Kansas State University Athletics
Geopfert Announces 14 More Recruits to Kick Off New Year
Jan 14, 2025 | Track & Field
In his first six months, Geopfert has recruited 35 student athletes
Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Travis Geopfert announced on Tuesday (Jan. 14) a second round of signed recruits following those announced during National Signing Day in November 2024.
The initial batch of signed recruits included 21 student athletes across all event groups and was highlighted by national record holders, state record holders, junior college national champions and 17 individual state champions, many of which are from the state of Kansas.
This most recent group of 14 signed recruits boasts just as many accolades. Nine of these signees will be joining the program mid-year as seven were signed from the transfer portal that opened in early December. In total, Geopfert has signed 35 new recruits in his first six months at Kansas State.
"I'm extremely pleased with our staff and our consistency in getting quality student-athletes to join us here in Manhattan," Geopfert said. "This second wave of signees gives us both a shot in the arm for this current season but also some tremendous depth and star power as we head into the 25-26 season next year. This second wave boasts some world class jumpers and also gives us phenomenal depth in the middle-distance events. Many of these student athletes have personal bests that can help us from 400 to 1500 meters. Our coaches are doing a terrific job of identifying talent and showing them the world class training atmosphere that Kansas State provides. We're really looking forward to getting these student athletes on campus and getting to work!"
Below is a brief description of each signee in alphabetical order:
Oskars Bambals is a three-time national record holder from Latvia in middle distance events. The University of Miami transfer is also a six-time All-ACC performer with a personal best of 1:47.79 in the 800 meters. Joining the Wildcats in January, Bambals will make an immediate impact in the Big 12 Conference and at the NCAA level. His coach and mentor in Latvia, Viktors Lacis, was a dominant force in the NCAA for Wichita State in the late 1990's and was a 2000 Sydney Olympian in the 800 meters.
Thomas Canivet is a mid-year transfer from Saint Nicolas De La Taille in northern France. He specializes in the 400 meter hurdles with a personal best of 51.46, a time that would have ranked him top-10 in the Big 12 in 2024. At only 18 years old, Canivet qualified for the 2024 U20 World Championships in Lima, Peru.
Croix DaCunha lands in Manhattan in January as a transfer from the University of Arkansas. As a high school senior at Dripping Springs High School in Texas, DaCunha jumped 7.26 meters (23' 2.75") in the long jump and ran 49.28 in the 400 meters.
Tommaso Franze will be joining the team mid-year, hailing from Italy. The two-time Italian national champion has a personal best of 7,159 points in the decathlon. His strongest individual events are the pole vault at 5.00 meters (16' 5") and the long jump at 7.20 meters (23' 7.5"). Franze, along with November signees Dorian Charles, Camden Vulgamore and Chase McMullen, will form a deep group of decathletes for the Wildcats.
Heath Grant is a senior from Willis High School in Texas. As a junior in 2024, Willis ran personal best times of 22.19 in the 200, 47.00 in the 400 and 1:52.08 in the 800 meters. He finished 5th in the 400 meters at the 2024 6A state championships.
Alan Hanna is the Kansas 5A state champion in the high jump with a personal best of 2.14 meters (7' 0.25"). A senior at Maize High School, Hanna is a star athlete in multiple sports, including basketball. So far as a senior, the 6' 3" guard has averaged nearly 20 points and 3 blocks per game. In track and field, Hanna is also a state qualifier in the hurdles, finishing 7th as a sophomore. As a senior this spring he aims to break the KSHSAA 5A state record in the high jump, set at 2.18 meters (7' 2") back in 1999.
Vienna Lahner is an NCAA Division II national champion from Adams State University. As a freshman, the middle distance runner placed 5th at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championship in the mile, helping her team win the team title. Her personal best in the mile, 4:44.69, is only a few seconds off from K-State alum Deb (Pihl) Torneden's school record set back in 1983. A Kansas native, Lahner graduated from Spring Hill High School where she was a multiple state qualifier in cross country and track and field. As a senior in the 2022 KSHSAA 5A state meet, Lahner placed 2nd in the 800, 2nd in the 3200, 3rd in the mile and she anchored the 5th place 4x800 relay team.
Aaliyah Lindsay arrives in January after transferring from Big 12 and in-state rival, Kansas. The 11-time NJCAA national qualifier while at New Mexico Junior College, Lindsay has personal bests of 13.16 meters (43' 2.25") in the triple jump and 6.22 meters (20' 5") in the long jump. Last outdoor season, Lindsay made the Big 12 Championship finals in the long jump and triple jump. She also qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary in the triple jump.
Ty Mathes is another mid-year transfer from Arkansas. As a high school senior at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, Mathes jumped 15.20 meters (49' 10.5") in the triple jump and he finished second at the 2024 New Balance National Championship meet.
