May 8, 2007

LAWRENCE, Kan. -

For the second time this year, junior Ashley Brown was named Big 12 Track and Field Athlete of the Week Tuesday. The Overton, Neb., junior set a new Kansas record in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.31 seconds at the Arkansas Twilight on May 4.

The time represented the culmination of continually challenging the previous benchmark. At the 2007 Kansas Relays, Brown ran a 13.33, one one-hundredth of a second off the previous record set by Jennie Wonder at the 2002 NCAA Championships. Coming into the year, Brown had held a previous career-best time in the event of 13.82 seconds.

With her mark, she now sits third in the Big 12 Conference in the 100-meter hurdles as she and the Jayhawks prepare for the 2007 Big 12 Outdoor Championships in Lincoln, Neb., May 11-13. Brown also ranks first in the Big 12 Conference in the 400-meter hurdles with a season-best time of 58.48 seconds. That time stands one tenth of a second off the school record set by Dawn Steele-Slavens at the 1995 Big Eight Championships.

Brown is now a two-time KU record holder in hurdle events. During the 2007 indoor season, Brown shattered the school record in the 60-meter hurdles, running a time of 8.32 seconds. She also set a new Anschutz Pavilion record at the 2007 Jayhawk Invitational with a time of 8.48 seconds.

Brown was previously named Big 12 Female Co-Athlete of the Week on March 27, following her performances at the Tulsa Duels, where she won both the 100 and 400-meter hurdles. Brown becomes the fourth Kansas track and field student-athlete to be honored by the Big 12 Conference, joining Barrett Saunders, Colby Wissel and Kate Sultanova.