Kansas State University Athletics
Going Out on Top is ‘Extremely Special’
Jun 13, 2022 | Track & Field, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritche
To understand the significance of Tejaswin Shankar's feat, one of the best high jumpers in Kansas State history tells a story. A few years ago, Tejaswin, or "TJ" as he is known, spoke with K-State legend Erik Kynard. Kynard shared how he won the Olympic Gold medal in the high jump. Kynard had worked and worked and worked for the world's top honor.
"Erik said, 'Man, I won the Olympic Games, and I looked over at Coach Cliff Rovelto and all he gave me was a thumbs up,'" Shankar says, laughing over Kynard's stoic humor.
Shankar filed that away. He thought it was interesting. Rovelto, one of the top high-jump coaches in the world, isn't a man of much emotion. Shankar, on the other hand, was a ball of emotion Friday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Shankar, in his final collegiate event, went out on top in capturing the 2022 Men's High Jump Championship title after a dramatic sudden death jump off against Georgia senior Darius Carbin.
Shankar cleared a season-best height of 2.27 meters (7 feet, 5.25 inches) and Carbin fell short, instantly making Shankar the top collegiate high jumper in America and adding a poetic touch to one of the legendary careers in K-State track and field history, as Shankar also won the 2018 national title as a freshman.
"I was able to bring back the 'High Jump U' title to Kansas State, and that's the most I could've ever done for my university. That'll be with me forever. It just makes me so happy that I did what I set out to do not once, but twice in my career for the pride of Kansas State. That's what's matters to me the most, and that's what's more important than anything — the pride."
His mother, Lakshmi, flew 8,000 miles from New Delhi, India, and his aunt and uncle drove up from California to watch the grand finale at Hayward Field — a spot that Shankar loves and that carries so many memories.
Shankar, who describes himself as "very superstitious," had an idea that something big could be in store at this national championship. First, it just so happened that he sat on the same side of the plane on the flight from Manhattan to Portland as he did in 2018 when he won the national title. Then, he noticed it was raining when he landed, just like in 2018. Then his hotel room was 428 — the same as it was in 2018. He slept on the same side of the room, and he even ate the same foods at the same restaurants as he did in 2018.
"All week, I thought, 'This is meant to be,'" Shankar says.
It's been quite a journey for Shankar this year. After a strong start to the indoor track and field season, he battled a strained calf and inflamed patellar tendon. After the indoor season, he took some time off. Then he high jumped sparingly while competing in the decathlon for the first time in his career during the outdoor track and field season. All the training for the decathlon turned out to be a blessing because it provided endurance, which in turn, kept Shankar jumping at an optimal level in Eugene. Every high jump seemed just a little bit better than the last.
Then it all came down to this: Both Shankar and Carbin fouled three times at 2.24 meters (7 feet 4.25 inches) and had the same number of misses, forcing a jump off to decide the national title.
"I was telling myself, 'TJ, you're known for making clutch jumps, so if there's any time to do it, you have to do it today,'" he says.
And he did it.
Shankar is an eight-time All-American in indoor and outdoor, who has won two NCAA Outdoor Championships (he finished national runner-up in 2019 and 2021) and five Big 12 Conference Championships in the high jump. He was a 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-American, has a degree in accounting and finance, and earned a master's in accounting in May. He ranks top 10 all-time at K-State in indoor pentathlon (first), indoor high jump (third), indoor triple jump (third), outdoor high jump (sixth), indoor heptathlon (seventh) and outdoor triple jump (eighth).
He finished it all off in style.
"Giving something back to K-State and bringing back the title of High Jump U makes me so happy in my heart," he says.
And afterward, after Shankar captured the national title in the final meet of his college career, he looked to Rovelto. Rovelto is legendary. He has coached 17 Olympians in his 34 years at K-State. That includes Kynard, who a few years ago shared his story with Shankar. Shankar looked at Rovelto after his big win. He waited and waited.
Rovelto, for the first time, gave Shankar a thumbs up.
It's a moment, that along with the national title, Shankar will treasure for the rest of his life.
"That thumbs up," Shankar says, "was the cherry on top. That made my whole college experience."
To understand the significance of Tejaswin Shankar's feat, one of the best high jumpers in Kansas State history tells a story. A few years ago, Tejaswin, or "TJ" as he is known, spoke with K-State legend Erik Kynard. Kynard shared how he won the Olympic Gold medal in the high jump. Kynard had worked and worked and worked for the world's top honor.
