KU celebrates return of Kansas Relays; here’s a look at Thursday-Saturday track meet

After a three-year hiatus, the Kansas Relays returns to celebrate its 100th running Thursday through Saturday at Rock Chalk Park.

Yes, the track meet that fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic is back, with events to take place from 12 p.m. to 8:50 p.m., Thursday; 9 a.m. until 8:10 p.m., Friday and 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., Saturday at the track facility in West Lawrence.

Stanley Redwine, who is in his 22nd season as KU track coach on both the men’s and women’s side, is fired up about the tradition-rich Relays’ return to the KU calendar now and in the plans for years to come.

“The Kansas Relays in the past, currently and in the future will always be about great competition,” Redwine said at a news conference Wednesday to preview the 2023 Relays.

“Any time you see the best of the best in anything it’s exciting,” Redwine added. “When Maurice Greene came to the Kansas Relays in the past (2000 Relays) everyone came to see him because it was great competition. When Marion Jones (2005 Relays) was in the Relays in the past it was about great competition. That’s what the Kansas Relays is all about,” Redwine added referring to history.

Jones, Greene, Allyson Felix, Bershawn “Batman” Jackson, Scott Huffman and other Olympians competed during years pro athletes were featured at the Relays.

While first-year Relays meet director Tim Byers indicated Wednesday the return of pros could certainly take place in the future, this year’s program is meant for college and high school competitors.

“I think that’s something we’d like to bring back,” Byers said of professionals. “Our first thing we wanted to do (in Relays return year) ... we wanted to make sure we took care of our athletes here and the high school athletes. The pros I’m sure will come back later. As for now, we want to take care of the high school and collegiate athletes.”

Byers said the high school competition which will include athletes from neighboring states “will be off the hook. It is rolling.”

The KU contingent will include this week’s Big 12 track and field athlete of the week. Senior Rylee Anderson earned that honor Wednesday after winning the high jump at Saturday’s LSU Invitational. The athlete of the week honor is Anderson’s third of her career, after being named on Jan. 19, 2022 and Jan. 27, 2023. This award is Anderson’s first during an outdoor season.

Anderson took the high jump at LSU with a leap of 6-foot-1, her best Outdoor mark. Anderson previously set the KU school indoor record with a jump of 6-2 at the Bob Timmons Challenge on Dec. 3, 2022.

Anderson has the best mark in the Big 12 and is ranked second in the NCAA this Outdoor season.

“I competed my freshman year. I kind of know what it’s like,” Anderson, a native of Longmont, Colorado, said Wednesday, referring to the Kansas Relays. “It’s nice to have a lot of fans out there and a ton of alumni come back. I’m excited to have that in my fifth year. I feel being able to kind of close out my fifth year and be able to compete at the Kansas Relays my last time for Kansas will be special. I can’t wait,” she added.

Her open high jump competition is set for 1:30 p.m. Friday at Rock Chalk Park.

On the men’s side, junior Chandler Gibbens, who shattered Jim Ryun’s school record in the 5,000 meters at the recent Stanford Invitational, will be competing in the 1,500 at 11:56 a.m., Saturday. Gibbens was timed at Stanford in 13:28.71 a personal best 5K time by 31 seconds for the senior from Columbia, Missouri. Jim Ryun ran a personal-best and KU best 13:47.8 in 1967.

Some other KU athletes coming off recent victories: Avryl Johnson in the 800, Tori Wingrove in the 3000, Lona Laterna in the 1,500; Clayton Simms and Gabby Hoke in the pole vault; Michael Joseph in the 400; Oleg Klykov in the hammer and Dimitrios Pavlidis in the discus.

The first Kansas Relays was held in 1923. The meet was called off in 1943, 1944, and 1945 because of World War II and in 1998 and 1999 because Memorial Stadium, former site for the meet, was being renovated. The meet was canceled the last three years because of pandemic-related issues.

Of the return of the Relays, KU coach Redwine said Wednesday: “I’m excited. To have the Kansas Relays and see the support we are getting starting from the A.D. (Travis Goff) down, it’s been amazing. I’m super excited our athletes will be able to see fans in the stands instead of being the best-kept secret around. It’s a special time. This is a special place. The Relays has always been great.”

The meet schedule is available at this link.