Kansas State University Athletics
Saturday, October 17
Stillwater, OK
9:00 AM
Kansas State University
at
OSU Invite
K-State Registers Top-Five Performances Against National Field at OSU Invite
Oct 17, 2020 | Cross Country
STILLWATER, Okla. – The Kansas State cross country teams showed they belonged with some of the best programs in the country on Saturday (October 17) with top-five team finishes in the men's 8k race and women's 6k run at the OSU Invite at the OSU Cross Country Course.
With a field that included reigning NCAA champion BYU and national runner-up Northern Arizona in the men's race and runner-up BYU in the women's race, the Wildcats hit their stride in the latter part of both races to lock up top-five outings. The K-State men secured 162 points in the 8k race, which catapulted the group to fifth place. The K-State women used a nice effort in the last leg of the 6k run to score 93 points, which was good for fourth place.
"This is the tightest group we've had in a few years," said head coach Ryun Godfrey. "I thought the team worked better than they have all year! It was great to see!"
For consecutive weeks, sophomores Kerby Depenbusch and Jaybe Shufelberger led the Wildcats in the men's and women's races. Depenbusch finished with a new personal time of 25:00.8 to bring home the highest spot in 38th place. Shufelberger climbed the leaderboard in the second and third legs of the women's 6k run to finish 14th at a pace of 22:00.5.
"It was a real privilege to be able to race against the best of the best today," said Depenbusch. "We don't always get a chance to race such high-caliber athletes, so we wanted to take full advantage of today and see how we stack up against them."
Shufelberger was equally impressed with the teams' success against some of the best teams in the nation.
"Going into the meet, we knew it was going to be more competitive than last time," said Shufelberger. "We didn't let it get into our heads. We have improved so much from last year. And coming off the Cowboy Jamboree two weeks ago, that really motivated us because it shows how much more depth we have. Placing fourth as team this week really motivates us going into the Big 12's."
"My goal has been to go out conservatively and work my way up. That's how I was able to move into the top portion at the back end of the race. I knew the race was going to start fast because it was so competitive. That is why when I saw the lead group, I knew a lot of people would fall back, so I just needed to position myself well enough to be able to move up."
A total of six Wildcats managed their way to top-60 outings in the men's 8k run. Those six athletes included Depenbusch, sophomore Hadley Splechter (48th, 25:22.3), junior Stephen Kielhofner (49th, 25:28.6), sophomores Jack Thomas (54th, 25:34.4) and Jack Moore (55th, 25:42.0) and junior Mike Rohlinger (59th, 26:00.4).
"It was great to run at this OSU course again," said Depenbusch. "We are very familiar with the course now and used this week to try and improve on sections of the course we struggled with last time here. Today was incredibly windy, we tried to use it to our advantage. On the long straightaways going into the wind, we tried to find runners from other teams to coast behind."
Rounding out the men's team was junior Dylan Brenneman (61st, 26:04.8), sophomore David Lutgen (63rd, 26:07.7), senior Noah Stevenson (65th, 26:12.7), freshmen Jack Vincent (80th, 27:14.0) and Aiden Higgerson (83rd, 27:37.6), and senior Travis Hodge (84th, 27:38.5). It was the season debuts for Lutgen and Vincent.
"Overall, the team did great and ran a tough race," said Depenbusch. "It was a good practice round before the real deal at the Big 12 Championship in two weeks."
Stevenson, who did not finish inside the Top 50 for the first time all season, still has a ton of confidence from his coach for when he gets his chance to race in a couple of weeks again.
"Noah (Stevenson) had an off day today, but I'm not worried in the least," stated Godfrey. "He'll be ready in couple of weeks."
Aside from Shufelberger's top-20 finish, the women's squad saw four other runners complete the 6k race in the Top-40 for consecutive weeks at the OSU Cross Country Course. Junior Kassidy Johnson followed Shufelberger in 25th place with a time of 22:23.3, while sophomore Hannah Stewart (30th, 22:42.5), freshman Emma Lucas (33rd, 22:48.3) and sophomore Sydney Burton (40th, 23:06.7) used nice performances to propel K-State to the fourth spot. Lucas scored a new personal record as she closed out the 6k race.
