Current and Former Wildcats Seek Glory at XXI Commonwealth Games
Apr 08, 2018 | Track & Field
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Five current and former K-State Track and Field athletes will represent their respective countries at the XXI Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia from April 8-15, as they seek to be the best of the Commonwealth and represent their country.
Current Wildcats Tejaswin Shankar (high jump), Nina Schultz (heptathlon) and Jess St. John (shot put) and former K-State athletes Alyx Treasure (high jump) and Ifeanyi Otuonye (long jump) will compete in the week-long competition, all with the same goal, to make the podium.
"For most of the countries that are a part of it, it is a pretty big deal for most of them. It is their major meet in the calendar year," Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto said. "Making the finals and potentially medaling at the Commonwealth Games is a big deal, and the countries weigh it almost as heavily as World Championships. For them it is a big deal."
Entering the Commonwealth Games with the top mark in the world in the women's heptathlon, Schultz will represent team Canada in the event, which begins on Wednesday, April 11. In the first outdoor meet for K-State this season, Schultz set the world lead in the heptathlon, by scoring 6,018 points at the Roadrunner Invitational in San Antonio, Texas on March 23.
Schultz is no stranger to the world stage, as she has competed in the 2016 World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, and holds the U20 Canadian Heptathlon record. In her time at K-State, she has already made a name for herself as a three-time All-American in the heptathlon and pentathlon, including a series of runner-up finishes in the 2017 Outdoor NCAA Championships and 2018 Indoor NCAA Championships. Schultz will compete in the heptathlon, beginning on April 11 with the 100-meter hurdles.
"For Nina [Schultz] and TJ [Tejaswin Shankar], they have a real chance at medaling, it is a big deal," Rovelto said. "For young, 19-year old's to be representing their countries and to have the opportunity to medal in senior competition, it is a big deal for them, which is why we as coaches really want them to do it."
In the men's high jump, Indian sensation and freshman at K-State, Shankar will look to continue his momentum onto the Commonwealth Games podium, after setting both the Indian indoor and outdoor National records earlier this year. At the Athletics Federation Cup in March, Shankar jumped a new Indian National record of 2.28m/7-05.75, which enters him with the second-best mark in the world this season.
As only a freshman, Shankar has had an early impact for the Wildcats, finishing third at the Big 12 Indoor Championship with a jump of 2.28m/7-05.75, tying for the third-best jump in K-State indoor history. Shankar returned to set the bar high for the outdoor season, where he currently holds the second-best jump in the NCAA this season of 2.25m/7-04.50 at the Roadrunner Invitational. Shankar debuts on Sunday evening in the men's high jump at 7:20 p.m. CT.
In the women's shot put, St. John will represent her native Antigua and Barbuda, where she enters competition with a season-best throw of 16.06m/52-08.25 set at the Roadrunner Invitational. St. John is making her first appearance at the Commonwealth Games as the Antigua and Barbuda National record-holder in the shot put and the 2015 Sportswoman of the Year. St. John will throw in the women's shot put qualifying round on Wednesday, April 11 at 9:15 p.m.
"I'm pretty excited. It's going to be my first Commonwealth Games, so I'm just going there for experience and to just to go out there and do my best," St. John said leading up to her competition.
Competing for Turks and Caicos Islands, Otuonye will appear in the men's long jump competition as the country's national record holder of 7.88m/25-10.25, which propelled him to victory at the 2016 NACAC U23 Championships. He is the only former Wildcat competing in this year's Commonwealth Games with past experience, after competing in Glasgow, United Kingdom in 2014 and the Youth Commonwealth Games in 2011. He is a 2011 bronze medalist in the long jump at the Youth Games in 2011, jumping 7.15m/23-05.50. Otuonye will jump in the men's qualifying round on Monday, April 9 at 8:30 p.m.
Representing team Canada, Treasure will make her first appearance at the Commonwealth Games, despite her plethora of international competition. Her most notable appearance was at the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Games, where she qualified for the high jump finals before finishing 17th with a jump of 1.88m/6-02. Treasure's most recent competition served as a tune-up at the Roadrunner Invitational, where she competed unattached and jumped 1.85m/6-00.75 to break the meet and facility records. Treasure will round out the competition for K-State, jumping in the women's high jump on Friday, April 13 at 11:25 p.m.
