Change in plans can’t stop Stigler

By Benton Smith     Apr 18, 2015

Richard Gwin
KU's Michael Stigler clears a hurdle in the men's 400 Meter Hurdle. Stigler won the event with a time of 50.07 at the 88th Kansas Relays on Friday, April 17, 2015 at Rock Chalk Park.

Michael Stigler had his Friday all mapped out. Venture out to Rock Chalk Park. Jog. Stretch. Pretty simple.

The Kansas University senior — like most collegiate competitors at the Kansas Relays — had his plans wrecked Thursday night, though, when forecasts of severe Saturday weather moved the final day of events up to Friday.

So Stigler simply altered his mind-set, arrived at his home facility ready to compete and won the 400 hurdles easily, in 50.07 seconds. Exactly what one would expect from a back-to-back runner-up at the NCAA Championships who holds the No. 1 time in the world this year (48.44).

Since setting his personal-best mark at the Texas Relays in late March, Stigler’s name brings a little extra with it to the track. Such was the case Friday, when the crowd buzzed in anticipation of watching the 2016 Olympic hopeful.

“That definitely puts all eyes on me, just lets me know people are paying attention to me,” Stigler said after repeating as Kansas Relays champion in his marquee event. “It does put a little adrenaline rush through my body, just hearing my name, hearing that accolade. It’s a great feeling. It just shows that I’ve accomplished a lot.

“But I’m not done yet.”

The Canyon, Texas, native tries to barrier his mind from the outside hype, while at the same time aspiring to back it up. Wearing the pair of blue and yellow Air Jordan socks his younger brother Jesse — currently in training at Fort Leavenworth — gave him, Stigler said he tries to be the same, laid-back, easy-to-talk-to Michael. Little things like keeping his brother in mind help.

“I know he’s here with me,” the older Stigler said, also wearing an “I am second” bracelet like his brother’s. “I love him to death.”

Now that he can see his KU career winding down right in front of him, the senior has unfinished business at the NCAA Championships. A second-place finish for a third straight season is not in his plans.

“My goal is definitely to bring home a national title,” Stigler said, “and put a national title under my belt before I leave KU.”

More accurately, he wants that championship before his days as a collegian come to an end. Stigler revealed his post-graduate plans include staying right here in Lawrence so he can continue training with Kansas sprints and hurdles coach Elisha Brewer. He wants to stay in a groove by running at meets and probably will even compete at the 2016 Kansas Relays — all in the hope of prepping himself for the Olympic trials.

Any time in the range of 47.9 to 48.4, Stigler said, should be low enough to land him on the U.S. team before the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

“I definitely feel like I’m close,” he said. “I can taste it. I’ve just gotta keep working.”

On a long day, kickstarted by junior Sydney Conley winning the 100-meter dash with a personal record of 11.54 seconds, the Kansas women’s team won the quadrangular at the Kansas Relays with 194 team points, topping rival Kansas State, Colorado State and Purdue.

Twin sisters Malika and Nashia Baker, from nearby Lansing, teamed with Hannah Dimmick and Hannah Richardson to win the 4×800 (8:50.66). KU’s Sharon Lokedi took first in the 5,000 (17:20.47) by beating teammate Alaina Schroeder by six-hundredths of a second, and Colleen O’Brien won the high jump (6-0.75).

Behind Stigler, who also anchored a 4×400 victory late Friday night, and first-place points from Kenneth McCuin (400, 47.49), Ben Burchstead (3,000 steeplechase, 9:23.15), Jacob Morgan (5,000, 14:20.71) and the 4×800 relay team of Ben Brownlee, Juan del Azar, Brandon Bernal and Teddy Oteba, KU’s men won their quadrangular with 226 points.

COLLEGE

Friday at Rock Chalk Park

KU results/Collegiate winners

Women

Team quadrangular scores: 1. Kansas, 194; 2. Kansas State, 172; 3. Colorado State, 159; 4. Purdue, 143.

100 hurdles — 1. Akela Jones, K-State, 13.69.

100 — 1. Sydney Conley, KU, 11.54; 3. Zainab Sanni, KU, 11.66; 24. Jasmine Thomas, KU, 12.38.

4×800 relay — 1. KU: Malika Baker, Nashia Baker, Hannah Dimmick, Hannah Richardson, 8:50.66.

200 — 1. A’Keyla Mitchell, K-State, 23.29; 2. Zainab Sanni, KU, 23.95; 16. Jasmine Thomas, KU, 25.48.

400 hurdles — 1. Erica Twiss, unattached, 58.22; 21. Jessica Murray, KU, 1:05.43.

DMR — 1. Lewis: S. Nielsen, A. Holm, Z. Mead, A. Farrough, 12:07.80.

400 — 1. A’Keyla Mitchell, K-State, 53.34; 7. Whitney Adams, KU, 55.15; 9. Adriana Newell, KU, 55.86; 10. Dorie Dalzell, KU, 56.57.

4×100 relay — 1. Pittsburg State, 40.45; 3. KU: Michael Stigler, Jaime Wilson, Jaron Hartley, Tre Daniels, 40.50.

1500 — 1. Laura Galvan, K-State, 4:29.83; 2. Nashia Baker, KU, 4:32.00; 3. Malika Baker, KU, 4:36.91.

800 — 1. Vanessa McLeod, Purdue, 2:08.06; 2. Rhavean King, KU, 2:08.11; 3. Hannah Richardson, KU, 2:09.20; 4. Hannah Dimmick, KU, 2:10.58; 9. Lydia Saggau, KU, 2:15.25.

