Rovelto Signs 15 Athletes, Three for Midyear Enrollment
Dec 18, 2023 | Track & Field
Three Signees will be eligible to compete in January 2024
MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State Director of Track and Field Cliff Rovelto announced on Monday, Dec. 18, the signing of 15 athletes, including two sprinters and a transfer for mid-year enrollment and eight distance runners for 2024.
The Wildcats will add three men to the roster in January—twins Eugene Omalla and Jaimie Omalla and Nathaniel Collier.
From Chawolo, Uganda, both Eugene and Jaimie spent the last two years at Southeastern Louisiana, coming to K-State as seniors. Competing in sprints, they both run in the 200 and 400 meters as well as relays—the two competed together in the 4x400 relay at the NCAA East Preliminary in May.
Eugene Omalla won the 400 meter dash during both the indoor and outdoor Southland Conference Championships in 2023—his personal bests in the 400 meters is 46.04 seconds, 20.78 seconds in the 200 meters. Jaimie Omalla's fastest times come in at 21.13 seconds (200 meters) and 46.97 seconds (400 meters).
Collier, originally from Delaware, Okla., is a sophomore transfer from Abilene Christian where he spent two years competing in the shot put and discus throw. During the 2023 outdoor season he recorded both his personal bests, the discus at 58.92m/193-4 and during the WAC Championships with a shot put of 16.13m/52-11.
12 more Wildcats will arrive in Manhattan for the fall of 2024. A brief rundown of each is down below:
Thomas Canivet hails from Saint Nicolas De La Taille, France, a champion in the 400 meter hurdles. During the 2023 French U18 Championship in July he won the 400 hurdles in 52.35 seconds. He also runs the 100 meter hurdles, his fastest at 14.14 seconds, and competed in a decathlon with a tally of 6,353 points.
Jackson Esquibel is a cross country state champion from Topeka, Kan., competing for Shawnee Heights High School. At the 2023 KSHSAA 5A State Championship in October he won the men's 5,000 meters; his personal best time is 15:16.7. During the 2023 track season he was named the 3,200 meters 5A State Champion with his fastest time of 9:18.67, while also runner up in the 1,600 meters.
Safhia Hinds is a sophomore transfer from South Plains Community College, originally from Spanish Town, Jamaica. At the NJCAA Outdoor Championship in May her 4x400 relay team won with a time of 3:35.72, while she finished 4th in the 400 meter hurdles in 1:00.30. Also competing in the 400 meter dash her fastest time is 53.50 seconds. Representing Jamaica last year at the CARIFTA Games she was the 400 meter hurdles champion, as well as with her 4x400 relay.
Ariana Jackson is a sprinter and long jumper from Blue Springs, Mo. at Blue Springs High School. At the MSHSAA Class 5 State Championships, she competed in the 400 meter dash, in a personal best 55.98 seconds in 5th place, and the long jump with a distance of 5.37m/17-7.5 in 10th place. At the 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals she finished 10th in the 400 meters.
Gracie Jacobs is a distance runner at St. Teresa's Academy in Kansas City, Mo. At the 2023 MSHSAA Class 5 District 4 Regionals she won the 5,000 meters with a time of 18:36.6, her fastest time at 17:54.70. During the outdoor track season, she competed in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters at the Class 5 State Championship.
Charles LaFore is a two-time throws state champion from Littleton, Colo. at Chatfield High School. At the CHSAA 5A State Championship he won both the discus and shot put; his farthest distance in the shot put (18.49m/60-8) and discus (55.91m/183-5). He also competes in the weight throw (19.84m/65-1) and hammer throw (61.47m/201-8).
Silas Miller is from Marysville, Kan., running at Marysville High School. During the 2023 KSHSAA 3A Regional he finished second; his 5,000 meter personal best at 15:50.90. At the track 3A State Championship he was runner up in the 3,200 meters and 3rd in the 1,600 meters, during the season he also ran in the 4x400 and 4x800 relays.
Stella Miner competes for Westside High School in Omaha, Neb. She was runner up for consecutive years, in 2022 and 2023, at the NSAA Class A State Championship. This season she ran her fastest 5,000 meters with a time of 17:56.3. In 2022 she was the NSAA Class A/B 800 meter champion with her personal best of 2:10.16, she also finished runner up in the 1,600 meters.
Bree Newport is a distance runner for Olathe West High School in Olathe, Kan. She finished top-10 in the KSHSAA 6A Championship in 6th place in 18:42.4; her fastest 5,000 meters at 17:56.55. During the track season, at the 6A Championship she finished 3rd in both the 1,600 and 3,200 meters-- in her new personal best at 10:54.86. During her high school career, she would team up in relays with current K-State freshman Paige Baker.
Brock Olsen runs for Blue Valley West High School in Overland Park, Kan. During the 2023 season he was the runner up in both the KSHSAA 6A Regional and State Championship; his personal best 5,000 meters is 15:00.9. On the track he competes in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters, finishing 10th in the 3,200 meters at the 6A State Championship in his personal best at 9:36.35.
Jackson Steger is from Lansing, Kan., competing in middle distance events at Lansing High School. During the track season he competed mainly in the 400 meter dash, recording a new best at 49.31 seconds. At the KSHSAA 5A Championship he placed 7th in the 400 meters. He also runs in the 800 meters, his best time at 1:55.96.
Peyton Willbanks is a runner from Liberty, Mo. at Liberty High School. To start the cross country season, he ran his fastest 5,000 meters in 15:23.9 and finished 5th in the MSHSAA Class 5 District 4. Competing in track for the first time his junior year, he ran the 3,200 meters in every race, finishing runner up in the Class 5 Sectional 4 in his fastest time at 9:20.90.
