LINCOLN, NEB. ? Scott Russell of Kansas threw the 35-pound weight 75 feet, 10 inches Friday, the best throw in the world indoors this year, to win the event on the opening day of the Big 12 Conference Track and Field Championships.
Russell, a 6-foot-9, 270-pound senior from Windor, Canada, set Big 12, Big 12 meet and Devaney Center records.
“I definitely knew I had a record,” Russell said. “I was focusing on coming out and getting a good enough start, which I didn’t do. I had to change what I wanted to do and come back in the finals and get a good mark.”
Colorado led the men’s team scoring after Friday’s four events on the strength of a 23-point performance in the 5,000 meter run. The Buffaloes took second, third, fourth and fifth places in the race and added a second in the distance medley relay to end the day with 31 points.
Kansas was in second with 20 points from Russell’s win and a victory in the distance medley relay. Brian Blachly, Charlie Gruber, Andy Tate and Jabari Wamble ran a time of 9:47.94 to give the Jayhawks a victory in the relay.
“The distance medley relay teams ran extremely well,” KU coach Stanley Redwine said. “It was disappointing that Andy Tate almost fell because I thought that those guys were ready to run a fast time. Coming back to win a race after a near disaster like that is what a championship team is all about.”
Blachly qualified for the finals of the 1,000 meters, Gruber made the finals of the mile, and Wamble reached the finals of the 400 meters.
Texas was third in the men’s standings with 19 points, Nebraska 14, Iowa State and Kansas State 13 each, Missouri and Oklahoma State 12 apiece, Texas A&M 11, Texas Tech 6, Baylor 5 and Oklahoma 0.
KU’s Andrea Branson placed second in the women’s pole vault with a height of 12-6, and teammate Ashley Pyle was fifth with a leap of 11-61/4.
“I’m disappointed,” Branson said, “not about finishing in second place but with the height.”
Kansas State led the women’s competition after Friday’s six events with 45 points. Nebraska was second with 401/2 points, Texas A&M had 39 and Missouri stood with 211/2. Oklahoma and Colorado had 21 each, Kansas 14, Oklahoma State 11, Texas 7, Texas Tech and Baylor 5 each and Iowa State 4.
Brandon Evans of Texas A&M set a Big 12 meet and building record in the 200 meter preliminaries with a time of 20.94 seconds.
5,000 meters: 1. Hughes, Jodie, Colorado 16:23.65; 2. Wells, Sara, Oklahoma St. 16:35.49; 3. Gulli, Melissa, Texas A&M 16:38.67; 4. Daniel, Leigh, Texas Tech 16:47.34; 5. Newton, Kara, Baylor 17:10.76; 6. Davila, Araceli, Oklahoma St. 17:16.54; 7. Moody, Tera, Colorado 17:20.58; 8. Edwards, Brooke, Texas A&M 17:34.61; 9. Chipman, Amy, Missouri 17:36.51; 10. Wetterhus, Annie, Kansas State 17:37.09; 11. Akerhielm, Tracie, Texas Tech 17:44.00; 12. Holston, Catherine, Kansas State 18:05.51; – Dahl, Justa, Missouri DNF; – Fedick, Joanna, Oklahoma St. DNF; – Sparks, Sharalee, Oklahoma St. DNF; – Clifford, Catherine, Oklahoma St. DNF; – Klos, Kristina, Oklahoma St. DNF; – Jorgensen, Amie, Nebraska DNF; – Bonugli, Katherine, Missouri DNF; – Dompier, Samantha, Texas DNF; – Higgins, Paige, Kansas DNF.
Distance medley: 1. Missouri 11:12.81; 2. Kansas State 11:18.53; 3. Colorado 11:19.84; 4. Texas A&M 11:47.44; 5. Nebraska 11:47.73; 6. Texas 11:51.18; 7. Kansas 11:53.72; 8. Iowa State 12:06.11; 9. Oklahoma 12:24.67; – Texas Tech DNF.
