Kansas State University Athletics
Moore Jr. Crowned Men’s Weight Throw Champion
Feb 28, 2025 | Track & Field
The sophomore earns his first conference medal and second weight throw title for K-State in consecutive seasons
LUBBOCK, Texas – Junior Gary Moore Jr. was crowned the men's weight throw champion on Friday (Feb. 28) during day one of the Big 12 Championship at the Sports Performance Center.
Moore Jr. broke his own school record in each of his last four throws, his sixth and final attempt at 22.67m (74' 4 ½") his furthest by over a foot to capture his first conference title. It's the second consecutive season K-State has claimed a weight throw title, as Monique Hardy claimed the women's title last season.
"We got to talk about our Big 12 Champion, Gary Moore Jr., school record, just an unbelievable job," head coach Travis Geopfert said. "I'm so happy for him. Just a great series across the board. Came in, executed the plan that Coach [John] Newell laid out for him perfectly, and is walking away tonight a Big 12 Champion, first time in his career, and a lot of good things ahead for that young man."
At the end of day one both the men's and women's team sit in 7th place. After six events the women have collected 18 points, the men with 13.5 points after five events. A total of five Wildcats and one relay team earned All-Big 12 honors with podium finishes.
The men's distance medley relay (DMR) team, consisting of senior Alex Gutierrez running 1,200 meters, sophomore Cyrus Ways in 400 meters, freshman Jack Steger in the 800 meters and senior Tommy Hazen finishing it off with a mile, ran a new school record time of 9:42.38, converted for altitude from 9:47.12. The team medaled in 7th place, finishing in the top-8 for the first time since 2023 when there was only nine teams in the event.
Senior Shalom Olotu finished runner-up in the women's long jump with a distance of 6.33m (20' 9 ¼"), her second indoor medal during her K-State career. Fellow senior Tesia Thomas also medaled in her first conference meet with a 5th place jump of 6.08m (19' 11 ½").
Senior Monique Hardy earned her third conference medal in the weight throw in her career with a 3rd place finish at 20.86m (68' 5 ¼"), her best throw this season. Junior Tamaiah Koonce also competed with a new personal best by six inches at 17.58m (57' 8 ¼") in 12th place.
Last podium finisher for the night was sophomore Pierson Carlisle in the men's pole vault, tying for 7th place with a height of 5.01m (16' 5 ¼"), to earn his first conference medal in his first season as a Wildcat.
Freshman Stella Miner was the only runner to qualify for a final race on Saturday, running in the 1,000 meters prelims and finishing runner-up in her heat and overall, with a new personal best of 2:49.04, the no. 7 fastest time in school records.
In the women's 400 meter dash prelims, junior Safhia Hinds recorded her fastest time at 53.55 seconds, (53.66 altitude converted), in 12th place, now the no. 4 fastest K-State indoor time. In the same race, sophomore Mikah Scott also ran her fastest race at 54.88 seconds.
In the men's 400 meters prelims, sophomore Nen Matlock was a tenth of a second away from qualifying for the final race in his fastest time of 46.38 seconds in 10th place. Sophomore Tyrique Lewis also ran a personal best at 47.76 seconds.
After the first four events of the heptathlon, freshman Tommaso Franze sits in 14th place, against 18 competitors, with 2,739 points. His best event of the day came from the long jump in 8th place at 6.91m (22' 8"), his furthest by almost two inches. He also recorded new personal bests in the 60 meter dash (16th; 7.28) and the shot put (17th; 10.82m, 35' 6").
In the women's pentathlon, freshman Vera Gerasimova finished 15th out of 20 with 3,552 points, 5 points shy of tying her best pentathlon score. She recorded personal bests in two of her top events, 12th in the shot put at 10.75m (35' 3 ¼") and in the 800 meters in 14th place at 2:27.88.
Day two of events will resume at 10 a.m. CT, on Saturday (March 1) to wrap up the men's heptathlon events. The women's shot put will begin the field events at 1 p.m.
