PAGE 6
MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2013
KANSAS RELAYS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Kansas finishes strong, wins final Relays events at home
COLIN WRIGHT
cwright@kansan.com
The finale of the 86th Kansas Relays came down to the men's and women's 4x400 meter relays, and Kansas gave the crowd at Memorial Stadium the finish they were looking for as both Jayhawk squads captured first place.
The women's team of Denesha Morris, Diamond Dixon, Taylor Washington and Paris Daniels, which had recorded the fastest time in prelals, finished with a time of 3 minutes 32.94 seconds, just a second slower than the record the team set in 2012.
neck with Kansas for the majority of the race but finished second with a time of 3:34.95, followed by Lincoln University's third-place finish in 3:38.51.
The All Stars, comprised of professional sprinters, were neck and
Not wanting to leave the Relays on a sour note, the men's 4x400-meter quartet of DeMario Johnson, Michael Hester, Michael Stigler and Kyle Clemons came from behind to win in a time of 3.07.78.
It was Clemons who ran the anchor and passed Nebraska anchor Cody Rush on the final lap to deliver one of the most dramatic finishes of the season. He looked up to the scoreboard and kicked one last time to hold onto first place.
"I got to get this for my team," Clemons said when asked about
what was going through his mind when he was neck-and-neck with Rush on the final lap. "Just got to get that 'W', got to get that win for the home crowd."
Kansas did get both wins to finish the 86th edition of the storied event. There is more work to be done by Kansas' men and women's teams, but they enjoyed showcasing their talents in front of a home crowd.
Clemons said Saturday would rank as his number-one day as a track and field athlete. "There's no place like home," Clemons said.
Edited by Brian Sisk
KANSAS RELAYS
Handoffs prove vital as relay team scrapes out home victory
MAX GOODWIN
mggoodwin@kansan.com
As freshman Ben Brownlee ran down the backstretch at Memorial Stadium, junior Dominique Manley stood near the finish line awaiting his turn to run the final leg of the two-mile relay for the Jay hawks.
Manley took the handoff with a lead of about 10 feet ahead of the second place Iowa Central Community College runner
Kuaniyal Chol, who Manley
remembered from a year ago. Chol
was the runner who chased down the Kansas team last year at the Kansas Relays; Manley said he wasn't going to let that happen again.
There were some nerves from the Kansas team, which included Manley, Brownlee and juniors Dalen Fink and Nick Seckfort, who both watched from the infield as Chol passed Manley on the first of two laps. However, Manley was able to stay within close rane.
"I just thought, 'I have to win this for my team." Manley said.
Down the last straightaway of the relay, Manley knew he had enough speed left to pull ahead
"Last year, he caught my teammate. I couldn't let that happen two years in a row." Manley said.
and make his move about 20 meters from the finish.
Kansas finished the two-mile race in 7 minutes 44.08 seconds, just 0.91 seconds ahead of Iowa Central Community College.
It was only the second time during the outdoor season that Kansas has run the two-mile relay, but the runners felt it was a solid race.
Handoffs aren't usually a factor in the two-mile relay, but the four Kansas runners said the handoffs they made were smooth enough without losing speed that it gave them an advantage in the end.
"If it comes down to the wire, it can make a difference," Fink said.
Edited by Elise Reuter
The Environment & Energy:
The Role of Free Enterprise and the Government
Tuesday, April 23, 7:30 p.m. at the Dole Institute
What's the proper role of the federal government in protecting the environment? Former Congressman Bob Inglis served on the House Science Committee and believes that free enterprise can address many environmental problems where others call for government action. Inglis is Executive Director of the Energy & Enterprise Initiative, an organization that advocates free-enterprise solutions for a long-term, stable energy policy to achieve energy security and avoid the unnecessary risks of a changing climate.