Pole vault: 1. Boren, Erica, Texas A&M 12-10; 2. Branson, Andrea, Kansas, 12-06; 3. Dunlap, Leslie, Oklahoma11-06.25; 4. Harris, Lindsay, Oklahoma11-06.25; 5. Pyle, Ashley, Kansas 11-06.25; 6. Mosier, Lanette, Nebraska11-00.25; 6. Tait, Lyndsey, Missouri11-00.25; 8. James, Sarah, Kansas State11-00.25; 9. Swaby, Sande’, Oklahoma11-00.25; 10. Bennett, Jennifer, Missouri11-00.25; 11. Butner, Megan, Colorado11-00.25; 12. Wellendorf, Natalie, Nebraska10-06.25; 13. Moore, Aubree, Kansas State10-06.25; 13. Welsh, Keara, Kansas State10-06.25; 15. Hollmig, Alissa, Texas A&M 10-00.50; – Petropoulos, Kacie, Texas Tech NH.
Long jump: 1. Hayes, Janel, Oklahoma19-06.75; 2. Evurunobi, Queeneth, Kansas State19-04.75; 3. Reimer, Kendra, Texas A&M 19-03.25; 4. Kovesi, Krisztina, Nebraska 19-01.50; 5. Crenshaw, Adrianne, Texas 18-11.25; 6. Cooper, Hannah, Colorado 18-09.25; 7. Kostic, Vesna, Nebraska 18-08.50; 8. Skujyte, Austra, Kansas State 18-05.75; 9. Peterson, Christina, Iowa State 18-02.50; 10. Asigbee, Fiona, Missouri 17-09.50; 11. Taylor, Brandi, Kansas 17-09; 12. Duff, Stephani, Oklahoma St. 17-08.25; 13. Hamel, Erika, Kansas 17-08; 14. Peters, Monique, Kansas 17-07.50; 15. Austin, Shalya, Oklahoma 17-07; 16. Prebyl, Angie, Nebraska 17-07; 17. Teague, Regan, Texas A&M 17-06; 18. Carr, Davonna, Iowa State 17-05.25; 19. Drone, Porsha, Oklahoma St 17-04.75; 20. Ohneck, Abbe, Missouri 17-04; 21. Ohaeri, Christina, Texas A&M 17-03.50; 22. Williams, Bliss, Texas Tech 16-07.25.
Women’s 20 pound weight throw: 1. Price, Melissa, Nebraska 66-08.50; 2. Wibbels, Erin, Nebraska 59-11.25; 3. Green, Rebekah, Kansas State58-02.50; 4. Mikos, Leslie, Kansas State 56-03; 5. Taylor, Terra, Texas A&M 54-08.75; 6. Dunlap, Stacey, Iowa State 52-11; 7. Ennen, Brooke, Missouri 52-08.75; 8. Roessler, Rachal, Baylor 51-09.75; 9. DeRonde, Sarah, Iowa State 51-04.25; 10. Tilling, Sarah, Kansas State 50-10; 11. Sherman, Susan, Iowa State 50-01.75; 12. Janovec, Vicki, Nebraska 50-01.25; 13. Moreley, Amanda, Nebraska 48-08.25; 14. Koonce, Meghan, Texas A&M 45-07.25; 15. Riffel, Amanda, Kansas State 145-04.25; 16. Compton, Monica, Colorado 42-10.75; 17. Scherder, Holly, Missouri 41-10.75; 18. Leininger, Leslie, Colorado 39-02.25; – Trotter, Meshell, Texas A&M FOUL.
Women’s indoor pentathlon: 1. Skujyte, Austra, Kansas State 3935; 2. Livesey, Katherine, Nebraska 3888; 3. DeRossett, Terresha, Kansas State 3784; 4. Moran, Michelle, Missouri 3772; 5. Reimer, Kendra, Texas A&M 3701; 6. Hudson, Desi, Texas A&M 3656; 7. Sommerfeldt, Eli, Missouri 3531; 8. Koerner, Alissa, Nebraska 3461; 9. Perrone, Megan, Colorado 3382; 10. Ohneck, Abbe, Missouri 3352; 11. Willman, Jordan, Baylor 3350; 12. Cole, Candice, Texas Tech 3075; 13. Waytula, Mary, Oklahoma 3035.
