Two more Jayhawks earn NCAA track bids

By J-W Staff Reports     May 31, 2009

? Kansas University’s Keith Hayes and Lauren Bonds qualified for the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday at the Midwest Regional meet at Jacobs Track Complex.

Hayes, a freshman from Wichita, placed second in the 110 hurdles in 13.79. Bonds, a junior from Hutchinson, placed fifth in the 1,500 run in 4:26.04.

Hayes shrugged off three false starts in his event to run the race under 14 seconds for the second straight day. He posted the second-best 110-meter time in Kansas history Friday with a 13.73 mark.

“It was frustrating. I was mad because it was three times and I had three good starts. So I took a deep breath, kept my composure and finished the race,” Hayes said.

“The sky is the limit now,” he added. “I didn’t know what I could do until now, but now I have some idea. I’m going for the (NCAA) championship.”

Coach Stanley Redwine was impressed with the freshman runner.

“To not make the finals at the Big 12 Championships and to come back and get second at the regional … he really stepped up and got it done,” Redwine said.

Bonds began her race in the middle of the pack and was seventh through 400 meters. Bonds held the same spot through 800 meters, but improved to sixth heading into the final lap.

She blew past the fifth-place runner at the 1,200 mark. She finished 4.37 seconds ahead of sixth-place Ashley Miller of Nebraska to earn a spot at nationals in Fayetteville, Ark.

“Lauren did a great job,” Redwine said. “It’s her first qualifying in an individual event for the NCAAs.”

Nickesha Anderson came up two spots short of an automatic NCAA bid in the 200 meters. The senior from Hanover, Jamaica, placed seventh in 23.66. She has a chance of snaring at-large bids in the 100 and 200.

Brian Bishop placed seventh place in the discus with a throw of 179-2. The junior from Cantrall, Ill., is now in the at-large pool for NCAAs with his top-12 finish.

Stephanie Horton and Emily Reimer placed 11th and 16th, respectively, in the shot put to fall short of an automatic bid. Horton, a senior from Tigard, Ore., recorded a mark of 49-93/4. Reimer, a senior from Wichita, threw 48-05.25 feet. By finishing in the top 12, Horton will now hope to land an at-large berth for the NCAAs.

Kirk Cooper finished in a tie for 13th place in the pole vault in a career-best 16-71/4.

Zlata Tarasova qualified in the hammer Friday, courtesy of a fifth-place finish in 183-4.

“We have several athletes in the at-large pool, so we’re hoping that they get in,” Redwine said. “At this point, it’s not in our hands. It’s in the hands of the committee. I truly believe Nickesha will get into both the 100 and 200, and hopefully Brian Bishop will get into the discus.”

The NCAA meet will be June 10-13 in Fayetteville, Ark.

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