Stigler, Conley Claim Big 12 Athlete of the Week Honors

Irving, Texas – For the second-time in the conference’s history, two Jayhawks earned simultaneous Big 12 Athletes of the Week honors after junior Michael Stigler and sophomore Sydney Conley were given the award for the first time in their careers, the league office announced Wednesday.
 
Stigler turned in a season-best and NCAA-leading time en route to a win at the Kansas Relays last weekend. The Canyon, Texas native clocked in at 49.35 in the event final to beat the rest of the field by nearly three seconds. Stigler’s time was not only the fastest by a collegian at the Kansas Relays since 1981, but is the best 400-meter hurdle mark in the NCAA and the fifth-fastest time in the world this year.
 
Stigler also helped the Jayhawks’ 4×100-meter hurdle team to the event victory at KU’s home meet. Running the third leg, Kansas posted a season-best 40.06 in the prelims before taking to event title in finals. KU’s time is 14th in the NCAA West Region rankings and fourth in the Big 12 in 2014.
 
Conley turned in the best long jump of her career as she also picked up the event victory at the Kansas Relays last weekend. Conley hit a top mark of 6.50 meters (21’4″) to earn the win and shoot herself up the national ranks. The Fayetteville, Ark., native’s career-best jump is the third-best in the NCAA this year and the No. 1 mark by a Big 12 athlete.
 
Conley also ran the anchor leg for the victorious KU women’s 4×100-meter relay team which picked up its third-consecutive Kansas Relays 4×100-meter title with a winning time of 45.23 after also posting the top time in prelims at 44.77.
 
Both Stigler and Conley, as well as a handful of their Kansas teammates, will be in action this weekend. Some Jayhawks will journey to Des Moines, Iowa for the Drake Relays while the KU throwers will head to San Diego, Calif., for the Triton Invitational. Both meets will take place April 25-26.