K-State Men Named Big 12 Championship Runner-Up

Feb 28, 2026 | Track & Field

Men are conference runners-up for first time since 2004

LUBBOCK, Texas – The K-State men's team wrapped up two days of competition on Saturday (February 28) with 124 points after 19 events at the Sports Performance Center. The women's team finished 4^th with 78.5 points.

The 124 points by the men are the most scored since 2016 when the team had 98.5 points in 3^rd place. The last time the men finished runner-up was in 2004 when they earned 77 points in a 12-team conference. In the second year under head coach Travis Geopfert the men's team went from 13^th place to runner-up.

The women's 78.5 points is the most scored since they reach triple-digits at 100.5 points in 2021, also the highest team finish at 3^rd place. Texas Tech's men and women both finished 1^st.

The men's 4x400 relay ran their fastest race of the season, featuring senior Nen Matlock, freshman Heath Grant, senior Bongumusa Nkosi and junior Tavon Underwood, winning with a time of 3:05.59 to earn 10 points to the final tally.

The women's 4x400 team broke their own school record again at 3:31.44 shaving another two seconds off their previous time to finish 3^rd in the race, featuring freshmen Desirae Riehle, Delaney Brinker, Anastasiia Kretova and senior Vanessa Mercera.

Finishing the men's heptathlon, all three Wildcats scored points with top-8 podium finishes. Freshman Dorian Charles led his teammates in 3^rd place with 5,698 points, senior Emil Uhlin finished 5^th with 5,649 points, while freshman Mattix DaCunha rounded out the Cats multis in 7^th place with a personal best 5,533 points.

Charles had a 63-point personal best at 5,698, now the no. 7 best performance in the K-State school records. He had personal bests in five of the seven events, including runner-up in the 60-meter hurdles at 7.94 seconds, the no. 8 fastest time in school history. He finished 7^th in both the pole vault at 4.55m (4' 11") and the long jump 7.09m (23' 3.25"), his farthest jump by four inches.

In the men's triple jump the Cats resided in the number two-four spots. Sophomore Selva Prabhu earned the silver medal at 16.59m (54' 5.25"), an inch and a half short of his personal best, while senior Aaron Antoine claimed bronze at 16.32m (53' 6.5"), landing back on the conference podium for the first time in two years. Finishing 4^th, senior Jhavor Bennett jumped 16.05m (52' 8"), a season's best.

Another Wildcat earned a bronze medal in the jumping events, junior Daniela Wamokpego tied her personal best in the triple jump at 13.59m (44' 7") for 3^rd place. Also on the podium was freshman Destini Smith in 5^th place with a leap of 13.33m (43' 8.75"), a personal best of almost a foot.

In the men's 60-meter dash, junior Tah Chikomba had a bronze finish in 6.59 seconds, a new personal best and the no. 2 fastest time in school records. Fellow junior Trevon Hamer finished in 6^th place in 6.66 seconds.

Senior Vanessa Mercera ran an even faster time in the women's 600 yards final for a bronze finish with a time of 1:18.1, the newest school record. Freshman Delaney Brinker finished in 6^th place at 1:19.06, the second fastest time in the all-time top-10. The Wildcats had another bronze medal in the men's 600 yards from freshman Heath Grant at 1:08.53.

The final list of participants will be announced by the NCAA on Tuesday, March 3. Qualifying Wildcats will compete in the NCAA Indoor Championship on March 13-14 in Fayetteville, Ark., at the Randal Tyson Track Center.

Big 12 Championship
Sports Performance Center
Lubbock, Texas

Men's Heptathlon- Dorian Charles
3. Overall,5,698 points (PR)
2. 60 Meter Hurdles, 7.94 (PR)
7. Pole Vault, 4.55m (14' 11") (PR)
7. 1,000 Meters, 2:44.39 (PR)
8. 60 Meter Dash, 7.04 (PR)
7. Long Jump, 7.09m (23' 3.25") (PR)
11. Shot Put, 13.00m (42' 8")
10. High Jump, 1.92m (6' 3.5")

Men's Heptathlon- Emil Uhlin
5. Overall, 5,649 points
8. 60 Meter Hurdles, 8.26 (PR)
2. Pole Vault, 4.85m (15' 11")
5. 1,000 Meters, 2:40.12
13. 60 Meter Dash, 7.17 (PR)
14. Long Jump, 6.59m (21' 7.5")
10. Shot Put, 13.03m (42' 9")
4. High Jump, 1.98m (6' 6")

Men's Heptathlon- Mattix DaCunha
7. Overall, 5,533 points (PR)
4. 60 Meter Hurdles, 8.01
15. Pole Vault, 3.95m (12' 11.5") (PR)
6. 1,000 Meters, 2:41.60 (PR)
5. 60 Meter Dash, 6.92
10. Long Jump, 6.93m (22' 9")
15. Shot Put, 11.46m (37' 7.25")
3. High Jump, 2.01m (6' 7") (PR)

Men's 60 Meter Dash (Final)
3. Tah Chikomba, 6.59
6. Trevon Hamer, 6.66 (PR)

Women's Mile (Final)
8. Vienna Lahner, 4:48.82

Women's 600 Yards (Final)
3. Vanessa Mercera, 1:18.1 (PR)*
6. Delaney Brinker, 1:19.06 (PR)

Men's 600 Yards (Final)
3. Heath Grant, 1:08.53

Men's 400 Meters (Final)
7. Nen Matlock, 46.44

Women's 1,000 Meters (Final)
7. Anna Pozdeeva, 2:49.65

Men's 800 Meters (Final)
6. Oskars Bambals, 1:49.97

Men's Triple Jump
2. Selva Prabhu, 16.59m (54' 5.25")
3. Aaron Antoine, 16.32m (53' 6.5")
4. Jhavor Bennett, 16.05m (52' 8")
10. Trevon Hamer, 15.31m (50' 2.75")
Uroy Ryan, F
Croix DaCunha, F
Alan Hanna, F
Devin Loudermilk, F

Women's Triple Jump
3. Daniela Wamokpego, 13.59m (44' 7")
5. Destini Smith, 13.33m (43' 8.75")
8. Aaliyah Lindsay, 13.02m (42' 8.75")
12. Taylor Mayo, 12.60m (41' 4.25")
17. Tesia Thomas, 12.52m (41' 1")

Men's Shot Put
8. Gary Moore Jr., 17.91m (58' 9.25")
10. Ricardo Hayles, 17.03m (55' 10.5")

Men's 3,000 Meters
29. Jackson Esquibel, 8:27.01

Women's 4x400 Relay
3. K-State, 3:31.44*
(D. Riehle, D. Brinker, A. Kretova, V. Mercera)

Men's 4x400 Relay
1. K-State, 3:05.56
(N. Matlock, H. Grant, B. Nkosi, T. Underwood)

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