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B • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
KANSAS RELAYS 2002
FRIDAY,APRIL19,2002
David Johnston sports@kansan.com
Use this guide today to keep up at the Relays
To prepare yourself for the Kansas Relays, you should be armed with a few definitions. These track terms will allow you to follow the Relays and astound your friends in the process. Let's begin.
Relays Watch: The winner of a collegiate or invitational event at the Relays gets a coveted "relays watch." Just ask Marksen senior Brian Blachly or junior Mark Menefee to show you theirs. Hopefully both can add to their collections this weekend.
Mo' Greene: As in Kansas City, Kan., native Maurice Greene, the fastest man alive. Also means "more money" as organizers hope Greene and his Olympic gold medal helps pack the stadium.
Track: When the word "track" is yelled by a competitor, that means someone who is not supposed to be in lane one is about to get run over. You'll either see a collision or someone jump out of his skin.
Redwine: As in Stanley Redwine, Kansas' coach. He is both as complex and as smooth as his name suggests. You'll never meet a more down-to-earth guy with such an insatiable desire to win. This guy is a winner and a class act all the way.
national Champion: See Scott Russell, Kansas' first men's champion since 1980. This senior from Windsor, Ontario, throws a lot of weight. Welcome to the Hall of Fame. Scott.
Wonder: Used to describe the feats of Jennie Wonder, Kansas senior hurdle sensation. Wonder has already qualified for nationals provisionally in the 100-meter hurdles and set a school record indoors in the 60-meter hurdles. You'll wonder how she does it so well.
Sub-four: Kansas grad Jim Ryun was the first high schooler ever to break the magical barrier of four minutes in the mile. Charlie Gruber will attempt to become the third Jayhawk in history to accomplish the feat in a Kansas uniform tomorrow.
Huffman Roll: Scott Huffman didn't become an American Record Holder in the pole vault by looking pretty. He did it by clearing the bar at 19-7 any way he could. Scott's unorthodox style has become famous, so look for him at the Relays tomorrow. The Olympian and 1989 Kansas grad jumps over the bar the same way you or I would jump over a barbed wire fence; any way possible.
Running Brave: No Kansas student should be allowed to graduate without hearing the story of Billy Mills. The Native American Kansas grad won the Olympic 10,000 meter gold medal in 1964 in what many have hailed as the greatest Olympic upset in history. Mills, who is in town for the Relays, spoke Wednesday evening at the Kansas Union prior to a showing of the movie Running Brave, the 1984 film based on his life.
Use these terms to impress your friends at the 75th Kansas Relays.
See you at the Relays!
Johnston was a member of the Kansas track team from '90 to '94.
The 75th annual Kansas Relays run from 8:00 am to 8:15 pm Friday and 8:00 am to 7:30 pm Saturday. Make sure to catch these events:
FRIDAY
10 am - Women's Triple Jump
12:25 pm - Girls 300 Hurdles
3:40 pm - Manga 300
2:40 pm - Mens Distance Medley Relay
6:15 pm - Women's 3000 Steeple chase
6:50 pm - Girls Mile Relay
7:10 pm - Boys Mile Relay
7:30 pm - Womens Mile Relay
7:50 pm - Mens Mile Relay
SATURDAY
1pm-Mens Invitational Shot
2:40 pm - Womens Invitational 200
3 pm - Mens Invitational Pole Vault
5 pm - Al Oerter Mens Discus
5:45 pm - Girls 1600 meter Run
6:45 pm - Mens Invitational Mile
7:15 pm - Mens Invitational 800 Relay
Russell scratches out a win, gets Kansas off on right foot
AARON SHOWALTER/KANSAN
Senior Scott Russell prepares to throw the hammer yesterday at the Kansas Relays. Russell won the event with a heave of 206 feet, 5 inches.
Senior thrower Scott Russell won a foullplagued hammer throw yesterday at the Kansas Relays with his only legal toss, a 206-foot, 5-inch throw in round one.
By Matt Norton Kansan sportswriter
Micah Shanks of Missouri finished second with a throw of 195-7. William Johnston of Rhode Island, who improved on each of his third, fourth and fifth throws only to foul his last throw, finished third with a throw of 188-3.
Russell said he had been plagued by fouls all season long in the event and was searching for something in his technique that he could fix and alleviate the problem.
"I felt like I was on every throw except the last one," Russell said. "I don't know if it was wind or what not, but I was just barely fouling each one."
Russell said he and Doug Reynolds, throws coach, had pinpointed a possible technical reason for his fouls. Russell said a slight lean downward during his release was causing him to move too far forward in the ring, leading to his foot hitting the edge of the circle.
"I think if I can correct that, it will help," Russell said. "We need to get more reps in at practice."
practice Russell hurt his back in practice before the Texas Relays, and has not had much practice time in the hammer since then.
Two of those throws were big,well beyond his season best of 208-9 set at the Texas Relays two weeks ago.
On each of Russell's last three throws yesterday, his right foot just grazed the front of the throwing ring, which was a violation.
This is the third time this season Russell has fouled five times in an event, he said, and it was starting to frustrate him.
"Not being able to have six consecutive throws,being better just kind of sucks," Russell said.
Russell was not the only thrower battling
"Not being able to have six consecutive throws, being better just kid of sucks."
Scott Russell Kansas senior thrower
foils. Shanks had four fouls, as did fifth-place finisher Charlie Perez of Pittsburg State.
Ken Jansson, who competed unattached from a team and finished sixth, was the only thrower not to foul yesterday.
"We've been practicing in this wind all week, so I was used to it," he said. "But you could definitely see a lot of guys weren't used to having that strong headwind."
Jacob Rotich of Harding won the men's 10,000 meters in a time of 30 minutes, 32.63 seconds, the fastest time at the Relays since 1997.
Rotich said he was happy with the victory and glad to be at the Relays.
In other events yesterday, Amber Crumbo of Western Illinois won the women's hammer throw with a mark of 176-3. Jenni Goebel of Illinois-Chicago won the women's 5,000 meters with a time of 17:57.37, Mary Kinyanjiu of Butler County won the women's 10,000 with a time of 37:44.46, Ben Bruce of SD Mesa won the men's 5,000 with a time of 14:50.29, Margaret Miklovic of Missouri Southern won the women's 3,000 meters with a time of 10:03.95, and Jay O'Neill of the Lawrence Sand Rats won the master's mile with a time of 4:56.03.
"It's such a nice environment to run in and I'm happy with my performance," Rotich said.
Contact Norton at mnorton@kansan.com. This story was edited by Brooke Hesler.
Brian Blachly 1500 meters Distance Medley Relay
SENIOR EVENTS
Charlie Gruber Mile Distance Medley Relay
Derec Lacio
800 meters
4 x 800 Relay
Pete Prince 3000 meter Steeplechase
Scott Russell
Hammer
Throw
Discus Throw
Andy Morris
100 meters
100 Hurdles
Pole Vault
Jabari Wamble 400 meters Distance Medley Relay
Andrea Bulat Javelin Throw
Courtney
Deutsch
1500 meters
800 meters
Erika Hamel Long Jump
Katy Eisen-
menger
1500 meters
Distance Med-
ley Relay
Jennifer Foster
Hammer
Throw
Discus Throw
Ashley Pyle Pole Vault
Kerry Fink 400 Hurdles
Jennie Wonder
400 Hurdles
100 Hurdles
.
SARA SHEPHERD/KANSAN
Ben Winter of Oklahoma goes over the bar during the high jump portion of the decathlon on Wednesday. Winter finished fourth overall with 6522 points.
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