Two School Records Broken in Indoor Season Opener

Friday, January 16

Manhattan, Kan.

1:30 p.m.

Kansas State University

Thane Baker Invitational

Jan 16, 2026 | Track & Field

Results (.pdf)

Moore Jr. and Mercera start the season strong with record breaking performances

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Seniors Gary Moore Jr. and Vanessa Mercera broke school, facility and meet records in their respective events at the Thane Baker Invitational on Friday (January 16), just a fraction of the records broken and top NCAA marks performed by the K-State team at the Cliff Rovelto Indoor Track.

Moore Jr. continues to battle his own record setting marks, winning the men's weight throw at 23.14m (75' 11"), 18 inches farther than his school record performance at the Big 12 Championship last season. According to TFRRS, Moore currently sits at fourth on the collegiate marks to start the season.

In the women's 400 meters, Mercera won the race at 53.04 seconds, shaving four seconds off her personal best, for the school record. Competing in a K-State uniform for the first time since May 2024, she is currently tied for third on the TFRRS collegiate list.

Along with school records, multiple Wildcats in the field events broke both the facility and meet records, including sophomore Selva Prabhu (men's triple jump), freshman Alan Hanna (men's high jump), junior Tah Chikomba (men's long jump) and senior Monique Hardy (women's weight throw). On the track were two impressive races from freshman Delaney Brinker (women's 600 yards) and junior Tavon Underwood (men's 800 meters).

Prabhu matched his triple jump personal best distance at 16.49m (54' 1.25"), now no. 3 spot in the K-State all-time records, to win the event and overshadow the facility and meet records. Rounding out the top-three, jumping less than five inches shorter than Prabhu, was juniors Trevon Hamer 16.42m (53' 10.50") and Aaron Antoine 16.40m (53' 9.75"). Those three Cats currently hold the top-three marks in the TFRRS collegiate list while Hamer and Antoine also sit at no. 4 and no. 5, respectively, in the K-State top-10. Antoine, originally a high jumper, competed for the first time since May 2024 after sitting out last season due to injury.

Hanna is the first Wildcat to clear 2.25m (7' 4.50") in the high jump since TJ Shankar in 2021. He jumped two inches higher than the previous facility record set by Texas Tech's Omamuyovwi Erhire in 2024. In his first collegiate meet, he is tied in the TFRRS rankings for the top spot while also tied for the no. 8 spot in the K-State all-time top-10.

Chikomba, a transfer from Meridian Community College, won the long jump at 7.83m (25' 8.25"), the new no. 3 spot in the K-State records. Jumping from short approach, his distance was less than a foot from his personal best, but he currently holds the fourth best jump on the TFRRS list.

Hardy surpassed her own weight throw facility record with a winning throw of 21.70m (71' 2.50"), almost two inches further from her throw from the Steve Miller Invitational in 2024.

A freshman from St. Louis, Mo., Brinker won the women's 600 yards in 1:19.96, a new meet and facility record and the no. 3 fastest time in K-State history. She becomes the fastest Cat to run the event since Alex Ferguson in 2019. During the men's 800 meters, Underwood set a new meet record with a winning time of 1:51.24, also a new personal best by three seconds.

The Wildcats were not done winning in the women's field events as senior Sharie Enoe tied her high jump personal best at 1.88m (6' 2"), the second-best height collegiately right now. Junior Maud Zeffou-Poaty won the long jump at 6.19m (20' 3.75"), also from short approach, just five inches short of her best jump.

The Wildcats compete at home again on January 30-31 in the DeLoss Dodds Invitational at Cliff Rovelto Indoor Track. The two-day meet is a sanctioned World Athletics meet featuring Olympians in six field events.

FROM THE TRACK
Head Coach Travis Geopfert
On the competition of the first meet of the season…
"Overall, I'm extremely pleased with the home opener. I can't thank the teams that came enough for being here… A huge thank you to the University of Oregon. Been friends with those coaches for a long time, and they came a long ways and just made the atmosphere better, some great competition across the board."

On the performance from Aaron Antoine…
"A year and a half ago, [he] ruptured his patella tendon… The high jump is going fine, but the confidence to put his foot down on that knee in a high jump wasn't quite there and we started playing with the triple jump a little bit about a month ago, and it's just unbelievable what he's been able to do. And huge shout out to coach Clive Pullen and working with him in the triple jump. But that guy put up a top-three mark in the NCAA right now, his first meet back, and the kid deserves it. It's something in my entire coaching career I'm never gonna forget."

Thane Baker Invitational
Cliff Rovelto Indoor Track
Manhattan, Kan.

