KU women win 2 titles, place 2nd in Indoor

? Kansas University’s women’s track and field team had two individual national champions and placed a program-best second in the team race at the NCAA Indoor Championships on Saturday.

Diamond Dixon won the 400 and Andrea Geubelle won the triple jump on a stellar Saturday for the Jayhawks, who, coming into the meet, had just three individual national champions in the program’s previous 40 years.

It was Kansas’ 15th trip to the NCAA Indoor and sixth under coach Stanley Redwine.

“We’re really excited,” Redwine said. “We had such a great day with two national champions and the relay getting third. It was a great total team effort and I’m so proud of this group.”

Dixon, a sophomore from Houston, won her first NCAA individual title in the 400 in 51.78 seconds, a facility record. She easily beat runner-up Regina George of Arkansas, who finished in 52.54.

Geubelle, a junior from University Place, Wash., won the triple jump with a best jump of 44 feet, 101/4 inches (13.67 meters), a school record. Runner-up Michelle Jenije, of Florida State, leapt 44-51/4 (13.54 meters).

KU’s last individual Indoor titlist was Amy Linnen in the pole vault in 2005.

Oregon won the team title — its third straight crown — with 49 points. KU was second with 30.

It was the Jayhawks’ best team finish since placing third in 1979.

Also for KU, the 1,600-meter relay team of Denesha Morris, Paris Daniels, Taylor Washington and Dixon placed third in 3:33.13 — behind LSU (3:31.89) and Texas (3:32.36) — to score six points and give KU three more first-team All-Americans.

On the men’s side, Florida won its third straight Indoor national championship.

Florida had 52 points and was followed by Arkansas (47 points) and Arizona (41).