Lincoln, Neb. ? Kansas University senior Crystal Manning and junior Nickesha Anderson claimed Big 12 Conference championships to propel the KU women’s track and field team to a third-place finish at the Big 12 Indoor Championships.

Sophomore Jordan Scott won the men’s pole vault as the men finished in 10th place Saturday at the Devaney Center.

The KU women were in contention for their first Big 12 title for most of the meet before falling just short. Their third-place finish is their highest since the inception of the conference, and their 93 points were just two behind second-place Nebraska. The meet also marked the first time since the 1992 Big Eight Championships in which the women won four events.

“They competed well and were on a mission,” KU coach Stanley Redwine said. “Some didn’t do as well as expected, but then some did better than expected. They really stepped it up, and that is a total team effort.”

Manning won her second conference title this year on her first leap in the finals of the triple jump. After two fouls in her first two jumps, Manning reached the finals of the event by successfully completing a jump of 12.80 meters, setting up her championship effort of 13.35.

Anderson won the 60 meters at 7.22, the best effort of her career and an automatic qualifying time in the event. She is the first woman in school history to win the conference championship in the event.

Scott helped Kansas sweep the pole vault championships for the second straight year after senior Kate Sultanova won the women’s event Friday. Scott won the conference championship with a vault of 5.50 meters.

Many Jayhawks will head to Ames, Iowa, for the Iowa State Invitational on March 8.