Athletics Headlines: Track and Field Shines in the Sunflower State

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April 24, 2006

Track and Field Shines in the Sunflower State

Lawrence Kansas may be the home of the Jayhawks, but it was a group of Spartans who flew away with several great performances at the 79th Kansas Relays. The small squad of Spartans finished with six event wins and 14 total top seven finishes in one of the premier meets of the Midwest.

On the men’s side Titus Tirop set the pace by winning the men’s unseeded 1500m run in a time of 3:59.95. When asked about his victory Tirop said: "The times were not as fast as I expected. This is a good step towards nationals, which is coming up pretty soon. I was not happy with my time. I was basically running alone, which made it tougher." With the help of his teammates Onesmus Too, Orlando Collins, and Cornell Rose, Tirop returned later in the meet to anchor the first place men’s 4x800m relay in 7:43.22, saying: "It was nice. We were expecting a hot race and it wasn't easy."

Several other Spartan Men ended with high finishes. Michael Gusbeth threw 194’3” to place fourth in a deep field of men’s hammer throwers. Juan Robles ran a 9:39.83 on his way to a fifth place finish in the steeple chase. Jamaury Harris battled his way through a tough field to take sixth place with a jump of 50’1.25”. Harris also placed sixteenth in the men’s long jump with a jump of 21’11.75”. Denis Bull Olinga finished seventh in the men’s 5,000m run with a time of 15:05.87. Cornell Rose ran 54.89 in the 400m hurdles to capture twenty-fifth in a loaded field. In addition to his work on the 4x800m relay, Onesmus Too earned thirty first place in the open 800m with a time of 1:57.58.

The Lady Spartans continued their impressive year by capturing four event wins, two second place finishes and a fifth place finish. MBU sprint star Nickesha Anderson won the women’s 100m dash with a blistering time of 11.37. Regarding her win, Anderson said: "It was a big win. I did not get out of the blocks as I well as I would have liked. I am always confident and this victory only builds on that." Anderson also combined with teammates Lanece Clarke, Charminique Ray, and Maresia Pencil to take home a second place finish in the sprint medley relay with a time of 3:57.22. Betty Rotich, part of MBU’s dominant distance squad, captured the win in the women’s 10,000m run with a time of 35:15.51. On her race, Rotich remarked: "I really wanted someone to run with who would push me to get a better time. My field was good though." Seidre Forde pulled out a victory in the women’s triple jump, despite a sore back. After posting the winning mark of 41’1.75”, Forde said: "Considering my injury I think I did well today. Because of my injury I have been unable to train. I just came out and gave it all I could today." Sophomore throws star Shernelle Nicholls captured a second place finish in the discus throw, setting a new personal best and school record with a distance of 161’7”. Nicholls also earned fifth place honors in the shot put, with a put of 47’4.25”. Running unattached, Margaret Nakintu outdistanced the field winning the women’s 1500m run in a time of 4:21.75. When asked about the race, Nakintu commented: "I'm happy with my performance today. I was not really expecting to win today because this is my first time to run with elite athletes, but I'm happy because I know all my strength comes from the Lord.”

The Spartan track and field teams hope to keep running fast, jumping high, and throwing far in preparation for the NAIA Outdoor National Championships in late May.