Jayhawks off to fast start at Kansas Relays

KU 2nd in hammer, wins twice on track

The 2005 Kansas Relays started with a thud — the sound of the hammer hitting the ground in the men’s hammer-throw competition, which signaled the start of the 78th incarnation of the track meet at Memorial Stadium.

Even though he finished second, it wasn’t a banner day for Kansas University junior Sheldon Battle.

He came close to not advancing beyond his flight when his first two throws sailed straight into the netting, resulting in a pair of scratches. His third throw earned him the second-best distance of the preliminary round, but in the finals, he threw two more fouls before finally tossing the hammer 56.77 meters or 194 feet, 8 inches.

It wasn’t enough for him to move ahead of ex-Stanford thrower Nick Welihozkiy, who won with a throw of 63.26 meters (207-6).

“I don’t know what I was doing. I wasn’t executing so I got a little sloppy, but I put together an OK throw on my last throw and made it into finals,” Battle said. “But after that point, once again, I got back to not executing.”

KU throws coach Doug Reynolds said it wasn’t the day he was hoping his athletes would have. Battle was the only hammer-thrower to advance to the final round.

“I think a lot of it was nerves, and we just got to keep working through it and look ahead to conference,” Reynolds said.

KU did tally a few victories on the track in the Distance Carnival. Erik Sloan earned a decisive victory in the unseeded 1,500-meter run, winning with a time of 4:00.00. Sloan stayed back in fourth place, within striking distance of the lead pack. Sloan, who normally is a steeplechaser, got impatient and pulled ahead with 700 meters to go and didn’t look back until he crossed the finish line in first place.

“I knew the victory was mine. I wasn’t going to let go in front of the Memorial Stadium crowd,” Sloan said.

The Jayhawks picked up another victory in the women’s 3,000 when senior Paige Higgins took an early lead and did not let up the whole way, cruising to a winning time of 10:05.35. She finished 13 seconds ahead of the next finisher.

But it wasn’t just a day for college athletes. Bryan Niewald broke his own Kansas Relays record in the master’s mile with a 4:53.75 finish, less than a second under his 2003 mark.

The 45-year-old runner from Overland Park tore around the track by himself for the most part. He said that at least having the record to run after made up for not having anyone to push him to a faster time.

“A little bit, it helps, it’s better than nothing at all. At least it’s something to compete against,” Niewald said.

More Mo: Maurice Greene is going to run his specialty — the 100 dash.

Olympic champion Greene announced Thursday he would compete in the invitational 100 at 3:20 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium. He also will anchor the HSI team in the Invitational 4×100-meter relay.

“It is quite rare that an athlete on the level of Maurice Greene would race an open event this early in the season,” KU meet director Tim Weaver said.

This ‘n’ that: Citing injury concerns, pole vaulter Stacy Dragila has withdrawn from the meet as well as hurdler Allen Johnson and pole vaulter Tye Harvey. … Charlie Tidwell, a sprinter for the Jayhawks who set four world records, will be inducted into the Kansas Relays Hall of Fame at this year’s event. … More than 300 media credentials have been issued, with the London Times expected to be on hand.