LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) _ Maurice Greene wasn't on the track for long at Saturday's Kansas Relays, but it was more than enough for an enthusiastic crowd cheering on a native son.
Greene, the 100-meter world record holder from Kansas City, Kan., anchored his HSI 400-meter relay team to a meet record of 38.45 seconds, well ahead of the second-place Nike Central team.
"I appreciate all the fans that came out and supported the relays," Greene said of the crowd announced at 10,220. "It always feels good to come home and show them what their support means to me."
Greene and teammates Ato Boldon, Curtis Johnson and Brian Howard dominated the Nike Central team, which featured past U.S. 100 champ Tim Harden and former Nebraska star Travis Grant.
Grant earlier had won the invitational 100 in 10.14.
Greene signed autographs and posed for pictures with the track team from his high school, Kansas City Schlagle, and earlier in the week had visited his old schools.
"When I was growing up, no athletes came back to school to talk to us," he said. "I wanted to be different."
Andrea Branson of Kansas and Walter Davis of Barton County Community College were named outstanding performers in the 73rd running of the relays, which returned this year after a two-year absence because of stadium renovations.
Branson won the women's invitational pole vault in a meet record 13 feet, 10 inches, breaking the record of 13-9 1/4 set by Stacy Dragila in 1996.
Her 13-10 is the second-best vault by a college performer this year, and she came close to clearing 14-1 on her third attempt, as the home crowd cheered her on.
"I barely hit it with my right arm," she said. "It always feels good to come home and see the people that support you."
Davis was a double winner in the long jump and triple jump, going 55-9 in the triple jump Saturday after taking the long jump in 25-9 3/4 on Friday.
Scott Russell of Kansas, who had won the hammer throw and javelin, withdrew from Saturday's discus final. Jake Pauli of Northern Iowa made it a clean sweep in the pole vault.
He won the invitational vault at 17-8 1/4 on Saturday after winning the collegiate vault Friday in 17-8 1/2.
Missouri's Christian Cantwell and Jammie Beyer of Iowa State both recorded NCAA championship provisional qualifying marks in the shot put at 59-9 3/4 and 59-3, respectively.
The Missouri women's team had another big day, winning the 3,200-meter relay in 9:04.12 and the distance medley relay in 11:42.10.
The Tigers' Sunny Gilbert took the 800 in 2:10.84 and Katie Meyer won the steeplechase in 11:03.46.
The Missouri men's team ran 10:01.70 to edge Kansas in the distance medley and the Tigers took the 3,200 relay in 7:32.12.
Barton County freshman Aleen Bailey ran 22.86 to win the women's invitational 200, ahead of Passion Richardson of Nike Central and Sheila Burrell.
Victor Lacis, running unattached, set a meet record of 1:48.22 in the men's 800, and Nathan Leeper won the high jump in 7-5 3/4.
Copyright 2000 By The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.