KU's Bowen Competes at World Junior Championships in Barcelona
July 10, 2012
BARCELONA, Spain – Kansas sophomore-to-be Casey Bowen took part in the pole vault Tuesday morning at the 14th IAAF World Junior Track & Field Championships held in Barcelona. Bowen finished in a tie for 11th in his qualification flight but was unable to advance to the event final.
Bowen, who hails from Gardner, Kan., earned a spot on Team USA after he finished second at the U.S. Junior Championships in Bloomington, Ind., on June 15, making him one of two Americans to represent the U.S. in the 31-person international field of the pole vault competition.
Bowen got out to a strong start Tuesday inside Montjuïc Olympic Stadium, clearing 4.75 meters (15-7 ft.) on his first attempt of the day. It then took him all three trys to get over the next bar, vaulting over 4.95 meters (16-3 ft.) on his third attempt at height. That was Bowen’s last clearance of the day, leaving him in a tie for 11th in the 15-person flight. The finish was not high enough however to move Bowen into the final round.
In addition to competing this week in Barcelona, Bowen was one of the Jayhawks’ most consistent vaulters during his successful first season in Lawrence. He competed in both the indoor and outdoor Big 12 Championships and scored at the outdoor league meet with his seventh-place finish in May. He also qualified his way into the NCAA West Preliminary Meet, where he finished in a tie for 41st.
Diamond Dixon will be the next member of the track and field team to represent the U.S. on the international stage this summer. She will travel to the Olympic Games later this month as a member of the 4×400-meter relay team. The opening ceremony from London is slated for July 27 with the track and field events beginning August 3. For news and updates on Dixon’s trip to London log on to KUAthletics.com and follow on twitter at KU_Track.
