Big results already rollin' in

It's only been a couple of days, but the Kansas Jayhawks have already made their presence felt at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon this week.

Here's a quick recap of what's gone down so far, along with links to a few past Wave the Wheat stories about a couple of the athletes responsible for the strong showings this week.

• Barkdull finishes 2nd in pole vault

Junior pole vaulter Ashton Barkdull finished as the national runner-up in the pole vault event, just months after returning from injury and nearly deciding to redshirt the season instead of rushing back.

Barkdull told R1S1 Sports earlier this month that his desire to jump at USA trials later this summer made the decision to return in time for the outdoor season an easy one. And boy did he make it pay off.

In addition to this feat, Barkdull's younger brother, freshman Bryce Barkdull, finished fifth in the pole vault, making it a memorable trip for the Barkdull family.

• Alex Jung breaks own school record (yes, again!)

Just a year after breaking a nearly-30-year-old KU decathlon record, Kansas decathlete Alex Jung broke it for the third time while taking 7th place at Outdoor Nationals this week.

Jung's total of 7,746 points eclipsed the KU senior's previous best mark by eight points.

KU junior Tayton Klein also competed in the decathlon at nationals this week and battled for a spot on the medal stand the entire way, coming up just short in the end.

• Erica Ellis 4th in women's pole vault

The KU men's pole vault team has long been known as one of the absolute best in the country, but the women's team has picked up some serious steam in recent years, as well.

Adding to that this week in Eugene, Oregon, was Erica Ellis, who finished 4th overall in her first trip to Outdoor Nationals.

• KU shot putters come close

KU shot put specialists Bryce Foster, who doubles as KU's starting center during football season, and Jacob Cookinham finished 11th and 16th respectively in the shot put event.

Several more Jayhawks will compete at nationals as the competition moves into the weekend.

— For tickets to all KU athletic events, visit kuathletics.com