College Station, Texas ? Andrea Bulat is Kansas University’s sole Big 12 Outdoor track and field champion.
Bulat, a junior from Windsor, Ontario, who earned third in the javelin at the league championships a year ago, notched first at the 2001 Outdoor, firing an NCAA provisional qualifying 158 feet on Saturday at Texas A&M’s track.
Kansas State’s Mandi Peterson was second in 154-2, while Nebraska’s Katie McClellan checked in at third at 151-3. KU’s Jennifer Foster placed 12th in 125-0.
“Being the first woman in school history to win the Big 12 title in the javelin is a great honor,” said Bulat, indeed the first Jayhawk woman to win that event at league. “This should give me the confidence I need going into the NCAA championships.”
As a team, the Jayhawk women, as well as the men, placed 11th of 12 squads.
KU senior Andy Tate fell short in his bid to win his first-ever league crown. Tate placed third in the 3,000 steeplechase in 8:52.3.
Sophomore Benaud Shirley placed fifth in the triple jump in a personal-best 50-9 1/2.
“I’m a little bit disappointed because I know I have a lot more in me,” Shirley said. “I think I had a good series going into the finals but I just didn’t improve on my mark. I feel I can come back next year and be one of the top jumpers in this conference.”
The women’s 1,600 relay team finished in fourth place in a season-best 3:40.91. KU’s men’s 400 relay team placed sixth in a season-best time of 41.61.
Amanda Reves placed sixth in the 800 in a personal best 2:12.42.
Sevenths went to Eric Patterson (110 hurdles), Kerry Fink (400 hurdles). Eighths went to Jeremy Hull (pole vault), Jennie Wonder (400 hurdles), Sarah Schaeder (high jump) and Katy Eisenmenger (1,500).
Tate and Bulat will be the only two Jayhawks to represent Kansas at the NCAA Track and Field Championships, May 30-June 2, in Eugene, Ore., at the University of Oregon.
“With the red-shirts we had on the men’s side we saw some of our athletes step up,” said KU coach Stanley Redwine, who red-shirted several point producers in an attempt to load up for next season.
“The points that we had this weekend were definitely hard earned. We had more athletes this year get medals compared to last year. We need to continue to work harder and get better each day. I’m confident that we will be a better team in the future.”
Texas A&M’s men scored heavily in the javelin and won the 400 relay to capture its first Big 12 Track and Field Championship. Kansas State’s women, led by double winner Korene Hinds in the 800 and 1,500 meters, won the women’s team title after finishing third last year with 128 1/4 points. Defending champ Nebraska was second with 117 1/2 points.
The Aggies, who started the day trailing Missouri in the men’s division, received 21 points from four point producers in the javelin, led by walk-on freshman Luke Marrs, whose victory propelled A&M into the team lead.
The Aggies finished with 159 points, beating out Texas, which finished second with 120 1/2 points. Missouri finished third with 91 points and defending champion Nebraska was seventh.
Hinds finished the 800 in 2:05.34, outdistancing Lanie Millar of Baylor, who was second at 2:08.29. Millar narrowly beat Iowa State’s Lenka Kalabova, third at 2:08.30.
It was Hinds’ second victory of the day. She earlier won the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:22.19, beating Melissa Gulli of Texas A&M. Gulli finished at 4:24.45.
Bashir Ramzy lost in his bid to win the triple jump and long jump but helped the Aggies to a :39.4 winning time in the 400-meter relay with Mike Mills running the second leg in place of injured Brandon Evans.
Adam Wooten also helped the Aggies with a first place in the 200 meters in 20.59, third in the 100 meters and he anchored the winning 400 meter relay team.
“It was extra motivation, I knew I’d step it up (in 200 meters) since Brandon went down,” Wooten said. “I was just trying to bring a title to our team.”
Marrs won the men’s javelin and three other Texas A&M throwers placed in the event, giving the Aggies 21 points and the lead after seven events.
Ryan Luna of Texas Tech was second with a toss of 215-02 and Knut Sommerfeldt of Missouri was third. The Aggies also placed Ryan Duplichan, fourth, Jason Matthews, fifth and John Bloom, seventh.
Marrs’ winning toss of 235-03 was a personal best after starting the season under 200 feet on his tosses. Marrs already had qualified for the NCAA Championships but his winning toss moved him up to No. 8 nationally in the event.
John Nance added to Texas A&M’s total with a winning leap of 18-0 1/2 in the men’s pole vault and then missed three tries at 18-6 1/2, beating Baylor’s Jim Autenreith, second at 17-08 1/2.
Chris Hercules of Texas won his third triple jump title Saturday and became the first Longhorn to have three career victories in the triple jump and the long jump.
Hercules got off a winning leap of 53 feet, 2 1/4 inches on his second jump of the triple jump competition, giving him three titles in the last four years. He was second last year to Texas A&M’s Bashir Ramzy.
Hercules won his third straight long jump in Friday’s competition.
Hercules passed on his final jump since he already had the title.
