Seven-time Big 12 champions aren’t supposed to feel inadequate.

Ever.

Yet Scott Russell  the same Russell who has dominated conference indoor and outdoor track the past four years at Kansas  says he felt an ache, an empty pit in his gut, until March when he claimed his first NCAA championship in Fayetteville, Ark.

“It was kind of a relief, like there was a little pressure taken off me,” said Russell, KU’s 6-foot-9 gentle giant from Windsor, Ontario. He won the NCAA Indoor weight throw  and gained automatic entry into KU’s Athletics Hall of Fame  with a toss of 80-111/4.

“It was total excitement plus a relief in actually winning one. I felt I’d done a lot here at Kansas, but without that NCAA championship, I felt I wasn’t complete as an NCAA athlete.

“I still am putting a lot of pressure on myself to win the NCAA in the javelin, but it is nice to know that I’m in (KU Hall) no matter what.”

Russell’s NCAA victory means his portrait will soon be painted and hung forever on a wall of Allen Fieldhouse. Last chance for KU fans to see the All-American compete in person in KU colors, however, is this week at the Kansas Relays.

Russell will try to better his school record in the hammer throw (213-7) at 4:30 p.m. today. He’ll also compete in the discus at 5 p.m. Saturday.

He’s taking a week off from his specialty  the javelin  as part of a training schedule that has him peaking at time of the NCAA championships on May 29 in Baton Rouge, La.

“Just having people cheering for you is a big advantage,” Russell said. “To have everybody involved in each of your throws … it’s a great feeling.”

Russell knows and likes the feeling of being a hometown favorite. He won the Canadian national javelin championships last summer, then placed 13th in the World Championships held in Edmonton, Canada.

“To compete before the Canadian crowd was spectacular,” said Russell, who broke the Canadian national record at worlds with a throw of 267-11. “There were 45,000 people in the stands. “We have a video tape you can hear the crowd. They would almost erupt when they announced my name. It was a great feeling.”

Russell, 23, might emerge as a bona fide Candian hero in the not-so-distant future. There’s a great chance he’ll qualify for the 2004 Olympics in Greece.

“Absolutely he can be an Olympian. He is breaking into the world class level right now,” said KU throws coach Doug Reynolds, a world class discus thrower. “Last year he made a big breakthrough at the world championships showing he could compete at that level.

“I don’t know if he is at the point now he can say he is one of the big boys, but he certainly showed he can play with the big boys. He is still so young. He has a lot of time left and is just now starting to touch the potential that is there. Barring an injury or something drastic happening he will make the Olympic team. His goal is not to just make the Olympic Games, but be a strong force at the Olympic Games.”

Russell will train full time in Lawrence the next two years, putting on hold his graduate school work in physical therapy.

“It’s something I want to do. Training here with Doug … I think it’s something I’ll be able to accomplish,” Russell said.

He’s a bundle of energy, not only going to school and competing in track, but also interning as a KU trainer this semester.

“I go in the training room in the morning at 10 a.m., until the start of practice. I do my practice , come back and do treatments. On a couple occasions I’ve been at practice and an athlete has gone down and I’ve stopped my practice and actually ran over to treat the athlete. In some cases it’s good I’ve been there. Some people have gotten injured.”

He may or may not watch the javelin competition Friday.

“I’d like to,” he said with a smile, “but I actually might be in the training room working at that time.”