Kansas University’s women’s track-and-field team had a program-best 11 athletes named first- or second-team All-Americans, it was announced Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Senior Taylor Washington earned the first team All-America distinction for the fourth-straight year, while seniors Andrea Geubelle and Denesha Morris and junior Diamond Dixon earned first-team honors for the third-consecutive season.
Geubelle was a first-teamer in long jump and triple jump, both of which she won at the NCAA Indoor over the weekend in Fayetteville, Ark. She is a 10-time All-American: five times indoors, five outdoors.
Junior Natalia Bartnovskaya, who won her first NCAA pole vault championship, was a first-time first-teamer.
Dixon was named to the first team after finishing sixth in the 400 meters last weekend. Her time of 52.33 was the second-fastest of her indoor career. The Houston native also anchored the 4×400-meter relay team to their third-straight first team performance, claiming eighth in Fayetteville. Dixon is tied with Geubelle for the most first-team All-America honors in school history with 10 after she was honored six times indoors and four times outdoors.
Washington became the first Jayhawk in the women’s program’s history to be named an All-American all four seasons of her collegiate career. She was a member of the All-American distance medley relay squad in 2010 and then was honored three-straight seasons for her part on the 4×400-meter relay team. She was joined in Fayetteville by Morris, now a three-time indoor honoree, Paris Daniels, who has claimed two first team distinctions on the relay, and Dixon.
Daniels also earned a first first-team nod in the 200 meters. She finished eighth in the event over the weekend, clocking in at 23.27. The senior was also a second-team honoree after she finished 11th in the 60. Daniels is the first KU female to earn three All-America distinctions at a single NCAA meet — indoors or outdoors.
Joining Geubelle on the long jump first team All-America list was senior Francine Simpson, who finished third at the national meet.
Alena Krechyk made her way onto the indoor All-America list for the second time but the first time as a first team honoree. The senior placed sixth in the weight throw at the NCAA Championships.
Three Jayhawks made the second team: sophomore Lindsay Vollmer, who finished ninth in the pentathlon at her first NCAA Indoor; freshman Anastasia Muchkayev, 12th in the shot put; and Kyle Clemons, KU’s lone men’s representative, who placed 15th in the 400.