KU’s King excels in 800 meters

By Staff Reports     Feb 15, 2014

? Kansas University sophomore Rhavean King posted one of the best all-time performances by a Jayhawk in the 800 meters at the Tyson Invitational.

King turned in the fastest 800-meter race of her Jayhawk career as she competed in the championship division of the event Friday evening. King was up against a host of runners who will vie for spots at the NCAA Championships later this year and hung at the front of the pack for the majority of the race. The Memphis, Tenn., runner sat in third with 200 meters to go but slipped a few positions as she rounded the final curve. She then made up some time down the final 50 meters to clock in with a time of 2:10.85, the fastest of her career.

King’s 800-meter performance, which earned her a 14th-place finish in the event, made her the No. 7 performer in school history and was just .22 seconds from notching one of the 10-fastest times in KU history. King’s time was nearly two seconds faster than her previous best and now sits her at ninth on this season’s Big 12 charts.

In her second 400-meter race of the season, Diamond Dixon managed to shave some time off her season best. The senior immediately left her competition in the dust as she opened up a 10-meter lead over the course of her two-lap race. Dixon crossed the finish in 53.25 to win her heat and eventually take ninth out of the 76 total competitors.

A small KU contingent was also in action Friday at the ISU Classic in Ames, Iowa. Junior Alisha Keys had a solid outing as she made her mark in the sprints. Keys began the day by tallying the second-fastest qualifying mark in the 60-meter dash after posting time of 7.62. The time earned Keys a spot in today’s final.

Other notable performances out of Ames on Friday came from senior Alex Hermes and sophomore Drew Matthews, who each tallied personal bests in the 200 meters by clocking in at 22.38 and 22.68, respectively. Senior Teddy Oteba also earned a career best as he took 12th in the 600 yards with his time of 1:13.16.

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