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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2014
TRACK AND FIELD
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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Jayhawks break records at invitational in New York City
BEN BURCH
sports@kansan.com
Senior Alex Bishop is standing at the beginning of the runway, a long fiberglass pole in his hands. And his mind is clear. He knows what his strategy is. He even wrote down some cues the night before. "Swing fast." "Run through the
takeoff". "Have fun!"
He remembers the cues and thought about them before he stepped up to the runway. But now it's time. He stands looking up at the bar that is 5.45 meters off the ground, higher than any bar he's
clear Saturday at the Armory Collegiate Invitational in New York City was not only a personal record, but it put him at No. 5 in the NCAA rankings.
"It was absolutely awesome," Bishop said. "We've been working really hard this entire fall...and it was just a matter of time before the results showed."
"I thought it was a good meet for both the men's and women's teams. We had some really good performances on both sides so we're excited about where we stand."
cleared in competition. And his mind is clear.
STANLEY REDWINE Coach
He breathes in and out then takes off with swift steps. He plants the pole in the box and flings himself upward, contorting his body up and over the bar with little room to spare. Floating back down to the mat, Bishop lands, adrenalized that the bar still sits untouched above him. But the excitement can only last a couple seconds. Bishop has to focus on clearing the 5.50-meter bar next.
formances came from senior Diamond Dixon, who has been tearing up the track all season. On Friday, Dixon ran a 1:10.06 in her first career 500-meter race. The time was not only the best at the tournament and a school record, but it was the ninth fastest time in the event in NCAA history, currently putting her at No.
Bishop did not make it over the 5.50-ineter bar, but the 5.45-meter bar that he did
Bishop was not the only Jayhawk to have a good performance at the two-day tournament last Friday and Saturday, as the teams had a number of personal records and victories, especially on the No.11 ranked women's team, which took home fourth place overall in a difficult field.
GEORGE MULLININX/KANSAN
Freshman thrower Mitchell Cooper launches the weight during the Jayhawk Classic on Jan. 24. Cooper placed sixth overall, with 15.81m, 15.27m, 14.64m, FOUL, 14.97m and 15.32m throws.
"I thought it was a good meet for both the men's and women's teams," coach Stanley Redwine said. "We had some really good performances on both sides so we're excited about where we stand."
One of these notable per-
1 in the NCAA rankings. On Saturday, less than 24 hours later, Dixon took third in the 200-meter with a time of 23.83, the second best time in her career, which put her inside the top 25 for that event as well.
"It was exciting to see [Dixon] win the [500-meter] with the time that she ran," Redwine said.
Also breaking records with the women's 4x800 meter relay team. The team of freshman Whitney Adams, sophomore Kelli McKenna, freshman Lydia Saggau and sophomore Rhavean King posted a combined time of 8:51.19, taking the victory by over five seconds and breaking a school record that stood for over 30 years. The quartet's time was also the fastest time in the NCAA so far this season.
On the men's side, besides Bishop's career performance, junior James Wilson also set a personal best in the 3,000-meter race. Wilson crossed the finish line at 8:11.09, giving him the event victory and putting him in the top five in the Big 12 in the event.
The Kansas track and field teams will be back in action this Friday. The teams will split up, some athletes competing in the Tyson Invitational in
Fayetteville, Ark., which starts at noon on Friday Feb. 14, and some athletes heading to Ames, Iowa, for the ISU Classic, which kicks off at 11 a.m. Friday morning.
- Edited by Amber Kasselman
SOFTBALL
FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
Sophomore infielder Chaley Brickey throws the ball towards first during the April 24, 2013, softball game against the UMKC Roos. The Jayhawks defeated the Roos 4-0.
Kansas softball had an up and down series at the University of Central Florida Invitational this weekend, finishing 1-2, falling against UCF and South Dakota, while edging out Chattanooga. Two of the games, against LIU Brooklyn and Fordham University were canceled due to weather.
Kansas falls short at UCF Invitational
In the season opener against UCF, sophomore Kelsey Kessler had seven strikeouts, walking two and allowed just one hit.
UCF allowed Kansas two hits. The first base hit of the season for Kansas was by senior Alex Jones. The other Jayhawk connecting was junior Maddie Stein.
In the second match of the day, against South Dakota, the Jayhawks fell to South Dakota, 5-1. Pitchers during the game were junior Alicia Pille and Jones. Pille recorded the loss, allowing two hits and three
AMIE JUST sports@kansan.com
earned runs over the three innings. While she struck out five, she also walked three. Jones allowed one hit and two runs, while committing two errors.
On the offensive side, the Jayhawks recorded eight hits. Sophomore Chaley Brickey, senior Taylor Hatfield and Jones all connected twice. Senior Ashley Newman and freshman Harli Ridling rounded out the other two with one hit apiece.
Not helping the cause was the fact that 12 Kansas runners were stranded on base during the game.
"What we were missing was clutch hits," said coach Megan Smith.
Both games the next day were rained out due to a storm cell forming over the softball complex.
A win against Chattanooga rounded out the Invitational. Kessler was on the mound, recording the win.
"Kelsey was dominant," said
Smith. "She was dominant Friday too, but we just couldn't scrape together a run for her. We played as a team [today] and it was good to get out of here with a win."
The win against Chattanooga gives the team momentum as they prepare for their next tournament starting Friday, Feb.14.
“[Kelsey] moved the ball really, really well, and her rise ball was looking really good. She was really posed and confident. You could tell she got more confident as the game went on,” said Smith.
five different Jayhawks recorded hits including Jones, Newman, Brickey, Stein and Hatfield. Stein had two hits on the day, with the rest of the squad having one each.
Edited by Kaitlyn Klein
Kessler recorded a career-best 15 strikeouts. She allowed four hits, zero walks and zero runs.
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