Agafonov First Three-Peat All-American in 35 Years; Anderson First 100 Meters All-American in 30 Years
June 13, 2008
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DES MOINES, <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Iowa – Senior Egor Agafonov capped off his stellar career at the University of Kansas as the first male Jayhawk in 35 years to take home All-America honors in the same event for three consecutive years. Day three of the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, on Friday also saw senior Nickesha Anderson become KU’s first women’s All-American in the 100 meters since 1978. Saturday’s finals will be shown to a national television audience on CBS from 3-5 p.m.
With a third-place finish in the hammer throw, Agafonov became the first male Jayhawk to three-peat with outdoor All-America honors in the one event since Sam Colson did so in the javelin from 1971-73.
“I’m most proud of him now,” Redwine said of Agafonov, who finishes his career as a two-time national champion in the weight throw, six-time Big 12 champion and six-time All-American. “He’s always been someone you could depend on. It’s hard to replace someone like that. You can’t find many people that had the success that he had. He’s a great guy and he did a great job.”
The Togliatti, Russia, native was ranked third in the nation coming into the meet and was second after his first throw. His fifth throw of the day was his best, landing at 69.92 meters (229 feet, 5 inches), finishing with the same mark as UCLA’s Boldizsar Kocsor. Agafonov won the tiebreaker for third as his second-best throw bettered that of Kocsor.
Anderson, who broke the school record in the 100 meters earlier this season, finished in a time of 11.37 to place fourth in the event and earn All-America honors. She became the first KU woman to accomplish the feat since Sheila Calmese did so 30 years ago.
“I felt really good during the race,” Anderson said of her All-America performance. “I definitely accomplished my goals (in the 100 meters), but I’m always trying to improve and get better.”
Senior Crystal Manning qualified for the women’s triple jump finals. A day after claiming All-America honors in the long jump, Manning flew 13.29 meters (43-07.25 ft.) on her third jump of the day. It was the sixth-best jump of the qualifying round.
Senior Julius Jiles fell in the semifinals of the 110-meter hurdles. His time of 13.77 placed him 11th and could not get him into Saturday’s final.
Saturday, the final day of competition, will feature three Jayhawks. Junior Stephanie Horton, after setting the school record in the qualifying round, has the finals of the women’s shot put at 1:30 p.m. Manning is in the finals of the triple jump at 3 p.m., and Anderson runs for a national title in the 200 meters at 3:37 p.m.
Be sure to log on to www.kuathletics.com for all Jayhawk news and information from Drake Stadium.
KU Results – 2008 NCAA Championships:
Men:
110-Meter Hurdles: 11-Jiles (13.57p, 13.77s)
Hammer Throw: 3-Agafonov (69.92m)
Pole Vault: 16-Scott (5.10m)
Women:
100 Meters: 4-Anderson (11.76p, 11.66s, 11.37f)
200 Meters: Anderson (23.00p, 22.76s)
400-Meter Hurdles: 23-Brown (1:00.12), 27-Butler (1:03.25)
Hammer Throw: 27-Tarasova (55.07m)
Long Jump: 9-Manning (6.26m)
Pole Vault: 15-Sultanova (4.00m)
Shot Put: Horton (16.52m)
Triple Jump: Manning (13.29m)
