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get to the game? Don't worry, we've got ya covered.
Haynes, Maska roll in Alex Francis Classic
3/28/2008
By CONOR NICHOLL
cnicholl@dailynews.net
On Saturday, Fort Hays State University senior sprinter Bryan Haynes was still bothered by the chronic hamstring that affected him at the NCAA Division II national indoor track and field championships held earlier this month.
However, even with the constant problems, Haynes' results didn't change.
At the national championships, Haynes, running with the balky hamstrings, won the 200-meter title. At the Alex Francis Classic on Saturday, Haynes opened his outdoor season with three first place finishes.
Haynes won the 100 and 200 meters and also ran the anchor leg on the 400-meter relay team that captured the championship.
"I just wanted to get a time right now and see where we are at, get it on film and get our handoffs and chemistry," Haynes said of his runs.
Haynes' three-gold performance, coupled with senior thrower Brady Maska's terrific day, helped Fort Hays dominate the Classic.
On the men's side, the Tigers won nine events, including three field events, the 100, 200, 800 and 4 x100 relay.
The women also captured seven titles, including the 100, 200, 400, 800, 400-meter hurdles, 1,600 relay, 5,000-meters and javelin.
The Tigers competed against several junior colleges, NAIA schools and the University of Nebraska-Kearney. Maska, who finished fourth in the shot put at the indoor championships, won the shot put and the discus and was second in the hammer throw.
"I saw some good things and I saw some things that I still need to work on," Maska said. "The hammer I have to work, I think it is more towards my middle part of the throw towards the end that I have got to fix.
"My back has been a lot better for me than it ever has," he added. "Shot put, it was mostly out of the back that hurt me today that I needed to work the most on. That is what I have struggled on, coming from the back to the front. The discus, my form felt good today."
Haynes, though, dominated the track. One of the best kickoff returners in Div. II college football and one of the best sprinters in the country, Haynes started his spring season with impressive performances.
The hamstrings, though, proved problematic. At the national meet, the muscles were on the verge of tearing and yielded golf-ball sized lumps that had to be massaged out. Haynes finished last in the 60-meters before he won the 200.
Several weeks later, Haynes still had the same problems. However, he finished the 100 meters in 10.41 seconds and nearly won the race by two-tenths of a second. He wasn't pleased with the time, though.
"No, no I didn't. My hamstrings again, a chronic problem," he said.
In the relay, he anchored a Tiger team that finished in 41.73 seconds - and even bested a relay team that included three members of the 2002 Fort Hays national champion 400 meter team.
"My hamstrings are hurting a little bit," he said afterward. "The 200 is what I am really working on right now. We will see where that goes today, it was just kind of a warmup type thing."
Haynes delivered a fine performance in the 200 - the same event he won at nationals - in a time of 21.29 seconds. He bested the field by over a full second.
In the field, Maska had similar gaps between himself and the rest of the competition. A four-time All-American and the prohibitive favorite to win the discus this spring, Maska threw 17.21 meters in the shot put and 53.87 meters (176 feet) in the discus.
No competitors were within three feet of him in the discus and the mark was two feet off of Maska's personal record. In the hammer throw, Maska was a little tired by still uncorked the second longest toss of the competition (53.2 meters) after several fouls.
He didn't have any pain from an ankle injury that limited him before the national meet.
"Foot was perfect today," he said. "I had no problems at all."
The competition, for Haynes and Maska, presented little trouble either.
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| BB | 5/11 | Central Missouri | L 4-2 |
| BB | 5/10 | Missouri Western | W 4-3 |
| BB | 5/09 | Emporia State | L 6-5 |
| BB | 5/04 | Pittsburg State | W 17-5 |
| BB | 5/04 | Pittsburg State | L 4-3 |
| BB | 5/03 | Pittsburg State | L 15-7 |
| BB | 5/03 | Pittsburg State | L 5-4 |
| SB | 5/02 | Central Missouri | L 3-1 |
| SB | 5/02 | Missouri Western | W 3-2 |
| SB | 5/01 | Pittsburg State | W 6-0 |
