Kansas State University Athletics
Thursday, June 10
Eugene, Ore.
5:30 P.M.
Kansas State University
vs
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Latimer, Pryce Earn Second Team All-America Honors
Jun 10, 2021 | Track & Field
NCAA Championship CentralDay 2 Results (.pdf)Meet Schedule (.pdf)Live ResultsWatch [WatchESPN]Photo Gallery
Latimer collects All-America honors in the shot put in consecutive championships
EUGENE, Ore. – Junior Taylor Latimer and senior Taishia Pryce collected Second Team All-America honors in the women's shot put and women's long jump to highlight action on day two of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Thursday (June 10) at Hayward Field.
Latimer finished 13th in the shot put with a throw of 16.82m/55-02.25 to earn All-America accolades in the event in consecutive NCAA Championships (2019 and 2021), while Pryce posted her best leap of 6.24m/20-05.75 on her third and final attempt in the long jump to finish 16th and claim All-America distinction in the event in both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
"Taylor and Taishia had quality efforts to get to this weekend and ended up earning all American honors," said Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto. "Good athletes always want more but a small percentage of athletes can claim to have earned this distinction."
In addition to Latimer and Pryce, four other Wildcats wrapped up their 2020-21 seasons on Thursday, as Njadoe and senior Kimisha Chambers did not advance to the finals of the 100 meters and 400-meter hurdles, respectively, and seniors Helene Ingvaldsen and Shaelyn Ward finished their careers in the women's hammer competition.
A native of Valley Center, Kansas, Latimer started the shot put competition off in strong fashion with her best mark of 16.82m/55-02.25 coming on her first attempt to sit in seventh place. After fouling on her second attempt, she could not improve her position with a throw of 16.78m/55-00.75 on her third and final attempt to finish 13th.
Latimer becomes the first Wildcat to post All-America performances in consecutive Outdoor Championships since Dani Winters in 2015 and 2016. K-State has now had an All-American in the women's shot put five times in the last six NCAA Championships, including each of the last three (Jess St. John in 2018 and Latimer in 2019 and 2021).
Ohio State's junior Adelaide Aquilla won the national title in the shot put with a final toss of 18.98m/62-03.25 to beat out conference foe Josie Schaefer of Wisconsin, who finished second with a mark of 18.29m/60-00.25.
Pryce completed a leap of 6.24m/20-05.75 on her third and final attempt to move up two spots and claim the final spot on the Second Team with a 16th-place finish. She fouled on her first attempt before recording a mark of 5.91m/19-04.75, which put her in 18th place heading into her final attempt.
A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Pryce is the first Wildcat to earn All-America honors in the women's long jump since teammate Wurrie Njadoe claimed First Team honors in 2017 and just the fifth during the outdoor season in school history. Pryce earned First Team All-America honors in the long jump during the indoor season and is now the first Wildcat to be an indoor and outdoor All-American in the event since Nina Kokot in 2011.
Texas' Tara Davis won the national title in the long jump by less than an inch over Texas A&M's Tyra Gittens.
Njadoe could not advance to the finals in the 100 meters, as she finished eighth in Heat 3 and 22nd overall with a time of 11.67. The first K-State woman to advance to the NCAA Championships in the 100 meters, she tied the school record with a time of 11.40 at the NCAA West Regional to advance to nationals.
It has been a remarkable recovery for the native of The Gambia, who earned First Team All-American honors in the long jump at the 2017 NCAA Championships as a true freshman before injuries forced her to miss the entire 2018-19 season then COVID-19 cancelled the 2020 outdoor season. She will have one more season at K-State.
Like Njadoe, Chambers did not advance to the finals of the 400-meter hurdles, as she finished sixth in Heat 3 and 18th overall with a time of 58.88. It was the first NCAA Championship appearance for the Mandeville, Jamaica native who finished her career among the best hurdlers in school history, as she currently ranks fourth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 57.64 at the Jim Click Shootout this past April.
