The Kansas men’s track and field team demonstrated impressive prowess at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship held in Waco, Texas, from Thursday to Saturday, securing four individual titles primarily in field events.
Among the standout performances, sophomore Anthony Meacham clinched the men’s pole vault championship by clearing 5.40 meters. His teammate and classmate Ashton Barkdull closely followed in second place, clearing 5.30 meters. The Jayhawks continued their dominance in the event with junior Clayton Simms finishing fifth at 5.30 meters and senior Andrew Saloga tying for sixth place at 5.20 meters.
In another remarkable achievement, junior Alexander Jung shattered a 27-year-old school record by amassing 7,706 points in the decathlon. Jung’s stellar performance included a first-place finish in the 110-meter hurdles, tied top marks in the pole vault, a second-place showing in the discus, and third-place finishes in the shot put and javelin.
Howard native and junior Devin Loudermilk retained his conference title by being the sole high jumper to clear 2.24 meters, mirroring his success from the indoor championship held in February.
Additionally, junior Dimitrios Pavlidis showcased his prowess by winning the discus event with a throw of 61.52 meters, dominating his competitors by nearly a full meter.
In the women’s events, Arkansas transfer Yoveinny Mota secured second place in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.04 seconds, emerging as the top performer from the KU women’s squad. The women’s 4×400-meter relay team consisting of Madison Campbell, Sidney Smith, Aaliyah Moore, and Deshana Skeete secured a bronze medal with a time of 3:35.29.
Overall, the KU men’s team finished sixth out of 12 teams, while the women’s team secured the 10th position out of 14.
Looking ahead, the NCAA preliminary competition is scheduled to commence on May 22 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.