👟 Jayhawks Qualify Seven for NCAA Indoor Championships
LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Kansas Jayhawks will be represented by seven individuals competing across three entries on March 13-14 at the 2020 NCAA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., the NCAA announced on Wednesday, including Chloe Akin-Otiko, Zach Bradford, Jedah Caldwell, Zantori Dickerson, Gleb Dudarev, Honour Finley and Mariah Kuykendoll.
The Jayhawks will compete in three events, including the women’s 4×400 meter relay (Akin-Otiko (alt.), Caldwell, Dickerson, Finley and Kuykendoll), men’s pole vault (Bradford) and the men’s weight throw (Dudarev). Among the KU participants, five have competed at the NCAA Indoor Championships in year’s past, while Akin-Otiko and Caldwell make their debuts.
Entering the NCAA Indoor Championships with the No. 1 mark in the country in the men’s weight throw, Dudarev is coming off his third Big 12 Indoor title and an impressive senior season. After being named to The Bowerman men’s preseason watch list, Dudarev became the No. 5 performer in KU history at the Jayhawk Classic, throwing 24.38m (80-00 ft.), which is the furthest throw in the event since 2015. Heading into the Championships, Dudarev holds the top-seven throws in the country.
In the men’s pole vault, Bradford’s 2020 campaign has been nothing short of spectacular, breaking the KU school record on two occasions, while becoming the No. 9 performer in NCAA history by clearing 5.80m (19-01.25 ft.) at the Tyson Invitational. Bradford went on to place second at the Big 12 Indoor Championship by tying a meet record of 5.77m (18-11 ft.), while he enters the competition in Albuquerque with the No. 3 jump in the NCAA.
The Kansas women’s 4×400 meter relay enters the NCAA Indoor Championships ranked No. 12 in the NCAA, after the team of Kuykendoll, Dickerson, Caldwell and Finley clocked a 3:34.41 at the Arkansas Qualifier and Big 12 Indoor Championship. The team placed runner-up at the Big 12 Indoor Championship and holds the No. 7 time in KU indoor history heading into the Championships.
ESPN3 will stream the championships live starting at 6:15 p.m. CT on March 13 and starting at 6 p.m. on March 14. A re-air of the championships will take place starting at 9 p.m. on March 16 on ESPNU.
Kansas Men’s Entries
Pole Vault – Zach Bradford
Weight Throw – Gleb Dudarev
Kansas Women’s Entries
Women’s 4×400 Meter Relay – Chloe Akin-Otiko (alt.) Jedah Caldwell, Zantori Dickerson, Honour Finley, Mariah Kuykendoll
