KU’s Finley second in shot put

Kansas University freshman Mason Finley added to his hardware collection by taking second place in the shot put Saturday morning at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Finley shattered his previous career best with a toss of 20.68 meters (67 feet, 10.25 inches) at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon.

“I could tell it was a good throw as soon as it left my hand,” said Finley, who also finished second in the discus and accounted for a total of 16 points during the meet. “I have been working really hard on the shot put and to get a new personal best at the biggest meet of the year is a great feeling.”

Finley recorded three throws that each eclipsed his previous career best mark of 19.26 meters. Finley’s second-place throw also ranks second on the the Jayhawks’ all-time chart.

Finley’s two second-place finishes, combined with junior Jordan Scott’s victory in the pole vault, earned the KU men’s team a seventh-place finish, its best finish at the NCAA Championships since KU placed fifth in 1975.

KU senior Lauren Bonds was the top finisher for the Jayhawk women as she placed seventh in the 1,500 meters, earning outdoor All-America honors for the first time in her career. Bonds had a time of 4:18.06.

Kansas freshman Andrea Geubelle placed eighth in the long jump with her leap of 6.24 meters (20-5 1/4 feet).

Geubelle’s eighth-place finish made her a two-time All-American as she also earned honors in the triple jump on Thursday night.

KU sophomore Rebeka Stowe captured a ninth-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase as she clocked in at 10:14.92 in the finals.

The KU women finished 51st overall.

KU senior Eric Fattig competed in the long jump Saturday morning, narrowly missing out on the finals after jumping 7.56 meters (24-09.75 ft.) on his last preliminary leap. Fattig finished 11th.