Kansas State University Athletics
SE: K-State Women’s Track and Field Repeats as Big 12 Champions in 'Most Impressive' Collective Performance in Rovelto's Tenure
May 14, 2018 | Track & Field, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
In the world of track and field, every point matters, and projections are not promises.
The K-State women proved so last weekend in Waco, Texas, where the Wildcats repeated as Big 12 Outdoor Champions for the first time since 2001-02.
"Last year was pretty awesome because it was our first, but to come back and defend the title again with a lot of the same group of girls and some freshmen coming in, it was a sweet victory this year," said senior Janee' Kassanavoid, who picked up a Big 12 title on Friday in the hammer throw, part of a 22-point Wildcat effort in the event. "To know that we're back-to-back champions is something that I'll take with me throughout my lifetime."
The Wildcats tallied 135 points over the three days to hold off conference-power Texas in second place at 131. K-State bested its previous school record (133) for points scored in a conference meet, topping last year's winning total by two.
"I shared this with the kids, it's just freaking hard to win these things. It just is. It's hard. Whatever the circumstances are, to get one is pretty special, but to me this one is probably the most impressive," K-State Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto said of his fourth Big 12 outdoor title. "This one was, I think, probably the most impressive because the kids just did a great job of competing."
K-State overcame its fair share of adversity to earn its second outdoor conference title in a row.
Sophomore Nina Schultz, last year's High Point Scorer at the outdoor conference meet with 25 points, was not at 100 percent this time around and accounted for just eight points.
Still, Schultz's teammates made up for it.
Senior Rhizlane Siba finished third in the high jump, while freshman Clare Gibson came in sixth. Combined with Schultz's fifth-place outing, the Wildcats managed to pick up the points they expected to in the event, just in a different way.
"It was a tough couple of days for me. I was really disappointed in myself but it's really great having a team full of capable athletes who can rise to the occasion when they need to," said Schultz, who also finished fifth in the long jump, with sophomore Wurrie Njadoe coming in fourth and Konstantina Romaiou placing eighth for another point. "I feel like we really had to fight for this one. It kind of hurts for me, personally, not being able to perform like I wanted to, but that's why I feel like this year was so great, to see everyone step up for each other."
There were handfuls of examples of this throughout the one weekend. One occurred after the 200-meter finals on Sunday.
K-State entered the 200 finals, the third-to-last event, with a four-point cushion above Texas and a chance to add on to it. Wildcat senior A'Keyla Mitchell qualified for the finals with the third-fastest preliminary time, while the Longhorns did not have anyone qualify.
Then Mitchell was disqualified in the finals, placing even more importance on the last two events, the 5,000-meter run and the 4x400-meter relay.
Senior Morgan Wedekind, a key figure in last year's Big 12 Championship, came through again in her final conference meet. The Valley Center product finished fifth in the 5,000, and Texas' top runner came in ninth to miss out on scoring, providing K-State a comfortable eight-point lead going into the final event.
"When we get knocked down, we have each other to pick us back up," Schultz said. "We needed those extra points in the 5,000 and then Morgan went and placed. That was really amazing."
On a weekend where 22 different Wildcats scored individually, every single one of their top-eight performances was significant. Rovelto pointed to event in particular, the 400-meter hurdles, as the one that turned the tables in K-State's favor, however.
On paper, Rovelto said Texas was expected to go one-two in the race.
K-State junior Ranae McKenzie had other plans. The Jamaican cut nearly 1.5 seconds off her prelim time to win the Big 12 title.
"It's a good feeling," McKenzie said. "I knew I had it in me. I just needed to prove it."
Even better, her sophomore teammate, Lauren Taubert, who was the last qualifier for the 400 hurdle finals after finishing fourth in the heptathlon on Saturday, placed sixth with a personal-best time as well.
All of a sudden K-State went from expecting to give up close to 10 points, if not more, in the event to Texas to scoring one more than the Longhorns.
"That was a huge, huge swing," Rovelto added. "It changed the whole outlook of the meet."
The same could be said for K-State's performance in the 4x100-meter relay early on Sunday.
Akia Guerrier, Mitchell, McKenzie and anchor Claudette Allen finished second to pick up eight crucial points, especially considering Texas' team did not finish.
The 4x100 break followed a series of K-State placing three people in the high jump and shot put for a combined 26 points — two of the seven events that saw K-State place at least three in the top eight — not to mention the 11 points the Wildcats got from Romaiou and Shardia Lawrence in the triple jump. Soon after the 4x100, freshman distance runner Sydney Collins, the last qualifier for the 1,500-meter run finals, chipped in an important three points by finishing sixth.
"In all of these events we were picking up an extra point here, an extra two there. The 4x100 was a big swing, but in those four events we probably already had a 15-, 16-point swing," Rovelto said. "The kids, I thought, really hung in there and just kept competing all day long. They did a phenomenal job."
"We were all there, rooting for each other, cheering each other on, hoping that everybody would just go out there, do their best and get some points," McKenzie added. "It was a great win."
In the world of track and field, every point matters, and projections are not promises.
