👟 Jayhawks Set for Big 12 Indoor Championship

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas men’s and women’s track and field teams get set for the 2020 Big 12 Indoor Championship at the Lied Recreation Center in Ames, Iowa Feb. 28-29.

The Jayhawk men enter the meet ranked No. 21 in the week five USTFCCCA ratings, marking their 16th-consecutive ranking in the top-25. Among the Big 12 teams, the Jayhawk men stand at fifth in the conference, with Texas ranked highest in both the men’s (4th) and women’s (12th) standings.

Several Jayhawks have put together standout performances this year that they will look to carry into the conference meet, led by Gleb Dudarev’s NCAA leading throw of 24.39m (80-00 ft.) in the weight throw. Dudarev’s success has landed him on The Bowerman Watch List twice this season, while he holds the top-seven throws in the NCAA this season.

In the men’s pole vault, sophomore Zach Bradford has soared to new heights for the Jayhawks, breaking the KU school record on two occasions, with the record now standing at 5.80m (19-0.25 ft.). Bradford’s jump has him ranked No. 3 in the country this season, as he will face off against Baylor’s KC Lightfoot, who holds the No. 2 vault in the NCAA at 5.83m (19-1.5 ft.).

The Jayhawks will also look to claim their second Big 12 title in the women’s 4×400-meter relay in the last three years, as KU enters the meet with the best time in the conference. The 4×400-meter relay team of Mariah Kuykendoll, Zantori Dickerson, Jedah Caldwell and Honour Finley ran the conference-leading time of 3:34.41 at last week’s Arkansas Qualifier, which also puts them 10th in the nation entering this weekend.

Kansas’ lineup this weekend will feature three returning individual Big 12 Champions from last year’s championship, including Ethan Donley (Distance Medley Relay), Cody Johnson (Distance Medley Relay) and Dudarev (weight throw).

The Kansas men earned their best Big 12 indoor finish in 2017, where they finished second, while the KU women won the Big 12 Indoor Championship in 2013. Last year, the Kansas men finished third, while the Kansas women placed fourth.

Following the completion of the Big 12 Indoor Championship, the NCAA will unveil the qualifiers for the NCAA Indoor Championships that will take place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, March 13-14. Qualifiers will be released at a later date.

For more information on the 2020 Big 12 Indoor Championship, click here.