"Erik said, 'Man, I won the Olympic Games, and I looked over at Coach Cliff Rovelto and all he gave me was a thumbs up,'" Shankar says, laughing over Kynard's stoic humor.
Shankar filed that away. He thought it was interesting. Rovelto, one of the top high-jump coaches in the world, isn't a man of much emotion. Shankar, on the other hand, was a ball of emotion Friday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Shankar, in his final collegiate event, went out on top in capturing the 2022 Men's High Jump Championship title after a dramatic sudden death jump off against Georgia senior Darius Carbin.
Shankar cleared a season-best height of 2.27 meters (7 feet, 5.25 inches) and Carbin fell short, instantly making Shankar the top collegiate high jumper in America and adding a poetic touch to one of the legendary careers in K-State track and field history, as Shankar also won the 2018 national title as a freshman.
"It's surreal," Shankar says over his cellphone from Eugene. "My first year, the title meant a lot to me, but I didn't truly know the magnitude of the achievement. Then to not win it for four years, this time the title means so much more to me. It's extremely special.High Jump U#KStateTF x #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/TCT5UG1prm
— K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) June 11, 2022
"I was able to bring back the 'High Jump U' title to Kansas State, and that's the most I could've ever done for my university. That'll be with me forever. It just makes me so happy that I did what I set out to do not once, but twice in my career for the pride of Kansas State. That's what's matters to me the most, and that's what's more important than anything — the pride."
His mother, Lakshmi, flew 8,000 miles from New Delhi, India, and his aunt and uncle drove up from California to watch the grand finale at Hayward Field — a spot that Shankar loves and that carries so many memories.
Shankar, who describes himself as "very superstitious," had an idea that something big could be in store at this national championship. First, it just so happened that he sat on the same side of the plane on the flight from Manhattan to Portland as he did in 2018 when he won the national title. Then, he noticed it was raining when he landed, just like in 2018. Then his hotel room was 428 — the same as it was in 2018. He slept on the same side of the room, and he even ate the same foods at the same restaurants as he did in 2018.
"All week, I thought, 'This is meant to be,'" Shankar says.
It's been quite a journey for Shankar this year. After a strong start to the indoor track and field season, he battled a strained calf and inflamed patellar tendon. After the indoor season, he took some time off. Then he high jumped sparingly while competing in the decathlon for the first time in his career during the outdoor track and field season. All the training for the decathlon turned out to be a blessing because it provided endurance, which in turn, kept Shankar jumping at an optimal level in Eugene. Every high jump seemed just a little bit better than the last.
Then it all came down to this: Both Shankar and Carbin fouled three times at 2.24 meters (7 feet 4.25 inches) and had the same number of misses, forcing a jump off to decide the national title.
"I was telling myself, 'TJ, you're known for making clutch jumps, so if there's any time to do it, you have to do it today,'" he says.
And he did it.
Shankar is an eight-time All-American in indoor and outdoor, who has won two NCAA Outdoor Championships (he finished national runner-up in 2019 and 2021) and five Big 12 Conference Championships in the high jump. He was a 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-American, has a degree in accounting and finance, and earned a master's in accounting in May. He ranks top 10 all-time at K-State in indoor pentathlon (first), indoor high jump (third), indoor triple jump (third), outdoor high jump (sixth), indoor heptathlon (seventh) and outdoor triple jump (eighth).
He finished it all off in style.
"Giving something back to K-State and bringing back the title of High Jump U makes me so happy in my heart," he says.
And afterward, after Shankar captured the national title in the final meet of his college career, he looked to Rovelto. Rovelto is legendary. He has coached 17 Olympians in his 34 years at K-State. That includes Kynard, who a few years ago shared his story with Shankar. Shankar looked at Rovelto after his big win. He waited and waited.
Rovelto, for the first time, gave Shankar a thumbs up.
It's a moment, that along with the national title, Shankar will treasure for the rest of his life.
"That thumbs up," Shankar says, "was the cherry on top. That made my whole college experience."
Players Mentioned
/ Track & Field
K-State Men's Basketball | Head Coach Jerome Tang Press Conference - October 31, 2025
Saturday, November 01
K-State Men's Basketball | Players Press Conference - October 31, 2025
Saturday, November 01
K-State Men's Basketball | Postgame Highlights vs Newman
Saturday, November 01
K-State Football | Pregame Hype vs Texas Tech
Friday, October 31