Witte Wins Gold with Career-Best Effort

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Lawrence, Kan.?Senior Casie Witte concluded the women’s heptathlon by winning her first career collegiate title in the event Thursday, as the 80th annual Kansas Relays continued at KU’s Memorial Stadium. <?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

Witte easily surpassed her previous career-best score by totaling 5,255 points to outdistance the rest of the field by 285 points. After setting an individual event best in the high jump Wednesday, she added a best of 139-11 in the javelin during day two to go along with solid marks of 17-9 ? (wind aided) in the long jump and 2:30.11 in the 800 meters. Witte’s time in the 800 was only .05 off her lifetime best in the event.

The weekend effort by Witte moved her into second place on the Big 12’s season performance list behind only teammate Ashley Selig, while she also improved her provisional chances of reaching the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Witte now ranks 19th nationally for the heptathlon.

Joining Witte with a solid weekend in the heptathlon was freshman Erin Hannon, who recorded 4,604 points thanks to marks of 17-8 (wind-aided long jump), 101-11 (javelin) and 2:37.64. All three individual efforts counted as outdoor season bests for Hannon, who now ranks eighth in the Big 12 for the heptathlon.

Five Nebraska hammer throwers kicked off the weekend in the field Thursday, led by senior Issar Yazhbin’s third-place finish in the men’s hammer. Yazhbin threw a top mark of 200-7 to meet the regional qualifying requirement for the fourth time in as many attempts this season. Kansas’ reigning NCAA champion Egor Agafonov won the event (227-5), while Yazhbin was the second collegian finisher.

Junior Aaron Bozarth placed eighth in the men’s hammer with a throw of 179-5, which crushed his previous career best by nearly four feet and fell only three feet shy of the regional standard. Junior Tamara Solari was the lone Husker to compete in the women’s section, and she placed seventh (166-7).

An evening distance carnival started up the weekend’s events on the track, and six Huskers were fielded in such events Thursday.

NU’s highest finish came from freshman Andras Licsak, who clocked a time of 1:54.90 to earn sixth place in the men’s unseeded 800-meter run. Freshman Mackenzie Jeffrey (10:33.92) placed 11th in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, while junior Betsy Miller (4:45.64) and freshman Elizabeth Marsh (18:56.53) finished ninth and 15th, respectively, in unseeded sections of the women’s 1,500- and 5,000-meter run events.

Junior Alec Maduza and freshman Bryce Somer are still scheduled to compete late Thursday evening in the men’s 10,000-meter run.

NOTE: Results from the Kansas Relays are available on-line at the following link: http://www.deltatiming.com/events/2007/kansasrelays/  

Kansas Relays ? Results
Memorial Stadium
Lawrence, Kan.

Women’s Heptathlon (100h; SP; HJ; 200m; LJ; JV; 200m)
1. Casie Witte, 5,255 (14.84; 5-10 ?; 33-8 ?; 26.05w; 17-9 1/2w; 139-11; 2:30.11) PNQ, PR
5. Erin Hannon, 4,604 (15.30w; 5-5 ?; 32-9; 27.21w; 17-8w; 101-11; 2:37.64) PR

Women’s 1,500-Meter Run (unseeded)
9. Betsy Miller, 4:45.64

Women’s 5,000-Meter Run (unseeded)
15. Elizabeth Marsh, 18:56.53

Women’s Hammer Throw
7. Tamara Solari, 166-7

Men’s 800-Meter Run (unseeded)
6. Andras Licsak, 1:54.90

Men’s 3,000-Meter Steeplechase (unseeded)
11. Mackenzie Jeffrey, 10:33.92 PR

Men’s Hammer Throw
3. Issar Yazhbin, 200-7 RQ
8. Aaron Bozarth, 179-5 PR
11. Bryan Bell, 167-4
12. Eric Petersen, 162-8

RQ- NCAA regional qualification

PNQ- NCAA provisional qualification

PR- Personal-best mark