Reflecting on this year’s Kansas Relays, as Big 12 Conference outdoor championships loom

LAWRENCE — In the days leading up to this year’s Kansas Relays in April, KU men’s and women’s track and field head coach Stanley Redwine shared his excitement over the 101st running of the annual event.

Redwine revealed last month that after expecting 5,000 athletes there for the 100th running, this year they expected 5,200. Redwine praised the efforts of Jayhawks meet director Tim Byers, who noted he himself thinks the meet will continue to grow, and highlighted an appreciation for the involvement of high schools. It’s also the tradition of the meet, Redwine explained, that allows the meet to exist as it does.

Fast forward to a handful of days later, after the meet’s conclusion, and Redwine was once again praising Byers’ efforts. Redwine was once again pointing to the mystique of the meet, as the reasoning for its growth. From Redwine’s perspective, it’s something that draws in competitors from all over from both high schools and colleges.

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“It was a great, great meet,” Redwine said in April after the end of the Kansas Relays. “I think it’s great for the high schools. It was great for KU, and so we’re really excited. I’m excited about continuing to meet and helping it grow.”

The preparation for the 102nd Kansas Relays is already underway. Redwine said as much after the 101st running ended, and in the week leading up to it Byers mentioned the planning for the following Kansas Relays starts up 12 to 16 months out from its start. But, for now, there’s also a more immediate reality to consider.

Among the performances during this Kansas Relays, the Jayhawks saw junior Dimitrios Pavlidis win the men’s discus. They saw junior Aaliyah Lindsay win the women’s long jump and redshirt sophomore Cale Littrell win the men’s 3,000-meeter steeple title. And their performances, among others, are part of KU’s efforts to prepare for the upcoming Big 12 Conference outdoor championships and the following national meets.

The Big 12 outdoor championships start later this week. The national meets will follow as the season progresses. The multi-day format is something Redwine brought up in that regard.

“All events stand out to me, because I mean all of our people are putting their 100 percent effort in, and I think that’s what we’re looking for,” Redwine said in April after the Kansas Relays concluded. “The big picture is we want to do well in our conference and national meets, and so I think this is a step in preparation along the way.”

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Reflecting on Kansas Relays as Big 12 outdoor championships loom