👟 Anderson, Johnson Win Big 12 Titles on Final Day of the Big 12 Championship

AMES, Iowa – Kansas claimed two more individual Big 12 titles on day two of the Big 12 Track & Field Championship on Saturday, as Rylee Anderson (women’s high jump) and Avryl Johnson (women’s 1,000 meters) won their respective events.

Anderson won the women’s high jump for the second-straight year, jumping a new school record 1.87m (6-1.25 ft.). Anderson’s mark breaks the school record of 1.86m (6-1.25 ft.), which was previously held by Anderson and Mary Beth Labowsky.

Johnson became the first Jayhawk to ever win a Big 12 title in the women’s 1,000 meters, running 2:48.21 to earn her first-career Big 12 title. Johnson entered the finals with the top prelims time of 2:50.31 and led wire-to-wire in the finals.

In total, Kansas registered 14 entries that reached the podium on the final day of the Big 12 Championship, including six that placed in the top-five of their respective event.

In the women’s 600-yards, junior Honour Finley ran to a second-place finish in 1:19.84. Finley’s time came on the heels of running a 1:19.70 in the prelims on Friday, which went down as the No. 2 KU performance all-time.

Kansas sophomore Michael Joseph ran to the No. 2 time in KU indoor history in the men’s 400 meters on Saturday, clocking a 46.47 out of heat one, which placed him second overall. Joseph’s time ranks second behind Kyle Clemons’ time of 46.44 set in 2013.

Alexandra Emilianov placed fourth overall in the women’s shot put, throwing, 15.85m (52-0 ft.), which came on her third attempt. In the men’s shot put, junior Patrick Larrison had a strong day by posting a personal best 18.37m (60-3.75 ft.) to place fifth overall.

Kansas posted a pair of sixth-place finishes between the men’s 800 meters and 1,000 meters on Saturday, with Kansas freshman TJ Robinson finishing sixth overall in his Big 12 debut in 2:23.71, while sophomore AJ Green III placed sixth in the 800 meters in 1:50.97.

Kansas finished out the Big 12 Championship with the men’s team placing seventh with 51 points and the women’s team placing eighth with 44 points.

The Jayhawks will open its outdoor schedule next week, March 5, when they travel to Austin, Texas for the Longhorn Invitational. Individuals who qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships will compete in Birmingham, Ala., March 11-12.