FROM THE TRACK
Head Coach Travis Geopfert
On the competitiveness from the team this season…
"You know, these kids are just, they're demanding more of themselves. And I was just really proud of those efforts. You know, a couple of them, Shalom was even disappointed, because she wanted more. And these kids are, they're flipping that switch from participant to competitor."
On the effort from the men's DMR team…
"In a team meeting this morning, we talked about big time being where you're at. And I challenged that DMR to score a point, and they freaking did it. They did awesome. I mean, the seventh place finish, the place was going nuts, and in the Big 12 the DMR is no joke, and they got their nose in there and absolutely did it. Cyrus coming back off an injury, 46-mid split on that. Gutierrez runs a sub 3 [minutes] 1,200 [meters], getting it done. Steegs coming back and rebounding off of that 800 [meters] giving a great leg. And Tommy Hazen goes out his first 200 [meters] in 25 seconds and goes 57 through the first quarter and holds on for big points for the team. So those athletes the smile on their faces, it was awesome, you know."
On what to expect tomorrow…
"I'm really excited for the 4x4 again. You look at all of those kids having personal records, significant drops in their times, and they're coming out tomorrow, expecting more of themselves, and they're ready to compete in those 4x4s."
Big 12 Championship
Sports Performance Center
Lubbock, Texas
Women's Heptathlon- Vera Gerasimova
15. Overall, 3,552 points
18. 60 Meter Hurdles, 9.18
13. High Jump, 1.63m (5' 4 ¼")
12. Shot Put, 10.75m (35' 3 ¼") (PR)
17. Long Jump, 5.18m (17' 0")
14. 800 Meters, 2:27.88 (PR)
Men's Heptathlon- Tommaso Franze
16. 60 Meter Dash, 7.28 (PR)
8. Long Jump, 6.91m (22' 8") (PR)
17. Shot Put, 10.82m (35' 6") (PR)
16. High Jump, 1.80m (5' 10 ¾")
Women's Mile Prelims
12. Vienna Lahner, 4:48.61
Women's 60 Meter Hurdles Prelims
11. Jourdin Edwards, 8.41 (PR)
Men's 60 Meter Hurdles Prelims
14. James Ezeonu, 8.037 (PR)
Women's 60 Meter Dash Prelims
20. Mikah Scott, 7.437
Women's 600 Yards Prelims
18. Delaney Wright, 1:23.36
Women's Weight Throw
3. Monique Hardy, 20.86m (68' 5 ¼")
12. Tamaiah Koonce, 17.58m (57' 8 ¼") (PR)
16. Charlotte Cattermole-Williams, 17.13m (56' 2 ½")
Women's Pole Vault
T15. Claire Bybee, 3.86m (12' 8")
Women 400 Meters Prelims
12. Safhia Hinds, 53.55 (PR)
24. Mikah Scott, 54.88 (PR)
Men's 400 Meters Prelims
10. Nen Matlock, 46.38 (PR)
23. Tyrique Lewis, 47.76 (PR)
Women's 1,000 Meters Prelims
2. Stella Miner, 2:49.04 (PR)
14. Bree Newport, 2:54.34
Men's 800 Meters Prelims
14. Jack Steger, 1:54.88
Men's Weight Throw
1. Gary Moore Jr., 22.67m (74' 4 ½") (PR)
21. Riley Marx, 15.52m (50' 11")
Women's Long Jump
2. Shalom Olotu, 6.33m (20' 9 ¼")
5. Tesia Thomas, 6.08m (19' 11 ½")
Men's Long Jump
15. Jhavor Bennett, 7.03m (23' 0 ¾")
Men's Pole Vault
T7. Pierson Carlisle, 5.01m (16' 5 ¼")
Women's DMR
11. K-State, 11:42.37
(Vienna Lahner, Ariana Jackson, Bree Newport, Grace Meyer)
Men's DMR
7. K-State, 9:47.12
(Alex Gutierrez, Cyrus Ways, Jack Steger, Tommy Hazen)
Women's 5,000 Meters
Christine Jerono, DNF
Cecilia Fisher, DNF
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.
