Lokedi breaks school record; Jayhawks punch 3 more tickets to Eugene on final day of West Prelim
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The second Kansas school record fell in as many days at the NCAA Division I West Preliminary Round, as Kansas senior Sharon Lokedi was one of three Jayhawks to punch their tickets to the NCAA Outdoor Championships on the final day of the regional meet. Lokedi broke her own school record in the 5,000-meter run, qualifying for the national championships in a second event, after also qualifying in the 10,000 meters on Thursday.
Lokedi’s 5,000-meter time of 15:27.09 broke the school record she set at the Kansas Relays last month of 15:42.76, shaving a massive 15 seconds off the top mark. The Eldoret, Kenya native is no stranger to breaking school records, as her new mark was the third time she set a school best this outdoor season, and the sixth she has been a part of this year.
Lokedi is also no stranger to the NCAA Championships, as she will return to the big stage for the third time, running the 10,000 meters and earning First Team All-America honors at the national championships the last two seasons.
Along with Lokedi’s qualification, senior Barden Adams punched his ticket to Eugene in the men’s triple jump. Adams was the fifth finisher in the event with a mark of 15.98 meters (52-5.25 ft.). This will mark the West Orange, New Jersey native’s second trip to Hayward Field, after he placed fifth in the triple jump in 2017 to earn First Team All-America honors.
Earning the final bid of the weekend for the Jayhawks was the men’s 4×400-meter relay team of Ivan Henry, Isaiah Cole, Bryce Hoppel and Tre Daniels. The quartet combined for a time of 3:06.12, which proved to be the last qualifying spot of the West Preliminary in the event.
Coming up just .25-seconds short of an NCAA bid, the women’s 4×400-meter relay team of Megan Linder, Jedah Caldwell, Nicole Montgomery and Honour Finley finished with a time of 3:37.07 to place 13th overall.
Other Jayhawks in action on Saturday included the women’s 4×100-meter relay team of Chloe Akin-Otiko, Jedah Caldwell, Zainab Sanni and Morganne Mukes, who finished 16th with a time of 45.09 seconds, and junior Joel Long, who finished in a tie for 29th in the men’s high jump, clearing a bar of 2.06 meters (6-9 ft.).
KANSAS QUALIFIERS FOR 2018 NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Gleb Dudarev – Hammer Throw
Hussain Al Hizam –Pole Vault
Nick Meyer – Pole Vault
George Evans – Discus
Nicolai Ceban – Discus
Bryce Hoppel – 800 Meters
Dylan Hodgson – 3,000-Meter Steeplechase
Barden Adams – Triple Jump
Ivan Henry, Isaiah Cole, Tre Daniels, Bryce Hoppel – 4×400-Meter Relay
LaTyria Jefferson – High Jump
LaTyria Jefferson – Long Jump
Sharon Lokedi – 10,000 Meters
Andrea Willis – Pole Vault
Alexandra Emilianov – Discus
Courtney Coppinger – 3,000-Meter Steeplechase
Sharon Lokedi – 5,000 Meters
The 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships are scheduled to run June 6-9 at Historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
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