Taylor Mayo is another mid-year addition from Kansas. The junior specializes in the triple jump with a personal best of 12.75 meters (41' 10"). Originally from Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Missouri, Mayo was a multi class 5 state qualifier in the horizontal jumps.
Anna Pozdeeva is a high school senior from Izhevsk, a city located in central Russia. With personal bests of 2:09.50 in the 800 and 4:34.18 in the 1500 meters, Pozdeeva was ranked top-five in the U18 age group for both events in 2024. One of the best in Russia for her age, she also has impressive range and speed. Pozdeeva has run 56.75 in the 400, 61.25 in the 400 hurdles and in her only attempt at 3,000 meters, she ran in 9:44.21.
Selva Prabhu begins the spring semester in Manhattan with an impressive resume as a jumper. The 19-year-old boasts a triple jump personal best of 16.78 meters (55' 0.75") which is the current junior national record for India as well as the no. 9 all-time performer in Indian history. 2022 was Prabhu's break out season when he won silver at the World Junior Championships in Cali, Colombia. In 2023, Prabhu was voted Asia's U20 Male Athlete of the Year, an honor awarded not only for his record setting jump but also his consistency in which he jumped at least 16.50 meters (54' 2") in four separate competitions.
Andrew Stone is a 2025 fall transfer from South Plains Community College in Levelland, Texas. The Cayman Islands native was a 2024 U20 World Championship qualifier, 2023 NACAC silver medalist in the high jump and long jump and he was a two-time NJCAA national qualifier in the long jump as a freshman last year. With a personal best in the long jump of 7.80 meters (25' 7.25") at 17 years old, Stone's mark would have placed third at the Big 12 Indoor Championship. That same mark of 7.80 would have narrowly missed the NCAA Indoor Championship in 2024.
Rohanna Sudlow, a senior at St. Catherine High School in Spanish Town, Jamaica, was ranked the 16th best U20 long jumper in the world in 2024. The Jamaican U20 national champion and U20 World Championships qualifier boasts a personal best of 6.37 meters (20' 10.25") in the long jump. She also possesses versatility with personal bests of 12.76 meters (41' 10.5") in the triple jump and 1.70 meters (5' 7") in the high jump. Sudlow is one of many elite Jamaican jumpers to join Geopfert's program; she follows in the footsteps of 2024 Jamaican Olympians Wayne Pinnock (silver medalist; long jump), Jaydon Hibbert (4th; triple jump) and Romaine Beckford (10th; high jump).
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), Instagram and Facebook.
The initial batch of signed recruits included 21 student athletes across all event groups and was highlighted by national record holders, state record holders, junior college national champions and 17 individual state champions, many of which are from the state of Kansas.
This most recent group of 14 signed recruits boasts just as many accolades. Nine of these signees will be joining the program mid-year as seven were signed from the transfer portal that opened in early December. In total, Geopfert has signed 35 new recruits in his first six months at Kansas State.
"I'm extremely pleased with our staff and our consistency in getting quality student-athletes to join us here in Manhattan," Geopfert said. "This second wave of signees gives us both a shot in the arm for this current season but also some tremendous depth and star power as we head into the 25-26 season next year. This second wave boasts some world class jumpers and also gives us phenomenal depth in the middle-distance events. Many of these student athletes have personal bests that can help us from 400 to 1500 meters. Our coaches are doing a terrific job of identifying talent and showing them the world class training atmosphere that Kansas State provides. We're really looking forward to getting these student athletes on campus and getting to work!"
Below is a brief description of each signee in alphabetical order:
Oskars Bambals is a three-time national record holder from Latvia in middle distance events. The University of Miami transfer is also a six-time All-ACC performer with a personal best of 1:47.79 in the 800 meters. Joining the Wildcats in January, Bambals will make an immediate impact in the Big 12 Conference and at the NCAA level. His coach and mentor in Latvia, Viktors Lacis, was a dominant force in the NCAA for Wichita State in the late 1990's and was a 2000 Sydney Olympian in the 800 meters.
Thomas Canivet is a mid-year transfer from Saint Nicolas De La Taille in northern France. He specializes in the 400 meter hurdles with a personal best of 51.46, a time that would have ranked him top-10 in the Big 12 in 2024. At only 18 years old, Canivet qualified for the 2024 U20 World Championships in Lima, Peru.
Croix DaCunha lands in Manhattan in January as a transfer from the University of Arkansas. As a high school senior at Dripping Springs High School in Texas, DaCunha jumped 7.26 meters (23' 2.75") in the long jump and ran 49.28 in the 400 meters.
