Kansas State University Athletics
Friday, January 24
Lubbock, Texas
10:30 a.m.
Kansas State University
at
Red Raider Invite
Wildcats Heat Up the Track at Red Raider Invitational
Jan 24, 2025 | Track & Field
Four athletes achieve personal bests in field events
The K-State track and field teams competed on the road for the first time this season on Friday (Jan. 24), showing significant improvement in the field events and on the track in the Red Raider Invitational at the Sports Performance center hosted by Texas Tech.
The Wildcats recorded new personal bests and continue to climb up the K-State all-time top-10 records.
During the men's weight throw, junior Gary Moore Jr. recorded his farthest distance as runner-up at 21.30m (69' 10 ¾"). His fourth attempt was almost a foot further than his previous, advancing in the school records by sitting at no. 4 all-time. Competing beside Moore, sophomore Riley Marx also threw his best by over two feet with a mark of 17.31m (56' 9 ½") in 8th place.
Senior Daisy Monie recorded her best shot put throw, finishing in 3rd place with a distance of 16.46m (54' 0"), jumping up to no. 5 in the school all-time top-10. Also etching her name in the record books, senior Shalom Olotu recorded a new personal best in the triple jump at 12.91m (42' 4 ¼") in 5th place. That distance is tied for no. 10 in the K-State school records with Felicia Curry-Carpenter from 1987.
"Really pleased with Daisy and Gary in the throws, they just did a fantastic job," Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Travis Geopfert said. "And a couple of personal bests, which was huge. And I think that puts Gary into number four all time so I'm super, super happy about that.
"Both Shalom and Tesia in the jumps, Shalom had a huge personal best by over a foot, which was fantastic," Geopfert added. "And you can just see her and Tesia [Thomas] like figuring things out and just getting better. I know Tesia was just two inches away from her all time personal best as well. So those two both did a great job and Coach [Clive] Pullens doing a great job with them."
In the women's mile, freshman Stella Miner (4:51.36) and sophomore transfer Vienna Lahner (4:53.15) were a fast duo finishing second and third, respectively.
Senior James Ezeonu competed in his first meet in over a year after coming back from an injury, running his fastest 60 meter hurdles in 8.06 seconds, one-hundredth of a second behind qualifying for the final race.
"I was really happy with James. He's on and came back off an injury, he got injured at this place last year, and so slayed some dragons there, and shaking the rust off. And there's great attitudes and effort from him and I know he's going to be able to go some places now." Geopfert said.
Sophomore Nen Matlock rallied for a 3rd place time in the men's 400 meter dash in 47.43 seconds. In the women's 200 meter dash, sophomore Mikah Scott ran her fastest by six seconds at 24.52.
The Wildcats put one women's 4x400 relay team on the track, with junior Safhia Hinds, freshman Ariana Jackson, junior Delaney Wright and Scott with a 3rd place finish of 3:41.56.
K-State will return to Manhattan hosting the two-day DeLoss Dodds Invitational on Friday-Saturday (Jan. 31- Feb. 1) at the Cliff Rovelto Indoor Track.
FROM THE TRACK
Head Coach Travis Geopfert
On travelling with the team for the first away meet…
"I was really pleased, just the first travel meet for our staff and we brought a smaller squad down here to Texas Tech. But logistically, I was just so pleased that how everything was set up and done. And appreciate our staff and coach [Trey] Brokaw putting all of our travel together seamlessly. For the kids, man, like just everybody was doing everything that they were supposed to do, and consequently, we had some good success out of it."
On the early success from the throwers…
"I'm overall really pleased with that throws group. I know Riley had a personal best, Gary had a personal best, Tamaiah was just off her personal best that she had set last week. So, I think in that throws group right now, out of the first two meets, we got five or six personal bests out of that group right now. So, I'm really, really pleased with them and really appreciative of the work that coach [John] Newell is putting in with them and I'm excited."
