Today the Kansas track and field team will head back to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., for competition, a school that hurdler Keyen Porter almost attended. When the Blue Springs, Mo., freshman was looking at schools, he went down to Fayetteville for an official visit and the decision came down to Arkansas and Kansas.

“Arkansas didn’t have a good hurdles coach that Kansas does,” Porter said. “I’m excited to go back there, it looks like it will be fun to run out there,”

Today the Jayhawks compete in the Arkansas Twilight in Fayetteville. It’s the Jayhawks’ last regular season meet before competing at the Big 12 Conference Outdoor Championships.

“It’s our last opportunity before the Big 12s to prepare ourselves for the Big 12s and we’re looking forward to going there,” coach Stanley Redwine said.

Today’s meet is the second time this season that the team has competed at Arkansas, a place the team has become familiar with.

“It’s up there with some of the best facilities in track and field,” junior pole-vaulter Ryan Hays said. Hays said the Arkansas Twilight was different from other meets because of its schedule of events.

“It’s fun because it’s a little bit later and you’re not under the hot sun like we usually are,” Hays said.

For freshman Rebeka Stowe, who will compete in the steeplechase today, getting a victory could lead to two things: regionally qualifying for the Midwest Regionals and possibly qualifying for the US Juniors Championships. Collegiate athletes have the opportunity of competing at the Juniors Championships if they are 19 or younger.

For Stowe, taking on the challenge of the Steeplechase has been enjoyable.

“It’s been different,” Stowe said. “I’ve enjoyed the challenges of the hurdles and it just adds another aspect to running, and that’s good for me.”

Like Stowe, senior Patrick McGowan will also compete in the steeplechase. But McGowan, a Springdale, Ark., native, is considering today a home meet because it’s only 15 minutes from where he lived during high school.

“I have a lot of family and friends coming to watch,” McGowan said. “This weekend is my mom’s birthday; hopefully I run well and give her an early birthday present.”

McGowan last competed in the steeplechase at the Kansas Relays, where he came in second, but said the race was positive and was ready to go out and run a good time at the next meet.

For Kansas’ relay teams, the Arkansas Twilight is a chance to regionally qualify after coming up short at other meets.

“We’ve only been a tenth of a second off,” sophomore Kendra Bradley said about their 4X400 relay performance. “We’ve changed our relay up and everyone’s feeling better so I think we can go out and get it this weekend.”

This weekend will feature the debut of the men’s 4X100 relay team, which will be made up of junior Reggie Carter, sophomore Alex Carey, freshmen Keyen Porter and freshman Keith Hayes.

The Jayhawks currently have 11 athletes who have regionally qualified in 13 events. Redwine said he was eager for the opportunity to double that number at today’s meet.

“It would be nice to triple that number,” Redwine said with a smile.

— — Edited by Grant Treaster