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Sports
University Daily Kansan
Monday, April 21, 1986
Oklahoma's Kevin Reid clears a hurdle on his way to victory in a preliminary heat of the 110-meter hurdles. Reid won his heat during Friday's preliminaries with a time of 14.00, but finished fourth in Saturday's finals with a time of 14.43.
In more days of modern equipment and scientifically advanced techniques, the average athlete at the Kansas Relays has a lot of technology behind him to help him perform his best.
Javelin champion uses own method
By Frank Ybarra
Staff writer
Instead of approaching his throws with a conventional technique, Mwinkelly seemed to just run up and throw the lavelin.
Minnkiewick, a senior at Wayland Baptist in Plainview, Texas, and a native of Tanzania, Africa, won the University Men's Javard Championship and earned outside Memorial Stadium in front of about 50 spectators.
But, when it comes to modern methods, one athlete, Zakayo Mwinnkelly, has a different approach.
His throw of 250 feet $1\frac{1}{2}$ inches easily outdistanced second-place finisher Ron Bahm of Kansas who threw 238 $1\frac{1}{2}$.
But it was Mwinkelly's unusual style of throwing that had the crowd oohing and ahing after his long throw.
The method of his throws isn't too surprising though, considering he learned his technique in Tanzania located on the east coast of Africa.
But vaulting along the same runway was Scott Huffman, a Kansas athlete from Quinter, who last year broke the national freshman record with a vault of $18.5\frac{1}{2}$.
Saturday, it looked for awhile as if Huffman wouldn't be able to keep up with the big names. After nailing his first three vaults, Huffman faltered twice at 18-feet before his final attempt.
There was Doug Lyle, an Olympian who would go on to shatter Joe Dial's meet record of 18 feet, 8 inches and nearly break Dial's American record of 19-24. There was Dave Volz, who was one of the few in the world ever to clear 19-foot.
He also has a different approach from most athletes when acknowledging applause from fans. After his winning throw, Mwinnkelly raised both hands in the air and smiled at the spectators.
before his final attempt
Lytle and Volz watched Huff
"I've tried to and tried to change," Mwinnkelly said with a heavy Swahili accent, "but I can't get it."
Miwinkelly said he first threw in his village in Tanzania, where he competed in a spear throwing competition for the village title.
Within the last year, he said he had had to overcome a rule change which lowered the grips on javelins, causing them to travel much shorter distances.
Huffman vaults with the best
He said a lot of people have tried to get him to change his throwing technique, but he said he is more comfortable with his native-learned style.
The world record for the javelin was set by Uwe Hohn of East Germany in 1984, with a throw of 343-10. But Minkwinkel said the world's record with the lower grip was about 262 feet.
The lineup for the men's invitational pole vault was a star-studded one.
he has been throwing the javelin for about eight years, with his best throw of 287 feet coming in 1984
By Matt Tidwell Sports writer
man's approach on his last vault.
huffman ran down the runway,
planted his pole, cleared the bar
and flipped around twice in mid-
air before raising his fist to the
cheering crowd.
Huffman and Lane Lohr of Illinois were the only two jumpers left with Lytle and Volz when the bar was raised to 18.4. Huffman and Lohr went out at that height.
With his 18-foot leap, Huffman proved he belonged. His previous best vault this season was 17.7.
Nervous?
Not Huffman.
"I think the great competitor performs at his best under conditions of great competition," Kansas head coach Bim Timmons said.
collegiate a gold medalist in 1984 in Joyner's gold jump, set a RELAys record in the 110-meter hurdles. Harris was a silver medalist in the hurdles and finished second to Edwin Moses.
"When guys like Doug Lytle are here it brings out the best in me," Huffman said. "It's not the first time I've jumped with them. They were at the Kansas Relays last year and I watched the boys play with Billy Olsen when he set the first outdoor record over 19 feet in Saskatchewan."
Huffman took third place behind Volz because he had fewer total misses than Lohr.
