SE: A Two-Event All-American, TJ Shankar Remains Difficult to Define
Mar 17, 2021 | Track & Field, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
It's one of the toughest track meets to qualify for in the world.
In a year when Tejaswin Shankar stepped outside his comfort zone as a high jumper - adding the triple jump and heptathlon to an already packed event schedule - the senior capped his 2020-21 indoor season by earning a pair of All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
"There's nothing to complain about. I think I had a great indoor season and I'm really happy that I had this opportunity to compete, especially after COVID," he said. "And the team did really well and qualified so many people for nationals again. Most of them are freshmen or transfers, so it was a great opportunity to be with these people and get to know who they are."
After a season that forced the Wildcats to practice and compete in socially-distanced groups, the NCAA Indoor Championships brought Shankar to Arkansas alongside four of his teammates.
The group included jumpers Taishia Pryce, Chantoba Bright, Rhianna Phipps and sprinter Vitoria Alves. Anigbata Grace Chinonyelum would have been the fifth Wildcat in the jumping events, but had to miss the national meet due to injury.
The trio of K-State jumpers joined Shankar on the All-America team last weekend, a successful championship meet for the 'Cats and a group of All-Americans from India, Jamaica and Guyana.
Bright and Phipps are both new to Manhattan.
"They're just full of energy. Being here four or five years, you just get used to how things go at K-State," Shankar said. "New kids come in, bring their perspective and it's fun to see the energy and the fire that they have."
For Shankar, this indoor season was different in more ways than one. COVID-19 forced the entire K-State program to adjust, but Shankar also had more events than ever on his schedule.
Though the high jump remains his signature event, Shankar made the triple jump part of his regular rotation during the 2020-21 indoor season. His progress has been…dramatic.
Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto explained that Shankar has now competed in the triple jump five times in his career. Once in high school, once last season, and three times for the Wildcats in 2021.
Normally, you would call that person a beginner. You can call Shankar an All-American.
"It just opened my eyes to the fact that I can do something else besides high jumping," he said.
And that mindset doesn't stop once Shankar steps off the track. This spring, he completed an internship with Deloitte as part of the company's Audit Assurance program. A few accounting classes during his sophomore year at Kansas State got Shankar interested in the profession.
He competed in Deloitte's campus challenge last year, an event in which college students create teams and work together to drive new ideas and innovations in the auditing process, before his internship with the company's Kansas City office this spring.
While his focus is still on training at K-State with an eye on the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Shankar said the experience provided him with some valuable perspective.
"I realized this was something I found really interesting because so much of it is new," he said. "A lot of times when I'm in those [Deloitte] meetings, it helps me get my mind off of track."
As he turns his attention to the outdoor season and international competitions this summer, Shankar has plenty to look forward to. His first outdoor meet will come later this month in Arizona, before K-State hosts the Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Championships in May.
The conference meet will be a unique opportunity for the Wildcats to compete on one of the biggest stages in the sport at R.V. Christian Track in Manhattan.
Shankar said that when he arrived on campus, he hoped to find out whether he was good enough to compete at the highest level by the time he graduated. Earning All-America honors in two different events might be an answer, but it's only led to more questions for the senior.
"Now I'm even more confused. I know I can compete at a high level, but I don't know what in. Should I focus on triple jump, multi-events or high jump?" he said. "Coach tells me, 'You're still young," and I'm like, 'Man, I'm 21 and almost 22.' It's just about being competitive."
After a winter spent finding out just how much he can do on and off the track, Shankar will begin to zero in on the high jump as he looks ahead to Olympic qualifying.
His hope? An indoor season when Shankar was focused on everything else might make all the difference.
"When you're doing multiple things, it usually helps you with your individual events because it improves your physicality," he said. "I have all those tools in my bag, now it's time to put them into practice."
It's one of the toughest track meets to qualify for in the world.
