Kansas State University Athletics
Friday, January 18
Lawrence, Kan.
3 p.m.
Kansas State University
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KU-KSU-WSU Triangular
Wildcats to Battle Jayhawks, Shockers in Sunflower Triangular
Jan 16, 2019 | Track & Field
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State track and field will take on in-state competitors Kansas and Wichita State in the fifth installment of the KU-KSU-WSU Triangular at Anschutz Pavilion in Lawrence, Kansas on Friday, January 18, a meet scheduled to air on ESPN+. The Wildcats look to repeat as triangular champions after their victory in 2018.
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The Sunflower Triangular opens on Friday at 3 p.m. with the start of the field events, with track events beginning at 5 p.m. Admission to the Sunflower Triangular is free. Visiting teams and guests are encouraged to bring canned goods which will be donated to the Lawrence's Just Food, a food back for families in need.
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K-State claimed last year's Triangular title for the first time since 2015, as the Wildcats scored 230 points at Ahearn Field House in Manhattan. The Sunflower Triangular uses a mixed triangular scoring system, in which the men's and women's scores are scored collectively as a team.
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"The thing that we liked about it is that it's a team-scored meet," Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto said. "I think it adds a little bit of an edge and gives people purpose. There's certainly a little bit of a pride factor competing against other Division I schools in-state."
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The Sunflower Triangular also features a unique finish to the meet, as teams assemble a mixed 4x400 meter relay, featuring two men and two women. The relay debuted in 2018 and is one of the only meets to feature the event around the country.
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The KU-KSU-WSU Triangular began in 2015, with K-State taking the inaugural title in Manhattan. Since the meet's inception, K-State has claimed two team titles (2015, 2018), while Kansas has also claimed two team titles (2016, 2017).
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Prior to the Sunflower Triangular's creation, Kansas, K-State and Missouri competed in the KU-KSU-MU Triangular from 1990-2006. During the span, the Wildcats dominated the series history, collecting 15 team wins over the 17-year history. Records from that triangular are preserved into the re-tooled version of the meet, including three meet records still standing from the inaugural meet in 1990.
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"I don't think any of us want to sacrifice what's to come down the road in the second meet of the new year, but at the same time we all want to have a good showing and if you have a shot at winning, it's just taking care of business and getting it done," Rovelto said of the early season showdown.
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The Sunflower Triangular marks the fourth meet of the season for the Wildcats and the start of a four-meet road trip. The Wildcats began the season on December 7, when they hosted the Carol Robinson Winter Pentathlon. Since then, both K-State teams garnered top-30 USTFCCCA rankings for the first time since 2017, with the K-State men being ranked at No. 24 and the women at No. 28.
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At the K-State Winter Invitational on December 8, senior Brett Neelly began his indoor season with a bang, breaking a 37-year old school record by throwing 20.15m/66-01.5 in the men's shot put, leading to the No. 2 throw in the country entering this weekend. Neelly also became the first Wildcat to ever break 20 meters in the event.
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After a break for the Holidays, the Wildcats returned to Ahearn Field House on January 12 for the Wildcat Invitational, where the Wildcats swept the dual meet by winning 20 events. In addition, sophomore Kassidy Johnson broke the K-State top-10 all-time list by running 2:51.40 in the women's 1,000 meters, which puts her eighth all-time. Junior Lauren Taubert also improved upon her top-10 mark in the women's 60-meter hurdles, moving from 10th to eighth all-time.
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Following the KU-KSU-WSU Triangular on Friday, the Wildcats will travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas to compete in the Razorback Invitational on January 25-26. The meet marks the first trip outside of the state of Kansas for the Wildcats this school year.
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The KU-KSU-WSU Triangular will stream live on ESPN+ on Friday, featuring analysts Dave Steward and Taryn Tempel, as well as Caroline Wright as a field reporter. ESPN's streaming service gives users a more convenient way to access ESPN content and live programing through the ESPN app, in which the stream can be accessed online and in the app here. For more information on the Sunflower Triangular, including parking information, and more, click here.
