16 Wildcats Medal on Day One of Big 12 Championship
Feb 23, 2018 | Track & Field
AMES, Iowa – The K-State Track and Field team earned 16 medals in six events, including the first-career Big 12 Championship for Mitch Dixon, as the Wildcats closed out a strong first day of the Big 12 Championship in Ames, Iowa on Friday.
Through day one of competition, the K-State women stand in fourth place with 37 points and the men currently place seventh with 13 points. Iowa State holds the women's lead with 43 points, while Texas leads the men's competition with 44 points after one day of competition.
Day one of the Big 12 Championship was highlighted by a first-career Big 12 Championship in the men's weight throw from senior Mitch Dixon. Dixon, a senior from San Margarita, California, won the Championship behind a clutch throw of 21.58m/70-09.75 on his final attempt, surpassing Texas' Alan Zapalac, who led the competition until his final throw.
"This is what I have been working and training for, this is the culmination of all of our work," Dixon said of his Big 12 title. "This [Big 12 Championship] is the best competition that I have been a part of, it feels great."
Leading into his final throw, Dixon threw over 20 meters on each of his five throws, including a fifth throw of 21.15m/69-04 that placed him second overall. Stepping into the ring on his final attempt, he needed to toss over 21.56m/70-09 to take the lead from Zapalac.
"The only thing I was thinking was, 'what kind of competitor do you want to be, what kind of person do you want to be.' That throw was everything that I had at the moment and it felt really good," Dixon said.
Dixon's winning throw continues what was an impressive indoor season for the senior, in which he won each collegiate weight throw competition he took part in and earned his first-career Big 12 Championship.
Also in the field events, four Wildcats medaled in the women's weight throw, including sophomores Helene Ingvaldsen and Ashley Petr and freshmen Shaelyn Ward and Taylor Latimer. Ingvaldsen led the K-State throwers by finishing in second place with a best throw of 20.72m/67-11.75 on her first attempt, while Ward placed fifth overall with a throw of 19.08m/62-07.25. Latimer and Petr rounded out the individual scorers in the event, as Latimer finished sixth and Petr placed eighth overall to earn the Wildcats a total of 16 points in the event.
In the women's pentathlon, the sophomore duo of Lauren Taubert and Ariel Okorie made their way onto the podium with third and fourth place finishes behind several standout performances in their five pentathlon events. Okorie had a strong start to the day, in which she earned second-place finishes in both the 60-meter hurdles and high jumps, which led to her fourth-place and career-best performance of 3,949 points. Taubert also set a new personal best with her performance in the pentathlon on Friday, where she won the 800 meters in 2:16.72 to place third with 3,967 points.
In addition to the individual medalists, the Wildcats put together a promising setup for day two, as K-State qualified nine individuals for finals on Saturday. Of them, senior Terrell Smith will compete in the men's 60 meters and 200 meters, after putting together the second-best time of 20.91 in the men's 200-meter qualifier.
In the distance events, five Wildcats secured spots in the respective events for the final on Saturday, including freshman Cara Melgares who ran a personal-best 4:51.93 in the women's mile to place fifth in the qualifier. Junior Emma Wren joined Melgares to qualify for the final, finishing ninth in 4:53.99. The mile final is set to run at 2:10 on Saturday.
In the men's 1,000-meter preliminaries, junior Kurt Loevenstein and sophomore Travis Hodge both earned spots in the final, finishing in the top three of their respective heat. Hodge ran a personal-best 2:26.54 to place third in his heat, while Loevenstein clocked 2:32.04 and placed second in the first heat. Both Hodge and Loevenstein will compete in the 1,000-meter final on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
In addition to the finals taking place on Saturday, junior Simone Fassina and senior Max Estill will look to continue their performances in the men's heptathlon that took place on Friday. Entering Saturday's final three events of the heptathlon, Estill stands in sixth-place with 2,774 points, while Fassina holds eighth place with 2,673 points.
Action resumes on Saturday with the continuation of the men's heptathlon starting at 11:00 a.m. Field events pick up at 12:00 p.m. with the women's high jump, while track events begin at 1:30 p.m.
Tickets for day two the Big 12 Championship meet are available at the door for $7 for adults and $5 for youth. Fans who cannot travel to Ames can catch the action with a FloTrack subscription by clicking here. For more information on the meet, including ticket information, schedule of events and more, click here.