Pizza & Politics:
Lawrence's Letterman
FREE PIZZA and a discussion on the talk show business, working in the media and community leadership. Pizza & Politics is an informal FREE PIZZA lunch on campus where distinguished guest speakers candidly talk with students about their expertise in life and career.
with Mike Anderson of The Not So Late Show Tuesday, April 23, 12:00-1:15 p.m. in Parlor ABC, Kansas Union, 5th Fl
The 2013 Dole Lecture
Thursday, May 2, 7:30 p.m. at the Dole Institute
IKE is a personal hero of Bob Dole's, and the Dole Institute is proud to be honoring President Eisenhower's life and legacy with the annual Dole Lecture. Are you aware of the effort to honor IKE
with a memorial on the national mall? Authorized in 1999 by an act of Congress, the Eisenhower Memorial Commission seeks to build a memorial fitting this great American and Kansan. Brigadier General Carl Reddel, Executive Director of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission will talk about what Eisenhower means to America, as well as the status of building this national icon's memorial.
All programs are free & open to the public.
www.DoleInstitute.org 785.864.4900 Facebook/Twitter
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
Dixon disappoints, shifts focus to senior season
KANSAS RELAYS
Junior sprinter Diamond Dixon checks her time from the Women's 400 meter Invitational Dash on the final day of the Kansas Relays on Saturday. Dixon placed sixth in the invitational with a time of 53.63 seconds, which would have placed her first in the women's collegiate 400 meter.
MAX GOODWIN
mgoodwin@kansan.com
Junior sprinter Diamond Dixon has earned more accolades in her time at Kansas than most runners accomplish in their entire careers. She has been a Big 12 champion, a national champion and even an Olympic gold medalist.
On Saturday in the 400 meter invitational of the Kansas Relays, Dixon learned that nothing comes easily against world-class competitors; she finished sixth.
"They're not just gonna give it to me," Dixon said. "I have to work for it."
Dixon expected better than her time of 53.63 seconds.
A year ago, Dixon ran a time of 51.80 and finished second behind Olympic bronze medalist DeeDee Trotter. She was stunned and excited that she had actually competed with professional sprinters. On Saturday, Dixon was disappointed and made no attempt to hide it.
"I don't feel good at all," Dixon said. "I didn't like my time, but it is what it is."
Trotter, who made another trip to the Relays this year, ran in the 400 meter invitational again, but her time was not recorded, as there
Dixon had surgery because of a hernia during the fall indoor season, and this race was the first 400 meter race of her season, but Dixon said she felt good going into it. There's no reason to believe that Dixon is "falling off", Trotter said after the race.
was some confusion about whether she was scheduled to compete.
It was Novlene Williams-Mills, a three-time Olympic bronze medalist from Jamaica, who won the race in a time of 51.68 seconds.
"I've heard of her, and from what I've heard, she's a very fierce competitor." Williams-Mills said.
There was some obvious disappointment for Trotter as well, as she finished in the middle of the pack.
Williams-Mills, a 2004 University of Florida graduate, knew about Dixon before Saturday's race from watching indoor nationalals and seeing Dixon run at the 2012 Olympics as part of the 4x400 relay pool.
"I would want a better time, but it's my first race," Williams-Mills said. "It's a good feeling just to do what my training has been for. It's a starting point."
There is a mental and physical test that comes with being a collegiate athlete talented enough to compete in the summer Olympics, as Dixon did this past year.
Dixon still has her eyes set on the 2016 Olympics and said this race is just the beginning of that preparation. The proof that Dixon is capable of competing with the fastest 400 meter runners in the world is still there despite the disappointment she suffered on Saturday.
"I still expect big things from her." Trotter said. "I still see her as one of our future 400 meter stars."
"A lot of people don't understand what it takes to train an extra four to six weeks after your NCAA championships, after Olympic trials, then go compete, then you come home, and sometimes it can play a negative role on your season," said Trotter, who attended the University of Tennessee while also competing for team USA. "She's been in a position where I've been before."
Edited by Allison Hammond
The effects of such a grueling schedule are both mental and physical, Trotter said. She expected to see Dixon go through a phase like this one.