THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, JUNE 9, 2014
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PAGE 13
TRACK AND FIELD
AARON GROENE/KANSAN
Senior Diamond Dixon is just one leg of the women's 4x100 team that Kansas is sending to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., on June 11.
Ten Jayhawks to compete in championship
SAM DAVIS
sports@kansan.com
Kansas will once again be well represented at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Two weeks ago, ten Jayhawks-four men and six women-earned a spot to compete in the national meet this week from June 11-14 in Eugene, Ore.
Due to the group's small size, neither the men's nor the women's team is expected to nab a first-place finish, but it is very likely that a few of the athletes will return to Lawrence with trophies in hand.
This is not the first trip to the national meet for half of the veteran crew competing for Kansas this week-five of the athletes attended NCAA Championships in previous years. Junior Lindsay Vollmer will be attempting to defend her national
title in the heptathlon. Vollmer, who was last year's national champion, is projected by Track and Field News to come in second behind Georgia freshman Kendell Williams.
Senior discus thrower Jessica Maroszek is also expected to come in second following a fourth-place finish last year. Additionally, long-jumping sophomore Sydney Conley, who finished 17th at nationals her freshman year, has a fighting chance at a trophy as she is also expected to finish in the top ten.
The women's 4x100 meter relay team, led by senior Olympic gold medalist Diamond Dixon, was also able to qualify for the championship despite graduating two senior members last year.
On the men's side, junior hurdler Michael Stigler is projected by Track and Field News to finally take first in
the 400-meter hurdles after a runner-up finish last year and a sixth-place finish his freshman season. In addition to his annual success at the NCAA Championships, Stigler has won three straight Big 12 titles in the 400-meter hurdles.
Stigler will also be competing with the 4x400 meter relay team, a team that includes junior sprinter DeMario Johnson and sophomores Drew Matthews and Jaime Wilson.
The Kansas women may not be able to repeat as national champions but could easily find themselves in the top ten with a couple of first place finishes in the individual events. According to Kyle Terwillegar of the US Track and Field Coaches Association, Texas is expected to take a commanding lead and bring home the national title in the women's competition. The host school, Oregon, is the favorite on
the men's side.
The national meet begins June 11 and concludes Saturday evening. Television coverage begins at 5:55 p.m. Wednesday and continues Thursday on ESPN3. It concludes Friday and Saturday on ESPNU. The full schedule and list of events can be found online on the NCAA's webpage.
Edited by Tom DeHart and Emma LeGault
Name Height Class Event/s From Major
Drew Matthews 6-0 So. 4x400 meter Sammamish, Wash. Business Finance
DeMario Johnson 5-9 Jr. 4x400 meter Junction City, Kan. Sociology
Jaime Wilson 6-1 So. 4x400 meter Old Harbour, Jamaica Undecided
Michael Stigler 5-10 Jr. 4x400 meter, 400-meter hurdles Canyon, Texas Communications
Jessica Maroszek 5-9 Sr. Discus Seymour, Wis. Business
Lindsay Vollmer 5-10 Jr. Heptathlon Hamilton, Mo. Pre-Community Health
Diamond Dixon 5-6 Sr. 4x100 meter Houston, Texas Communications
Alisha Keys 5-4 Jr. 4x100 meter Junction City, Kan. Business Administration
Tianna Valentine 5-2 So. 4x100 meter St. Louis, Mo. Undecided
Sydney Conley 5-9 So. 4x100 meter, Long jump Fayetteville, Ark. Undecided
AWARDS BANQUETI
PUBLIC BOOK SIGNING!
Robin Wayne Bailey Christopher McKitterick
- M.C. Chambers
- Andy Duncan
- Tessa Gratton
- Eric T. Reynolds
- Bryan Thomas Schmidt
- Jeremiah Tolbert
Matthew Jacobson • Kevin Willmott
Kiul Johnson
- Kij Johnson
PUBLIC BOOK SIGNING: Saturday, June 14, 12:45-1:30 pm at Jayhawk Ink, Kansas Union, Level 2
1301 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS 66045
KU GUNN CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF SCIENCE FICTION
JAYHAWK INK
785-864-4439