Jayhawks tally 13 victories at Bob Timmons Challenge
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas men’s and women’s track & field teams opened the 2017-18 indoor season by hosting the Bob Timmons Challenge at Anschutz Sports Pavilion, where the Jayhawks earned 13 individual victories. Sophomore Andrea Willis moved up the KU All-Time Performers list with a new personal record in the pole vault, notching one of the four field event victories for Kansas on the day.
PERFORMANCES OF THE DAY
• Willis became the No. 5 performer in Kansas history in the women’s pole vault, clearing 4.17 meters (13-8.25 ft.). She easily surpassed her previous personal record of 4.10 meters, set last season at the Rod McCravy Memorial in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Colorado Springs, Colorado native’s mark moved her ahead of current teammates Laura Taylor and Alexis Romero on KU’s all-time list, who each cleared 4.15 meters (13-7.25 ft.) last season at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Taylor finished in second behind Willis in the event, clearing 4.07 meters (13-4.25 ft.).
• The men’s pole vault saw similar excitement when former Kansas standout Jake Albright, who was competing unattached in the meet, set a facility record by clearing 5.57 meters (18-3.25 ft.) to win the event. The previous facility record of 5.55m (18-2.75 ft.) was set at the Jayhawk Classic in 2013 by Jordan Scott. Kansas freshman Kyle Rogers was the top collegiate finisher, clearing 5.06 meters (16-7.25 ft.) and senior Lucas Shaw came in third overall with a new personal record vault of 4.91 meters (16-1.25 ft.).
• Kansas has a successful day in the middle-distance events, winning the men’s and women’s races in both the 1,000 meters and mile run. Sophomore Lisa Lauschke won the women’s mile, clocking in at 5:09.88 and sophomore Ethan Donley won on the men’s side with a time of 4:23.88. The 1,000 meter events were won by Kansas newcomers, as freshman Talley Hill took the victory on the women’s side and senior transfer Jacob Goldberg won the men’s 1,000.
• Both the men’s and women’s 4×400-meter relay races were won by the Jayhawks. The women’s race saw sophomores Mariah Kuykendoll and Jedah Caldwell, freshman Honour Finley and junior Nicole Montgomery take the victory with a time of 3:44.49. The Kansas men’s team comprised of seniors Jaron Hartley and Tre Daniels, junior Ivan Henry and sophomore Isaiah Cole clocked in at 3:13.90 to close the day’s events with a win.
• Competing in Boston, Massachusetts at the BU Season Opener, junior distance runner Sharon Lokedi broke her own school record in the 5,000-meter run, clocking in at 15:39.05 to finish fourth in the event and shave 19 seconds off her previous school record set two seasons ago at the Iowa State Classic.
STANLEY SAID IT
Quotes from Kansas head coach Stanley Redwine
On Andrea Willis’ personal record and win in the pole vault…
“She (Andrea Willis) has always been talented. Things don’t surprise me with her. I’ve been watching her practice and the thing is she is very talented and competitive and with the right environment she does well. She responded very well to today’s meet and made the best of it.”
On Sharon Lokedi’s record-breaking run at the BU Season Opener…
“The biggest performance of the day has to be Sharon at the Boston Meet. To do what she did is phenomenal, to put it in perspective at a really good meet and she did really well.”
On the team’s performance overall…
“We are excited about what the team did today. It is a great place to start, but there is still a lot of work to be done.”
OTHER NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
• Montgomery coasted to win in the women’s 600-yard run with a time of 1:21.26, clocking in four seconds ahead of the next closest finisher.
• Senior thrower Brandon Lombardino won the men’s shot put with a mark of 16.20m (53-1.75 ft.).
• Freshmen Adia Eberle and Lea Riedel each tallied victories in the first collegiate appearances. Eberle won the women’s high jump, clearing 1.70 meters (5-7 ft.) and Riedel took the women’s shot put title with a toss of 13.98 meters (45-10.5 ft.).
UP NEXT
Kansas will have over a month off before its next meet action. Select members of the Jayhawk squads will travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas for the Arkansas Invitational on Friday, January 12. Other Jayhawks will remain in the Sunflower State to compete in the KU-KSU-WSU Triangular at Ahearn Field House in Manhattan, Kansas. The Jayhawks will look to repeat as champions of the meet, after defeating both K-State and Wichita State last season by tallying nine victories in the final 20 events.
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