NORMAN, Okla.– The Jayhawks showed well on the first day of the 2023 Big 12 Outdoor Championships, led by Chandler Gibbens’ victory in the men’s 10k to kick off the meet.
The junior standout ran a gutsy 29:40.92 to secure the first-place title, knocking off distance-powerhouses OSU, Iowa State and Texas to do so.
Peter Walsdorf was another scorer in the event, running a 30:27.51 to place sixth, making his Big 12 debut a strong one.
Other Jayhawks who made the podium on day one includes both men’s hammer throwers, with Oleg Klykov coming in third (67.26m) and Patrick Larrison taking eighth (59.06m).
The multi’s crew got off to a strong start, with Tayton Klein setting the tone by ending the day in first place overall with 4164 points. The freshman took victories in the 100m, 400m and long jump, as well as set a new PR for himself in the high jump (1.90m).
Alexander Jung is in a strong position for the podium as well, coming in at sixth place with 3897 points. His highest finish was in the shot put, placing second overall with his 13.31m throw.
After the first day of team competition, the Kansas men are at the top of the leaderboard with 20 points. Texas is hot on their heels with 19, while Iowa State comes in at 17.
The highest scoring women’s squad so far is Iowa State with 32, while Oklahoma is right behind them with 31. The next highest number of points belongs to the K-State women, who come in at 17. The Jayhawks have yet to score on the women’s side.
Kansas will take on another day of competition starting tomorrow at 10:00am, with Jung and Klein kicking off the day in the 110m hurdles.