"Emma (Lucas) competed really well today," said Godfrey. "I was very happy with her effort."
Juniors Macy Heinz and Cara Melgares made their season debuts for the Wildcats, as Heinz finished 41st overall with a time of 23:14.7, while Melgares, who has not raced for K-State since the 2018 campaign, posted a solid 52nd-place performance with a time of 24:11.2.
"Macy (Heinz) and Cara (Melgares) both gave great efforts today," said Godfrey. "Cara missed a lot of training due to an injury, but she is battling back to form. She'll be even stronger at conference."
The Wildcats received a ton of fire power from the middle of the pack in the women's race with solid efforts from sophomore Cailan Steward (49th, 23:52.8), freshmen Helen Giefer (54th, 24:23.1) and McKenna Polus (58th, 24:36.9), and sophomore Delaney Kemp (63rd, 25:50.8). Both Giefer and Polus achieved new personal bests in the 6k race.
Northern Arizona's Luis Grijalva secured the individual title in the men's 8k race with a time of 23:30.2. The women's race saw BYU's Whittni Orton earn the win, as she crossed the line at a pace of 20:27.8.
K-State now turns its attention to the Big 12 Championship, which is set for Friday, October 30 at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kansas. Last year, both the men's and women' teams finished just outside the top-five standings, as the men's group earned a sixth-place performance and the women's squad claimed the eighth spot.
"I'm excited about Big 12's in a couple weeks," said Godfrey.
Men's Team Finishes: 1. Northern Arizona, 36 points; 2. Oklahoma State, 42 points; 3. BYU, 59 points; 4. Southern Utah, 87 points; 5. K-State, 162 points; 6. UTEP, 185 points; 7. Oklahoma Christian, 209 points; 8. Oklahoma, 230 points.
Men's Top-Five Individuals: 1. Luis Grijalva (Northern Arizona), 23:30.2; 2. Conner Mantz (BYU), 23:31.4; 3. Casey Clinger (BYU), 23:38.7; 4. Eduardo Herrera (BYU), 23:40.4; 5. Isai Rodriguez (OSU), 23:47.8.
K-State Men's Finishes: 39. Kerby Depenbusch, 25:00.8; 48. Hadley Splechter, 25:22.3; 49. Stephen Kielhofner, 25:28.6; 54. Jack Thomas, 25:34.4; 55. Jack Moore, 25:42.0; 59. Mike Rohlinger, 26:00.4; 61. Dylan Brenneman, 26:04.8; 63. David Lutgen, 26:07.7; 65. Noah Stevenson, 26:12.7; 80. Jack Vincent; 27:14.0; 83. Aiden Higgerson, 27:37.6; 84. Travis Hodge, 27:38.5.
Women's Team Finishes: 1. BYU, 22 points; 2. Southern Utah, 62 points; 3. Oklahoma State, 68 points; 4. K-State, 93 Points; 5. Oklahoma, 160 (1) Points; 6. UTEP, 160 (2) points; 7. Oklahoma Christian, 187 points.
Women's Top-Five Finishes: 1. Whittni Orton (BYU), 20:27.8; 2. Taylor Roe (OSU), 20:38.4; 3. Aubrey Frentheway (BYU), 21:00.1; 4. Rachel McArthur (UNATTACHED), 21;08.5; 5. Alison Pray (Southern Utah), 21:09.5.
K-State Women's Finishes: 14. Jaybe Shufelberger, 22:00.5; 25. Kassidy Johnson, 22:23.3; 30. Hannah Stewart, 22:42.5; 33. Emma Lucas, 22:48.3; 40. Sydney Burton, 23:06.7; 41. Macy Heinz; 23:14.7; 49. Cailan Steward, 23:52.8; 52. Cara Melgares, 24:11.2; 54. Helen Giefer, 24:23.1; 58. McKenna Polus, 24:36.9; 63. Delaney Kemp, 24:50.8.
For the latest on K-State cross country follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter or Kansas State Track & Field/Cross Country on Facebook.
With a field that included reigning NCAA champion BYU and national runner-up Northern Arizona in the men's race and runner-up BYU in the women's race, the Wildcats hit their stride in the latter part of both races to lock up top-five outings. The K-State men secured 162 points in the 8k race, which catapulted the group to fifth place. The K-State women used a nice effort in the last leg of the 6k run to score 93 points, which was good for fourth place.
