2007-08 Track and Field Season Opens on Saturday
Dec. 6, 2007
<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Lawrence, Kan. – Ahearn Fieldhouse hosts the opening meet of the 2007-08 indoor track and field season for the University of Kansas on Saturday. The Jayhawks will travel to Manhattan, Kan. for the Kansas State University All-Comers meet with the men beginning competition at 10 a.m. and the women at 10:30 a.m.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
Kansas looks to equal their success at the KSU All-Comers from a year ago where nine KU student-athletes won events, junior Stephanie Horton earned an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the shot put, and the women’s team captured the top six places in the 3,000-meter run.
Senior Matt Baysinger returns to the track where he set a new meet record in the 600-yard run, winning the event in 1:11.32, and sophomore Jack Sachse, in his Kansas debut, won the 800-meter run in a time of 1:55.19 at Ahearn Fieldhouse last year.
The men are coming off a 16th place finish at the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championships and are returning four Big 12 champions from a year ago. Four All-Americans, senior Colby Wissel (indoor 3,000-meter run), senior Julius Jiles (110-meter hurdles), senior Barrett Saunders (outdoor long jump) and 2007 weight throw National Champion, senior Egor Agafonov, return from a team that placed seventh in the Big 12 Conference last season.
The women, after a 34th place finish at the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championships, are pursuing their fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA’s. It would be the first time in school history that the women have qualified for the NCAA’s in four consecutive seasons. Coming off a sixth place finish at the Big 12’s in 2007, the women have four conference champions returning for the 2007-08 campaign, including three All-Americans in four events. Junior Ashley Brown (outdoor 400-meter hurdles), senior Crystal Manning (outdoor triple jump) and senior Kate Sultanova (indoor and outdoor pole vault) are all back in the crimson and blue for the 2008 track and field season.
A complete recap of the results will be posted on www.kuathletics.com following the conclusion of the day’s events.