The K-State women proved so last weekend in Waco, Texas, where the Wildcats repeated as Big 12 Outdoor Champions for the first time since 2001-02.
"Last year was pretty awesome because it was our first, but to come back and defend the title again with a lot of the same group of girls and some freshmen coming in, it was a sweet victory this year," said senior Janee' Kassanavoid, who picked up a Big 12 title on Friday in the hammer throw, part of a 22-point Wildcat effort in the event. "To know that we're back-to-back champions is something that I'll take with me throughout my lifetime."
The Wildcats tallied 135 points over the three days to hold off conference-power Texas in second place at 131. K-State bested its previous school record (133) for points scored in a conference meet, topping last year's winning total by two.
?? We been puttin' on a show, going back to back ??#KStateTF #Big12TF pic.twitter.com/Lz9iwick6T
— K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) May 14, 2018
"I shared this with the kids, it's just freaking hard to win these things. It just is. It's hard. Whatever the circumstances are, to get one is pretty special, but to me this one is probably the most impressive," K-State Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto said of his fourth Big 12 outdoor title. "This one was, I think, probably the most impressive because the kids just did a great job of competing."
K-State overcame its fair share of adversity to earn its second outdoor conference title in a row.
Sophomore Nina Schultz, last year's High Point Scorer at the outdoor conference meet with 25 points, was not at 100 percent this time around and accounted for just eight points.
Still, Schultz's teammates made up for it.
Senior Rhizlane Siba finished third in the high jump, while freshman Clare Gibson came in sixth. Combined with Schultz's fifth-place outing, the Wildcats managed to pick up the points they expected to in the event, just in a different way.
"It was a tough couple of days for me. I was really disappointed in myself but it's really great having a team full of capable athletes who can rise to the occasion when they need to," said Schultz, who also finished fifth in the long jump, with sophomore Wurrie Njadoe coming in fourth and Konstantina Romaiou placing eighth for another point. "I feel like we really had to fight for this one. It kind of hurts for me, personally, not being able to perform like I wanted to, but that's why I feel like this year was so great, to see everyone step up for each other."
There were handfuls of examples of this throughout the one weekend. One occurred after the 200-meter finals on Sunday.
K-State entered the 200 finals, the third-to-last event, with a four-point cushion above Texas and a chance to add on to it. Wildcat senior A'Keyla Mitchell qualified for the finals with the third-fastest preliminary time, while the Longhorns did not have anyone qualify.
Then Mitchell was disqualified in the finals, placing even more importance on the last two events, the 5,000-meter run and the 4x400-meter relay.
Senior Morgan Wedekind, a key figure in last year's Big 12 Championship, came through again in her final conference meet. The Valley Center product finished fifth in the 5,000, and Texas' top runner came in ninth to miss out on scoring, providing K-State a comfortable eight-point lead going into the final event.
"When we get knocked down, we have each other to pick us back up," Schultz said. "We needed those extra points in the 5,000 and then Morgan went and placed. That was really amazing."
On a weekend where 22 different Wildcats scored individually, every single one of their top-eight performances was significant. Rovelto pointed to event in particular, the 400-meter hurdles, as the one that turned the tables in K-State's favor, however.
On paper, Rovelto said Texas was expected to go one-two in the race.
K-State junior Ranae McKenzie had other plans. The Jamaican cut nearly 1.5 seconds off her prelim time to win the Big 12 title.
"It's a good feeling," McKenzie said. "I knew I had it in me. I just needed to prove it."
Even better, her sophomore teammate, Lauren Taubert, who was the last qualifier for the 400 hurdle finals after finishing fourth in the heptathlon on Saturday, placed sixth with a personal-best time as well.
All of a sudden K-State went from expecting to give up close to 10 points, if not more, in the event to Texas to scoring one more than the Longhorns.
"That was a huge, huge swing," Rovelto added. "It changed the whole outlook of the meet."
The same could be said for K-State's performance in the 4x100-meter relay early on Sunday.
Akia Guerrier, Mitchell, McKenzie and anchor Claudette Allen finished second to pick up eight crucial points, especially considering Texas' team did not finish.
The 4x100 break followed a series of K-State placing three people in the high jump and shot put for a combined 26 points — two of the seven events that saw K-State place at least three in the top eight — not to mention the 11 points the Wildcats got from Romaiou and Shardia Lawrence in the triple jump. Soon after the 4x100, freshman distance runner Sydney Collins, the last qualifier for the 1,500-meter run finals, chipped in an important three points by finishing sixth.
"In all of these events we were picking up an extra point here, an extra two there. The 4x100 was a big swing, but in those four events we probably already had a 15-, 16-point swing," Rovelto said. "The kids, I thought, really hung in there and just kept competing all day long. They did a phenomenal job."
"We were all there, rooting for each other, cheering each other on, hoping that everybody would just go out there, do their best and get some points," McKenzie added. "It was a great win."
.@KStateTFXC women came in the clutch!
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) May 14, 2018
Their four point victory was the third closest in #Big12TF history ?? pic.twitter.com/noiMUyhBuw
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