Manhattan ? Kansas University’s track squad competed Saturday at the Wildcat Invitational, where two Jayhawks won individual titles.
Senior Arrah Nielsen finished first in the 800-meter run in a time of 2:20.94, and junior Lauren Brownrigg took first in the mile in 5:12.82.
Kara Euler placed second in the 400-meter dash in 1:01.90.
For the men, freshman Gavin Ball won his second shot put title in two meets with a throw of 55-6.50.
The Jayhawks return to action Friday at the KU/KSU/MU triangular in Columbia, Mo.
OKLAHOMA CITY ? Kansas University’s softball team got off to a blazing start during the first day of the Big 12 tournament.
The Jayhawks dropped No. 10-seeded Texas Tech, 2-1, in the play-in game before stunning No. 2 Oklahoma, 3-1, in the opening round of the double-elimination phase of the tournament Thursday at Hall of Fame Stadium.
Seventh-seeded KU (33-23) will face the winner of this afternoon’s showdown between Oklahoma State and Nebraska at 7:30 tonight.
In Thursday’s nightcap, the Sooners scored first, pushing across a run in the bottom of the first inning. Kelli Braitsch was drilled by a Serena Settlemier pitch, followed by back-to-back singles to load the bases. Braitsch then scored on a passed ball.
The Jayhawks took the lead for good with a pair of runs in the fifth on Shelly Musser’s two-run double over the left fielder’s head. Kansas added an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Dani May, of Lawrence, finessed a ball to right field to score pinch-runner Mel Wallach.
Settlemier retired the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the seventh before allowing a single. She responded by fanning the final two OU hitters to end the game. Settlemier improved to 12-7, allowing six hits and an earned run while walking a pair and striking out three.
The Jayhawks toppled the Sooners for the first time in the last 11 games.
KU starter Kara Pierce (12-6) won the opener against the Red Raiders, allowing a earned run on eight hits. She didn’t walk a batter while fanning eight.
Albuquerque, N.M. ? Kansas University’s softball team continued its sizzling start, winning two more games at the Diamond Invitational on Saturday.
The Jayhawks (3-1) came from behind to knock off Mississippi, 5-4, in nine innings. KU also won its second game, 5-4, holding off Colorado State.
“We talked in the last week of practice about handling adversity and I really thought that the kids handled themselves really well,” KU coach Tracy Bunge said. “They really did a good job of executing when I asked them to do some different things offensively. It has really been a lot of fun because the knock on us last year was we couldn’t score runs.
“To see what we have done over the last three games, I feel like we have taken about 10 steps forward already.”
Kansas will face Colorado State again at 10 a.m. today before taking on New Mexico at noon.