"This is the tightest group we've had in a few years," said head coach Ryun Godfrey. "I thought the team worked better than they have all year! It was great to see!"
For consecutive weeks, sophomores Kerby Depenbusch and Jaybe Shufelberger led the Wildcats in the men's and women's races. Depenbusch finished with a new personal time of 25:00.8 to bring home the highest spot in 38th place. Shufelberger climbed the leaderboard in the second and third legs of the women's 6k run to finish 14th at a pace of 22:00.5.
"It was a real privilege to be able to race against the best of the best today," said Depenbusch. "We don't always get a chance to race such high-caliber athletes, so we wanted to take full advantage of today and see how we stack up against them."
Shufelberger was equally impressed with the teams' success against some of the best teams in the nation.
"Going into the meet, we knew it was going to be more competitive than last time," said Shufelberger. "We didn't let it get into our heads. We have improved so much from last year. And coming off the Cowboy Jamboree two weeks ago, that really motivated us because it shows how much more depth we have. Placing fourth as team this week really motivates us going into the Big 12's."
"My goal has been to go out conservatively and work my way up. That's how I was able to move into the top portion at the back end of the race. I knew the race was going to start fast because it was so competitive. That is why when I saw the lead group, I knew a lot of people would fall back, so I just needed to position myself well enough to be able to move up."
A total of six Wildcats managed their way to top-60 outings in the men's 8k run. Those six athletes included Depenbusch, sophomore Hadley Splechter (48th, 25:22.3), junior Stephen Kielhofner (49th, 25:28.6), sophomores Jack Thomas (54th, 25:34.4) and Jack Moore (55th, 25:42.0) and junior Mike Rohlinger (59th, 26:00.4).
"It was great to run at this OSU course again," said Depenbusch. "We are very familiar with the course now and used this week to try and improve on sections of the course we struggled with last time here. Today was incredibly windy, we tried to use it to our advantage. On the long straightaways going into the wind, we tried to find runners from other teams to coast behind."
Rounding out the men's team was junior Dylan Brenneman (61st, 26:04.8), sophomore David Lutgen (63rd, 26:07.7), senior Noah Stevenson (65th, 26:12.7), freshmen Jack Vincent (80th, 27:14.0) and Aiden Higgerson (83rd, 27:37.6), and senior Travis Hodge (84th, 27:38.5). It was the season debuts for Lutgen and Vincent.
TOP-FIVE FINISH!!!
— K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) October 17, 2020
The #KStateXC men's team clinches the fifth-overall spot in the 8k race, as the group buckles down and scores 162 points in the first race of the day!
Depenbusch (39th), Splechter (48th) and Kielhofner (49th) all notch Top-50 performances for the 'Cats! pic.twitter.com/qUFhQtqm1Z
"Overall, the team did great and ran a tough race," said Depenbusch. "It was a good practice round before the real deal at the Big 12 Championship in two weeks."
Stevenson, who did not finish inside the Top 50 for the first time all season, still has a ton of confidence from his coach for when he gets his chance to race in a couple of weeks again.
"Noah (Stevenson) had an off day today, but I'm not worried in the least," stated Godfrey. "He'll be ready in couple of weeks."
Aside from Shufelberger's top-20 finish, the women's squad saw four other runners complete the 6k race in the Top-40 for consecutive weeks at the OSU Cross Country Course. Junior Kassidy Johnson followed Shufelberger in 25th place with a time of 22:23.3, while sophomore Hannah Stewart (30th, 22:42.5), freshman Emma Lucas (33rd, 22:48.3) and sophomore Sydney Burton (40th, 23:06.7) used nice performances to propel K-State to the fourth spot. Lucas scored a new personal record as she closed out the 6k race.
"Emma (Lucas) competed really well today," said Godfrey. "I was very happy with her effort."
Juniors Macy Heinz and Cara Melgares made their season debuts for the Wildcats, as Heinz finished 41st overall with a time of 23:14.7, while Melgares, who has not raced for K-State since the 2018 campaign, posted a solid 52nd-place performance with a time of 24:11.2.
