SE: K-State T&F Aims to Capture Bragging Rights in In-State Triangular at Ahearn Saturday
Jan 11, 2018 | Track & Field, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Early season track and field meets, for most part, are about individual performances and not much else. This Saturday when K-State hosts the KU-WSU-KSU Triangular at Ahearn Field House, however, there will be much more at play.
This triangular brings the three Division I programs in Kansas together, meaning times and marks are not the only things that matter. Pride is on the line.
"It means a lot. It's going to be fun because all the Kansas schools are going to be there, and they'll just make it more competitive," said Lansing native and K-State freshman runner Victoria Robinson. "You want to be the best school in Kansas."
"I think it's pretty cool to all come together, since we know a lot of the kids from the other schools that we compete against, especially KU," added distance runner Kurt Loevenstein, a junior out of Shawnee.
K-State last won the triangular in 2015, the meet's first year in its current format, which combines the point total from each school's men and women to determine its overall winner. This year's meet will include a new twist: a mixed 4x400-meter relay with two males and two females from each team.
"It's going to be awesome," Robinson said. "It makes it more interesting because you have to rely on both sides of the team, not just the running events but the field events on both the men's and women's side."
The Wildcats have won the high point scorer award the last three years, with Akela Jones claiming it in 2015 and 2016, followed by Wurrie Njadoe winning it last season. This time around, the Wildcats aim to win the team hardware as well.
"It'd be great to see if we can actually pull off the win and have that little edge over them," said Taylor Latimer, a freshman thrower out of Valley Center. "Especially since it's at home, it's a big Kansas ordeal competing against these teams."
"It definitely means more to the team because, generally, our points as a team don't really matter," Loevenstein added. "Nobody really keeps track of who's winning what meet, but at the triangular, basically after every event they announce who's ahead in the points for the whole team. I think it's cool for the whole team to come together for one meet. This is the only meet we really care, besides Big 12s, for team points."
The meet's 26-person limit per gender guideline adds an even truer team atmosphere to the event, as it mirrors the number of athletes allowed per team at the Big 12 Indoor Championships. This gives K-State's men and women a better sense of where they are as a team, while also helping individuals measure up their progress against some tougher competition.
"It's going to be great to see how we can match up against other DI schools because our first two meets have been against (smaller schools) so you really can't tell where you're at," said Latimer, who will compete in the shot put on Saturday. "This is your first taste of what it's going to be like, so I'm looking forward to seeing how well I compete and match up against them. Every point matters because you're all one (team). I think it's going to be great to see how we compare as a team against WSU and KU."
With the event, which rotates hosts sites each year, returning to Ahearn, the Wildcats could think of no better place to earn in-state bragging rights for track and field.
"I think we have a pretty good chance at it," Loevenstein said of claiming the trophy. "It'd be cool to bring it home anywhere, but especially Ahearn."
"It would mean a lot because it would show that all of our hard work has been paying off early in the season and it would set us up for a good start to the season," added Robinson. "It would be nice just to win, especially in our home venue, in Ahearn."
Early season track and field meets, for most part, are about individual performances and not much else. This Saturday when K-State hosts the KU-WSU-KSU Triangular at Ahearn Field House, however, there will be much more at play.
This triangular brings the three Division I programs in Kansas together, meaning times and marks are not the only things that matter. Pride is on the line.
"It means a lot. It's going to be fun because all the Kansas schools are going to be there, and they'll just make it more competitive," said Lansing native and K-State freshman runner Victoria Robinson. "You want to be the best school in Kansas."
"I think it's pretty cool to all come together, since we know a lot of the kids from the other schools that we compete against, especially KU," added distance runner Kurt Loevenstein, a junior out of Shawnee.
K-State last won the triangular in 2015, the meet's first year in its current format, which combines the point total from each school's men and women to determine its overall winner. This year's meet will include a new twist: a mixed 4x400-meter relay with two males and two females from each team.
"It's going to be awesome," Robinson said. "It makes it more interesting because you have to rely on both sides of the team, not just the running events but the field events on both the men's and women's side."
The Wildcats have won the high point scorer award the last three years, with Akela Jones claiming it in 2015 and 2016, followed by Wurrie Njadoe winning it last season. This time around, the Wildcats aim to win the team hardware as well.
"It'd be great to see if we can actually pull off the win and have that little edge over them," said Taylor Latimer, a freshman thrower out of Valley Center. "Especially since it's at home, it's a big Kansas ordeal competing against these teams."
"It definitely means more to the team because, generally, our points as a team don't really matter," Loevenstein added. "Nobody really keeps track of who's winning what meet, but at the triangular, basically after every event they announce who's ahead in the points for the whole team. I think it's cool for the whole team to come together for one meet. This is the only meet we really care, besides Big 12s, for team points."
The meet's 26-person limit per gender guideline adds an even truer team atmosphere to the event, as it mirrors the number of athletes allowed per team at the Big 12 Indoor Championships. This gives K-State's men and women a better sense of where they are as a team, while also helping individuals measure up their progress against some tougher competition.
"It's going to be great to see how we can match up against other DI schools because our first two meets have been against (smaller schools) so you really can't tell where you're at," said Latimer, who will compete in the shot put on Saturday. "This is your first taste of what it's going to be like, so I'm looking forward to seeing how well I compete and match up against them. Every point matters because you're all one (team). I think it's going to be great to see how we compare as a team against WSU and KU."
With the event, which rotates hosts sites each year, returning to Ahearn, the Wildcats could think of no better place to earn in-state bragging rights for track and field.
"I think we have a pretty good chance at it," Loevenstein said of claiming the trophy. "It'd be cool to bring it home anywhere, but especially Ahearn."
"It would mean a lot because it would show that all of our hard work has been paying off early in the season and it would set us up for a good start to the season," added Robinson. "It would be nice just to win, especially in our home venue, in Ahearn."
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