89th Kansas Relays Presented by Subway Ends with a Bang

RESULTS | NOTES | QUOTES

With fireworks illuminating the final stretch of the men’s 4×400 relay, Nebraska out-kicked Kansas, registering the fastest time be a collegiate team and solidifying the quadrangular sweep at the 89^th Kansas Relays presented by Subway Saturday evening. The men’s squad topped the Jayhawks, 226-219, while the Cornhuskers women’s team outscored Kansas, 206-191. Colorado State and Rice took third and fourth, respectively, in both the men’s and women’s contests.
 
After the conclusion of the four-day competition, meet officials selected Mason Finley and Molly Born as the men’s and women’s Athletes of the Meet, respectively. Finley competed unattached, winning the open discus throw on Friday with a mark of 64.07 meters (210’2″), recording a meet record in the event. Born won the girl’s 3,200 meter race, turning in a time of 10:28.16, leading the field by 10 seconds. The Shawnee Mission Northwest sophomore also posted a fifth-place finish in the mile during Saturday’s competition. 
 
Kansas junior Mitchell Cooper kicked off collegiate competition on the final day of the meet by etching his name atop the school record book in the men’s discus throw. Cooper carved the record on his final attempt of the evening with a mark of 62.56 meters (205’3″). After tossing a personal record on his first throw of the day, Mitchell improved his mark once again on his second attempt. The Queensland, Australia product’s final toss lowered the 46-year old record previously held by Doug Knop.
 
The men’s throws continued to produce top-notch results throughout the evening as Rice senior Evan Karakolis won the men’s javelin competition and came within eight feet of lowering the meet record with a throw of 79.30 meters (260’2″). Karakolis’ launch was the best throw by a collegian at the Kansas Relays since 1985. He out-threw the rest of the field by more than 32 feet.  
 
In the running events, former Jayhawk Michael Stigler returned to the track to claim his third title in 400-meter hurdles at the Kansas Relays, turning in a time of 50.12. Last year’s NCAA Champion and world record holder claimed the fastest time in the event by nearly two seconds.
 
With just 10 points separating the Cornhuskers and Jayhawks in the men’s quadrangular competition, Nebraska turned in the fastest performance by a collegiate team in the 4×400 relay to win the meet.  NU clocked in at 3:06.58, beating KU in the final event of the evening by less than two seconds. 
 
With the 89^th Kansas Relays now in the books, it’s time to start looking to the 90^th year of the historic meet, as the 2017 Kansas Relays are set for April 19-22. 
 
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