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THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014
TRACK AND FIELD
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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Jayhawk athletes prepare for indoor championships
BEN BURCH
sports@kansan.com
For most athletes on the Kansas men's and women's track teams, the indoor season is over and it's time to gear up for the outdoor opener in Austin, Texas, on March 23. But, for four Jayhawk athletes, there is some unfinished business they must attend to this weekend.
These four athletes, seniors Diamond Dixon and Natalia Bartnovskaya and sophomore Sydney Conley on the women's side, and senior Alex Bishop, on the men's side, are the four Jayhawks that qualified and will be competing in the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., this Friday and Saturday. As the Kansas women's team has recorded runner-up finishes in both of the last two Indoor Championships, they will look to make it over the hump to claim the Kansas women's first NCAA Indoor title.
women's squad will be sending out this weekend, they have a good shot at succeeding this weekend.
Coach Stanley Redwine believes with the experienced and talented athletes the
"I'm excited about the athletes we have out here," Redwine said. "We have experience, and having experienced athletes in
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
Lindsay Vollmer, a junior from Hamilton, Mo., was the 2013 Big 12 indoor pentathlon champion.
"I think she's had one of the best seasons ever, maybe going to be the best season ever, so I don't think her career or her season is defined by this one meet."
STANLEY REDWINE Coach
a meet like this is really good." One of these experienced athletes is Bartnovskaya, who just last season won the indoor pole vault crown at this very same meet. Coming off a runner-up finish at the Big 12 Championships two weeks ago, Bartnovskaya is gearing up to defend her title this weekend.
It is worth mentioning that Bartnovskaya will run out of eligibility before the outdoor
season begins, making this weekend's meet her final meet as a Jayhawk. In light of this, Redwine reiterates that even though Bartnovskaya wants to do well in Albuquerque, no matter what happens this weekend, she has had an illustrious career as a Jayhawk.
"She cannot control the fact that she will not be able to compete in outdoor... She just is focusing on being successful at this competition," Redwine said. "But...(as a) multiple time All-American and National Champion...she'll always be remembered as one of the KU greats."
Like Bartnovskaya, Dixon is also an athlete who is looking to win a second indoor title in an event. She looks to once again take the 400-meter crown, which she won as a sophomore in 2012. Whether or not she wins outright, Dixon, who was just named Midwest Track Athlete of the Year on Monday, could still make history this weekend as she looks to grab a fourth-consecutive First-Team All-American in the 400 meters. If she receives this honor, it would make her the
first Kansas female athlete to receive four consecutive First-Team All-American spots in a single indoor event.
Redwine said that although Dixon has had great success in her previous three seasons as a Jayhawk, her performance throughout this indoor season is shaping up to go down as one of the best all time, even if she doesn't have the weekend she hopes to have.
"I think she's had one of the best seasons ever, maybe going to be the best season ever, so I don't think her career or her
season is defined by this one meet," Redwine said.
Conley is looking to make waves in her first NCAA Indoor Championship meet. Her success all season, including a runner-up finish in the long jump at the Big 12 meet, gives hope that Conley can grab a spot that will put the women's squad in a good position to place well as a team.
Considering Bishop is the only male Jayhawk athlete competing this weekend, he hopes that his individual performance in the pole vault
will do well to represent Kansas track & field. Although he was unable to repeat his 2013 pole vault conference title at the Big 12 meet, Bishop will look to become the first Kansas male athlete to receive All-American honors in the indoor pole vault since Jordan Scott's third-place finish at the 2009 NCAA meet.
The meet will kick off at 11 a.m. (CT) in the ABQ Convention Center on Friday, March 14, and will wrap up around 9:20 p.m. on Saturday, March 15.
Edited by Julie Etzler
GOLF
Jayhawks take 12th at Louisiana Classics
The Kansas Men's Golf team finished in 12th place after Monday and Tuesday's rounds in Lafayette, La., at the Louisiana Classics Invitational. The Jayhawks played three rounds on the par 72 course, finishing with a combined total of (+3) on the par 864. Illinois took first place with a score of 839 and 60 strokes ahead of the Jayhawks.
Freshman Chase Hanna led the Jayhawks with a (+4), finishing in 25th place. Sophomore Ben
Welle finished with a (+6), and sophomore Connor Peck, junior Logan Philley and sophomore David Auer all finished in the top 75.
David Auer spent most of Monday working out the kinks and shaking off some rust, since it was his first collegiate tournament in two years. Tuesday, however, was much kinder to him. Auer's final round was highlighted by three straight birdies, bringing his total birdie count for the tournament to seven.
The team will travel to Phoenix, Ariz., for the Desert Shootout from March 20 to 22.
Daniel Harmsen
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