In a year when Tejaswin Shankar stepped outside his comfort zone as a high jumper - adding the triple jump and heptathlon to an already packed event schedule - the senior capped his 2020-21 indoor season by earning a pair of All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
"There's nothing to complain about. I think I had a great indoor season and I'm really happy that I had this opportunity to compete, especially after COVID," he said. "And the team did really well and qualified so many people for nationals again. Most of them are freshmen or transfers, so it was a great opportunity to be with these people and get to know who they are."
Competing at the highest level #KStateTF x #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/3Kabi0PQPe
— K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) March 13, 2021
After a season that forced the Wildcats to practice and compete in socially-distanced groups, the NCAA Indoor Championships brought Shankar to Arkansas alongside four of his teammates.
The group included jumpers Taishia Pryce, Chantoba Bright, Rhianna Phipps and sprinter Vitoria Alves. Anigbata Grace Chinonyelum would have been the fifth Wildcat in the jumping events, but had to miss the national meet due to injury.
The trio of K-State jumpers joined Shankar on the All-America team last weekend, a successful championship meet for the 'Cats and a group of All-Americans from India, Jamaica and Guyana.
Bright and Phipps are both new to Manhattan.
"They're just full of energy. Being here four or five years, you just get used to how things go at K-State," Shankar said. "New kids come in, bring their perspective and it's fun to see the energy and the fire that they have."
For Shankar, this indoor season was different in more ways than one. COVID-19 forced the entire K-State program to adjust, but Shankar also had more events than ever on his schedule.
Though the high jump remains his signature event, Shankar made the triple jump part of his regular rotation during the 2020-21 indoor season. His progress has been…dramatic.
Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto explained that Shankar has now competed in the triple jump five times in his career. Once in high school, once last season, and three times for the Wildcats in 2021.
Normally, you would call that person a beginner. You can call Shankar an All-American.
Time to spring forward #KStateTF x #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/oQili2LFlv
— K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) March 14, 2021
"It just opened my eyes to the fact that I can do something else besides high jumping," he said.
And that mindset doesn't stop once Shankar steps off the track. This spring, he completed an internship with Deloitte as part of the company's Audit Assurance program. A few accounting classes during his sophomore year at Kansas State got Shankar interested in the profession.
He competed in Deloitte's campus challenge last year, an event in which college students create teams and work together to drive new ideas and innovations in the auditing process, before his internship with the company's Kansas City office this spring.
While his focus is still on training at K-State with an eye on the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Shankar said the experience provided him with some valuable perspective.
"I realized this was something I found really interesting because so much of it is new," he said. "A lot of times when I'm in those [Deloitte] meetings, it helps me get my mind off of track."
As he turns his attention to the outdoor season and international competitions this summer, Shankar has plenty to look forward to. His first outdoor meet will come later this month in Arizona, before K-State hosts the Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Championships in May.
The Beast Never Stops 💪 #KStateTF x @TejaswinShankar pic.twitter.com/bPAYeQipXu
— K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) March 12, 2021
The conference meet will be a unique opportunity for the Wildcats to compete on one of the biggest stages in the sport at R.V. Christian Track in Manhattan.
Shankar said that when he arrived on campus, he hoped to find out whether he was good enough to compete at the highest level by the time he graduated. Earning All-America honors in two different events might be an answer, but it's only led to more questions for the senior.
"Now I'm even more confused. I know I can compete at a high level, but I don't know what in. Should I focus on triple jump, multi-events or high jump?" he said. "Coach tells me, 'You're still young," and I'm like, 'Man, I'm 21 and almost 22.' It's just about being competitive."
After a winter spent finding out just how much he can do on and off the track, Shankar will begin to zero in on the high jump as he looks ahead to Olympic qualifying.
His hope? An indoor season when Shankar was focused on everything else might make all the difference.
"When you're doing multiple things, it usually helps you with your individual events because it improves your physicality," he said. "I have all those tools in my bag, now it's time to put them into practice."
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