Red Raider Invitational
Sports Performance Center
Lubbock, Texas
Women's Pole Vault
4. Claire Bybee, 3.81m (12' 6")
Women's Shot Put
3. Daisy Monie, 16.46m (54' 0") (PR)
4. Jaycee Schroeder, 15.80m (51' 10")
15. Tamaiah Koonce, 12.71m (41' 8 ½")
Men's 60 Meter Dash (First Round)
23. Tyrique Lewis, 7.02
Men's 60 Meter Hurdles (First Round)
9. James Ezeonu, 8.06 (PR)
Women's Mile
2. Stella Miner, 4:51.36
3. Vienna Lahner, 4:53.15
6. Grace Meyer, 4:57.49
8. Christine Jerono, 4:59.50
9. Cecilia Fisher, 5:01.03
Men's Shot Put
4. Gary Moore Jr., 17.79m (58' 4 ½")
9. Nate Collier, 16.16m (53' 0 ¼")
Men's 400 Meters
3. Nen Matlock, 47.43
Women's 800 Meters
7. Vienna Lahner, 2:14.86
11. Grace Meyer, 2:19.23
Women's 200 Meters
14. Mikah Scott, 24.52 (PR)
Women's Weight Throw
4. Monique Hardy, 18.02m (59' 1 ½")
5. Tamaiah Koonce, 17.29m (56' 8 ¾")
7. Charlotte Cattermole-Williams, 16.94m (55' 7")
Men's Pole Vault
7. Pierson Carlisle, 4.78m (15' 8 ¼")
Women's Triple Jump
5. Shalom Olotu, 12.91m (42' 4 ¼") (PR)
7. Tesia Thomas, 12.72m (41' 8 ¾")
10. Taylor Mayo, 11.64m (38' 2 ¼")
Men's Triple Jump
8. Jhavor Bennett, 13.96m (45' 9 ¾")
Men's Weight Throw
2. Gary Moore Jr., 21.30m (69' 10 ¾") (PR)
8. Riley Marx, 17.31m (56' 9 ½") (PR)
Women's 4x400 Relay
3. K-State, 3:41.56
(Safhia Hinds, Ariana Jackson, Delaney Wright, Mikah Scott)
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 Wildcats recorded new personal bests and continue to climb up the K-State all-time top-10 records.
During the men's weight throw, junior Gary Moore Jr. recorded his farthest distance as runner-up at 21.30m (69' 10 ¾"). His fourth attempt was almost a foot further than his previous, advancing in the school records by sitting at no. 4 all-time. Competing beside Moore, sophomore Riley Marx also threw his best by over two feet with a mark of 17.31m (56' 9 ½") in 8th place.
Senior Daisy Monie recorded her best shot put throw, finishing in 3rd place with a distance of 16.46m (54' 0"), jumping up to no. 5 in the school all-time top-10. Also etching her name in the record books, senior Shalom Olotu recorded a new personal best in the triple jump at 12.91m (42' 4 ¼") in 5th place. That distance is tied for no. 10 in the K-State school records with Felicia Curry-Carpenter from 1987.
"Really pleased with Daisy and Gary in the throws, they just did a fantastic job," Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Travis Geopfert said. "And a couple of personal bests, which was huge. And I think that puts Gary into number four all time so I'm super, super happy about that.
"Both Shalom and Tesia in the jumps, Shalom had a huge personal best by over a foot, which was fantastic," Geopfert added. "And you can just see her and Tesia [Thomas] like figuring things out and just getting better. I know Tesia was just two inches away from her all time personal best as well. So those two both did a great job and Coach [Clive] Pullens doing a great job with them."
In the women's mile, freshman Stella Miner (4:51.36) and sophomore transfer Vienna Lahner (4:53.15) were a fast duo finishing second and third, respectively.
Senior James Ezeonu competed in his first meet in over a year after coming back from an injury, running his fastest 60 meter hurdles in 8.06 seconds, one-hundredth of a second behind qualifying for the final race.
