunday’s final. Bonds clocked in at 4:21.49, recording the top time of the day. The 1,500-meter final will be run at 1 p.m., Sunday afternoon.

Also advancing to finals for the Jayhawk women were Taylor Washington and Taissa Makhamayva. Washington, a freshman from Houston, Texas, qualified in the 400 meters, advancing by finishing second in her heat. Washington registered the fifth fastest time of the day by running 54.23. Makhamayva, a freshman from Almaty, Kazakhstan, moved on after finishing second in her heat of the 400-meter hurdles. Makhamayva clocked in at 1:00.80, which was the sixth-fastest time of the day.

At the completion of the second day of action at the 2010 Big 12 Outdoor Championships, the Kansas women sit in fifth place with 25 points, while the KU men are in fifth place with 28 points.

The Jayhawks will return to the track Sunday for the completion of the 2010 Big 12 Outdoor Championships. The field events will begin at 2 p.m., with the men’s high jump, while the 4×100-meter relays will open the competition on the track at 3 p.m.

Big 12 Track & Field Championships Agate

Day 2 — Saturday, May 15, 2010

KANSAS RESULTS ONLY

Heptathlon

Long Jump 2. Rebecca Neville, FR, 5.52m +0.0 wind (18-01.50 ft), [5.21m(+0.0), 5.41m(+0.0), 5.52m(+0.0)] 706 points, 3625 points total

Javelin 13. Rebecca Neville, FR, 22.49m (73-09 ft.), 335 points, 3960 points total

800m Run 4. Rebecca Neville, FR, 2:24.13, 768 points, 4728 points total

Overall 6. Rebecca Neville, 4728 points total, 3 team points

Women’s Long Jump

2. Andrea Geubelle, FR, 6.21m, 1.8 wind (20-04.50 ft.), [6.21m(1.8), 6.16m(1.1), 5.94m(+0.0), 5.59m(+0.0), 5.86m(1.8), 5.78m(0.2)], 8 team points

Men’s Shot Put

1. Mason Finley, FR, 19.12m (62-08.75 ft.), [18.33m, 18.74m, 18.88m, 19.12m, FOUL, 18.90m], 10 team points

Women’s Discus

15. Micah Wesley, SO, 43.98m (144-03 ft.) [41.93m, 43.98m, 43.51m]

Women’s High Jump

— Elizabeth Beisner, SR, NH

— Kelsey Erb, SR, DNS

Men’s Pole Vault

1. Jordan Scott, SR, 5.39m (17-08.25 ft.), 10 team points

5. Ryan Hays, SR, 5.19m (17-00.25 ft.), 4 team points

Tie-9. Corey Shank, FR, 4.94m (16-02.50 ft.)

17. Cooper Merrill, JR, 4.79m (15-08.50 ft.)

Men’s Long Jump

5. Eric Fattig, FR, 7.57m, 0.5 wind (24-10.00 ft.), 4 team points

13. Jareb Stallbaumer, JR, 7.07m, 0.9 wind (23-02.50 ft.)

Women’s 1500m Run Prelims

1. Lauren Bonds, SR, 4:21.49, QUALIFIED FOR FINALS SUNDAY

Men’s 1500m Run Prelims

6. Donny Wasinger, SO, 3:49.55, QUALIFIED FOR FINALS SUNDAY

17. Bret Imgrund, SR, 3:55.77

Women’s 100m Hurdles Prelims

16. Kathryn Lupton, FR, 14.55, 0.5 wind

Men’s 110m Hurdles Prelims

12. Keith Hayes, SO, 14.37, 0.3 wind

14. Lawson Montgomery, SO, 14.42, 1.8 wind

— Keyen Porter, SO, DQ 0.3 Rule 5.6e

Women’s 400m Prelims

5. Taylor Washington, FR, 54.23, qualified for finals Sunday

12. Shayla Wilson, SO, 55.90

13. Kendra Bradley, JR, 56.37

Men’s 400m Prelims

6. Kyle Clemons, FR, 46.48, qualified for finals Sunday

16. Reggie Carter, SR, 47.90

21. Jarrell Rollins, SR, 48.43

28. Chandler Frigon, SR, 50.09

Women’s 800m Prelims

14. Cori Christensen, SO, 2:11.72

Men’s 800m Prelims

16. Keron Toussaint, JR, 1:52.81

31. Sam Jones, FR, 1:56.39

Women’s 400m Hurdles Prelims

5. Taissa Makhamayva, FR, 1:00.80,QUALIFIED FOR FINALS SUNDAY

15. Kathryn Lupton, FR, 1:03.54

Men’s 400m Hurdles Prelims

9. Keith Hayes, SO, 52.83

Day 2 Team Standings–Women (6 Events Scored)

1. Nebraska, 59

2. Texas, 35

3. Texas A&M, 33

4. Iowa State, 32

5. Kansas, 25

6. Oklahoma, 13.50

7. Baylor, 11

8. Texas Tech, 9.50

9. Missouri, 9

10. Oklahoma State, 3

11. Kansas State, 2

11. Colorado, 2

Day 2 Team Standings–Men (7 Events Scored)

1. Nebraska, 52

2. Texas, 34

3. Oklahoma, 30

3. Missouri, 30

5. Kansas, 28

6. Colorado, 26

7. Texas A&M, 22

8. Texas Tech, 17

9. Iowa State, 12

10. Oklahoma State, 10

11. Baylor, 6

11. Kansas State, 6