Monday, February 22, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 7
Track team misses top-5 finish
Individuals outshine squad's performance
Kevin McGinn receives the first-place medal for the men's one-mile run at the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championship. The event was held in Manhattan on Friday and Saturday. Photo by Eric Sahmann/Kansas
By Mike Miller
Kansan sportswriter
Four points kept the Kansas men's track team from finishing in the top five, but its seventh-place overall finish at the Big 12 Indoor Championships at Kansas State was highlighted by four individual titles.
Texas blew everyone away by winning the men's and women's team titles.
Scott Russell dominated the weight throw, but the drama of the day belonged to runners Charlie Gruber and Kevin McGinn.
"On the men's side, we had a great meet," coach Gary Schwartz said. "We just had a super meet. A lot of people stepped it up for us in this championship."
On the first throw, Scott shut the door. He totally blew everyone else's mind. Schwartz said.
No one stepped up more than Russell, an All-American who also placed fourth in the shot put. His weight throw of 73 feet 6 inches set a new Big 12 Conference, meet and school record. The throw smashed the rest of the field by almost 10
the rest of the field by almost 10 feet.
Russell said he never even thought about reveling in his feat.
thought about revealing in his seat. "The throw speaks for itself. If you smoke somebody, they know it," he said.
McGinn's win in the mile run was exciting, coming down to the last 10 feet when McGinn edge out an Oklahoma State runner for the win
"We went out at a decent pace, but then it relaxed and that played to my favor," he said.
The title was the first of the year for the runner, who had been hampered by an injured foot during the last two weeks. But the injury did not enter his mind because he said he would not let himself think of getting any place other than first.
"Once I got out there it felt good and I knew it was going to be my day." McGinn said.
Although McGinn's strategy was to wait until the end and sprint past the competition, Gruber's was the exact opposite.
Gruber took the lead early in his .000-meter race and never relinquished it, despite a challenge with side
two lanes remaining.
"I had no idea where everyone else was around me. I just got out in front and ran scared." he said.
His time of 2:25:30 gave him a personal best and a conference title.
Pole vaulter Colby Miller also set a new personal best with a vault of 17 feet, 4 1/2 inches, earning him second place overall, while teammates Garrett Attig and Greg Steele finished sixth and seventh, respectively.
Despite the solid showing, jumps coach Rick Attig hoped for more.
"I really felt all three guys would jump over 16-10, because they're ready to do it," he said.
Other top-10 performances by Eric Patterson, sixth in 60-meter high hurdles; Lester Smith, sixth in the long jump and triple jump; Brian Jensen, fifth in the 5,000-meter run; and Ryan Speers, seventh in the shot put, rounded out the men's
Though the women's team finished a disappointing 12th, sophomore All-American Andrea Branson set a new Big 12 meet and school record in the pole vault with a mark of 12 feet, 9 1/2 inches, breaking teammate Candy Mason's one-year record of 12 feet 7 inches.
"I knew a conference title could happen, but it hasn't set in yet," Branson said.
The vault tied her for third nationally and automatically qualified her for the NCAA Indoor Championships.
A lot of my friends kept telling me that I'd better expect to win, but I doubt I'll make a big deal of it," she said. "If coach thinks it's a big deal, then it is, but I want to focus on nationals."
Teammate Shannon Agee also vaulted well, finishing fourth with a vault of 11 feet, 33/4 inches.
— Edited by Jodi Smith
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