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The Sunflower Triangular opens on Friday at 3 p.m. with the start of the field events, with track events beginning at 5 p.m. Admission to the Sunflower Triangular is free. Visiting teams and guests are encouraged to bring canned goods which will be donated to the Lawrence's Just Food, a food back for families in need.
Â
K-State claimed last year's Triangular title for the first time since 2015, as the Wildcats scored 230 points at Ahearn Field House in Manhattan. The Sunflower Triangular uses a mixed triangular scoring system, in which the men's and women's scores are scored collectively as a team.
Â
"The thing that we liked about it is that it's a team-scored meet," Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto said. "I think it adds a little bit of an edge and gives people purpose. There's certainly a little bit of a pride factor competing against other Division I schools in-state."
Â
The Sunflower Triangular also features a unique finish to the meet, as teams assemble a mixed 4x400 meter relay, featuring two men and two women. The relay debuted in 2018 and is one of the only meets to feature the event around the country.
Â
The KU-KSU-WSU Triangular began in 2015, with K-State taking the inaugural title in Manhattan. Since the meet's inception, K-State has claimed two team titles (2015, 2018), while Kansas has also claimed two team titles (2016, 2017).
Â
Prior to the Sunflower Triangular's creation, Kansas, K-State and Missouri competed in the KU-KSU-MU Triangular from 1990-2006. During the span, the Wildcats dominated the series history, collecting 15 team wins over the 17-year history. Records from that triangular are preserved into the re-tooled version of the meet, including three meet records still standing from the inaugural meet in 1990.
Â
"I don't think any of us want to sacrifice what's to come down the road in the second meet of the new year, but at the same time we all want to have a good showing and if you have a shot at winning, it's just taking care of business and getting it done," Rovelto said of the early season showdown.
Â
The Sunflower Triangular marks the fourth meet of the season for the Wildcats and the start of a four-meet road trip. The Wildcats began the season on December 7, when they hosted the Carol Robinson Winter Pentathlon. Since then, both K-State teams garnered top-30 USTFCCCA rankings for the first time since 2017, with the K-State men being ranked at No. 24 and the women at No. 28.
Â
At the K-State Winter Invitational on December 8, senior Brett Neelly began his indoor season with a bang, breaking a 37-year old school record by throwing 20.15m/66-01.5 in the men's shot put, leading to the No. 2 throw in the country entering this weekend. Neelly also became the first Wildcat to ever break 20 meters in the event.
Â
After a break for the Holidays, the Wildcats returned to Ahearn Field House on January 12 for the Wildcat Invitational, where the Wildcats swept the dual meet by winning 20 events. In addition, sophomore Kassidy Johnson broke the K-State top-10 all-time list by running 2:51.40 in the women's 1,000 meters, which puts her eighth all-time. Junior Lauren Taubert also improved upon her top-10 mark in the women's 60-meter hurdles, moving from 10th to eighth all-time.
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Following the KU-KSU-WSU Triangular on Friday, the Wildcats will travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas to compete in the Razorback Invitational on January 25-26. The meet marks the first trip outside of the state of Kansas for the Wildcats this school year.
Â
The KU-KSU-WSU Triangular will stream live on ESPN+ on Friday, featuring analysts Dave Steward and Taryn Tempel, as well as Caroline Wright as a field reporter. ESPN's streaming service gives users a more convenient way to access ESPN content and live programing through the ESPN app, in which the stream can be accessed online and in the app here. For more information on the Sunflower Triangular, including parking information, and more, click here.
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For the latest on K-State track and field, follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter using the hashtag #KStateTF or on the team's Facebook page.KU-KSU-WSU Triangular x ESPN+
— K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) January 17, 2019
Watch tomorrow's #KStateTF action live on ESPN+ available online or in the WatchESPN app beginning at 5 p.m. CT
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