KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2010 / SPORTS
3B
TRACK & FIELD
KANSAS RELAYS
KU runners victorious in middle-distance Relays event
Sophomore distance runner Corinne Christensen shows off the women's 4400 distance medley trophy on the podium following Friday afternoon's first place victory alongside teammates Lauren Bonds, Anna Barber, and Rebeka Stowe. Kansas finished with a 17 second lead with a time of 12:00.70.
BY ZACH GETZ
zgetz@kansan.com
Kansas won both the men's and women's 1,500 meter events at the Kansas Relays on Saturday.
In the women's race Kansas took the top two spots. Sophomores Rebeka Stowe and Corinne Christensen led most of the race, but Kansas State's Boglark Bozzay took over the lead with about 200 meters left. The Kansas duo would not allow the rival to spoil their home meet and quickly overtook Bozzay before the final 100 meters.
In the homestretch it was all Stowe, who broke apart from her teammate to comfortably win with a time of 4:28.69 while Christensen finished second with a time of 4:31.26.
Christensen said she and Stowe had a friendly rivalry going into the meet.
"Both of our goals were to beat each other," Christensen said.
Stowe said she was happy with the first place finish, but has bigger goals in mind.
"I'm hoping to make some big improvements over the rest of the year and maybe even make it to nationals." Stowe said. "This is an exciting win, but I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do."
Freshman Kathleen Thompson finished in last place with a time of 5.08.76, but was battling allergies during the Kansas Relays, and said she was disappointed with the outcome.
The men's race was much closer with different runners taking the lead throughout the race. In the final lap sophomore Don Wasinger battled Pittsburg State's Mujahid Hassaballa, and in the final 100 meters it was an open race. But Wasinger pulled it together in the last 50 meters and won the race with a time of 3:51.55 - .44 seconds better than Hassaballa, who place second.
Wasinger said Hassaballa gave him a scare at the end of the race.
"I was a little bit worried but I
Last year at the Relays, Wasinger placed fifth in the 1500 event with a time of 3:49.03.
w able to pull it together, so I'm happy." Wasinger said.
Kansas' other two racers had less-than memorable performances with sophomore Greg Bussing finishing sixth with a time of 3:54.96 and sophomore Kaleb
Humphreys finished in last place with a time of 4:01.29.
"I could've done better, and it wasn't a very strong performance for me," Humphreys said. "I felt I
was in the race until the last lap, and then my legs kind of tightened up."
— Edited by Kate Larrabee
DISTANCE MEDLEY
Women earn first in relay, finish 17 seconds ahead of K-State team
BY MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
In unsurprising fashion, Kansas won first place in the women's distance medley relay Friday at Memorial Stadium. Sophomore Corinne Christensen, junior Anna Barber, senior Lauren Bonds and sophomore Rebeka Stowe were the favorites going in, and predictably ousted the competition, finishing the 4,400 yard medley in just over 12 minutes.
Spencer Walsh/KANSAN
Sophomore distance runner Don Wasinger shakes hands with an opponent after the Men's 1500 Meter Run. Wasinger won first place, helping KU sweep both the Men's and Women's 1500 Meter with a time of 3:51.55.
The finish was nearly 17 seconds ahead of second-place Kansas State.
Bonds, who in 2009 was the first KU female athlete to compete at the NCAA Cross Country National Championships since 1994, enjoyed a part of her last hurrah in the crimson and blue. "I'm not thinking about it too much." Bonds said of her looming graduation. "I'm just trying to have fun this weekend."
After a sunny week of practice, Bonds and her teammates had to cope with cooler temperatures and slight gusts of wind on Friday. But she said that it was perfect weather for distance running.
Though the distance medley is not her favorite event, Bonds said that experience has helped improve her confidence.
"You don't have to worry about drinking water much," Bonds said.
"You need to race, it doesn't matter which event," Bonds said.
"I'm just telling myself to compete. Don't think about what times you are running, or this or that. Then I'll freak out."
Edited by Ashley Montgomery
Spencer Walsh/KANSAN
Sophomore distance runner Rebeka Stowe is closely followed by Kansas' Corinne Christensen as they sprint toward the finish line in the Women's 1500 Meter Run Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Stowe and Christensen placed first and second respectively in the run.
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