Bryan Nabs High Jump Crown on Final Day at Big 12s

BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP

AMES, Iowa – Christoff Bryan jumped his way into Kansas State high jump lore, winning the Wildcats' 13th high jump conference title in program history and joining current K-State assistant coach Erik Kynard, Jr., as the only two Wildcats to win multiple indoor conference titles in the event as competition came to a close at the Big 12 Championship on Saturday.

With all events in the books, the 12th-ranked Wildcat women finished in sixth place with 77.50 team points, while the No. 57 men also closed out competition in sixth place with 71.50 points. Baylor's women (129.50 pts.) and Texas' men (123.50 pts.) each won the overall Big 12 title.

"I think on the men's side, we had a really solid meet," Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto said. "There was a lot of really good stuff that happened and the guys competed really well. As for the women, a lack of depth hurt us. That said, if we are at full strength, we would be exactly where I expected to be."

Bryan entered the competition at 2.06m/6-09 and did not record a miss on his first three bars. His biggest clearance came at his winning bar of 2.24m/7-04.25, which he made on his first attempt to take the lead away from Texas Tech's Trey Culver, who missed the height on his first attempt. Culver then passed to attempt two jumps at 2.27m/7-05.25, but could not convert those attempts to preserve the victory for Bryan.

"My mindset heading into the competition was to win, but to also to jump 2.24 meters so I would be second in the nation," Bryan said. "Winning today means a lot to me, but I really want to win a national title."

The women got things started in high jump with dominant results, seeing four athletes record scoring performances. Senior Kim Williamson paced the four point scorers, finishing in second in the event and her final Big 12 Championship meet with a jump of 1.82m/5-11.50.

Freshman Nina Schultz earned bronze in the women's high jump, recording her third-best performance of the season after a clearance of 1.77m/5-09.75. Junior Rhizlane Siba and freshman Shanae McKenzie each cleared 1.72m/5-07.75, which was good for fourth place and sixth place, respectively, to also score in the event.

Less than half an hour after the high jump concluded, Schultz return to the track to compete in the 60-meter hurdles final. The freshman moved up one position from her qualifying spot of sixth place, claiming fifth place in the race with a time of 8.47 to earn four points.

Two other Wildcat jumpers found success on Saturday, as sophomore Shardia Lawrence and freshman Konstantina Romaiou both scored in the triple jump. Lawrence, who broke the school record in the event earlier this month, finished runner-up after a leap of 13.39m/43-11.25 on her fifth attempt, while Romaiou used a big personal-best jump of 12.70m/41-08 on her final attempt to claim fifth position in the finals.

The only throws event in competition were the men's shot putters, which also produced two meet scorers. Sophomore Brett Neelly recorded the Wildcats' best finish in the competition, finishing in second place with a toss of 17.89m/58-08.50, while fellow sophomore Jayce Brack finished in the top-five, taking fifth place with a throw of 16.51m/54-02.

In the Wildcats' first distance final of the day, junior Lukas Koch posted an incredible performance in the men's mile run, winning bronze after crossing the finish line in 4:14.95. The Centralia, Kansas, native remained at the front of the pack throughout the entire race, including holding the lead for a portion the competition, before being overtaken by eventual champion Joshua Thompson of Oklahoma State.

Senior Kain Ellis, who is also competing in his final indoor Big 12 Championship meet, left no doubts in his race in the 1000-meter run, recording a huge personal-best time of 2:23.55 to claim silver in the event behind Oklahoma's State's Thompson, who had earlier won the men's mile run. Fellow senior Morgan Wedekind also recorded a personal-best in the 1000-meter run, using a mark of 2:50.34 to finish in eighth place in the women's final.

Competing in his first final at the Big 12 Championship, freshman Kurt Loevenstein had himself a day, making up two spots in the final lap to finish in sixth place in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:50.84, just shy of his personal-best time of 1:50.51, which he ran at the Lied Recreation Center during the Iowa State Classic just two weeks ago.

Sprinter Terrell Smith also had a strong day, scoring four points courtesy of a fifth-place finish after running a time of 21.10 in the 200-meter dash.

Day two of action got started with the final three events of the men's heptathlon. After strong marks in both the 60-meter hurdles (8.48) and the pole vault (4.35m/14-03.25), freshman Simone Fassina used a massive personal-best time of 2:50.25 in the 1,000-meter run to finish in fourth place in the heptathlon with a personal-best score of 5,285 points.

K-State will now shift its attention to the athletes that have met the top-16 qualification standards for the NCAA Championship, which will be held at the Gilliam Track Complex on March 10-11 in College Station, Texas. For more information on the national championship meet, 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 Championship Day 2

Lied Recreation Center

Ames, Iowa

Men's 200 Meter Dash
5. Terrell Smith – 21.10

Men's 800 Meter Run
6. Kurt Loevenstein – 1:50.84

Men's 1000 Meter Run
2. Kain Ellis – 2:23.55 (PR)

Women's 1000 Meter Run
8. Morgan Wedekind – 2:50.34 (PR)

Men's Mile Run
3. Lukas Koch – 4:14.95

Men's 3000 Meter Run
21. Brett Bachman – 8:31.02

Women's 3000 Meter Run
24. Kayla Doll – 9:54.21
28. Emma Wren – 10:05.85

Women's 60 Meter Hurdles Final
5. Nina Schultz – 8.47

Men's 4x400
7. Harrison-Davis-Freeman II-Gordon – 3:13.54

Women's 4x400
6. R. McKenzie-Schultz-Mitchell-Taubert – 3:39.53

Men's High Jump
1. Christoff Bryan – 2.24m/7-04.25
10. Miles Bearden – 1.96m/6-05

Women's High Jump
2. Kim Williamson – 1.82m/5-11.50
3. Nina Schultz – 1.77m/5-09.75
4. Rhizlane Siba – 1.72m/5-07.75
6. Shanae McKenzie – 1.72m/5-07.75
9. Morgan Coffman – 1.67m/5-05.75

Men's Triple Jump
14. Javier Lowe – 13.98m/45-10.50
15. Angelo Gordon – 13.09m/42-11.50

Women's Triple Jump
2. Shardia Lawrence – 13.39m/43-11.25
5. Konstantina Romaiou – 12.70m/41-08 (PR)

Men's Shot Put
2. Brett Neelly – 17.89m/58-08.50
5. Jayce Brack – 16.51m/54-02

Heptathlon Final Scores
4. Simone Fassina – 5,285 pts. (PR)
11. Max Estill – 4,495 pts.

Heptathlon 60 Meter Hurdles
6. Simone Fassina – 8.48 (865 pts.)
12. Max Estill – 8.87 (775 pts.)

Heptathlon Pole Vault
7. Simone Fassina – 4.35m/14-03.25 (716 pts.)
11. Max Estill – 3.55m/11-07.75 (496 pts.)

Heptathlon 1000 Meter Run
5. Simone Fassina – 2:50.25 (PR)(763 pts.)
13. Max Estill – 3:12.23 (549 pts.)

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Kansas State University Athletics

BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP

Players Mentioned

Morgan Coffman

Kayla Doll

Max Estill

Simone Fassina

Shardia Lawrence

Javier Lowe

Shanae McKenzie

Brett Neelly

Konstantina Romaiou

Nina Schultz

Rhizlane Siba

Terrell Smith

Morgan Wedekind

Emma Wren

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