Kansas State University Athletics
Six Wildcats PR in First Day of Action in Iowa and Arkansas
Feb 10, 2017 | Track & Field
IOWA STATE CLASSIC / TYSON INVITATIONAL
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Six Wildcats recorded personal bests in their respective events as the Kansas State track and field team posted a well-rounded effort to open competition at the Iowa State Classic and the Tyson Invitational Friday at ISU’s Lied Recreation Center and Arkansas’ Randal Tyson Track Center.
Of the six Wildcats that recorded personal bests, two athletes, junior Lukas Koch and senior Zack Supple, moved up in the school’s all-time lists in both the mile run and pole vault, respectively.
“Overall, I think we had some very strong performances,” Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto said. “Lukas ran very well and is making great strides. Nina Schultz had a personal best in the high jump and the other girls jumped well. Zack had a good day in pole vault and the weight throwers continued to throw at a high level, while Terrell Smith ran solid and Akia Guerrier is making good progress.”
Most of the K-State squad competed in Ames, including Friday’s big winner was Koch, who recorded a personal best in the men’s mile run for the second-straight week after running a 4:03.50 to finish in fourth place overall in the event and second in heat two. Koch’s mark moved him to eighth place on the school’s all-time list ahead of Shadrack Kimeli and his time is currently the best mark in the Big 12.
Supple also had a big day, clearing a personal-best height of 5.05m/16-06.75 to claim second-place in the event. The Reno, Nevada, native is now tied with Dezso Szabo and Dylan Schmidt for eighth place on the school’s all-time leaderboard in pole vault.
On the track, Smith stole the sprinting show in the 60-meter dash, opening the meet with a time of 6.76 to win heat one and finish in second place overall in the prelims. In the finals, the junior shaved off two-hundredths of a second off his prelim time, 6.74, to finish in second overall behind Minnesota’s Jordan Charles, who won the event with a final time of 6.68.
Fellow sprinter Guerrier also shined on day one of competition in Ames. The newcomer missed the finals of the 60-meter dash by one spot, finishing in ninth place with a time of 7.79. She also barely missed qualifying for the 200-meter dash finals, but set a new personal best with a run of 24.93 to finish in 10th place.
K-State’s distance crew posted top personal marks, most notably in the 3,000-meter run. Junior Kayla Doll finished top-5 in the race, running a personal-best time of 9:56.34, two seconds better than her previous best, to claim fifth place. Senior Jeff Bachman also recorded a personal best in the 3,000-meter run after crossing the finish line in 8:26.25.
The Wildcats dominated the women’s high jump, taking the top-three spots in the competition and saw all five athletes in action finish in the top-10. Senior Kim Williamson was perfect until 1.85m/6-0.75 where she eventually missed her attempts, but won the event with a final mark of 1.80m/5-10.75. Schultz also finished the event with a final mark of 1.80m/5-10.75, a new personal best, to finish in second place on misses.
In the throws, senior Brady Grunder finished third in the weight throw with a mark of 20.86m/68-05.25, while junior Mitchell Dixon also made the finals, finishing in sixth place with a mark of 19.76m/64-10. Both of K-State female weight throwers made the finals, as Janee' Kassanavoid finished in second place with a toss of 20.51m/67-03.50 and Helene Ingvaldsen took third place with a throw of 19.85m/65-01.50.
K-State had two Wildcats competing in Arkansas Friday, both in women’s long jump. Freshman Konstantina Romaiou finished in 17th place in the women’s long jump with a leap of 5.70m/18-08.50, while junior Claudette Allen, jumping in the invitational section of the women’s long jump, finished in 10th place with a leap of 6.03m/19-09.50.
Competition resumes Saturday at noon in Iowa with the men’s shot put and women’s 60-meter hurdles prelims, while K-State’s triple jumpers return to action in Arkansas at 3 p.m.
For the latest on K-State track and field follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter or Kansas State Track & Field/Cross Country on Facebook.
Iowa State Classic
Lied Recreation Center
Ames, Iowa
Men’s 60 Meter Dash Prelims
2. Terrell Smith – 6.76
Men’s 60 Meter Dash Final
2. Terrell Smith – 6.74
Women’s 60 Meter Dash Prelims
9. Akia Guerrier – 7.79p
Women’s 200 Meter Dash Prelims
Akia Guerrier – 24.93p (PR)
Men’s Mile Run Invite
4. Lukas Koch – 4:03.50
Women’s Mile Run Invite
18. Morgan Wedekind – 4:53.80
Men’s 3000 Meter Run
9. Jeff Bachman – 8:26.25 (PR)
15. Brett Bachman – 8:34.93
Women’s 3000 Meter Run
5. Kayla Doll – 9:56.34 (PR)
Women’s High Jump
1. Kim Williamson – 1.80m/5-10.75
2. Nina Schultz – 1.80m/5-10.75 (PR)
3. Morgan Coffman – 1.75m/5-08.75
7. Rhizlane Siba – 1.70m/5-07
8. Shanae McKenzie – 1.70m/5-07
Women’s Long Jump
5. Zanri Van der Merwe – 5.80m/19-00.50 (PR)
6. Ariel Okorie – 5.72m/18-09.25
13. Lauren Taubert – 5.22m/17-01.50
Men’s Pole Vault
2. Zack Supple – 5.05m/16-06.75 (PR)
Men’s Weight Throw
3. Brady Grunder – 20.86m/68-05.25
6. Mitch Dixon – 19.76m/64-10
Women’s Weight Throw
2. Janee’ Kassanavoid – 20.51m/67-03.50
3. Helene Ingvaldsen – 19.85m/65-01.50
Tyson Invitational
Randal Tyson Track Center
Fayetteville, Ark.
Women’s Long Jump
17. Konstantina Romaiou – 5.70m/18-08.50
Women’s Long Jump Invitational
10. Claudette Allen – 6.03m/19-09.50