"Just having the opportunity to be here and experience it will just make their next international competition that much easier," Rovelto said.
For more information on the Commonwealth Games, including a full schedule, entries and more, click here. Live stream will be available via WatchESPN by clicking 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.
Commonwealth Games Schedule – By Athlete (All Times Central)
Nina Schultz - Canada
Wednesday, April 11, 7:05 p.m. – Women's Heptathlon 100m Hurdles (Heats 1 & 2)
Wednesday, April 11, 8:00 p.m. – Women's Heptathlon High Jump (Group A)
Thursday, April 12, 4:20 a.m. – Women's Heptathlon Shot Put (Group A)
Thursday, April 12, 5:57 a.m. – Women's Heptathlon 200 Meters (Heat 1 & 2)
Thursday, April 12, 7:30 p.m. – Women's Heptathlon Long Jump (Group A)
Thursday, April 12, 9:25 p.m. – Women's Heptathlon Javelin (Group A)
Friday, April 13, 5:05 a.m. – Women's Heptathlon 800 Meters (Heat 1 & 2)
Tejaswin Shankar - India
Sunday, April 8, 7:20 p.m. – Men's High Jump Qualifying (Group A & B)
Wednesday, April 11, 5:05 a.m. – Men's High Jump Final (Must Qualify)
Jess St. John – Antigua and Barbuda
Wednesday, April 11, 9:15 p.m. – Women's Shot Put Qualifying Round (Group A & B)
Friday, April 13, 5:40 a.m. – Women's Shot Put Final (Must Qualify)
Ifeanyi Otuonye – Turks and Caicos Islands
Monday, April 9, 8:30 p.m. – Men's Long Jump Qualifying Round (Group A & B)
Wednesday, April 11, 5:32 a.m. – Men's Long Jump Final (Must Qualify)
Alyx Treasure - Canada
Friday, April 13, 11:25 p.m. – Women's High Jump Final
Current Wildcats Tejaswin Shankar (high jump), Nina Schultz (heptathlon) and Jess St. John (shot put) and former K-State athletes Alyx Treasure (high jump) and Ifeanyi Otuonye (long jump) will compete in the week-long competition, all with the same goal, to make the podium.
"For most of the countries that are a part of it, it is a pretty big deal for most of them. It is their major meet in the calendar year," Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto said. "Making the finals and potentially medaling at the Commonwealth Games is a big deal, and the countries weigh it almost as heavily as World Championships. For them it is a big deal."
Entering the Commonwealth Games with the top mark in the world in the women's heptathlon, Schultz will represent team Canada in the event, which begins on Wednesday, April 11. In the first outdoor meet for K-State this season, Schultz set the world lead in the heptathlon, by scoring 6,018 points at the Roadrunner Invitational in San Antonio, Texas on March 23.
Schultz is no stranger to the world stage, as she has competed in the 2016 World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, and holds the U20 Canadian Heptathlon record. In her time at K-State, she has already made a name for herself as a three-time All-American in the heptathlon and pentathlon, including a series of runner-up finishes in the 2017 Outdoor NCAA Championships and 2018 Indoor NCAA Championships. Schultz will compete in the heptathlon, beginning on April 11 with the 100-meter hurdles.
"For Nina [Schultz] and TJ [Tejaswin Shankar], they have a real chance at medaling, it is a big deal," Rovelto said. "For young, 19-year old's to be representing their countries and to have the opportunity to medal in senior competition, it is a big deal for them, which is why we as coaches really want them to do it."
In the men's high jump, Indian sensation and freshman at K-State, Shankar will look to continue his momentum onto the Commonwealth Games podium, after setting both the Indian indoor and outdoor National records earlier this year. At the Athletics Federation Cup in March, Shankar jumped a new Indian National record of 2.28m/7-05.75, which enters him with the second-best mark in the world this season.