Moore Jr. broke his own school record in each of his last four throws, his sixth and final attempt at 22.67m (74' 4 ½") his furthest by over a foot to capture his first conference title. It's the second consecutive season K-State has claimed a weight throw title, as Monique Hardy claimed the women's title last season.
"We got to talk about our Big 12 Champion, Gary Moore Jr., school record, just an unbelievable job," head coach Travis Geopfert said. "I'm so happy for him. Just a great series across the board. Came in, executed the plan that Coach [John] Newell laid out for him perfectly, and is walking away tonight a Big 12 Champion, first time in his career, and a lot of good things ahead for that young man."
At the end of day one both the men's and women's team sit in 7th place. After six events the women have collected 18 points, the men with 13.5 points after five events. A total of five Wildcats and one relay team earned All-Big 12 honors with podium finishes.
The men's distance medley relay (DMR) team, consisting of senior Alex Gutierrez running 1,200 meters, sophomore Cyrus Ways in 400 meters, freshman Jack Steger in the 800 meters and senior Tommy Hazen finishing it off with a mile, ran a new school record time of 9:42.38, converted for altitude from 9:47.12. The team medaled in 7th place, finishing in the top-8 for the first time since 2023 when there was only nine teams in the event.
Senior Shalom Olotu finished runner-up in the women's long jump with a distance of 6.33m (20' 9 ¼"), her second indoor medal during her K-State career. Fellow senior Tesia Thomas also medaled in her first conference meet with a 5th place jump of 6.08m (19' 11 ½").
Senior Monique Hardy earned her third conference medal in the weight throw in her career with a 3rd place finish at 20.86m (68' 5 ¼"), her best throw this season. Junior Tamaiah Koonce also competed with a new personal best by six inches at 17.58m (57' 8 ¼") in 12th place.
Last podium finisher for the night was sophomore Pierson Carlisle in the men's pole vault, tying for 7th place with a height of 5.01m (16' 5 ¼"), to earn his first conference medal in his first season as a Wildcat.
Freshman Stella Miner was the only runner to qualify for a final race on Saturday, running in the 1,000 meters prelims and finishing runner-up in her heat and overall, with a new personal best of 2:49.04, the no. 7 fastest time in school records.
In the women's 400 meter dash prelims, junior Safhia Hinds recorded her fastest time at 53.55 seconds, (53.66 altitude converted), in 12th place, now the no. 4 fastest K-State indoor time. In the same race, sophomore Mikah Scott also ran her fastest race at 54.88 seconds.
In the men's 400 meters prelims, sophomore Nen Matlock was a tenth of a second away from qualifying for the final race in his fastest time of 46.38 seconds in 10th place. Sophomore Tyrique Lewis also ran a personal best at 47.76 seconds.
After the first four events of the heptathlon, freshman Tommaso Franze sits in 14th place, against 18 competitors, with 2,739 points. His best event of the day came from the long jump in 8th place at 6.91m (22' 8"), his furthest by almost two inches. He also recorded new personal bests in the 60 meter dash (16th; 7.28) and the shot put (17th; 10.82m, 35' 6").
In the women's pentathlon, freshman Vera Gerasimova finished 15th out of 20 with 3,552 points, 5 points shy of tying her best pentathlon score. She recorded personal bests in two of her top events, 12th in the shot put at 10.75m (35' 3 ¼") and in the 800 meters in 14th place at 2:27.88.
Day two of events will resume at 10 a.m. CT, on Saturday (March 1) to wrap up the men's heptathlon events. The women's shot put will begin the field events at 1 p.m.
FROM THE TRACK
Head Coach Travis Geopfert
On the competitiveness from the team this season…
"You know, these kids are just, they're demanding more of themselves. And I was just really proud of those efforts. You know, a couple of them, Shalom was even disappointed, because she wanted more. And these kids are, they're flipping that switch from participant to competitor."
