👟 Jayhawks Post Strong Marks at John McDonnell Invitational

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Kansas men’s and women’s track and field teams closed out a strong weekend at the John McDonnell Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas on Sunday, which included two top-10 KU performers and several lifetime bests.

Among the top performances from Fayetteville, Kansas freshman Victoria Gorlova became the No. 4 performer in KU outdoor history in the women’s triple jump, while freshman Lona Latema became the No. 7 performer in KU outdoor history in the women’s 5,000 meters.

Competing in just her second meet of the 2021 outdoor season, Gorlova got off to a strong start on Saturday, jumping 12.83m (42-1.25 ft.) on her second attempt. After Arkansas State’s Imani Uduomana outjumped Gorlova on her sixth attempt, Gorlova reached an impressive 13.01m (42-8.25 ft.) on her final attempt to win the event and become the No. 4 performer in KU outdoor history.

Gorlova would return to the runway on Sunday in the women’s long jump, where she jumped 5.96m (19-6.75 ft.) to place fourth overall.

In the women’s 5,000 meters invitational on Saturday night, Latema clocked a personal best 16:45.40 to place fifth in the competitive field, while her time made her the No. 7 performer in KU outdoor history in the event.

In the men’s 110-meter hurdles prelims on Sunday, freshman Cameron Wilmington ran a strong race of 14.45 out of heat two to qualify for the finals with the eighth-fastest preliminary time. In the event finals on Sunday afternoon, Wilmington improved his time by running a 14.24, which placed him sixth overall.

The Jayhawks also saw success in the relays this weekend, where they registered four top-three performances.

In the women’s 4×400 meter relay, the KU team of Honour Finley, Jedah Caldwell, Erin Sermons and Mariah Kuykendoll won the event with a 3:39.66, which just falls behind their season best of 3:32.64 set at the Texas Relays earlier this season. The Kansas men’s 4×400 meter relay team capped off the meet with a second-place finish in 3:12.76.

UP NEXT

The Jayhawks return home to host the Rock Chalk Classic from Rock Chalk Park from April 30 – May 1. The meet serves as Kansas’ sole home meet of the outdoor season, while the Jayhawks will honor 25 seniors on Senior Day, which takes place on Saturday. Admission to the Rock Chalk Classic is $10 for adults and $5 for children.