As only a freshman, Shankar has had an early impact for the Wildcats, finishing third at the Big 12 Indoor Championship with a jump of 2.28m/7-05.75, tying for the third-best jump in K-State indoor history. Shankar returned to set the bar high for the outdoor season, where he currently holds the second-best jump in the NCAA this season of 2.25m/7-04.50 at the Roadrunner Invitational. Shankar debuts on Sunday evening in the men's high jump at 7:20 p.m. CT.
In the women's shot put, St. John will represent her native Antigua and Barbuda, where she enters competition with a season-best throw of 16.06m/52-08.25 set at the Roadrunner Invitational. St. John is making her first appearance at the Commonwealth Games as the Antigua and Barbuda National record-holder in the shot put and the 2015 Sportswoman of the Year. St. John will throw in the women's shot put qualifying round on Wednesday, April 11 at 9:15 p.m.
"I'm pretty excited. It's going to be my first Commonwealth Games, so I'm just going there for experience and to just to go out there and do my best," St. John said leading up to her competition.
Competing for Turks and Caicos Islands, Otuonye will appear in the men's long jump competition as the country's national record holder of 7.88m/25-10.25, which propelled him to victory at the 2016 NACAC U23 Championships. He is the only former Wildcat competing in this year's Commonwealth Games with past experience, after competing in Glasgow, United Kingdom in 2014 and the Youth Commonwealth Games in 2011. He is a 2011 bronze medalist in the long jump at the Youth Games in 2011, jumping 7.15m/23-05.50. Otuonye will jump in the men's qualifying round on Monday, April 9 at 8:30 p.m.
Representing team Canada, Treasure will make her first appearance at the Commonwealth Games, despite her plethora of international competition. Her most notable appearance was at the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Games, where she qualified for the high jump finals before finishing 17th with a jump of 1.88m/6-02. Treasure's most recent competition served as a tune-up at the Roadrunner Invitational, where she competed unattached and jumped 1.85m/6-00.75 to break the meet and facility records. Treasure will round out the competition for K-State, jumping in the women's high jump on Friday, April 13 at 11:25 p.m.
"Just having the opportunity to be here and experience it will just make their next international competition that much easier," Rovelto said.
For more information on the Commonwealth Games, including a full schedule, entries and more, click here. Live stream will be available via WatchESPN by clicking 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.
Commonwealth Games Schedule – By Athlete (All Times Central)
Nina Schultz - Canada
Wednesday, April 11, 7:05 p.m. – Women's Heptathlon 100m Hurdles (Heats 1 & 2)
Wednesday, April 11, 8:00 p.m. – Women's Heptathlon High Jump (Group A)
Thursday, April 12, 4:20 a.m. – Women's Heptathlon Shot Put (Group A)
Thursday, April 12, 5:57 a.m. – Women's Heptathlon 200 Meters (Heat 1 & 2)
Thursday, April 12, 7:30 p.m. – Women's Heptathlon Long Jump (Group A)
Thursday, April 12, 9:25 p.m. – Women's Heptathlon Javelin (Group A)
Friday, April 13, 5:05 a.m. – Women's Heptathlon 800 Meters (Heat 1 & 2)
Tejaswin Shankar - India
Sunday, April 8, 7:20 p.m. – Men's High Jump Qualifying (Group A & B)
Wednesday, April 11, 5:05 a.m. – Men's High Jump Final (Must Qualify)
Jess St. John – Antigua and Barbuda
Wednesday, April 11, 9:15 p.m. – Women's Shot Put Qualifying Round (Group A & B)
Friday, April 13, 5:40 a.m. – Women's Shot Put Final (Must Qualify)
Ifeanyi Otuonye – Turks and Caicos Islands
Monday, April 9, 8:30 p.m. – Men's Long Jump Qualifying Round (Group A & B)
Wednesday, April 11, 5:32 a.m. – Men's Long Jump Final (Must Qualify)
Alyx Treasure - Canada
Friday, April 13, 11:25 p.m. – Women's High Jump Final
Players Mentioned
K-State Track and Field | Tyson Invitational Recap
Wednesday, February 18
K-State Track & Field | DeLoss Dodds Invitational Recap
Wednesday, February 04
K-State Track & Field | Thane Baker Invitational Recap
Monday, January 19
K-State Track & Field | Uniform Reveal
Tuesday, November 11