The action began on Thursday with Ingvaldsen and Ward in the women's hammer competition, as K-State was one of just three schools (along with Arizona State and Ole Miss) to have two competitors in the event. Making her fourth consecutive NCAA Championship, Ingvaldsen shook off fouls in her first two throws to post a mark of 60.90m/199-10 in her final attempt to finish in 23rd place. Ward did not record a throw in three attempts.
"Helene and Shaelyn had rough day, but they had solid year and great careers," said Rovelto. "I'm very thankful that they have been a part of our program."
California's Camryn Rogers won the national title in the women's hammer with a collegiate-record best throw of 75.52m/247-9, while Ole Miss' Shey Tawio was the runner-up with a mark of 71.27m/233-10.
A rare four-time NCAA Championships qualifier in the hammer, Ingvaldsen concludes her career with two All-America certificates, including First Team honors in 2018. She was a two-time Big 12 champion, including the 2019 hammer champion, and owns the second-best mark in the event in school history with a throw of 66.89m/219-05 at the Jim Click Shootout this past April.
The first time qualifier at the NCAA Championships, Ward wraps up her four-year career that included a pair of runner-up finishes at the Big 12 Championship, including the hammer in 2019. She recorded the seventh-best mark in the event in school history with a throw of 62.60m/205-04 at the Jim Click Shootout in April.
Day three of the NCAA Championships continues Friday, as the heptathlon competition begins with seniors Ariel Okorie and Lauren Taubert in action, while junior Tejaswin Shankar will compete in the men's high jump.
The NCAA Championship Central link on the K-State Athletics' website is the hub for everything regarding the 13 qualifying Wildcats, including the schedule of events and broadcast links, athlete bios and features and all the highlights from the NCAA West Regional in College Station, Texas, May 26-29.
Schedule of Events
Friday, June 11
2:00 pm – Ariel Okorie and Lauren Taubert, 100-meter Hurdles (heptathlon)
3:00 pm – Ariel Okorie and Lauren Taubert, High Jump (heptathlon)
5:00 pm – Ariel Okorie and Lauren Taubert, Shot Put (heptathlon)
6:30 pm – Tejaswin Shankar, Men's High Jump
7:43 pm – Ariel Okorie and Lauren Taubert, 200 meters (heptathlon)
Latimer finished 13th in the shot put with a throw of 16.82m/55-02.25 to earn All-America accolades in the event in consecutive NCAA Championships (2019 and 2021), while Pryce posted her best leap of 6.24m/20-05.75 on her third and final attempt in the long jump to finish 16th and claim All-America distinction in the event in both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
"Taylor and Taishia had quality efforts to get to this weekend and ended up earning all American honors," said Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto. "Good athletes always want more but a small percentage of athletes can claim to have earned this distinction."
In addition to Latimer and Pryce, four other Wildcats wrapped up their 2020-21 seasons on Thursday, as Njadoe and senior Kimisha Chambers did not advance to the finals of the 100 meters and 400-meter hurdles, respectively, and seniors Helene Ingvaldsen and Shaelyn Ward finished their careers in the women's hammer competition.
A native of Valley Center, Kansas, Latimer started the shot put competition off in strong fashion with her best mark of 16.82m/55-02.25 coming on her first attempt to sit in seventh place. After fouling on her second attempt, she could not improve her position with a throw of 16.78m/55-00.75 on her third and final attempt to finish 13th.
Latimer becomes the first Wildcat to post All-America performances in consecutive Outdoor Championships since Dani Winters in 2015 and 2016. K-State has now had an All-American in the women's shot put five times in the last six NCAA Championships, including each of the last three (Jess St. John in 2018 and Latimer in 2019 and 2021).
Ohio State's junior Adelaide Aquilla won the national title in the shot put with a final toss of 18.98m/62-03.25 to beat out conference foe Josie Schaefer of Wisconsin, who finished second with a mark of 18.29m/60-00.25.