For the latest on K-State track and field follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter or Kansas State Track & Field/Cross Country on Facebook.
Big 12 Indoor Championship
Lied Recreation Center
Ames, Iowa
Women's Pentathlon 60 Meter Hurdles
2. Ariel Okorie, 8.40 (1039 pts.)
3. Lauren Taubert, 8.55 (1006 pts.)
Women's Pentathlon High Jump
2. Ariel Okorie, 1.67m/5-05.75 (818 pts.)
5. Lauren Taubert, 1.64m/5-04.5 (783 pts.)
Men's Heptathlon 60 Meters
5. Max Estill, 7.23 (802 pts.)
9. Simone Fassina, 7.48 (719 pts.)
Men's Heptathlon Long Jump
8. Simone Fassina, 6.30m/20-08 (652 pts.)
9. Max Estill, 6.27m/20-07 (647 pts.)
Women's Pentathlon Shot Put
2. Lauren Taubert, 11.60m/38-00.75 (635 pts.) (P.R.)
8. Ariel Okorie, 10.06m/33-00.25 (533 pts.)
Women's Pentathlon Long Jump
4. Ariel Okorie, 5.75m/18-10.50 (774 pts.)
8. Lauren Taubert, 5.41m/17-09 (674 pts.)
Men's Heptathlon Shot Put
2. Simone Fassina, 13.12m/43-00.5 (675 pts.)
10. Max Estill, 10.45m/34-03.5 (513 pts.)
Men's Heptathlon High Jump
1. Max Estill, 2.01m/6-07 (813 pts.)
8. Simone Fassina, 1.80m/5-10.75 (627 pts.)
Men's Heptathlon Day One Scores
6. Max Estill, 2,774 points
8. Simone Fassina, 2,673 points
Women's Pentathlon 800 Meters
1. Lauren Taubert, 2:16.72 (869 pts.)
8. Ariel Okorie, 2:22.86, (785 pts.)
Women's Pentathlon Final Scores
3. Lauren Taubert, 3967 points
4. Ariel Okorie, 3949 points
Women's Weight Throw
2. Helene Ingvaldsen, 20.72m/67-11.75
5. Shaelyn Ward, 19.08m/62-07.25m (P.R.)
6. Taylor Latimer, 17.84m/58-06.5 (P.R.)
8. Ashley Petr, 17.78m/58-04
Women's Mile Prelims
5. Cara Melgares, 4:51.93
9. Emma Wren, 4:53.99
Men's Long Jump
15. Jullane Walker, 6.95m/22-09.75
Women's 60 Meter Hurdles Semifinals
6. Nina Schultz, 8.31
Men's 60 Meters Semifinals
5. Terrell Smith, 6.74
11. Jullane Walker, 6.80
Men's Weight Throw
1. Mitch Dixon, 21.58m/70-09.75
Men's 1,000 Meter Prelims
2. Travis Hodge, 2:26.54 (P.R.)
8. Kurt Loevenstein, 2:32.04
Women's Long Jump
2. Nina Schultz, 6.26m/20-06.50
10. Konstantina Romaiou, 5.75m/18-10.50
11. Wurrie Njadoe, 5.71m/18-08.75
12. Ariel Okorie, 5.67m/18-07.25
13. Claudette Allen, 5.64m/18-06
Men's 800 Meters Prelims
4. Lukas Koch, 1:53.48
Women's 200 Meters Prelims
8. A'Keyla Mitchell, 24.04
Men's 200 Meters Prelims
2. Terrell Smith, 20.91
16. Nick Albus, 21.80
Women's Distance Medley Relay
7. Kansas State, 11:50.1
Men's Distance Medley Relay
6. Kansas State, 9:54.53
Through day one of competition, the K-State women stand in fourth place with 37 points and the men currently place seventh with 13 points. Iowa State holds the women's lead with 43 points, while Texas leads the men's competition with 44 points after one day of competition.
Day one of the Big 12 Championship was highlighted by a first-career Big 12 Championship in the men's weight throw from senior Mitch Dixon. Dixon, a senior from San Margarita, California, won the Championship behind a clutch throw of 21.58m/70-09.75 on his final attempt, surpassing Texas' Alan Zapalac, who led the competition until his final throw.
