Battle wins hammer at Big 12

By J-W Staff Reports     May 14, 2005

? Kansas University junior Sheldon Battle needed time to compose himself after Friday’s nerve-wracking victory in the hammer throw at the Big 12 Conference Outdoor track and field championships.

“I’m sick to my stomach, all that adrenaline in my body,” Battle said, forcing a laugh after uncorking an event-winning throw of 210 feet on his sixth and final attempt, surpassing Nebraska’s Issar Yazhbin, who passed Battle with a throw of 206-11 on the next-to-last throw.

“When I stepped up for my final throw, I said to myself, ‘I can’t repeat what happened at Indoor. This can’t be my history,”‘ Battle said.

Battle placed second in the shot put at Indoor, getting passed by event winner Conrad Woolsey of Missouri on Woolsey’s final attempt.

Battle’s victory, coupled with Benson Chesang’s third-place finish in the 10,000 meters, helped KU to a third-place finish behind Kansas State and Texas A&M after the first day of the three-day meet.

KSU totaled 28 points, followed by A&M (23), KU (20), Nebraska (13), Colorado (12), Texas (8), Texas Tech (5), Iowa State (4), Missouri (2) and Oklahoma (2).

KU’s women, paced by Jen Widerstrom’s second place finish in the hammer, tied for fourth with 15 points. A&M tallied 18, followed by OSU (17), KSU (16), CU and KU (15), NU (12), TT (10), BU (8) and MU (6).

KU’s men scored just four points at last year’s Big 12 meet.

“They always talk about last year. This is a new team, a new year,” Battle said.

Widerstrom, a junior from Lisle, Ill., threw a school-record 189-9, placing second to Oklahoma State’s Delilsa McClain, who threw 200-3. Widerstrom’s best throw was her last, passing KSU’s Laci Heller, who had thrown 187-9 on the toss preceding Widerstrom.

“I came in with the idea if I was composed and executed the way I can in the ring, everything would work out and I’d get a P.R. at conference,” Widerstrom said. “I’m ecstatic. As one of the team captains, we preach making clutch performances on conference weekend.”

Chesang was timed in the 10,000 in 29:33.71. His brother, Mathew, of Kansas State, won in a Big 12-record time of 29:23.67.

KU’s Colin Dutton was fifth in the hammer, while Denita Miller and Megan Foster placed sixth and seventh in the javelin. Paige Higgins notched seventh in the 10,000.

The meet continues today.

Battle wins hammer

By J-W Staff Reports     Apr 16, 2005

? Kansas University junior Sheldon Battle won the hammer throw after a heave of 202 feet on Friday at the Tom Botts Invitational.

The throw, third-best in KU history, was Battle’s first over 200 feet.

Also Friday, junior Denita Miller won the javelin after a toss of 151-05, and KU runners Colby Wissel, D.J. Hilding and Tyler Kelly placed 1-2-3 in the 5,000-meter run.

Senior Jen Widerstrom placed second in the hammer (179-08), senior Paige Higgins placed third in the 5,000 (17:07.35), and sophomore Shatoya Hill earned a third-place finish in the long jump after a leap of 18-02.25.

The meet continues today.

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