Andy Kokhanovsky
 Andy Kokhanovsky
Position:
Assistant Coach - Throws

Experience:
Seventh season at KU

College:
Abilene Christian '98

04/26/2012

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Jayhawks look to continue strong outings as postseason looms

01/30/2012

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By Matt Franzblau, Media Relations Student Assistant

Andy Kokhanovsky is in his seventh year as a member of the Kansas track and field coaching staff, serving as the throws coach.

COACHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• In Kokhanovsky's first six seasons in Lawrence, his athletes have garnered 22 All-America honors, 14 conference championships and two national championships.

• Kokhanovsky led one of the strongest groups of throwers the school has seen in 2011. He tutored four throwers to first team All-American honors in five events, including Mason Finley's fourth Big-12 title. He also saw two of his athletes break school records, with Finley smashing the KU shot put record and sophomore Heather Bergmann breaking the record in the javelin.

• In 2010, Kokhanovsky mentored Mason Finley to an outstanding rookie season. Finley won the Big 12 indoor title and claimed both the shot put and discus title at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships. Finley earned All-America honors in all three events and finished second at the NCAA Outdoor meet in both the shot put and discus. He was named the Midwest Region Field Athlete of the Year and also was named the Big 12's Outstanding Male Freshman of the Year Award. Kokhanovsky also coached Brian Bishop to an appearance at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the discus, where he finished 15th.

• In 2008, Kokhanovsky coached Egor Agafonov to his second-consecutive National Championship in the weight throw, as well as his fifth and sixth All-America honors (weight throw, hammer throw) and his third-consecutive Big 12 Championship in both the hammer throw and the weight throw.

• Also in 2008, Kokhanovsky tutored Stephanie Horton to All-America honors in the shot put at noth the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships.

• In 2007, Kokhanovsky coached junior Egor Agafonov to the indoor and outdoor conference championships in the weight throw and hammer throw, respectively. Agafonov earned All-America honors in both events and won the 2007 weight throw national championship.

• Also in 2007, Kokhanovsky led Zlata Tarasova to the first women's hammer throw conference championship in school history.

• In 2006, Kokhanovsky guided Agafonov to two Big 12 Championships (indoor weight throw and outdoor hammer throw) in Agafonov's first season in intercollegiate athletics. Agafonov went on to earn All-America accolades with his second-place finish at NCAA Indoor Championships in the weight throw and a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the hammer throw.

• Kokhanovsky oversaw the culmination of six-time All-American Sheldon Battle's career. In 2006, Battle repeated as the Big 12 indoor shot put champion and scored points at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships in shot put (second), discus (second) and hammer throw (seventh). Battle was named the Midwest Region Field Athlete of the Year.

• Also in 2006, Kokhanovsky coached Denita Young to outdoor All-America honors in the javelin and Stephanie Horton to a bronze at the USATF Junior Outdoor Championships.

• At Louisiana-Monroe, Kokhanovsky's athletes qualified for a total of 11 NCAA regional championships and set seven school records.

• In his three years at McNeese State, Kokhanovsky coached All-American Samantha Chesson in the javelin as well as Kristjan Rahnu, who was the Southland Conference champion in the decathlon in 2001.

PROMINENT PUPILS

• Mason Finley (Kansas) - Six-time All-American in first two seasons at KU, four-time Big 12 Champion, 2010 Midwest Region Field Athlete of the Year, 2010 Big 12 Outstanding Male Freshman of the Year.

• Stephanie Horton (Kansas) - Two-time All-American in the shot put (2008 indoor and outdoor) - Holds both Kansas school records in the shot put Indoor - 16.80 meters (55-01.50 ft.) Outdoor - 16.52 meters (54-02.50 ft.)

• Zlata Tarasova (Kansas) - 2007 Big 12 Champion (Hammer Throw) - Holds two school records (weight throw, hammer throw) Weight Throw - 18.97 meters (62-03 ft.) Hammer Throw - 62.95 meters (206-06 ft.)

• Egor Agafonov (Kansas) - Two-time National Champion in the weight throw (2007 and 2008 NCAA Indoor Championships) - Six-time All-American Weight Throw (2006, 2007, 2008) Hammer Throw (2006, 2007, 2008) - Six-time Big 12 Champion Weight Throw (2006, 2007, 2008) Hammer Throw (2006, 2007, 2008) -School record holder in the hammer throw (233-00 ft.)

• Sheldon Battle (Kansas) - Three All-America honors in 2006 Weight Throw and Shot Put (Indoor) Shot Put (Outdoor) - 2006 Big 12 Champion (Indoor Shot Put)

• Denita Young (Kansas) - 2006 All-American in the javelin

• Scott Russell (Kansas) - 2008 Olympian for Canada, placed 10th in the javelin

• Kristjan Rahnu (McNeese State) - Southland Conference Champion in the decathlon (2001)

Kokhanovsky graduated from Abilene Christian University in 1998 with a B.S. in education. In 1996, he set a Division II national record in the discus with a throw of 211-5. He was also the national champion and an All-American in the event. In the same year, Kokhanovsky represented the Ukraine in the discus at the Olympic Games in Atlanta. Before his time in Abilene, Kokhanovsky competed at Blinn Junior College where he set the national record for junior colleges in the discus in 1995 with a throw of 210-8. He was an All-American and the national champion in the discus in 1994 and 1995 at Blinn. In addition to his time as a collegiate thrower and coach, Kokhanovsky was a member of the Soviet Union and the Ukrainian national teams from 1984-1993. In 1989, he won the USSR national championships in the discus and in 1992 was ranked as high as 12th in the world in that event after throwing his personal record of 215-05. He has competed in the World University Games in Germany (1989), England (1991) and the United States (1993). Additionally, Kokhanovsky held the Soviet national high school record (ages 17 and younger) in the discus with a throw of 215-02. He was also a member of the Soviet junior national team where he competed at the 1986 Junior World Championships in Greece, finishing ninth. Kokhanovsky holds a Level I and II USA Track and Field coaching certification and a USA Weightlifting coaching certification. He resides in Lawrence with his wife Marissa and daughter, Ana-Claire.

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