K-State Competes at Rock Chalk Classic, Texas A&M Alumni Muster

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Kansas State track and field teams continue their outdoor schedule this weekend by splitting into two groups, as the Wildcats will compete at the Rock Chalk Classic on Friday and Saturday as well as the Texas A&M Alumni Muster meet on Saturday.

Middle-distance and long-distance runners, along with pole vaulters, will head to Lawrence, Kansas for the two-day Rock Chalk Classic, while the rest of the Wildcats will make the trip to College Station, Texas for the Texas A&M Alumni Muster on Saturday. The Rock Chalk Classic will include eight teams, while the Texas A&M Alumni Muster will feature 13 programs, including eight from the state of Texas.

Kansas' home meet will begin at 1 p.m., CT on Friday with field events, while Saturday's schedule kicks off at 11:30 a.m., CT. The Texas A&M Alumni Muster begins at 12:30 p.m., CT on Saturday afternoon with field events.

"Now is the time of the year where quality training and rest are paramount," said Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto. "Our team is split up this weekend. We have distance and vaulters going to KU. Most of our speed, power folks are heading to A&M. There will be quality competition at both meets. We are all looking forward to competing at home next week and of course, the conference meet in a couple of weeks. The Big 12 is probably the strongest it has ever been, and the quality of the conference championship will be very high."

Tuning into the Rock Chalk Classic and the Texas A&M Alumni Muster
To follow along with both meets this weekend, fans can use the live results link provided by Prime Time Timing for the Rock Chalk Classic and the Texas A&M Alumni Muster can be tracked on Flash Results. Texas A&M will also provide a livestream through the SEC Network+, which can be found here for Saturday's contest.

Under COVID-19 guidelines, there will be a limited capacity at both Rock Chalk Park (Kansas) and E.B. Cushing Stadium (Texas A&M) for this weekend's slate of events.

For more information on the outdoor meet, including a full schedule of events, records and more can be found on kstatesports.com by clicking here.

K-State Women Earning Their Stripes
This outdoor season has been nothing short of spectacular for the K-State women, and this week's USTFCCCA National Rating Index is indication of that success. The Wildcats are now ranked 17th in this week's national poll, as the Wildcats jumped over 10 programs to crack a spot in the top 20. The Big 12 is represented in the top 10 of the women's rankings, with Texas (No. 4) and Texas Tech (No. 8) maintaining a firm grip in the standings with some of the nation's best.

USTFCCCA Top-10 Marks of the Week (April 20-26)
K-State brought some firepower to the track last weekend at the John Jacobs Invitational in Norman, Oklahoma. Five athletes let loose at the John Jacobs Track Complex, earning them a spot in the USTFCCCA Top-10 Marks of the Week for April 20-26. Three Wildcats delivered from the field, with junior Tejaswin Shankar (No. 2, High Jump) and seniors Logan Wolfley (No. 8, Javelin) and Ashley Petr (No. 2, Discus) notching first-place finishes. Senior Wurrie Njadoe and junior Vitoria Alves scorched the track to earn top-10 spots with the best in the nation, as Njadoe recorded a time of 11.46 seconds in the 100 meters, which was the fifth-fastest time last week. Alves crossed the finish line in 13.22 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles, boosting her up the chart to No. 5 overall.

Raising the Bar
Junior phenom Tejaswin Shankar elevated himself in the national spotlight on April 24, as the New Delhi, India, native soared over the bar in the high jump at 2.25m/7-4.50, securing the win over Oklahoma's Vernon Taylor. In reference to the national standings, Shankar produced the third-best mark in the NCAA for the high jump this season. The three-time All-American trails only Tennessee's Darryl Sullivan (2.27m) and South Dakota's Zack Anderson (2.26m) in the NCAA Standings. However, Shankar sits ahead of 2021 NCAA Indoor High Jump Champion JuVaughn Harrison (2.23m).

Njadoe Delivers Another Quality Outing
Senior Wurrie Njadoe continues to make strides on the track, particularly in the 100 meters. The Shoreline, Washington, native recorded a blistering time of 11.46 seconds to take home the win at the John Jacobs Invitational on April 24. That time has a ton of historical implications for the All-American, as she advanced all the way to No. 2 all-time in school history in the race. She now only trails K-State great A'Keyla Mitchell in the event for the school record, who owns the top spot with a mark of 11.40 seconds back in 2015.

Marque Performances from the Throws Squad
In addition to Wolfley's and Petr's winning marks, K-State powered its way to impressive marks in the throw events last week. Junior All-American Taylor Latimer improved once again in the women's hammer throw, launching a mark of 56.02m to score a runner-up finish at the John Jacobs Invitational. Sophomore Briana Lowe made her case as a consistent threat in the women's javelin, unleashing a throw of 42.78m to stake herself at the top spot over her Oklahoma competitors. The men's field included top-tier outings from senior Cameron Lewis, as the Mesa, Arizona, product recorded a spot at second place in the shot put (18.25m), while earning top honors in the discus event (55.16m) to complete a successful stint for the 'Cats. Lewis' shot-put mark moved him up to No. 7 all-time in school history for the outdoor season.

Scorching the Track
Posting a time of 3:32.91 in the 4x400 meter relay event on April 24, the tandem of O'Shalia Johnson, Shalysa Wray, Lauren Taubert and Kimisha Chambers have worked their way towards the 17^th-fastest time in the nation. Chambers and Taubert have also posted top-100 times in the 400-meter hurdles, with Chambers sitting at No. 15 in the NCAA at a pace of 57.64, while Taubert holds the No. 84 time at 1:00.40. Johnson has also done her part, burning tread marks around the track in the 400 meters with a time of 53.31, good for 45^th in the country.

On the men's side, senior Justin Davis is currently staked at No. 70 overall in the 400 meters, as he zipped through the competition at the Jim Click Invitational to record a pace of 46.75 back on April 10.

Strange Finds His Groove in the Triple Jump
Senior Jah Strange – the coveted horizontal jump transfer from Purdue - has finally been unleashed in the sand this outdoor season, and the upperclassman seems to have more in the bag for 2021. With a leap of 16.26m/53-4.25 at the Jim Click Invitational, Strange has made it known to his track and field peers that he is on a mission this outdoor season, as he is currently slotted with the ninth-best mark in the NCAA for the triple jump event.

Up Next
The Wildcats return home for senior weekend on Friday-Saturday, May 7-8 for the Ward Haylett Invitational at R.V. Christian Track and Field Complex. K-State will honor each of its seniors from the last two seasons in the home finale before turning its attention to the Big 12 Outdoor Championships on May 14-16.

K-State Competes at Rock Chalk Classic, Texas A&M Alumni Muster

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Players Mentioned

Kimisha Chambers

Justin Davis

O'Shalia Johnson

Taylor Latimer

Cameron Lewis

Briana Lowe

A'Keyla Mitchell

Wurrie Njadoe

Ashley Petr

Tejaswin Shankar

Jah Strange

Lauren Taubert

Logan Wolfley

Shalysa Wray

Kansas State University Athletics