Baton Rouge, La. ? Kansas University senior Scott Russell won the javelin competition Thursday at the NCAA Outdoor championships.

It wasn’t even close.

Russell, the Jayhawks’ 6-foot-9 senior from Windsor, Ontario, unleashed a throw of 262 feet at LSU’s track to win his first NCAA Outdoor title by more than 17 feet.

Texas’ Nathan Junius placed second at 244-9, more than six feet behind Russell’s opening throw of 251-0. Bill Neuman of Iowa was third at 244-8. Eastern Illinois’ Ron White, who entered ranked first in the event ahead of runner-up Russell, finished sixth at 240-2.

Russell’s performance  his winning throw was his second of six  capped an amazing senior year in which he also won the NCAA Indoor weight throw competition.

“It feels great to come in here and get the win,” said Russell, whose six throws all were more than 230 feet. His winning mark was ninth best all-time at the national meet. “I couldn’t ask for a better was to cap off my college career.”

He won the javelin and hammer at the Big 12 championships. He threw 249-3 to win the Big 12 javelin two weeks ago.

Also for KU on Thursday, Charlie Gruber placed ninth in the 1,500-meter prelims and qualified for Saturday’s finals. Gruber’s time was 3:45.13.

Also, senior Jennie Wonder placed eighth in the 100 hurdles prelims in 13.32 and qualified for today’s semifinals.

Wonder’s time improved her own KU record time, which she has set three times in the 2002 season.

Kansas’ Katy Eisenmenger finished 18th in the women’s 1,500 prelims and did not qualify for finals.

UCLA’s Darnesha Griffith, whose aunt was the late Florence Griffith Joyner, won the high jump at 6 feet, clearing the mark on her second attempt. Although it was the lowest winning height in the meet’s 21-year history, she knows her Aunt Flo-Jo would have been proud.

“She was very supportive,” Griffith said.

Asked if she felt Flo-Jo was watching over her triumphant performance, Griffith smiled and said, “Oh yes, she knows.”

UCLA’s women had 25 points through seven events and Washington State was second with 16. Georgia led the men’s standings with 15 points. LSU was second with 11.

Austra Skujt of Kansas State defended her heptathlon title, winning with a meet record 6,061 points. Ellanee Rich of Washington State was a distant second with 5,709. Boaz Chbolywo of Eastern Michigan, won the 10,000 in 28:32.10.