Friday, April 18, 2008
Hammer throwers Zlata Tarasova and Egor Agafonov are great teammates. The two grew up in Russia together and shared the same friends and throwing coach during high school. Interestingly enough, according to Tarasova, she is the reason Agafonov came to KU.
“If it wasn’t for me, he would probably still be in Russia somewhere, not throwing the hammer anymore,” the junior said with a laugh.
While Tarasova was being recruited by Kansas, she informed Agafonov of the opportunity to study abroad and Agafonov decided to come to Kansas.
Senior Egor Agafonov throws in the men's hammer throw Thursday at the Kansas Relays. Agafonov took first place last year at the Kansas Relays and finished fourth nationally.
“I love Kansas. Lawrence is a great town and KU is a great school,” the two-time NCAA champion said. “I’m happy that I’m here.”
Agafonov competed in the Kansas Relays yesterday and took home the victory for the Jayhawks, throwing his hammer 67.41 meters.
“It’s kind of sad. It’s my last Kansas Relays, but I’m glad that I won this event,” he said.
Agafonov struggled in the prelims, making several fouls, but managed to make the finals.
“Sometimes it’s not easy,” he said. “It’s stressful in competitions, especially when there are a lot of good guys, like the ones that are here. We fixed the mistakes and hoped that the finals would be all right.”
On the women’s side, Tarasova did not have as impressive of a performance. She finished in 9th place with a disappointing 53.33-meter toss. Conditions were rainy and soggy, and several athletes slipped during their throws.
“It was the worst competition I’ve ever had,” she said. Rain is just terrible for me.”
Zarasova’s disappointing finish in the Kansas Relays is one of several so far this outdoor season. She feels the problem mainly stems from her focus on the weight throw as opposed to the hammer.
“I’ve been throwing the weight throw for months and I didn’t touch my hammer at all,” she said. “I’ve never done that before. I just need more practice and some better weather.”
While Tarasova did not compete well, several Jayhawks posted impressive finishes at the relays.
Kansas women finished in first, third, and fifth place in the 3,000-meter run. Senior Alicia McGregor took home the victory for KU with a time of 10 minutes, four seconds while senior Haley Harbert and sophomore Allison Knoll took third and fifth place respectively.
Also competing for Kansa were sophomores Jacob Breth and Chelsea Helm. Breth placed seventh in the decathlon while Helm came in 12th in the heptathlon.
The Kansas Relays continue tomorrow with events starting at 8 a.m. and concluding at 9 p.m. The fee is free for students and $10 for adults.
— Edited by Jared Duncan
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