Huffman isn't the only one who thinks great competitors like Lytle, Volz, Al Joyeran and Danny Vogel did best out the best in collegiate athletes.
"When you're with great com petition," Huffman said, "it really makes you want to jump your best. I enjoy it. The competition is better than the batting every year. This year it was much better than last year."
Competition levels increase
By Matt Tidwell
Sports writer
Sports writer
After six Kansas Relays men's records were shattered this weekend, track coaches were saying what by that time was obvious — the level of men's competition at this year's Relays was one of the best in the 61 years of the event.
Three 1984 Olympians, pole vaulter Doug Lyle, gold medal triple jumper Al Joyner and spinner Danny Harw
performances in Olympic calibre performances.
per cent.
But the competition was so good that being a world-class Olympian didn't necessarily guarantee a first place finish.
"I think we got a good indication of what the competition was like in the men's 400 meters." Relays Manager Al Fetreciah said, "When Devan Morris from Wayland Baptist beat Danny Harris that was impressive. I mean, a silver medalist got beat, and not by just a little.
Morris set a Relays record in 400-meter dash with a time of 45.12 seconds to Harris" 46.19.
Harris won an Olympic silver medal in the hurdles.
seconds to Harris 46.15
Kenny Harrison from Kansas State was the top men's performer, setting a triple record of 55 feet, 11 inches. Harrison also won the long jump.
jump Men Olympians Lytle and Joyner added perhaps the two most exciting men's performances.
performance. Lyle, a local favorite from Kansas City, nailed a personal best vault of 18-9 and barely missed treating the crowd to a new American record of 19-3.
Al Joyner, who won a gold medal in the triple jump at Los Angeles, showed his all-around skills by running the 110-meter hurdles in 13.5 seconds, beating the old mark of 13.59.
15. 53 Joyner called the hurdles his first love.
"I was really happy I was consistent," Joyner said. "After my second or third hurdle I really got going, but I was kind of late coming out of the hall."
"I'm still going to triple jump. If I'm this fast in the hurdles, when I come down the runway in the triple jump it's going to be unbelievable."
For the Kansas Jayhawks men's squad, head coach Bobby Timmons said some players helped serve help the conference ready for the conference championships May 16-17.
Bombs honor, irritate athletes
Sports writer
Highlighting the weekend for Kawas sas was Scott Huffman's third place of 18 feet in the pole vault, Ray Mitchell's third place finish of 40.9 in the triple jump, and Rodney Hood's fourth place of 10.82 in the 100-meter dash.
By Jim Suhr
60-meter dash.
Two Kansas relay teams, the
440-yard and mile, took second place.
Fireworks used to signal Relays records, interfere with meet
"I think the performances have shown that our guys are coming along." Timmons said.
SMTmTs Officiials and Lawrence Jayee Doyle OMz made sure track fans got a bang out of this weekend's Kansas Relays.
Those officials, initiating what they hoped would become a Kansas Relays tradition, asked Merz to camp on Campainell Hill Saturday afternoon and launch loud fireworks bombs whenever the teams meet records in their events. Ten of those records fell on Saturday.
the scorers.
"It brought attention to how good the competition was," Fereshetian
saturday.
The fireworks, which were donated to the KU athletic department by the Lawrence Jaycees, were used in past years only during the meet's opening ceremonies.
celebrate.
Al Petrobetian, the meet manager sat Saturday that he came up with the idea to use fireworks to signal new meet records after attending the Drake Relays last season. In that event, meet officials commemorated meet records by raising flags from the scoreboard.
Dave Volz, who was batting 1964 U.S. Olympian Doug Lyle for the meet title in the pole vault, was interrupted in his second attempt at 18
said. "We just wanted to make people realize that it was something special. We wanted to generate excitement."
Whether or not the use of fireworks for such a purpose becomes a Kansas Relays tradition, Fereshietan said, was dependent upon the feedback he and other meet officials received from spectators and athletes.
"I don't know if it'll be blame or praise yet," he said.