On the effort from the men's DMR team…
"In a team meeting this morning, we talked about big time being where you're at. And I challenged that DMR to score a point, and they freaking did it. They did awesome. I mean, the seventh place finish, the place was going nuts, and in the Big 12 the DMR is no joke, and they got their nose in there and absolutely did it. Cyrus coming back off an injury, 46-mid split on that. Gutierrez runs a sub 3 [minutes] 1,200 [meters], getting it done. Steegs coming back and rebounding off of that 800 [meters] giving a great leg. And Tommy Hazen goes out his first 200 [meters] in 25 seconds and goes 57 through the first quarter and holds on for big points for the team. So those athletes the smile on their faces, it was awesome, you know."
On what to expect tomorrow…
"I'm really excited for the 4x4 again. You look at all of those kids having personal records, significant drops in their times, and they're coming out tomorrow, expecting more of themselves, and they're ready to compete in those 4x4s."
Big 12 Championship
Sports Performance Center
Lubbock, Texas
Women's Heptathlon- Vera Gerasimova
15. Overall, 3,552 points
18. 60 Meter Hurdles, 9.18
13. High Jump, 1.63m (5' 4 ¼")
12. Shot Put, 10.75m (35' 3 ¼") (PR)
17. Long Jump, 5.18m (17' 0")
14. 800 Meters, 2:27.88 (PR)
Men's Heptathlon- Tommaso Franze
16. 60 Meter Dash, 7.28 (PR)
8. Long Jump, 6.91m (22' 8") (PR)
17. Shot Put, 10.82m (35' 6") (PR)
16. High Jump, 1.80m (5' 10 ¾")
Women's Mile Prelims
12. Vienna Lahner, 4:48.61
Women's 60 Meter Hurdles Prelims
11. Jourdin Edwards, 8.41 (PR)
Men's 60 Meter Hurdles Prelims
14. James Ezeonu, 8.037 (PR)
Women's 60 Meter Dash Prelims
20. Mikah Scott, 7.437
Women's 600 Yards Prelims
18. Delaney Wright, 1:23.36
Women's Weight Throw
3. Monique Hardy, 20.86m (68' 5 ¼")
12. Tamaiah Koonce, 17.58m (57' 8 ¼") (PR)
16. Charlotte Cattermole-Williams, 17.13m (56' 2 ½")
Women's Pole Vault
T15. Claire Bybee, 3.86m (12' 8")
Women 400 Meters Prelims
12. Safhia Hinds, 53.55 (PR)
24. Mikah Scott, 54.88 (PR)
Men's 400 Meters Prelims
10. Nen Matlock, 46.38 (PR)
23. Tyrique Lewis, 47.76 (PR)
Women's 1,000 Meters Prelims
2. Stella Miner, 2:49.04 (PR)
14. Bree Newport, 2:54.34
Men's 800 Meters Prelims
14. Jack Steger, 1:54.88
Men's Weight Throw
1. Gary Moore Jr., 22.67m (74' 4 ½") (PR)
21. Riley Marx, 15.52m (50' 11")
Women's Long Jump
2. Shalom Olotu, 6.33m (20' 9 ¼")
5. Tesia Thomas, 6.08m (19' 11 ½")
Men's Long Jump
15. Jhavor Bennett, 7.03m (23' 0 ¾")
Men's Pole Vault
T7. Pierson Carlisle, 5.01m (16' 5 ¼")
Women's DMR
11. K-State, 11:42.37
(Vienna Lahner, Ariana Jackson, Bree Newport, Grace Meyer)
Men's DMR
7. K-State, 9:47.12
(Alex Gutierrez, Cyrus Ways, Jack Steger, Tommy Hazen)
Women's 5,000 Meters
Christine Jerono, DNF
Cecilia Fisher, DNF
-- 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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