Jayhawk Track And Field Teams Head To Oregon For NCAA Outdoor Championships
June 8, 2010
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Kansas’ nationally-ranked men’s and women’s track and field teams are traveling to Eugene, Ore., for the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships. The 17th-ranked KU men and 22nd-ranked Jayhawk women will compete against the nation’s best at historic Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon June 9-12.
The Jayhawk men will be led in the field by freshman thrower Mason Finley and junior pole vaulter Jordan Scott, who each enter their respective events ranked in the top three prior to the competition.
Finley, who was recently named the Midwest Region Field Athlete of the Year, enters both the shot put and discus finals with the second best mark after the NCAA Preliminary round. Finley has turned in a season’s best mark of 19.26 meters (63-02.25 ft.) in the shot put and 60.18 meters (197-5 ft.) in the discus, both of which ranks as the third best marks from the season of the competitors in the field.
Scott, a six-time Big 12 Champion in the pole vault, enters the meet looking for his first All-America honor in outdoor competitions. A two-time indoor All-America honoree, Scott has recorded a height of 5.71 meters (18-08.75 ft.) on the season, which ties for the nation’s highest mark.
Also competing for the Jayhawk men will be junior Brian Bishop, who will compete in the discus along with Finley. Bishop enters the NCAA Championships with the fourth best mark after the NCAA Preliminary meets with his personal best mark of 57.82 meters (189-8 ft.).
Senior long jumper Eric Fattig is concluding his Jayhawk career in fine fashion as he advanced to the NCAA Championships for the first time in his career. Fattig finished 10th at the NCAA West Preliminary and has recorded a personal best mark of 7.60 meters (24-11.75 ft.) in the event.
Freshman Kyle Clemons will compete in the 400 meters after qualifying with his personal best time of 45.98 at the NCAA West Preliminary. Clemons’ time entering the meet ranks fourth on the KU all-time chart.
The KU men’s 4×400-meter relay team consisting of Clemons, senior Reggie Carter, sophomore Keith Hayes, junior Keron Touissant and senior Jarrell Rollins (alternate) ran a season’s best time of 3:05.93 at the NCAA West Preliminary, finishing eighth. The Jayhawks will be one of 24 relay teams looking to win a championship.
Three KU women will compete as individuals in four events. Senior Lauren Bonds, sophomore Rebeka Stowe and freshman Andrea Geubelle will represent the Jayhawks in Eugene, in addition to the 4×400-meter relay team.
Geubelle will pull double duty as she qualified for the NCAA Championships in both the long jump and the triple jump. The University City, Wash., native claimed a third place finish in the triple jump and a ninth place finish in the long jump at the NCAA West Preliminary to move on to Eugene.
Geubelle’s personal best mark of 13.39 meters (43-11.25 ft.) is the third best mark of all competitors entered in the meet in the triple jump. Her mark of 6.37 meters in the long jump ranks as the 11th best mark in the NCAA this season.
Bonds set a new KU record and took home a first place finish at the NCAA West Preliminary in the 1,500 meters with her personal best time of 4:15.98. Her time ranks as the ninth best on the season among competitors in the 1,500 field entering the NCAA Championships.
Stowe will compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and enters the meet with the sixth-best time amongst the competitors. She clocked in at 10:03.41 in taking second at the 2010 Big 12 Outdoor Championships, while improving her school-record time.
Junior Kendra Bradley, freshman Taylor Washington, senior Shayla Wilson and freshman Denesha Morris will compete for the Jayhawks in the 4×400-meter relay. The quartet turned in a season’s best time of 3:37.04 at the NCAA West Preliminary and finished 11th to qualify for a trip to Eugene.
Finley and Bishop will kick-off competition at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships for KU as they compete in the discus at 2 p.m. (PT), Wednesday, June 9. Clemons will be the first KU athlete to compete on the track as he runs in the 400 meter semifinals Wednesday at 5 p.m. (PT).