"Macy (Heinz) and Cara (Melgares) both gave great efforts today," said Godfrey. "Cara missed a lot of training due to an injury, but she is battling back to form. She'll be even stronger at conference."
The Wildcats received a ton of fire power from the middle of the pack in the women's race with solid efforts from sophomore Cailan Steward (49th, 23:52.8), freshmen Helen Giefer (54th, 24:23.1) and McKenna Polus (58th, 24:36.9), and sophomore Delaney Kemp (63rd, 25:50.8). Both Giefer and Polus achieved new personal bests in the 6k race.
NAU edged host Oklahoma State (42) in the men's race with 36 points buoyed by four runners in the Top 10 followed by BYU (59) in third place, while BYU won the women's race with just 22 points highlighted by five runners finishing in the top-7 ahead of second-place Southern Utah (62).GO CATS!!
— K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) October 17, 2020
The Wildcats use an explosive outing in the back half of the women's 6k run to capture the second top-five finish of the day for #KStateXC, as the group closes out the day with 93 points!
Shufelberger (14th), Johnson (25th) and Stewart (30th) led the way for K-State! pic.twitter.com/N89vXsmEa5
Northern Arizona's Luis Grijalva secured the individual title in the men's 8k race with a time of 23:30.2. The women's race saw BYU's Whittni Orton earn the win, as she crossed the line at a pace of 20:27.8.
K-State now turns its attention to the Big 12 Championship, which is set for Friday, October 30 at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kansas. Last year, both the men's and women' teams finished just outside the top-five standings, as the men's group earned a sixth-place performance and the women's squad claimed the eighth spot.
"I'm excited about Big 12's in a couple weeks," said Godfrey.
Men's Team Finishes: 1. Northern Arizona, 36 points; 2. Oklahoma State, 42 points; 3. BYU, 59 points; 4. Southern Utah, 87 points; 5. K-State, 162 points; 6. UTEP, 185 points; 7. Oklahoma Christian, 209 points; 8. Oklahoma, 230 points.
Men's Top-Five Individuals: 1. Luis Grijalva (Northern Arizona), 23:30.2; 2. Conner Mantz (BYU), 23:31.4; 3. Casey Clinger (BYU), 23:38.7; 4. Eduardo Herrera (BYU), 23:40.4; 5. Isai Rodriguez (OSU), 23:47.8.
K-State Men's Finishes: 39. Kerby Depenbusch, 25:00.8; 48. Hadley Splechter, 25:22.3; 49. Stephen Kielhofner, 25:28.6; 54. Jack Thomas, 25:34.4; 55. Jack Moore, 25:42.0; 59. Mike Rohlinger, 26:00.4; 61. Dylan Brenneman, 26:04.8; 63. David Lutgen, 26:07.7; 65. Noah Stevenson, 26:12.7; 80. Jack Vincent; 27:14.0; 83. Aiden Higgerson, 27:37.6; 84. Travis Hodge, 27:38.5.
Women's Team Finishes: 1. BYU, 22 points; 2. Southern Utah, 62 points; 3. Oklahoma State, 68 points; 4. K-State, 93 Points; 5. Oklahoma, 160 (1) Points; 6. UTEP, 160 (2) points; 7. Oklahoma Christian, 187 points.
Women's Top-Five Finishes: 1. Whittni Orton (BYU), 20:27.8; 2. Taylor Roe (OSU), 20:38.4; 3. Aubrey Frentheway (BYU), 21:00.1; 4. Rachel McArthur (UNATTACHED), 21;08.5; 5. Alison Pray (Southern Utah), 21:09.5.
K-State Women's Finishes: 14. Jaybe Shufelberger, 22:00.5; 25. Kassidy Johnson, 22:23.3; 30. Hannah Stewart, 22:42.5; 33. Emma Lucas, 22:48.3; 40. Sydney Burton, 23:06.7; 41. Macy Heinz; 23:14.7; 49. Cailan Steward, 23:52.8; 52. Cara Melgares, 24:11.2; 54. Helen Giefer, 24:23.1; 58. McKenna Polus, 24:36.9; 63. Delaney Kemp, 24:50.8.
For the latest on K-State cross country follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter or Kansas State Track & Field/Cross Country on Facebook.
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