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on the K-State Track and Field and Cross Country Teams, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Threads, Facebook and Instagram.
The Wildcats will add three men to the roster in January—twins Eugene Omalla and Jaimie Omalla and Nathaniel Collier.
From Chawolo, Uganda, both Eugene and Jaimie spent the last two years at Southeastern Louisiana, coming to K-State as seniors. Competing in sprints, they both run in the 200 and 400 meters as well as relays—the two competed together in the 4x400 relay at the NCAA East Preliminary in May.
Eugene Omalla won the 400 meter dash during both the indoor and outdoor Southland Conference Championships in 2023—his personal bests in the 400 meters is 46.04 seconds, 20.78 seconds in the 200 meters. Jaimie Omalla's fastest times come in at 21.13 seconds (200 meters) and 46.97 seconds (400 meters).
Collier, originally from Delaware, Okla., is a sophomore transfer from Abilene Christian where he spent two years competing in the shot put and discus throw. During the 2023 outdoor season he recorded both his personal bests, the discus at 58.92m/193-4 and during the WAC Championships with a shot put of 16.13m/52-11.
12 more Wildcats will arrive in Manhattan for the fall of 2024. A brief rundown of each is down below:
Thomas Canivet hails from Saint Nicolas De La Taille, France, a champion in the 400 meter hurdles. During the 2023 French U18 Championship in July he won the 400 hurdles in 52.35 seconds. He also runs the 100 meter hurdles, his fastest at 14.14 seconds, and competed in a decathlon with a tally of 6,353 points.
Jackson Esquibel is a cross country state champion from Topeka, Kan., competing for Shawnee Heights High School. At the 2023 KSHSAA 5A State Championship in October he won the men's 5,000 meters; his personal best time is 15:16.7. During the 2023 track season he was named the 3,200 meters 5A State Champion with his fastest time of 9:18.67, while also runner up in the 1,600 meters.
Safhia Hinds is a sophomore transfer from South Plains Community College, originally from Spanish Town, Jamaica. At the NJCAA Outdoor Championship in May her 4x400 relay team won with a time of 3:35.72, while she finished 4th in the 400 meter hurdles in 1:00.30. Also competing in the 400 meter dash her fastest time is 53.50 seconds. Representing Jamaica last year at the CARIFTA Games she was the 400 meter hurdles champion, as well as with her 4x400 relay.
Ariana Jackson is a sprinter and long jumper from Blue Springs, Mo. at Blue Springs High School. At the MSHSAA Class 5 State Championships, she competed in the 400 meter dash, in a personal best 55.98 seconds in 5th place, and the long jump with a distance of 5.37m/17-7.5 in 10th place. At the 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals she finished 10th in the 400 meters.
Gracie Jacobs is a distance runner at St. Teresa's Academy in Kansas City, Mo. At the 2023 MSHSAA Class 5 District 4 Regionals she won the 5,000 meters with a time of 18:36.6, her fastest time at 17:54.70. During the outdoor track season, she competed in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters at the Class 5 State Championship.
Charles LaFore is a two-time throws state champion from Littleton, Colo. at Chatfield High School. At the CHSAA 5A State Championship he won both the discus and shot put; his farthest distance in the shot put (18.49m/60-8) and discus (55.91m/183-5). He also competes in the weight throw (19.84m/65-1) and hammer throw (61.47m/201-8).
Silas Miller is from Marysville, Kan., running at Marysville High School. During the 2023 KSHSAA 3A Regional he finished second; his 5,000 meter personal best at 15:50.90. At the track 3A State Championship he was runner up in the 3,200 meters and 3rd in the 1,600 meters, during the season he also ran in the 4x400 and 4x800 relays.
Stella Miner competes for Westside High School in Omaha, Neb. She was runner up for consecutive years, in 2022 and 2023, at the NSAA Class A State Championship. This season she ran her fastest 5,000 meters with a time of 17:56.3. In 2022 she was the NSAA Class A/B 800 meter champion with her personal best of 2:10.16, she also finished runner up in the 1,600 meters.
Bree Newport is a distance runner for Olathe West High School in Olathe, Kan. She finished top-10 in the KSHSAA 6A Championship in 6th place in 18:42.4; her fastest 5,000 meters at 17:56.55. During the track season, at the 6A Championship she finished 3rd in both the 1,600 and 3,200 meters-- in her new personal best at 10:54.86. During her high school career, she would team up in relays with current K-State freshman Paige Baker.
Brock Olsen runs for Blue Valley West High School in Overland Park, Kan. During the 2023 season he was the runner up in both the KSHSAA 6A Regional and State Championship; his personal best 5,000 meters is 15:00.9. On the track he competes in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters, finishing 10th in the 3,200 meters at the 6A State Championship in his personal best at 9:36.35.
Jackson Steger is from Lansing, Kan., competing in middle distance events at Lansing High School. During the track season he competed mainly in the 400 meter dash, recording a new best at 49.31 seconds. At the KSHSAA 5A Championship he placed 7th in the 400 meters. He also runs in the 800 meters, his best time at 1:55.96.
Peyton Willbanks is a runner from Liberty, Mo. at Liberty High School. To start the cross country season, he ran his fastest 5,000 meters in 15:23.9 and finished 5th in the MSHSAA Class 5 District 4. Competing in track for the first time his junior year, he ran the 3,200 meters in every race, finishing runner up in the Class 5 Sectional 4 in his fastest time at 9:20.90.
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on the K-State Track and Field and Cross Country Teams, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Threads, Facebook and Instagram.
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