Men’s 5,000 meters: 1. Vasquez, Junior, Oklahoma St. 14:16.45; 2. Torres, Ed, Colorado 14:20.89; 3. Friedberg, Mike, Colorado 14:24.89; 4. Smith, Sean, Colorado 14:25.90; 5. Robbie, Jason, Colorado 14:28.65; 6. Niyongabo, Jean-Paul, Kansas State 14:29.53; 7. Bergstrom, Bjorn, Oklahoma St. 14:29.98; 8. MacDowell, Adam, Missouri 14:34.46; 9. Wybar, Jonathan, Texas 14:37.99; 10. Mwangong, Mike, Iowa State 14:49.56; 11. Crandall, Zach, Colorado 14:50.88; 12. Tate, Derek, Oklahoma St. 14:51.43; 13. Vernon, Trey, Oklahoma St. 14:56.91; 14. Rouault, Gregory, Oklahoma St. 15:00.66; – Hulstrom, Nick, Texas Tech DNF; – Moore, Scott, Texas Tech DNF; – Adler, Alex, Baylor DNF; – Smith, Nick, Missouri DNF; – Stewart, Carl, Texas A&M DNF; – McWatters, Chris, Oklahoma St. DNF; – Campbell, Colin, Texas A&M DNF; – Cook, Andrew, Texas A&M DNF; – Behrens, Brent, Kansas DNF; – Wright, Bruce, Oklahoma St. DNF; – Carrizales, Aaron, Nebraska DNF.
Men’s distance medley: 1. Kansas 9:47.94; 2. Colorado 9:48.36; 3. Texas 9:50.67; 4. Baylor 9:52.37; 5. Texas Tech 9:54.18; 6. Kansas State 9:55.60; 7. Iowa State 9:58.68; 8. Missouri 10:27.02.
Men’s long jump: 1. Kaczmarczyk, Daniel, Iowa State 25-06.25; 2. Hutchinson, Sheldon, Nebraska 24-07; 3. Ramzy, Bashir, Texas A&M 24-05.50; 4. Bousono, Carlos, Texas 24-03.50; 5. Evans, Brandon, Texas A&M 24-01; 6. Tolen, Frank, Nebraska 24-00.75; 7. Griggs, Vonchess, Kansas State 23-08.25; 8. Smith, Anderson, Texas A&M 23-07.50; 9. Conkling, Justin, Oklahoma 23-00.50; 10. Jamison, Clinton, Kansas State 22-09.75; 11. Wyatt, Jason, Texas A&M 22-07; 12. Enclarde, Armond, Kansas 22-07; 13. Frempong, Elvin, Oklahoma 22-07; 14. Giwa, Tunji, Iowa State 22-02.50; 15. Benton, Shomari, Missouri 6.76m (22-02.25); 16. Jackson, Anson, Kansas 21-10.75; 17. Jackson, Jerreme, Kansas 21-06.75; 18. Dean, Ben, Missouri 21-06.25; 19. Rosser, Will, Kansas State 21-03.25; 20. Ekpere, Ochuko, Missouri 20-10; 21. McDevitt, Michael, Missouri 20-02.50; – Hercules, Chris, Texas FOUL.
Men’s 35 pound weight throw: 1. Russell, Scott, Kansas 75-10; 2. Armstrong, Dylan, Texas 71-06; 3. Bell, Russ, Missouri 64-03.75; 4. Sisney, TaMel, Kansas State 63-09.50; 5. Cantwell, Christian, Missouri 62-05.75; 6. Brethouwer, Nick, Nebraska 61-04.25; 7. Noble, Branum, Texas Tech 58-04.75; 8. Schiebout, Zech, Iowa State 56-02; 9. Speers, Ryan, Kansas 55-09; 10. Walker, Adam, Kansas State 53-07.75 11. Curry, Ryan, Texas Tech 52-10; 12. Mullen, Chase, Colorado 49-09.25; 13. Patrick, Adam, Nebraska 49-04.50; 14. Carr, Matt, Colorado 49-00.75.
Men’s heptathlon indoor: 1. Conkling, Justin, Oklahoma 3099; 2. Karas, Josef, Kansas State 3088; 3. Robinson, Justin, Kansas State 3056; 4. Paavo, Olavi, Texas Tech 3054; 5. Morris, Andy, Kansas 2995; 6. Sommerfeldt, Knut Harald, Missouri 2886; 7. Pyle, Pat, Kansas State 2881; 8. Smith, Aaron, Texas 2832; 9. Havran, Barrett, Texas 2810; 10. Peschel, John, Texas A&M 2799; 11. Strindeberg, Espen, Missouri 2781; 12. Bloom, John, Texas A&M 2645; 13. Hilder, Drew, Colorado 2625; 14. Rivera, Bronzay, Texas Tech 2616; 15. Boone, Jake, Texas A&M 2574; 16. Matthews, Jason, Texas A&M 2205; 17. Thom, Casey, Nebraska 1538.
