Kansas didn’t vie for team championships in Big 12 Conference women’s track last year.

Still, the Jayhawks had the league’s most surprising success story in freshman Brooklyn Hann, who won the league outdoor triple jump after placing second at the Big 12 Indoor.

Hann, a 5-foot-6 native of Sacramento, Calif., was rewarded for her efforts by being named the league’s Freshman of the Year.

She leaped a KU record 42-11 to win the league outdoor title after leaping in 41-11¼2 indoors. At the NCAA meets, Hann finished 10th indoors and 17th outdoors at 40-83¼4.

Her performance helped KU to a sixth-place finish at the Big 12 Indoor, the Jayhawks’ best since a fourth place in 1996. KU wound up eighth at the Big 12 Outdoor for its best finish since 1997.

“Not really,” said Hann, asked if she expected instant success in college. “I only jumped 39 out of high school. I had no idea what I could do, but I did know we have great coaching here. Coach (Milan) Donley was the nicest coach who recruited me.”

What will Hann do for an encore?

“Hopefully, I can go mid-43s,” she said.

Hann showed a flair for the dramatic, shooting from fifth to first following her final jump.

“I had been jumping well, but I just couldn’t get some technical things together,” she said. “I was like, ‘I’ve got to do something now.’ Hopefully, my second year will go even better because I’ll know what to expect.”

In June, Hann earned Junior All-America honors by winning the triple jump at the USA Junior Track and Field championships in Stanford, Calif., where she had a best leap of 41-83¼4.

She’s not the only KU standout back.

Senior Monique Peters, a native of Trinidad, placed first in the long jump indoors with a leap of 19-103¼4, third best in KU history. Peters had injury problems during the outdoor season.

Brandi Taylor, a senior from Keller, Texas, earned sixth in the indoor triple jump in 39-5 and 14th at outdoor (37-1 3/4).

Another strong jumper is Sondra Rauterkus, a sophomore from Harlan, Iowa, who placed fourth in the league indoor high jump in 5-81¼2.

KU also returns junior distance runner Laura Lavoie, who placed seventh in the 1,500 (4:26.30) at the Big 12 Outdoor. Lavoie, from Springfield, Mo., placed fifth in the indoor 800 (2:11.06) and was part of the third place distance medley relay team with junior Stacy Keller, junior Arrah Nielsen and Katy Eisenmenger, who has used up her eligibility.

Kim Clark, a sophomore from Elkhorn, Neb., returns after placing third in the 600 (1:23.25) at league indoor. She also was part of the fourth-place 1,600 relay team that included Hann, Keller and senior Shameika McField. That team set a school record with a clocking of 3:41.87.

What’s more, Clark earned Junior All-America honors by placing fifth in the 800 at the USA Junior Championships in 2:09.97.

KU notched sixth in the 400 relay at the Big 12 Outdoor with a team of Robbie Harriford, Jennie Wonder, McField and Hann and fifth in the 1,600 relay with a team of Keller, McField, March and Clark.

Paige Higgins, a junior from Denver, is back after placing fifth in the 10,000 at the Big 12 Outdoor in a time of 35:37.7. Higgins notched 10th in the 5,000 and 19th in the 3,000 at league indoor. She was also 10th in the outdoor 5,000.

Jamie Waters, a senior from Jersey, Ill., is back after placing sixth in the league hammer (163-5) and eighth (54-11¼4) in the indoor weight throw.

Sprinters returning include Harriford, a junior from Lansing; Shanetta March, a senior from Aurora, Colo; and Abbey Ferris, a junior from Abilene who placed 12th in the 400 hurdles outdoors.

Middle distance runner Megan Manthe, a sophomore from Anoka, Minn., is back along with Buhler junior Sarah Schraeder, who placed 11th at the indoor high jump. Manthe earned Junior All-America honors by placing eighth in the 1,500 at the USA Junior Championships with a time of 4:33.62.

In cross country, the only losses are Eisenmenger and Courtney Deutsch.

Diane Disher, a sophomore from Ontario, Canada, placed 27th at the Big 12 6K meet in a time of 21:51.7. She was 31st at NCAA Regionals. Disher finished in the top three in every race.

Eve Lamborn, a senior from Colorado Springs, placed 41th at league in 22:29.8, while Lavoie was 43rd, Higgins 54th, Manthe 69th, Lauren Brownrigg (Tualatin, Ore., junior) 73rd and Julie Mullally (Fremont, Neb., soph) 83rd.

Top recruits include sprinters Tiffany Cherry (Vernon, Texas), Kristen Hupe (Highlands Ranch, Colo), Jenny Woodward (Adrian, Mo.).

Other new faces are Charisse Bacchus, a multi-events performer from Port of Spain, Trinidad; Jenna Bimbi, cross country runner from Pueblo, Colo; Abby Emsick, thrower from Council Bluffs, Iowa; Allison Martin, cross country runner from Smith Center; and Angela Pichardo, middle distance from Hollywood, Fla.