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FEATURE
ATHLETES THRILL, RECORDS FALL AT KANSAS RELAYS
83rd annual Kansas Relays were a showcase of top performances by athletes from around the country
Collin Johnson/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Andrea Geubelle, a freshman from University Place, Wash., competes in the women's triple jump Friday afternoon. Geubelle placed third in the event with a distance of 12.7 meters.
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By Kory Carpenter kcarpenter@kansan.com
While many Jayhawks finished off the 83rd Kansas Relays with first-place finishes, the real story was the obvious one. Veronica Campbell-Brown set the meet record in the women's 200-meter dash Saturday afternoon. The five-time Olympic medalist finished with a time of 22.23 seconds, a full second ahead of the second-place finisher. The Jamaica native was joined by her husband Omar Brown, who won the men's 200-meter dash, clocking in at 20.84 seconds. Brown is the only woman in Olympic history to defend her 200-meter crown, winning gold in both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games.
American spinner Ivory Williams also set a Relays record. His time of 9.95 seconds in the men's 100-meter dash earned him Kansas Relays MVP honors. The previous record stood at 10.01, held by Brendan Christian since the 2007 season.
Another Relays record broken was the women's 4x400-meter relay. The all-star team quartet of Shellene Williams, Valerie Brown, Kineke Alexander and Halimat Ismali set the new record with a 3:35.65 finish.
Nike's Dexter Faulk set the nation's fourthfastest time in the 110-meter hurdles. The former Barton County Community College hurdler made his first Relays appearance as a professional. His time of 13.55 seconds earned him the title in the invitational event, which he also won as a collegiate athlete in 2003.
Kansas thrower Mason Finley squeaked out a discus title with a seven-inch edge over opponent Michael Torie. The Kansas freshman also holds the Pan American Juniors record in the same event.
Another Kansas freshman, Kyle Clemons captured the 400-meter dash crown with a time of 46.94, a season best for the runner.
Kansas also claimed victory in the men's 1,500-meter run as sophomore Donny Wasinger earned gold with a season-best time of 3:51.55.
One of the weekend's closest finishes came in the men's 110-meter hurdles. Lehann Fourie of Nebraska earned gold, but the battle for second was too close to call. Kansas' Keith Hayes and Kansas State's Jeffery Julmis finished a mere two hundredths of a second
apart, with the edge going to Julmis.
The University of Nebraska men and women felt right at home this weekend with gold medal performances in a number of events. They swept the 4x100-meter relays, with the men finishing at 40.58 while the women clocked in at 46.73.
The Cornhuskers also captured the top two spots in the women's 100-meter hurdles. Karyn Lacour stood atop the podium with a time of 13.70, while teammate Arna Erega finished second in 13.78 seconds.
Another Cornhusker, Amanda Latsch earned gold in both the women's shot put on Friday and discus on Saturday with a distance of 48.44m.Not to be outdone,Nebraska runner Eric Lund earned the top spot in the men's 400-meter hurdles.His time of 51.24 put him comfortably in first place.
Missouri men and women also swept the two-mile relays. The Tigers have been very successful in the event, named for former Kansas coach Bob Timmons. The men have captured nine titles while the women have won the event five times.
In the women's 5,000 meters, it was never even close. Emily Sisson (unattached) blew away her competitors with a final time of 16:20.44. Kansas standout Lauren Bonds finished second, but was still a full 36 seconds behind Sissons.
The Tiger men also won the sprint medley relays with a final time of 3:36.67. Missouri sophomore Blake Irwin joined his teammates atop the podiums with 1st place in the men's 800-meter run. Irwin finished with a time of 1:50.52.
In the field events, the men's long jump title was given to Kansas City Community College's Malcolm Pennix. Bettie Wade (unattached) earned top honors on the women's side.
For the fourth time in his career, Jacob Pauli won the men's pole vaulting title with a height of 7.32m. After earning a collegiate title while at Northern Iowa in 2000, Pauli has now captured three titles while competing professionally for Nike.
The large turnout of more than 5,000 athletes made these Relays the second largest meet of the year, which included high school, college, and the Olympic athletes who highlighted the event.
THE WAVE APRIL 21,2010
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN