Leo Bookman claims 200-meter title at NCAA Outdoor

KU junior sprinter Leo Bookman claimed his second national 200m title of the year, winning the NCAA Outdoor 200-meter dash at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif. His time of 20.47 tied as his second-best 200m race of the season.

"We're really excited for him," KU head coach Stanley Redwine said. "He worked for this all year and he deserves it. To do both sports (track and football) is very difficult and to excel is even more difficult. We're proud of what he's accomplished."

Bookman won his preliminary heat with a time of 21.19 on June 12 and that afternoon finished second in his heat of the semifinal round with a time of 20.62 to advance to the finals. This was his third trip to the national championships and the third All-America honors of his career.

"It was a really close race, but I pulled it out." Bookman said. "I knew if I just got out of the blocks and pushed it that I could do it. It really feels great. I worked really, really hard for this, and Coach Redwine trained me well to get ready for it. I'm going to just enjoy the win and relax this weekend and get ready to focus on football next."

Senior Mark Menefee competed in the 5000m run, finishing in 14:04.14 for 13th place and All-America honors.