Manhattan ? Kansas University’s women’s track team placed second at the 2012 Big 12 Outdoor track and field championships, which concluded Sunday at Kansas State’s track complex.
The runner-up finish was the highest conference finish for the women’s program in school history.
The KU women won four events Sunday and seven over the three-day meet.
Diamond Dixon won the 400 (nation’s best 51.09), Andrea Geubelle won the triple jump (44-23/4), Rebeka Stowe was first in the 3,000 steeplechase (10:18.11), and the 1,600 meter relay team (Denesha Morris, Paris Daniels, Taylor Washington and Dixon) won in 3:28.1.
Kansas scored 129.5 points to champion Texas’ 139. Texas A&M was third with 128.5.
Dixon’s time was a personal record and made her just the second repeat Big 12 champ in school history, joining Candace Mason, who won consecutive heptathlon titles in 1998-99. Geubelle became the third Jayhawk to tally an outdoor triple jump conference title and the first since Crystal Manning placed first at the 2007 Big 12 meet.
And Kansas’ 4X400 relay team became the first Big 12 relay champ from a state other than Texas and broke a 14-year-old-meet record by over a second.
KU’s men, who were paced by Michael Stigler’s first in the 400 hurdles (KU record and Olympic qualifying time of 49.45) and Mason Finley’s second in the discus (197-1), totaled 64 points and tied for seventh place with Oklahoma State.
Texas A&M won with 150 points, followed by Texas (131), Oklahoma (91), Kansas State (75), Texas Tech (72), Baylor (65), KU (64), Oklahoma State (64), Iowa State (54) and Missouri (52).
For KU’s women, Daniels placed second in the 200 (22.9) and third in the 100 (11.28). Jessica Maroszek was third in the discus (172-2), Colleen O’Brien fourth in the high jump (5-103/4) and Washington sixth in the 400 (54.6). Stowe was eighth in the 1,500 in 4:44.32. The 400 relay team of Daniels, Francine Simpson, Danesha Morris and Dixon was fourth in 43.73.
For KU’s men, Kyle Clemons was third in the 400 (45.91), Jonathan Fuller fourth in the high jump (6-11), Nick Giancana sixth in high jump (6-9), Casey Bowen seventh in the pole vault (16-11), Greg Bussing seventh in the 3,000 steeplechase (9:05.31). The 400 relay team of Shawn Smith, Clemons, Stigler and Michael Hester was eighth in 41.31.