"This is what I have been working and training for, this is the culmination of all of our work," Dixon said of his Big 12 title. "This [Big 12 Championship] is the best competition that I have been a part of, it feels great."
Leading into his final throw, Dixon threw over 20 meters on each of his five throws, including a fifth throw of 21.15m/69-04 that placed him second overall. Stepping into the ring on his final attempt, he needed to toss over 21.56m/70-09 to take the lead from Zapalac.
"The only thing I was thinking was, 'what kind of competitor do you want to be, what kind of person do you want to be.' That throw was everything that I had at the moment and it felt really good," Dixon said.
Dixon's winning throw continues what was an impressive indoor season for the senior, in which he won each collegiate weight throw competition he took part in and earned his first-career Big 12 Championship.
In addition to Dixon's title, sophomore Nina Schultz earned runner-up in the women's long jump competition, where she jumped 6.26m/20-06.50 on her first attempt to finish behind only Iowa State's Jhoanmy Luque. Schultz's second-place finish was also accompanied by a sixth-place finish in the women's 60-meter hurdle semi-finals, in which she finished 6th in 8.31 to secure a spot in the finals on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.Mitch Dixon, Big 12 champion!
— K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) February 24, 2018
The senior throws 21.58m/70-09.75 on his last attempt to capture the first @Big12Conference title of the weekend for #KStateTF pic.twitter.com/Um2newv8kV
Also in the field events, four Wildcats medaled in the women's weight throw, including sophomores Helene Ingvaldsen and Ashley Petr and freshmen Shaelyn Ward and Taylor Latimer. Ingvaldsen led the K-State throwers by finishing in second place with a best throw of 20.72m/67-11.75 on her first attempt, while Ward placed fifth overall with a throw of 19.08m/62-07.25. Latimer and Petr rounded out the individual scorers in the event, as Latimer finished sixth and Petr placed eighth overall to earn the Wildcats a total of 16 points in the event.
In the women's pentathlon, the sophomore duo of Lauren Taubert and Ariel Okorie made their way onto the podium with third and fourth place finishes behind several standout performances in their five pentathlon events. Okorie had a strong start to the day, in which she earned second-place finishes in both the 60-meter hurdles and high jumps, which led to her fourth-place and career-best performance of 3,949 points. Taubert also set a new personal best with her performance in the pentathlon on Friday, where she won the 800 meters in 2:16.72 to place third with 3,967 points.
Rounding out the K-State medalists, the distance medley relay squads on both the men's and women's sides placed on Friday, as the women's team consisting of Sydney Collins, Keiteyana Parks, Cayli Hume and Erin Lee placed seventh by clocking a time of 11:50.11. Following the women, the men's team of Lukas Koch, Devie Freeman II, Noah Stevenson and Colton Donahue put together a good finish to the day one competition, placing sixth in 9:54.53.Pair of ?? for the pentathletes, Lauren Taubert and Ariel Okorie! pic.twitter.com/1YoRWEexr5
— K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) February 23, 2018
In addition to the individual medalists, the Wildcats put together a promising setup for day two, as K-State qualified nine individuals for finals on Saturday. Of them, senior Terrell Smith will compete in the men's 60 meters and 200 meters, after putting together the second-best time of 20.91 in the men's 200-meter qualifier.
In the distance events, five Wildcats secured spots in the respective events for the final on Saturday, including freshman Cara Melgares who ran a personal-best 4:51.93 in the women's mile to place fifth in the qualifier. Junior Emma Wren joined Melgares to qualify for the final, finishing ninth in 4:53.99. The mile final is set to run at 2:10 on Saturday.
In the men's 1,000-meter preliminaries, junior Kurt Loevenstein and sophomore Travis Hodge both earned spots in the final, finishing in the top three of their respective heat. Hodge ran a personal-best 2:26.54 to place third in his heat, while Loevenstein clocked 2:32.04 and placed second in the first heat. Both Hodge and Loevenstein will compete in the 1,000-meter final on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
In addition to the finals taking place on Saturday, junior Simone Fassina and senior Max Estill will look to continue their performances in the men's heptathlon that took place on Friday. Entering Saturday's final three events of the heptathlon, Estill stands in sixth-place with 2,774 points, while Fassina holds eighth place with 2,673 points.
