👟 Jayhawks Strong on Day One of the Big 12 Indoor Championship
LUBBOCK, Texas – Kansas track & field finished off day one of the 2023 Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championship at the Sports Performance Center in Lubbock, Texas on Friday, where the Jayhawks set two school records and put themselves in good position for Championship Saturday.
After day one of the Championship, the Kansas men’s team stands in first place with 41 points, while the Kansas women’s team is in fifth with 12.5 points. Saturday’s action begins at 11 a.m. CT, as 27 event finals will be contested to determine the team Big 12 Champions.
The Jayhawks qualified 10 individuals for Saturday’s event finals, including senior Gabrielle Gibson in the women’s 60-meter hurdles. Gibson, of Nassau, Bahamas, lowered her school record time of 8.22 to 8.20 on Friday, as she ran the third-fastest time of prelims. Kansas freshman Kaycee McCoy also qualified for the women’s 60-meter hurdles finals with a time of 8.43.
In the men’s 400 meters, junior Joseph ran a school record and St. Lucia national record of 46.18, lowering the previous record of 46.44 set by Kansas great Kyle Clemons in 2013. Joseph’s time was the sixth-fastest in prelims on Friday and earned him a spot in Saturday’s 400 meters finals.
Other qualifiers for Saturday’s event finals include freshman Grant Lockwood (men’s 600-yards finals), senior Avyrl Johnson (women’s 1,000 meters finals), junior Addie Coppinger (women’s 1,000 meters finals), junior TJ Robinson (men’s 1,000 meters finals), junior Aaliyah Moore (women’s 800 meters finals), junior AJ Green (men’s 800 meters finals) and senior Justice Dick (men’s 800 meters finals).
In the field, Kansas accumulated 22 points in the men’s pole vault with three Jayhawks placing in the top-four. Sophomore Clayton Simms placed as the runner-up for the second-straight year, jumping 5.53m (18-1.75 ft.), while freshman Ashton Barkdull jumped 5.43m (17-9.75 ft.) to place third. Junior Andrew Saloga (fourth, 5.33m (17-5.75 ft.) and Jake Freidel (6th, 5.23m (17-1.75 ft.) also made the podium in the pole vault.
In the women’s pole vault, junior Gabby Hoke jumped a personal best 4.09m (13-5 ft.) to place fourth, while junior Taylor Starkey and senior Samantha Van Hoecke tied for sixth, clearing 3.99m (13-1 ft.).
Kansas freshman Tayton Klein made his mark in just his first Big 12 Championship on Friday, placing third overall in the men’s long jump with a personal best 7.63m (25-0.5 ft.). Klein’s personal best jump came after competing in the front half of the men’s heptathlon, which we will continue on Saturday. Klein currently stands in third with 3,098 points, while teammate Alexander Jung is in fourth with 3,073 points.
The Jayhawks continue with day two of the Big 12 Indoor Championship, beginning at 11 a.m.