Tommaso Franze will be joining the team mid-year, hailing from Italy. The two-time Italian national champion has a personal best of 7,159 points in the decathlon. His strongest individual events are the pole vault at 5.00 meters (16' 5") and the long jump at 7.20 meters (23' 7.5"). Franze, along with November signees Dorian Charles, Camden Vulgamore and Chase McMullen, will form a deep group of decathletes for the Wildcats.
Heath Grant is a senior from Willis High School in Texas. As a junior in 2024, Willis ran personal best times of 22.19 in the 200, 47.00 in the 400 and 1:52.08 in the 800 meters. He finished 5th in the 400 meters at the 2024 6A state championships.
Alan Hanna is the Kansas 5A state champion in the high jump with a personal best of 2.14 meters (7' 0.25"). A senior at Maize High School, Hanna is a star athlete in multiple sports, including basketball. So far as a senior, the 6' 3" guard has averaged nearly 20 points and 3 blocks per game. In track and field, Hanna is also a state qualifier in the hurdles, finishing 7th as a sophomore. As a senior this spring he aims to break the KSHSAA 5A state record in the high jump, set at 2.18 meters (7' 2") back in 1999.
Vienna Lahner is an NCAA Division II national champion from Adams State University. As a freshman, the middle distance runner placed 5th at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championship in the mile, helping her team win the team title. Her personal best in the mile, 4:44.69, is only a few seconds off from K-State alum Deb (Pihl) Torneden's school record set back in 1983. A Kansas native, Lahner graduated from Spring Hill High School where she was a multiple state qualifier in cross country and track and field. As a senior in the 2022 KSHSAA 5A state meet, Lahner placed 2nd in the 800, 2nd in the 3200, 3rd in the mile and she anchored the 5th place 4x800 relay team.
Aaliyah Lindsay arrives in January after transferring from Big 12 and in-state rival, Kansas. The 11-time NJCAA national qualifier while at New Mexico Junior College, Lindsay has personal bests of 13.16 meters (43' 2.25") in the triple jump and 6.22 meters (20' 5") in the long jump. Last outdoor season, Lindsay made the Big 12 Championship finals in the long jump and triple jump. She also qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary in the triple jump.
Ty Mathes is another mid-year transfer from Arkansas. As a high school senior at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, Mathes jumped 15.20 meters (49' 10.5") in the triple jump and he finished second at the 2024 New Balance National Championship meet.
Taylor Mayo is another mid-year addition from Kansas. The junior specializes in the triple jump with a personal best of 12.75 meters (41' 10"). Originally from Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Missouri, Mayo was a multi class 5 state qualifier in the horizontal jumps.
Anna Pozdeeva is a high school senior from Izhevsk, a city located in central Russia. With personal bests of 2:09.50 in the 800 and 4:34.18 in the 1500 meters, Pozdeeva was ranked top-five in the U18 age group for both events in 2024. One of the best in Russia for her age, she also has impressive range and speed. Pozdeeva has run 56.75 in the 400, 61.25 in the 400 hurdles and in her only attempt at 3,000 meters, she ran in 9:44.21.
Selva Prabhu begins the spring semester in Manhattan with an impressive resume as a jumper. The 19-year-old boasts a triple jump personal best of 16.78 meters (55' 0.75") which is the current junior national record for India as well as the no. 9 all-time performer in Indian history. 2022 was Prabhu's break out season when he won silver at the World Junior Championships in Cali, Colombia. In 2023, Prabhu was voted Asia's U20 Male Athlete of the Year, an honor awarded not only for his record setting jump but also his consistency in which he jumped at least 16.50 meters (54' 2") in four separate competitions.
Andrew Stone is a 2025 fall transfer from South Plains Community College in Levelland, Texas. The Cayman Islands native was a 2024 U20 World Championship qualifier, 2023 NACAC silver medalist in the high jump and long jump and he was a two-time NJCAA national qualifier in the long jump as a freshman last year. With a personal best in the long jump of 7.80 meters (25' 7.25") at 17 years old, Stone's mark would have placed third at the Big 12 Indoor Championship. That same mark of 7.80 would have narrowly missed the NCAA Indoor Championship in 2024.
Rohanna Sudlow, a senior at St. Catherine High School in Spanish Town, Jamaica, was ranked the 16th best U20 long jumper in the world in 2024. The Jamaican U20 national champion and U20 World Championships qualifier boasts a personal best of 6.37 meters (20' 10.25") in the long jump. She also possesses versatility with personal bests of 12.76 meters (41' 10.5") in the triple jump and 1.70 meters (5' 7") in the high jump. Sudlow is one of many elite Jamaican jumpers to join Geopfert's program; she follows in the footsteps of 2024 Jamaican Olympians Wayne Pinnock (silver medalist; long jump), Jaydon Hibbert (4th; triple jump) and Romaine Beckford (10th; high jump).
-- k-statesports.com --
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), Instagram and Facebook.
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