Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Since they began in 1923, the Kansas Relays have brought in some of the best collegiate track and field athletes in the country. Even coach Stanley Redwine competed, back in the early ’80s when he was on the University of Arkansas track and field team. He competed in the medley events.
“It was a special meet then and even more special now as a coach to host a prestigious meet like this,” Redwine said.
The 82nd Kansas Relays begin Wednesday and the team is excited for its only home outdoor meet to be underway.
“It gives our family, our athletes’ families and fans the opportunity to come and see us compete at a home meet,” Redwine said. “The Relays have always been a huge meet for the track team and for the University and we’re excited to be hosting it.”
For senior Corey Mims, who will be competing in the 800-meter run, getting the chance to compete at home is exciting.
“As an athlete, any home meet is a big meet. You want to get out there and perform well in front of the home crowd,” Mims said.
The Relays have been apart of Mims’s family for a while. His older brother Jeremy was an All-American in the 800-meter run back in 2005.
“He was one of the best,” Mims said of his older brother. “ It’s my brother, it was always great to see him go out beat all of those guys.”
The Relays bring in some of the top professional and Olympic athletes to Lawrence every year. This year is no exception, as Bershawn Jackson, Muna Lee, Alan Webb and Scott Russell are scheduled to compete.
Jackson is a four-time defending Relays champion in the 400-meter hurdle invitational and took home a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics. Lee, a Kansas City, Mo., native, took fifth at the Beijing Olympics in the 100-meter dash. Russell, a Kansas track alumnus, took 10th place in the javelin. Webb, one of the 10 fastest men in the world, currently holds the American record for the mile.
“Those are some household names as it relates to track and field,” Redwine said. “These are some of the best people in their events and here is an opportunity to see them here in Lawrence, Kansas.”
Mims believes the Olympic athletes are a definite attention getter for the audience.
“People may not necessarily want to see a college meet, but to bring in some of the top athletes in the world that you see in the media is a definite draw and it’s good to get those sorts of names.” Mims said.
Redwine said that having Olympic athletes at the Relays was encouraging for his team because it showed members that pursuing a career in track was possible.
“It’s an opportunity to see that you are not doing anything different than what they are doing. You just have to continue to get better to accomplish your goal,” Redwine said.
Last weekend at the John Jacobs Invitational, the Jayhawks brought their total of regionally qualified athletes to 10. Redwine feels that they can get more competing at home.
“It always gets the athletes fired up,” Redwine said. “A stadium full of fans is more of an incentive to do well. And that’s an opportunity that we have here.”
The Relays will kick off with decathlon and heptathlon events at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Memorial Stadium.
— — Edited by Melissa Johnson
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