👟 Kansas Track & Field Has Strong Showing at Arkansas Qualifier

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Kansas men’s and women’s track and field teams had a successful trip to the Arkansas Qualifier in Fayetteville, Ark., on Friday, where the Jayhawks set a number of personal bests, season bests and a meet record.

Despite a strong field of competition, consisting of Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas State, Arizona and UCLA, among others, the Jayhawks thrived, with the KU men scoring 49 points to place third as a team, while the KU women placed sixth with 27 points.

After setting the No. 3 mark in school history in the pole vault last weekend at the Texas Tech Invitational, Zach Bradford picked up where he left off on Friday, breaking yet another meet record.

Bradford opened the day at 5.51m (18-1 ft.), where he missed on his first attempt, before clearing on his second. Bradford then advanced to 5.71m (18-8.75 ft.), where he missed on his first two attempts, before clearing and breaking the meet record of 5.70m (18-8.5 ft.) on his third attempt.

On the track, junior Toni Englund continued her success after setting the No. 11 mark in the NCAA in the pentathlon at the Jayhawk Classic, as she clocked a new personal best of 8.71 in the women’s 60-meter hurdles prelims. Englund would advance to the event finals later in the day, where she matched her time of 8.71 and placed seventh overall.

In the women’s mile, junior Avryl Johnson and sophomore Sommer Herner ran to personal bests in the event, led by Johnson’s sixth-place finish in 4:49.31, while Herner came in eighth in 4:52.95.

In the women’s 400 meters, senior Honour Finley ran a season best time of 53.84 to win her heat and place fifth overall, while fellow senior Anna Siemens set a lifetime best of 55.48, placing seventh.

In the men’s 800 meters, freshman AJ Green III continued his successful start to his opening season, as he placed second overall in the event, clocking a 1:51.22.

The Jayhawks are back on the road next weekend as they travel to the Iowa State Classic on Feb. 12-13 in Ames, Iowa, marking their last stop before the Big 12 Indoor Championship in Lubbock, Texas on Feb. 26-27.