Action resumes on Saturday with the continuation of the men's heptathlon starting at 11:00 a.m. Field events pick up at 12:00 p.m. with the women's high jump, while track events begin at 1:30 p.m.
Tickets for day two the Big 12 Championship meet are available at the door for $7 for adults and $5 for youth. Fans who cannot travel to Ames can catch the action with a FloTrack subscription by clicking here. For more information on the meet, including ticket information, schedule of events and more, click here.
For the latest on K-State track and field follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter or Kansas State Track & Field/Cross Country on Facebook.
Big 12 Indoor Championship
Lied Recreation Center
Ames, Iowa
Women's Pentathlon 60 Meter Hurdles
2. Ariel Okorie, 8.40 (1039 pts.)
3. Lauren Taubert, 8.55 (1006 pts.)
Women's Pentathlon High Jump
2. Ariel Okorie, 1.67m/5-05.75 (818 pts.)
5. Lauren Taubert, 1.64m/5-04.5 (783 pts.)
Men's Heptathlon 60 Meters
5. Max Estill, 7.23 (802 pts.)
9. Simone Fassina, 7.48 (719 pts.)
Men's Heptathlon Long Jump
8. Simone Fassina, 6.30m/20-08 (652 pts.)
9. Max Estill, 6.27m/20-07 (647 pts.)
Women's Pentathlon Shot Put
2. Lauren Taubert, 11.60m/38-00.75 (635 pts.) (P.R.)
8. Ariel Okorie, 10.06m/33-00.25 (533 pts.)
Women's Pentathlon Long Jump
4. Ariel Okorie, 5.75m/18-10.50 (774 pts.)
8. Lauren Taubert, 5.41m/17-09 (674 pts.)
Men's Heptathlon Shot Put
2. Simone Fassina, 13.12m/43-00.5 (675 pts.)
10. Max Estill, 10.45m/34-03.5 (513 pts.)
Men's Heptathlon High Jump
1. Max Estill, 2.01m/6-07 (813 pts.)
8. Simone Fassina, 1.80m/5-10.75 (627 pts.)
Men's Heptathlon Day One Scores
6. Max Estill, 2,774 points
8. Simone Fassina, 2,673 points
Women's Pentathlon 800 Meters
1. Lauren Taubert, 2:16.72 (869 pts.)
8. Ariel Okorie, 2:22.86, (785 pts.)
Women's Pentathlon Final Scores
3. Lauren Taubert, 3967 points
4. Ariel Okorie, 3949 points
Women's Weight Throw
2. Helene Ingvaldsen, 20.72m/67-11.75
5. Shaelyn Ward, 19.08m/62-07.25m (P.R.)
6. Taylor Latimer, 17.84m/58-06.5 (P.R.)
8. Ashley Petr, 17.78m/58-04
Women's Mile Prelims
5. Cara Melgares, 4:51.93
9. Emma Wren, 4:53.99
Men's Long Jump
15. Jullane Walker, 6.95m/22-09.75
Women's 60 Meter Hurdles Semifinals
6. Nina Schultz, 8.31
Men's 60 Meters Semifinals
5. Terrell Smith, 6.74
11. Jullane Walker, 6.80
Men's Weight Throw
1. Mitch Dixon, 21.58m/70-09.75
Men's 1,000 Meter Prelims
2. Travis Hodge, 2:26.54 (P.R.)
8. Kurt Loevenstein, 2:32.04
Women's Long Jump
2. Nina Schultz, 6.26m/20-06.50
10. Konstantina Romaiou, 5.75m/18-10.50
11. Wurrie Njadoe, 5.71m/18-08.75
12. Ariel Okorie, 5.67m/18-07.25
13. Claudette Allen, 5.64m/18-06
Men's 800 Meters Prelims
4. Lukas Koch, 1:53.48
Women's 200 Meters Prelims
8. A'Keyla Mitchell, 24.04
Men's 200 Meters Prelims
2. Terrell Smith, 20.91
16. Nick Albus, 21.80
Women's Distance Medley Relay
7. Kansas State, 11:50.1
Men's Distance Medley Relay
6. Kansas State, 9:54.53
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