LINCOLN, Neb. – The final day of the Husker Invitational saw a pair of KU school records fall inside the Devaney Center Indoor Complex, as Alexander Jung broke the heptathlon school record and Gabrielle Gibson broke the 60 meter hurdles school record.
Jung, of Saarlouis, Germany, broke the heptathlon school record by scoring 5,637 points, breaking the previous record 5,543 points set by Mike Evers in 1996. Jung’s score ranks 17th in the country entering this weekend’s competition.
Freshman Tayton Klein, competing in his first heptathlon as a Jayhawk, scored 5,319 points in the heptathlon, which is the fifth-most points scored in school history and the most by a freshman.
A short time after Jung’s school record, Gibson, of Nassau Bahamas, clocked a 8.22 in the 60-meter hurdles competition, breaking the school record of 8.29 set by Lindsay Vollmer in 2015. Gibson also ran a 8.27 in the prelims and now holds the top-two times in school history in the event.
Kansas’ strong performance didn’t stop there, as sophomore Devin Loudermilk cleared 2.21m (7-3 ft.) in the men’s high jump, which ties for the third-best jump in school history. Loudermilk’s jump was the best by a Jayhawk since 1995 (Nick Johannsen), while only Tyke Peacock (2.23m, 2.24m) has jumped higher in a KU uniform.
Loudermilk’s mark of 2.21m (7-3 ft.) currently ranks him fourth in the NCAA this season.
In the women’s high jump, senior Rylee Anderson continued her stellar indoor campaign, clearing 6-feet for the fourth time this season. Anderson jumped 1.83m (6-0 ft.) to win the competition, while her school record jump of 1.88m (6-2 ft.) set earlier this season ranks No. 2 in the country this season.
Between the two days of competition at the Husker Invitational, Kansas claimed victories in nine events. Gibson claimed a pair of wins in the 60-meter hurdles and the 200 meters.
Junior Michael Joseph won the men’s 600 meters with a strong finish of 1:18.15, followed by teammate Grant Lockwood in third in 1:19.15.
In the men’s shot put, senior Patrick Larrison recorded his second-straight personal best by throwing 19.70m (64-7.75 ft.), placing second overall. Larrison’s throw makes him the No. 6 performer in KU indoor history.
Kansas will continue its indoor season at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas and the Tiger Paw Invitational in Clemson, S.C. on Feb. 10-11.