Men's Weight Throw
1. Gary Moore Jr., 23.14m (75' 11") (PR)^**
2. Kade McCall, 22.41m (73' 6.25") (PR)
6. Ricardo Hayles, 16.99m (55' 9") (PR)
8. Riley Marx, 16.35m (53' 7.75")

Women's 60m Hurdles (Prelims)
2. Vanessa Mercera, 8.55 (q)
9. Lalie Pouzancre-Hoyer, 8.93
13. Zoey Brinker, 9.18

Men's 60m Hurdles (Finals)
2. Dorian Charles, 8.00 (8.11 p)
5. Mattix DaCunha, 8.14 (8.15 p)

Women's 60m Dash (Finals)
5. Aaliyah Foster, 7.71 (7.73 p)
Maud Zeffou-Poaty, 7.68 (q)

Men's 60m Dash (Prelims)
1. Trevon Hamer, 6.65 (q)
2. Tah Chikomba, 6.72 (q)
6. Uroy Ryan, 6.82 (q)

Women's Weight Throw
1. Monique Hardy, 21.70m (71' 2.50")**

Women's 1,000 Meters
15. Anna Pozdeeva, 2:55.00

Men's 1,000 Meters
6. Oskars Bambals, 2:23.86
9. Julian Avila, 2:27.67
11. Dylan Plath, 2:28.70
12. Vance Krudwig, 2:29.36
13. Canyon Buehler, 2:29.55

Men's Pole Vault
6. Pierson Carlisle, 4.91m (16' 1.25")

Women's 400 Meters
1. Vanessa Mercera, 53.04 (PR)^**
2. Reese Kasper, 55.81

Women's 3,000 Meters
3. Paige Baker, 10:08.89 (PR)
5. Alexa Rios, 10:18.19 (PR)
6. Payton Fink, 10:20.01

Men's 3,000 Meters
3. Jackson Esquibel, 8:19.23 (PR)
8. Brock Olsen, 8:30.84 (PR)
9. Logan Beckman, 8:33.01

Women's Long Jump
1. Maud Zeffou-Poaty, 6.19m (20' 3.75")*
3. Chisom Nwafor, 6.09m (19' 11.75")
7. Tesia Thomas, 5.97m (19' 7")
10. Lalie Pouzancre-Hoyer, 5.69m (18' 8")

Women's Mile
2. Hanna Keltner, 5:01.00
6. Bree Allen, 5:08.70

Men's Mile
8. Dylan Plath, 4:10.81
14. Jacob Norris, 4:13.00 (PR)
23. Canyon Buehler, 4:29.72
24. Vance Krudwig, 4:34.61

Men's Long Jump
1. Tah Chikomba, 7.83m (25' 8.25")**
2. Uroy Ryan, 7.34m (24' 1")
11. Mattix DaCunha, 6.92m (22' 8.50")
12. Croix DaCunha, 6.87m (22' 6.50")

Men's 800 Meters
1. Tavon Underwood, 1:51.24 (PR)*

Men's Shot Put
7. Ricardo Hayles, 16.01m (52' 6.50")

Women's 600 Yards
1. Delaney Brinker, 1:19.96**
4. Delaney Wright, 1:22.34 (PR)
7. Desirae Riehle, 1:22.98
8. Jourdin Edwards, 1:23.42

Men's 600 Yards
2. Heath Grant, 1:08.29
8. Nen Matlock, 1:11.19
19. Thomas Canivet, 1:13.78

Women's 200 Meters
5. Ariana Jackson, 24.75
8. Anastasiia Kretova, 24.99

Men's High Jump
1. Alan Hanna, 2.25m (7' 4.50")**

Men's 200 Meters
3. Cyrus Ways, 21.67

Women's High Jump
1. Sharie Enoe, 1.88m (6' 2")*
2. Shanniqua Williams, 1.78m (5' 10")
5. Lindsey DeWitt, 1.67m (5' 5.75")

Women's Shot Put
8. Kayla Goodwin, 12.14m (39' 10") (PR)
13. Zoey Brinker, 10.37m (34' 0.25")
14. Lalie Pouzancre-Hoyer, 9.35m (30' 8.25")

Women's 800 Meters (Invite)
2. Angie Pondler, 2:09.78

Men's 800 Meters (Invite)
5. Jackson Steger, 1:54.35

Women's Triple Jump
3. Aaliyah Lindsey, 13.10m (42' 11.75")
4. Destini Smith, 13.04m (42' 9.50")
5. Daniela Wamokpego, 12.93m (42' 5.25")
7. Katherine Toney, 11.89m (39' 0.25")

Men's Triple Jump
1. Selva Prabhu, 16.49m (54' 1.25")**
2. Trevon Hamer, 16.42m (53' 10.50")
3. Aaron Antoine, 16.40m (53' 9.75")
4. Jhavor Bennett, 15.73m (51' 7.25")

Women's Pole Vault
T6. Claire Bybee, 3.91m (12' 10")
T9. Taegan Olson, 3.76m (12' 4")

Women's 4x400 Relay
1. K-State A, 3:37.98**
(D. Wright, D. Brinker, D. Riehle, V. Mercera)
3. K-State B, 3:43.34
(R. Kasper, A. Jackson, A. Kretova, J. Edwards)
6. K-State C, 3:48.72
(L. Pouzancre-Hoyer, A. Pondler, Z. Brinker, A. Pozdeeva)

Men's 4x400 Relay
1. K-State, 3:12.69*
(C. Ways, T. Canivet, C. DaCunha, H. Grant)

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