Jayhawk Olympians compete Saturday in Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – A pair of former Kansas track & field athletes went up against the world’s greatest Saturday morning at the 2016 Olympic Games. Mason Finley tallied an 11th-place finish in the finals of the men’s discus, while Andrea Geubelle leaped her way to 21st in the qualifying rounds of the women’s triple jump.
 
Finley, a KU thrower from 2010-12, advanced to Saturday’s final by way of a sixth-place finish in the qualifying flights Friday. In the final, he opened his morning inside Olympic Stadium with a modest throw of 60.43 meters (198-3). After heaving the discus into the netting of the cage for a foul on his second attempt, Finley tallied a third mark of 62.05 meters (203-7). His final throw was good enough to move him up one spot to 11th, where his day would end. Finley’s finish marked the best by an American in the Olympic discus since 2004.
 
Geubelle, a three-time NCAA Champion for the Jayhawks from 2010-13, was making her appearance in the Olympic Games as she hit the runway for the qualifying heats of the women’s triple jump. On her first attempt, Geubelle hopped, skipped and jumped to a distance of 13.67 meters (44-10¼). The University Place, Washington native committed a foul on her second trip down the runway but save her best jump for last. Geubelle flew to a mark of 13.93 meters (45-8½) on her third attempt, a jump that eventually earned her a 21st-place finish.
 
Geubelle was unable to finish among the top-12 that will advance to the triple jump final, but only missed a spot in the final by six inches.
 
One more Jayhawk still is awaiting his time to take the Olympic Stadium track as former KU athlete, Kyle Clemons, is slated to compete on the United States 4×400-meter relay team. The first round of the 4×400-meter relay is slated to begin on Friday, Aug. 19 at 7:10 p.m.
 
 
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