“I’ve learned over the years not to kill myself in conference because in two weeks, you have to raise it to another level at the nationals,” Hercules said.
Hercules has qualified for the NCAA Championships in both the triple jump and long jump. He has won eight Big 12 jump titles.
1. Tiffany Green, Texas Tech, 11.48; 2. Aleah Williams, Texas, 11.53; 3. Ssereta Lafayee, Baylor, 11.59; 4. Jimyria Hicks, Oklahoma, 11.63; 5. Lakeesha White, Texas, 11.63; 6. Monique Wright-Cruse, Texas Tech, 11.74.
1. Tiffany Green, Texas Tech, 22.98; 2. Jimyria Hicks, Oklahoma, 23.13; 3. Barbara Petrahn, Baylor, 23.22; 4. Ssereta Lafayee, Baylor, 23.25; 5. Aleah Williams, Texas, 23.28; 6. Lakeesha White, Texas,
23.36.
1. Barbara Petrahn, Baylor, 51.85; 2. Moushai Robinson, Texas, 52.25;
3. Nakiya Johnson, Texas, 53.72; 4. Rachelle Evans, Texas Tech, 54.12;
5. Keisa Brown, Baylor, 54.62; 6. Tiffany Wise, Baylor, 54.91.
1. Korene Hinds, Kansas St., 2:05.34; 2. Lanie Millar, Baylor,
2:08.29; 3. Lenka Kalabova, Iowa St., 2:08.30; 4. Ashley Wysong, Missouri,
2:10.69; 5. Aisha Stringer, Oklahoma, 2:10.81; 6. Amanda Reves, Kansas, 2:12.42.
1. Korene Hinds, Kansas St., 4:22.19; 2. Melissa Gulli, Texas A&M,
4:24.45; 3. Erin Sims, Texas, 4:24.73; 4. Ann Marie Brooks, Missouri,
4:25.02; 5. Amy Mortimer, Kansas St., 4:25.96; 6. Kara Grgas-Wheeler,
Colorado, 4:27.54.
1. Ann Marie Brooks, Missouri, 16:29.40; 2. Melissa Gulli, Texas A&M,
16:30.92; 3. Emily Field, Texas, 16:43.55; 4. Molly Austin, Colorado,
16:45.16; 5. Annie Weerhus, Kansas St., 16:46.90; 6. Sara Wells,
Oklahoma St., 16:48.48.
1. Christina Ohaeri, Texas A&M, 13.09; 2. Chimika Carter, Texas A&M,
13.09; 3. Nicole Hoxie, Texas, 13.11; 4. Hannah Cooper, Colorado, 13.30;
5. Emily Waibel, Nebraska, 13.31; 6. Alesha Peel, Oklahoma, 13.36.
1. Angel Paerson, Texas, 56.09; 2. Chava Demart, Baylor, 57.05; 3.
Raasin McIntosh, Texas, 57.19; 4. D’Andria Brigham, Texas Tech 1:01.36;
5. Christina Ohaeri, Texas A&M, 1:01.37; 6. Alyssa Aiken, Texas, 1:01.63.
1. Kerry Hils, Missouri, 10:28.82; 2. Lesley Higgins, Colorado,
10:37.96; 3. Ann Gaffigan, Nebraska, 10:45.09; 4. Katie Meyer, Missouri
10:46.93; 5. Amanda Crouse, Kansas St., 10:49.65; 6. Stephanie
Benne, Baylor, 10:58.84.
1. Texas, 44.13; 2. Baylor, 44.17; 3. Texas Tech 44.35; 4. Oklahoma
OU 44.53; 5. Iowa St., 44.75; 6. Kansas St., 45.38.
1. Texas, 3:34.04; 2. Baylor, 3:34.40; 3. Texas Tech 3:38.98; 4.
Kansas,3:40.91; 5. Oklahoma, 3:42.86; 6. Colorado, 3:44.87.
1. Carrie Braness, Nebraska, 5-11 1/4; 2. Christi Myers, Missouri, 5-11 1/4; 3. Jessica Thompson, Nebraska, 5-9 1/4; 4. Na’Tassia Vice, Nebraska, 5-09 1/4; 5. Gina Curtis, Iowa St.,
5-9 1/4; 6. Katherine Livesey, Nebraska, 5-7 1/4.
1. Kriszta Kovesi, Nebraska, 42-2 3/4; 2. Queeneth
Evurunobi, Kansas St., 41-9 1/4; 3. Jaclyn Owusu, Texas, 40-8 1/4; 4. Teena Clincy, Kansas St., 40-4; 5. Angie Prebyl, Nebraska, 40-3 1/2; 6. Authea
Chambers, Nebraska, 40-1 1/2.
1. Andrea Bulat, Kansas, 158-0; 2. Mandi Peterson, Kansas St., 154-02; 3. Katie McClellan, Nebraska, 151-03; 4. Austra Skujyte, Kansas St., 151-02; 5. Emily Wolken, Nebraska, 149-2; 6. Kendra Reimer, Texas A&M, 147-6.