Pryce completed a leap of 6.24m/20-05.75 on her third and final attempt to move up two spots and claim the final spot on the Second Team with a 16th-place finish. She fouled on her first attempt before recording a mark of 5.91m/19-04.75, which put her in 18th place heading into her final attempt.
A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Pryce is the first Wildcat to earn All-America honors in the women's long jump since teammate Wurrie Njadoe claimed First Team honors in 2017 and just the fifth during the outdoor season in school history. Pryce earned First Team All-America honors in the long jump during the indoor season and is now the first Wildcat to be an indoor and outdoor All-American in the event since Nina Kokot in 2011.
Texas' Tara Davis won the national title in the long jump by less than an inch over Texas A&M's Tyra Gittens.
Njadoe could not advance to the finals in the 100 meters, as she finished eighth in Heat 3 and 22nd overall with a time of 11.67. The first K-State woman to advance to the NCAA Championships in the 100 meters, she tied the school record with a time of 11.40 at the NCAA West Regional to advance to nationals.
It has been a remarkable recovery for the native of The Gambia, who earned First Team All-American honors in the long jump at the 2017 NCAA Championships as a true freshman before injuries forced her to miss the entire 2018-19 season then COVID-19 cancelled the 2020 outdoor season. She will have one more season at K-State.
Like Njadoe, Chambers did not advance to the finals of the 400-meter hurdles, as she finished sixth in Heat 3 and 18th overall with a time of 58.88. It was the first NCAA Championship appearance for the Mandeville, Jamaica native who finished her career among the best hurdlers in school history, as she currently ranks fourth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 57.64 at the Jim Click Shootout this past April.
The action began on Thursday with Ingvaldsen and Ward in the women's hammer competition, as K-State was one of just three schools (along with Arizona State and Ole Miss) to have two competitors in the event. Making her fourth consecutive NCAA Championship, Ingvaldsen shook off fouls in her first two throws to post a mark of 60.90m/199-10 in her final attempt to finish in 23rd place. Ward did not record a throw in three attempts.
"Helene and Shaelyn had rough day, but they had solid year and great careers," said Rovelto. "I'm very thankful that they have been a part of our program."
California's Camryn Rogers won the national title in the women's hammer with a collegiate-record best throw of 75.52m/247-9, while Ole Miss' Shey Tawio was the runner-up with a mark of 71.27m/233-10.
A rare four-time NCAA Championships qualifier in the hammer, Ingvaldsen concludes her career with two All-America certificates, including First Team honors in 2018. She was a two-time Big 12 champion, including the 2019 hammer champion, and owns the second-best mark in the event in school history with a throw of 66.89m/219-05 at the Jim Click Shootout this past April.
The first time qualifier at the NCAA Championships, Ward wraps up her four-year career that included a pair of runner-up finishes at the Big 12 Championship, including the hammer in 2019. She recorded the seventh-best mark in the event in school history with a throw of 62.60m/205-04 at the Jim Click Shootout in April.
Day three of the NCAA Championships continues Friday, as the heptathlon competition begins with seniors Ariel Okorie and Lauren Taubert in action, while junior Tejaswin Shankar will compete in the men's high jump.
The NCAA Championship Central link on the K-State Athletics' website is the hub for everything regarding the 13 qualifying Wildcats, including the schedule of events and broadcast links, athlete bios and features and all the highlights from the NCAA West Regional in College Station, Texas, May 26-29.
Schedule of Events
Friday, June 11
2:00 pm – Ariel Okorie and Lauren Taubert, 100-meter Hurdles (heptathlon)
3:00 pm – Ariel Okorie and Lauren Taubert, High Jump (heptathlon)
5:00 pm – Ariel Okorie and Lauren Taubert, Shot Put (heptathlon)
6:30 pm – Tejaswin Shankar, Men's High Jump
7:43 pm – Ariel Okorie and Lauren Taubert, 200 meters (heptathlon)
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