Kansas posts four victories at Arkansas Meet
The Jayhawks continued their success at an Arkansas meet with strong showings in the shot put, hammer throw and pole vault.
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008
Jordan Scott still wasn’t satisfied. Despite posting his season-best pole vault at the Arkansas Twilight Meet, the sophomore felt he could have done better.
After clearing the winning height of 5.31 meters, Scott’s attempt at the next level proved daunting. Scott knocked the bar with his hand after nearly clearing it. Still, he thought the day was a success.
“It was fun because the weather was gorgeous,” he said. “It was just like a big practice with friends from other schools, but it actually counted. It was a great atmosphere.”
Joining Scott in his success at the Arkansas Twilight meet were several other Jayhawks. Senior sprinter and hurdler Ashley Brown regionally qualified for nationals in the 100-meter hurdles with her time of 13.68 seconds.
Photo by Weston White
Senior hurdler Ashley Brown gets ready to land after coming over the last hurdle. Brown finished with a time of 13.73 seconds Saturday afternoon at the Kansas Relays.
Brown has been plagued by weather and injuries this season. She posted several regionally qualifying times earlier this season, but because of wind speeds, those times were not eligible. If wind speeds exceed four mph at the beginning of a race, the times cannot be accepted as qualifying marks.
Despite the difficult season, Brown is still optimistic about the Big 12 Conference Championships, to be held from May 16 to 18. Even though Brown was seeded higher in the Big 12 last season, she is still excited to compete next weekend.
“You always want to be sitting on top, but I think it’s less pressure for me than it was last year,” she said.
Senior Egor Agafonov won his ninth consecutive competition, winning the hammer throw with an impressive toss of 67.56 meters.
For the women, junior Stephanie Horton took home her second victory in a row in the women’s shot put with her throw of 15.73 meters.
Rounding out the victories for Kansas was the women’s 1,600-meter relay team. They improved on their regional qualifying mark with a new time of 3 minutes, 35.81 seconds. The new time is the second best 1,600-meter relay in KU history.
With the conclusion of the last regular meet at the Arkansas Twilight, the Jayhawks now look forward to the Big 12 Conference Championships in Boulder, Colo. on May 16.
Some feel that Boulder’s altitude of 5,430 feet might have an effect on the athletes.
Brown, for one, is competing in four events in one day and feels that her recovery after each event might be hindered by the thinner air.
Head coach Stanley Redwine doesn’t think the altitude will have much effect on the results, as Colorado will be the only team to partially benefit.
“When it’s time to race, it’s time to race,” Redwine said. “If you look for excuses going in, you’re probably going to find them. We can’t control the altitude, but we can control what we’re trying to do and we have to go in and compete our very best.”
With a week off from competition, the Jayhawks should be rested for the meet and ready to compete.
—Edited by Russell Davies
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