Ferehesheet said he had received mixed reviews. The major issue, he said, was determining whether the explosions broke the concentration of the athletes or disrupted the running of the meet in any way.
Foreshetti said Merz was instructed via walkie-talkie when to set off the fireworks, thereby eliminating disruption of the meet. Despite the attempts for timing, however, some of the explosions were not coordinated properly on Saturday.
feet, 9½ inches when one of the bombs exploded as he was about to plant his pole. Volz stopped his approach and regrouped, but missed badly on his last two tries.
"They ought to have a warning," Volz said afterwards. "They're too loud. I thought Khadaly was coming or something."
ever or something.
But Volz said the fireworks had not affected his performance.
"No, it didn't matter," he said.
"Not as bad as I was feeling today."
Lyle agreed. He said athletes had to anticipate when the explosions were to take place by listening to the public address announcer.
He said the explosions could even be used to bolster meet attendance.
"People will come in to see what the booms were all about," he said.
One explosion forced the restarting of one heat of the women's 400-meter hurdles, while another startled a few of the men's discus throwers. One competitor in that event, Ed Wade of Oklahoma, shook his head in disgust after an explosion frightened him during the warmups.
12 records shattered at Relays
Twelve Kansas Relays records were broken this weekend in the 61st running of the Relays at Memorial Stadium.
By Kansan sports writers
"I knew I had it inside of me," Harrison said after setting the record. "It was just going out and competing and getting the job done."
Kenny Harrison of Kansas State broke the old triple jump record of 55-feet-9 inches by leaping 55-11 on Saturday. Harrison also won the men's long jump and was awarded the Relays' most valuable men's performance award.
By the end of the day, six men's and six women's records were broken.
Relays' results p. 12
One of the top women's performances was turned in by Kansas State athlete Pinky Suggs. Suggs, who competed unattached because she is being redshirted for Wildcats, did not old shot put with 534.4 with a 538.0 loss. She also won the discus and was named the Relays' top women's performer.
"I've been practicing for this meet for two weeks to get things ironed out," Suggs said. "I was happy with my performances, more in the shot than in the disheasant record and I glad to see it stayed in the ring."
Another new men's record that received attention was the pole vault turned in by Doug Lytle, a local favorite from Kansas City.
Lytle broke American record holder Joe Dail's Record of 18-8 with an 18-9 leap on Saturday. Lytle tried unsuccessfully three times to vault the 19-feet it would take for an American record.
"I came into the meet wanting to jump 18-9," Lyle said. "That's a personal best for me. After that jump I lost some of my adrenaline. I've jumped 18-feet before in practice. I can't as much of a mental barrier."
Patty Murray of Western Illinois set a Relays record with a time of 16:03:27 in the 5,000-meter run. She beat the old record by more than three seconds.
barrier.
"The conditions were real good and I felt strong and confident today."
"Before today my best time was 16:31," Murray said. "I really wanted to know how away I knew I wanted to go far and did it and felt real easy."
Other new women's records included Nebraska's mile relay time of 3:42.5 (the old record was 3:42.6); Western Illinois' 100-meter hurdler Faye Barrett's time of 13.47 (the old record was 13.48); Oklahoma's Knowles' time in the dash record dash 53.65; Sha-Ri Pendleton of Nebraska's 41·5% mark in the triple jump (the old record was 41·3%).
For the men, Olympic gold medalist Al Joyner set a record of 13.5 in the 110-meter hurdles (the old record was 13.59). Barton County's Aaron Baynes' time is 14.68 in the 800-meter run was good for a record (the old record was 14.98); Dev俞 Worland of Wayland Baptist set a record in the men's 400-meter dash with a time of 45.12 (the old record was 45.33); and, in the Master's 800-meter run, former Kansas great Herald Hadley set a record of 1.57.84 (the old record was 1.58.41).
Ray Mitchell, Kansas triple jumper. puts his best feet forward during competition at the Kansas Relays at Memoria Stadium. Mitchell's jump of 49-2 $ _{1/4} $ was good enough for third place Saturday.
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