Monday, April 23, 2007
The lack of big name athletes in this year’s Gold Zone competition resulted in a lack of fans in the stands.
Nothing, however, could stop Bershawn “Batman” Jackson from putting on a show and running the fastest time in the world this year in the 400-meter hurdles.
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I think the overall crowd can relate better to a mile. It is easier for them to understand a four-minute mile than it is for a conversion to a 1,500 (meter). I think it is something that would have been nice, maybe next year.
-Mike Teagankamp
Jackson came in at 48.75 seconds, the fastest time this year by more than a second. The victory makes him a three-time defending Kansas Relays champion.
“There are a lot more good things to come,” Jackson said in a press release. “Every athlete has expectations for their first race of the season. You train so hard in the fall, and your first race often determines how your season will turn out. I am happy with the time.”
Jackson, the Nike team member, also described himself as an “88 out of 100” right now and promised that he would reach 100 by August for the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan.
In the 1,500 meters, Mike Teagankamp led wire-to-wire, beating out Kansas junior Colby Wissel for the gold with a time of 3:43.01.
“This is the first time I’ve run back in the Kansas City area since I was in college, so it has been six years now,” Teagankamp said in a press release. “It’s nice to get close to my hometown (Lee’s Summit) and go out and give the crowd some excitement. It was a really good time.”
Teagankamp’s time translates to a four-minute mile, but the winner wishes he could just run a mile instead of the 1,500.
“I think the overall crowd can relate better to a mile,” Tegenkamp said in a press release. “It is easier for them to understand a four-minute mile than it is for a conversion to a 1,500 (meter). I think it is something that would have been nice, maybe next year.”
In the invitational pole vault, Jeff Hartwig, the oldest competitor in the field, cleared 18-09 feet to win the event. At the beginning of the season Hartwig announced that it would be his last, but his early success has made that decision a bit more difficult.
In one of the most exciting races Saturday, Nichole Denby edged out 2004 Olympic Gold medalist Joanna Hayes by .06 seconds to win the 100-meter hurdles. Denby’s time was 12.72 seconds.
Kansan sportswriter Taylor Bern can be contacted at tbern@kansan.com.
— Edited by James Pinick
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