Tayton Klein took the Jim Click Open Multi’s title with a total of 7629 points in his first dec of the season.
The Kansas track and field men and women’s teams performed well at four different meets over the weekend in California and Texas. A group of distance runners went to the Mike Fanelli Classic and Stanford Invitational, both held in California.
Kansas senior Chandler Gibbens made school history at the Stanford Invitational, settting a new best in the 5000-meter run (13:28:71). The previous record holder in the men’s 5000-meter was Jim Ryun (13:47.80).
Other runners performed well in California, as junior Avryl Johnson (4:21:65) and sophomore Addie Coppinger (4:26:92) set new personal bests in the 1500-meter at the Stanford Invitational. Junior Lona Latema also stood out at the Stanford Invitational, placing fourth in the first section of the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase (9:57:14).
Sophomore Peter Walsdorf won the first heat of the men’s 10000-meter at the Mike Fanelli Classic (29:58:14). Freshman Tanner Newkirk also earned a new personal best time (14:13:03) at the Stanford Invitational, Newkirk’s first collegiate outdoor meet.
At the Texas Relays, sophomore Rylee Anderson placed second in the women’s high jump with a clearance of 1.82 meters. The mens 4×800-meter team – senior Justice Dick, sophomore A.J. Green, sophomore T.J. Robinson, and freshman Tanner Talley – placed second (7:21:61) and each recorded splits of 1:51:00 or less.
A similar group ran in the men’s distance medley at the Texas Relays – Dick, Green, freshman Marcus Freeman Jr. and Talley – placed fourth overall (9:51:96).
The dynamic freshman duo of Tayton Klein and Ashton Barkdull showed up well in their respective events at their career-first Texas Relays. Klein jumped 7.59 meters in the men’s long jump, placing sixth in the B division, while Barkdull cleared 5.41 meters to earn second place in the B division of the men’s pole vault.
Freshman Alexander Jung was the only Jayhawk competing in the multi this weekend, taking fourth place overall in the men’s decathlon at the Texas Relays. The sophomore compiled 7,577 points and recorded personal bests in both the 100-meter dash and the 400-meter dash.
At the Texas State Bobcat Invitational, freshman Dimitrios Pavlidis represented the throws squad, winning the men’s discus throw with a lifetime PR mark of 59.73 meters.
The Jayhawks will be back in action on Saturday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for the Lloyd Wills Invitational at LSU.