"I was really happy with James. He's on and came back off an injury, he got injured at this place last year, and so slayed some dragons there, and shaking the rust off. And there's great attitudes and effort from him and I know he's going to be able to go some places now." Geopfert said.
Sophomore Nen Matlock rallied for a 3rd place time in the men's 400 meter dash in 47.43 seconds. In the women's 200 meter dash, sophomore Mikah Scott ran her fastest by six seconds at 24.52.
The Wildcats put one women's 4x400 relay team on the track, with junior Safhia Hinds, freshman Ariana Jackson, junior Delaney Wright and Scott with a 3rd place finish of 3:41.56.
K-State will return to Manhattan hosting the two-day DeLoss Dodds Invitational on Friday-Saturday (Jan. 31- Feb. 1) at the Cliff Rovelto Indoor Track.
FROM THE TRACK
Head Coach Travis Geopfert
On travelling with the team for the first away meet…
"I was really pleased, just the first travel meet for our staff and we brought a smaller squad down here to Texas Tech. But logistically, I was just so pleased that how everything was set up and done. And appreciate our staff and coach [Trey] Brokaw putting all of our travel together seamlessly. For the kids, man, like just everybody was doing everything that they were supposed to do, and consequently, we had some good success out of it."
On the early success from the throwers…
"I'm overall really pleased with that throws group. I know Riley had a personal best, Gary had a personal best, Tamaiah was just off her personal best that she had set last week. So, I think in that throws group right now, out of the first two meets, we got five or six personal bests out of that group right now. So, I'm really, really pleased with them and really appreciative of the work that coach [John] Newell is putting in with them and I'm excited."
Red Raider Invitational
Sports Performance Center
Lubbock, Texas
Women's Pole Vault
4. Claire Bybee, 3.81m (12' 6")
Women's Shot Put
3. Daisy Monie, 16.46m (54' 0") (PR)
4. Jaycee Schroeder, 15.80m (51' 10")
15. Tamaiah Koonce, 12.71m (41' 8 ½")
Men's 60 Meter Dash (First Round)
23. Tyrique Lewis, 7.02
Men's 60 Meter Hurdles (First Round)
9. James Ezeonu, 8.06 (PR)
Women's Mile
2. Stella Miner, 4:51.36
3. Vienna Lahner, 4:53.15
6. Grace Meyer, 4:57.49
8. Christine Jerono, 4:59.50
9. Cecilia Fisher, 5:01.03
Men's Shot Put
4. Gary Moore Jr., 17.79m (58' 4 ½")
9. Nate Collier, 16.16m (53' 0 ¼")
Men's 400 Meters
3. Nen Matlock, 47.43
Women's 800 Meters
7. Vienna Lahner, 2:14.86
11. Grace Meyer, 2:19.23
Women's 200 Meters
14. Mikah Scott, 24.52 (PR)
Women's Weight Throw
4. Monique Hardy, 18.02m (59' 1 ½")
5. Tamaiah Koonce, 17.29m (56' 8 ¾")
7. Charlotte Cattermole-Williams, 16.94m (55' 7")
Men's Pole Vault
7. Pierson Carlisle, 4.78m (15' 8 ¼")
Women's Triple Jump
5. Shalom Olotu, 12.91m (42' 4 ¼") (PR)
7. Tesia Thomas, 12.72m (41' 8 ¾")
10. Taylor Mayo, 11.64m (38' 2 ¼")
Men's Triple Jump
8. Jhavor Bennett, 13.96m (45' 9 ¾")
Men's Weight Throw
2. Gary Moore Jr., 21.30m (69' 10 ¾") (PR)
8. Riley Marx, 17.31m (56' 9 ½") (PR)
Women's 4x400 Relay
3. K-State, 3:41.56
(Safhia Hinds, Ariana Jackson, Delaney Wright, Mikah Scott)
-- 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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