Kansas senior hurdler Michael Stigler aims for elusive national title in NCAA meet

Nearly two months ago, in the moments after racking up another win at the Kansas Relays, Michael Stigler found a quiet spot along a fence at Rock Chalk Park.

Stigler, a Kansas senior, had just torched the field in the 400-meter hurdles, further cementing his case as the top 400-meter hurdler in collegiate track and field. In the coming weeks, he would begin to close out his decorated career with trips to the Big 12 championships and NCAA regional meet. But his focus, already, was moving to the NCAA Outdoor Championships, which begin Wednesday in Eugene, Ore.

“I definitely feel that I have unfinished business,” Stigler said.

For good reason. During the past two seasons, Stigler, a native of Canyon, Texas, was the runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA championships. Now he will head to Oregon, back to the NCAA meet, seeking that elusive national title.

“Just going there two years in a row, placing runner-up, it’s definitely something that I don’t want to do this year,” Stigler said. “My goal is bring home a national title and put a national title under my belt before I leave KU.”

Stigler should be a heavy favorite to do just that. He has posted the three fastest 400-meter hurdle times by a collegian this year. That includes his Kansas school record in the event at the Texas Relays on March 27. What’s more, his time of 48.44 in Texas is the fastest time by a collegian in four years.

The finals of the 400-meter hurdles are set for 8 p.m. Friday at Oregon’s Hayward Field.

Stigler, though, will have company at the meet. Senior Lindsay Vollmer, who won the NCAA women’s heptathlon title in 2013, will try to claim her second individual national title after being forced to withdraw from the event because of injury last season.

The Kansas women, which claimed the NCAA outdoor title in 2013, enter the NCAA meet ranked 17th in the country and will send six athletes to Oregon. Junior Sydney Conley should be a factor in the long jump, while senior Colleen O’Brien, a Louisburg native, will compete in the high jump.

The other qualifiers: Junior Daina Levy (hammer throw and discus), junior Hannah Richardson (1,500 meters) and sophomore Zainab Sanni (200 meters).

The other KU men’s qualifiers are led by two pole vaulters: junior Jake Albright of Louisburg High School and Nick Meyer of Wichita Bishop Caroll. Two discus throwers — Cole Ceban and Mitch Cooper — will also compete in Eugene.

This story was originally published June 9, 2015 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Kansas senior hurdler Michael Stigler aims for elusive national title in NCAA meet."