The 2000 Kansas Relays, back after a two-year break due to trackrenovations, drew 10,500 people to Hershberger Track. The crowd wasthe largest attendance figure since the 1983 Relays. The four daymeet was highlighted by the appearance of Maurice Greene. Greene, theworld record holder in the 60-meter dash, ran the anchor leg of themen's special invitational 4x100 meter relay. Greene was joined byelite athletes Ato Boldon, Brian Howard and Curtis Johnson to run therace in a Relay's record time of 38.45.
Elite female athletes competed as well and dazzled the crowd byrunning the 4x100 meter relay in 44.09. Members of the female relayteam included Passion Richardson, Anjanette Kirkland, Inger Millerand Tori Edwards.
At the meet's conclusion, KU's Andrea Branson and Barton County'sWalter Davis were named the Kansas Relay's Most Outstanding CollegeAthletes.
Branson, an All-American during the 2000 indoor season, set thenation's second best collegiate mark of the current outdoor season inthe women's pole vault. Competing in the invitational vault event,Branson cleared 13'10" which shattered her previous season high of13'1.50".
Davis, won the men's long jump with a leap pf 25'10". Thesophomore then came back to win the men's triple jump by over a footwhen he recorded a jump of 55'09".
The Team Relays Champions were announced and Barton County won themen's college section. The University of Missouri won the women'steam award. In the high school portion, Lee Summit was named TeamRelays Champions for the high school boys division, while Jenks HSwon for the high school girls.
The High School Most Outstanding Performers were Richard Barber ofTopeka High in the boys section and Atalie Barber of Jenks HighSchool in the girls high school category.
The meet began with KU's Andy Morris winning the decathlon with7,101 points. The total is an NCAA provisional qualifying mark forthe NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in June. Oklahoma'sLindsay Cobbs won the women's heptathlon competition.
Several Jayhawks had tremendous performances throughout thefour-day event. In the women's javelin, Kansas sophomore Andrea Bulattook second place after throwing 155'7". Jennie Wonder placed fifthin the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.59.
On the men's side, Jabari Wamble placed third in the 400-meterdash after a time of 47.02. All-American Charlie Gruber won the men'sinvitational mile run with a time of 4:06.47. Distance runner MarkMenefee topped the field in the 5,000 meter run. The freshmanfinished the race under the lights with a time of 14:30.04. JuniorEric Patterson placed third in the 110-meter high hurdles finishingin 14.56.
In the men's invitational pole vault event, two Jayhawks placed inthe top three. Junior Greg Steele placed second after clearing thebar at 16'8.25". Freshman Vadim Gvozdetskiy finished third after avault of 16'8.25".
In the throwing events, Ryan Speers won the men's shot put with athrow of 57'1.5" The sophomore then came back and placed fourth inthe invitational shot put contest after a toss of 58'7.25". ScottRussell captured titles in two different events. He claimed first inthe men's hammer throw with a mark of 210'8". The junior then won thejavelin throw with a toss of 239'.
The Jayhawks are next in action at the Drake Relays in Des Moines,Iowa on April 28-29.