Volume 126 Issue 110
kansan.com
Monday. April 21, 2014
+
+ v
BEN BURCH
sports@kansan.com
More than 90 years ago, former University of Kansas football coach John Outland had an idea. Being from the East and observing events like the Penn Relays before he came to Kansas, he had seen what world-class college track meets were like. Since the University did not have this kind of event at the time, he decided to make one.
Working with former athletics director and basketball coach Phog Allen and former track and field coach Karl Schlademan, Outland realized his goal of creating the first Kansas Relays at Memorial Stadium on April 20, 1923.
Over the decades that followed, memories of Olympic
athletes and record-breaking performances formed, collected and stuck to the track at Memorial Stadium. Every year, people could see the physical representation of those memories, watching the event take place on the same track that every athlete in the event's history had competed on.
But this year, at the 87th Kansas Relays, it was a little different. For the first time, the event was moved from Memorial Stadium, transferring to the newly-constructed, state-of-the-art facility at Rock Chalk Park, which is the new home for the event. But while the event over the weekend was different because of the genesis of Rock Chalk Park, it was still a success as University athletes created new memories in their new home. In all, the
Jayhawks claimed titles in 13 events, giving the home crowd a good welcoming to the new facility.
For Jayhawks who had competed in the Kansas Relays at Memorial Stadium in previous years, like junior Michael
said. "The new facility was great and we brought home a lot of individual titles ... so I think it was a great way for our team to open up the Kansas Relays at Rock Chalk Park."
"The new facility was great and we brought home a lot of individual titles ... so I think it was a great way for our team to open up the Kansas Relays at Rock Chalk Park."
Stigler was able to grab one of these individual titles on
MICHAEL STIGLER
Junior
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
Junior
Saturday, taking first in the 400-meter hurdles. The fact that Stigler won the event was impressive in itself, but when you take a closer look at his time, it becomes even more impressive. Stigler's 49.35 is
Stigler, this year's meet, even though it was in a new location, felt like the same historic event.
"The Kansas Relays is going to be the Kansas Relays no matter where it's set." Stigler
not only the fastest 400-meter hurdles time in the NCAA this outdoor season, but it is the fifth-fastest time in the world so far in 2014. This performance, combined with his role in the first-place 4x100 meter relay team, made Stigler one of the weekend's standouts and led to him being named the Most Outstanding Male Performer at this year's Kansas Relays.
"It just feels like all my hard work and all the preparation me and my coaches have been doing up until this point is finally starting to pay off", Stigler said. "Obviously being ranked that high in the world is a big deal and it's a great feeling, but it's still just more motivation to keep getting better."
Stigler was not the only Jayhawk that turned out a
gold-worthy performance on Saturday, as three University women won three events in a row on the final day of the meet. Sophomore Hannah Richardson kicked this run off in the 1,500 meters, running a 4:29.68 to give Richardson her first Kansas Relays individual victory.
Minutes later, junior Lindsay Vollmer, who was practicing a few events over the weekend in preparation for the heptathlon at the Big 12 Championships in mid-May, captured the win in the 100-meter hurdles. Her winning time of 13.49 was a new personal best in the event.
"I felt like I had a very solid weekend, especially in the hurdles." Vollmer said. "It was exciting to come out and have
SEE RELAYS PAGE 6