Jayhawks post 5 wins, 2 NCAA top-10 marks at ESU Spring Invite
EMPORIA, Kan. – Kansas track & field opened the 2019 outdoor season in Emporia, Kansas at the Emporia State Spring Invitational on Saturday, with Jayhawks picking up five wins on the day. On top of the five wins, KU sophomore discus throwers Alexandra Emilianov and George Evans each posted NCAA top-10 marks.
Senior Courtney Griffiths earned the first outdoor win of the season for the Jayhawks, clocking in at 4:47.76 in the women’s 1,500-meter run, and senior teammate Hannah Driscoll took the second spot in the event with a time of 4:48.05.
Three Kansas freshmen also posted wins on the day. Jana Shawver recorded the top time in the women’s 800-meter run, finishing in 2:18.23 for the win. Saudia Heard won her outdoor debut in the triple jump, notching a wind-aided mark of 11.90 meters (29-0.5 ft.) on her first attempt of the day and Jake Ralston won the men’s 5,000-meter run with a time of 14:54.05.
The women’s 4×400-meter relay team of Chloe Akin-Otiko, Caraline Slattery, Morganne Mukes and Courtney Griffiths posted the top time to earn the fifth and final win of the day for the Jayhawks.
Evans took second in the men’s discus, notching the No. 7 mark in NCAA Division I this season in the event and the No. 5 throw in the West region, hitting 57.23 meters (187-9 ft.) on his fifth attempt of the day. Freshman Patrick Larrison finished third in the event with a mark of 52.08 meters (170-10 ft.).
Emilianov finished second in the women’s discus to KU alum Jessica Maroszek, who was competing at the meet unattached. Emilianov’s best toss of the day came on her second attempt reached 57.47 meters (188-6 ft.). The mark proved to be No. 3 in NCAA Division I this season and No. 2 in the West region. Emilianov’s throw also marked the No. 7 performance in KU women’s history in the event.
NOTABLES
- Morganne Mukes posted a personal-best time in the 200-meter dash (24.56) to place second.
- Gabbi Dabney took second in the 100-meter hurdles with a wind-aided time of 14.18 seconds.
- Redshirt freshman Talley Hill placed second (2:19.62) and senior Wumi Omare took fifth (2:22.09) in the 800 meters.
- Lisa Lauschke clocked in at 12:02.45 in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase for a second-place finish.
- Marcus Quere finished second in the men’s steeplechase with a time of 9:56.24.
- The women’s 4×400 relay team of Wumi Omare, Jana Shawver, Talley Hill and Zantori Dickerson placed second with a time of 4:00.20.
UP NEXT
Kansas track & field will split up for meets all across the country next weekend. The Jayhawks are planned to have entries at the Texas Relays in Austin, Texas (March 27-30), the Florida Relays in Gainesville, Florida (March 28-30), the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, California (March 29-30) and the Oral Roberts Invitational in Tulsa, Oklahoma (March 30).
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