3000 steeplechase — 1. Morgan Wedekind, K-State, 10:43.80; 2. Kelli McKenna, KU, 10:46.96; 4. Courtney Coppinger, KU, 11:07.03.

5000 — 1. Sharon Lokedi, KU, 17:20.47; 2. Alaina Schroeder, KU, 17:20.53; 4. Jennifer Angles, KU, 17:37.15.

4×400 relay — 1. Purdue: T. Dunlap, C. Cox, S. Black, B. Thomas, 3:36.27; 2. KU: Whitney Adams, Lindsay Vollmer, Dorie Dalzell, Adriana Newell, 3:45.05.

Discus — 1. Jessica Maroszek, unattached, 189-4; 3. Dasha Tsema, KU, 176-7; 5. Daina Levy, KU, 164-0.

Pole vault — 1. Jaimie House, KU, 13-9.25; 5. Laura Taylor, KU, 12-9.25; 7. Alexis Romero, KU, 12-5.5.

Hammer throw — 1. Sara Savatovic, K-State, 217-10; 2. Diana Levy, KU, 215-11; 5. Dasha Tsema, KU, 182-6.

Long jump — 1. Akela Jones, K-State, 20-9.25; 2. Sydney Conley, KU, 20-7.75; 7. Teri Huslig, KU, 16-6.

High jump — 1. Colleen O’Brien, KU, 6-0.75; 3. Grace Pickell, KU, 5-7.

Shot put — 1. Dani Winters, K-State, 54-7.25; 3. Anastasiya Muchkayev, KU, 54-2; 7. Dasha Tsema, KU, 43-9.25.

Triple jump — 1. Antqunita Reed, Pittsburg State, 40-4.75; 26. Taryn Tempel, KU, 35-2.5.

Javelin — 1. Danielle Plank, K-State, 156-4; 4. Kianna Weinzheimer, KU, 142-9; 5. Lindsay Vollmer, KU, 137-2.

MEN

Team quadrangular scores: 1. Kansas, 226; 2. Colorado State, 157; 3. Purdue, 131; 4. Kansas State, 121.

110 hurdles — 1. Angelo Goss, Coffeyville CC, 13.85; 3. Michael Stigler, KU, 14.02; 22. Christian Hicks, KU, 15.44.

100 — 1. Mark Jelks, unattached, 10.36; 12. Jaron Hartley, KU, 10.70; 14. Jaime Wilson, KU, 10.76; 23. Cameron Johnson, KU, 10.94; 43. Ezekiel Welch, KU, 11.48.

4×800 relay — 1. KU: Ben Brownlee, Juan del Azar, Brandon Bernal, Teddy Oteba, 7:41.39.

200 — 1. Kyle Clemons, unattached, 21.08; 7. Jaron Hartley, KU, 21.40; 8. Jaime Wilson, KU, 21.44; 17. Cameron Johnson, KU, 21.93.

400 hurdles — 1. Michael Stigler, KU, 50.07; 29. Christian Hicks, KU, 57.59

Distance medley relay — 1. Pittsburg State: A. Burson, R. Ramler, J. Peters, A. Conn, 10:13.81.

400 — 1. Kenneth McCuin, KU, 47.49; 2. Tre Daniels, KU, 47.61.

4×100 relay — 1. Purdue: S. Carson, C. Cox, D. Charlton, A. Heath, 45.12.

1500 — 1. Josh Munsch, KU, 3:48.06; 3. James Wilson, KU, 3:54.27.

800 — 1. Strymar Livingston, Iowa Western CC, 1:50.54; 2. Anthonio Humphrey, KU, 1:51.56; 5. Matthew Anyiwo, KU, 1:52.49; 9. Adel Yoonis, KU, 1:57.24.

3000 steeplechase — 1. Ben Burchstead, KU, 9:23.15.

5000 — 1. Jacob Morgan, KU, 14:20.71; 2. Chris Melgares, KU, 14:50.97; 3. Carson Vickroy, KU, 14:59.24.

4×400 relay — 1. Tre Daniels, Jaime Wilson, Kenneth McCuin, Michael Stigler, 3:08.90.

Discus — 1. Brian Bishop, unattached, 185-6; 2. Nicolai Ceban, KU, 184-3; 3. Mitchell Cooper, KU, 178-8; 7. Jonathan Miller, KU, 163-1; 13. Paul Golen, KU, 157-9; 21. Kenny Boyer, KU, 149-10.

Pole vault — 1. Byron Ferrell, Purdue, 17-1; 2. Gerg Lupton, KU, 17-1; 3. Nick Meyer, KU, 16-9.25.

Shot put — 1. Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, Purdue, 62-11.5; 2. Nicolai Ceban, KU, 60-8.75; 7. Kenny Boyer, KU, 53-0; 8. Paul Golen, KU, 52-6.75; 11. Michael Jensen, KU, 46-11.5.

Long jump — 1. Tyler Askew, Purdue, 24-11; 6. Barden Adams, KU, 22-7.25; 9. Matt Berkshire, KU, 22-2.25.

Javelin — 1. Brian Byers, Shocker TC, 229-6; 20. Jordan Schaller, KU, 171-9.

High jump — 1. Christoff Bryan, K-State, 7-2.25; 2. Nic Giancana, KU, 6-11.75; 3. Austin Hoag, KU, 6-10.75; 7. Jonathan Fuller, KU, 6-4.75; 8. Kai Shean, KU, 6-2.75.

Triple jump — 1. Anaquan Peterson, Purdue, 51-0.25; 11. Barden Adams, KU, 47-0.75.

Hammer throw — 1. Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, Purdue, 228-3; 6. Mitchell Cooper, KU, 171-5; 9. Paul Golen, KU, 154-0.

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