K-State's Mercera, Prabhu Crowned Big 12 Champions on Final Day

TF Vanessa Mercera Big 12 400 hurdles champion May 16, 2026

K-State's Mercera, Prabhu Crowned Big 12 Champions on Final Day

May 17, 2026 | Track & Field

For a consecutive season the Wildcats had three outdoor conference champions

TUCSON, Ariz. – Senior Vanessa Mercera secured the women's 400-meter hurdles with a new school record time while Sophomore Selva Prabhu won the men's triple jump title during the final day of the Big 12 Championship on Saturday (May 16) at Drachman Stadium, bringing the total number of K-State champions to three for a consecutive season. After 21 events the men's team finished in 4^th place with 83.33 points, the women placed 9^th with 43.5 points.

Mercera won the 400-meter hurdles in 55.39 seconds, a full second faster than her personal best and a two second improvement from her preliminary race on Thursday at 57.47 seconds. Mercera, from Willemstad, Curacao, surpasses the previous school record of 55.68 seconds from Ryann Krais in 2011.

"Vanessa fought hard off that last hurdle and put more accolades on her resume," head coach Travis Geopfert said. "Super proud of the fight in that young woman, she never gives up. Big 12 champion and school record holder has a nice ring to it! Another cool note is that's now back to back Big 12 400 hurdles champions for coach Mat Clark. Huge congrats to him as well."

Prabhu, a native of Madurai, India, leaped to 17.19m (56' 4.75") in his sixth and final triple jump, with a wind aide of 4.6, negating the jump from becoming a new conference and school record.

"Selva is such a tremendous competitor. What an epic triple jump," Geopfert added. "You'd be hard pressed to see a deeper competition in NCAA history, ever! That whole squad showed up and Selva capped it off with an epic last jump for the win against some tremendous competition. The young man has no fear and brings it every time. Congrats to him and coach Clive Pullen on a hard fought Big 12 Title."

After finishing in 11^th place in 2025, the men's team finished just four points shy of 3^rd place Houston while recording the highest team finish and points scored since 2021 when the Cats hosted the Championship in Manhattan also finishing 4^th that year with 88 points. Texas Tech won both the men's and women's team titles.

Jhavor Bennett took home the triple jump title last season making K-State the first school to have consecutive champions in the event since TCU with four titles from 2018-22. K-State also claimed the 400 hurdles title last season with Safhia Hinds, marking the second time in the last 10 years a Wildcat has been crowned consecutively, Krais had previously won the event in 2018 and 2019.

The Wildcats also claimed three consecutive spots on the triple jump podium, starting with junior Aaron Antoine in 5^th place at 16.55m (54' 3.75"), fellow senior Apalos Edwards right behind in 6^th place at 16.50m (54' 1.75") and finally with senior Jhavor Bennett taking 7^th place with a new personal best by seven inches at 16.40m (53' 9.75"). With the only legal wind mark, Bennett jumps up to no. 7 in the K-State outdoor records.

Antoine reached the podium for a second time during the day as he competed in the high jump for the first time since May 2024, tying for 8^th place with a clearance of 2.07m (6' 9.5").

In the women's triple jump, the Cats claimed two medals, junior Daniela Wamokpego finished runner-up with a distance of 13.45m (44' 1.5") while freshman Destini Smith earned a bronze medal with a jump of 13.42m (44' 0.5"), a season's best performance by eight inches.

The men's team had two podium finishers in the discus throw as well; junior Ricardo Hayles gave a bronze medal launch of 57.84m (189' 9"), his season's best distance by over eight feet, now the no. 6 best throw in the school all-time top-10. Senior Gary Moore Jr. finished top-8 for the second day in a row as he threw a personal best at 56.90m (186' 8"), an improvement by four feet.

Two sprinters ran podium times in the 400 meters, junior Tavon Underwood ran a bronze medal time in 45.30 seconds, one one-hundredth of a second off his previous best on Friday. Freshman Desirae Riehle finished 7^th in the women's race in 52.24 seconds, another personal best and now the no. 4 fastest outdoor time in the K-State records.

After competing in the heptathlon the first two days, freshman Zoey Brinker competed again individually in the high jump, medaling in a tie for 8^th place over a height of 1.78m (5' 10").

To finish the day, both 4x400 relay teams finished in the top-8. The men's team ran its fastest time this season in 3:04.20 in 5^th place with seniors Bongumusa Nkosi and Cyrus Ways, freshman Heath Grant and Underwood.

The women's team had a 6^th place finish with a time of 3:33.12 with Riehle, sophomore Ariana Jackson and freshmen Anastasiia Kretova and Delaney Brinker.

K-State will continue the postseason with the NCAA West Preliminary set for May 27-30 in Fayetteville, Ark., at John McDonnell Field. The West Prelims includes the top 48 individuals in each event, 24 relay teams, as they vie for a top 12 spot to advance to the NCAA Championship on June 10-13 in Eugene, Ore., at Hayward Field.

Big 12 Championship
Drachman Stadium
Tucson, Ariz.

Men's High Jump
T8. Aaron Antoine, 2.07m (6' 9.5")
15. Alan Hanna, 2.02m (6' 7.5")

Men's Triple Jump
1. Selva Prabhu, 17.19m (56' 4.75")(4.6)
5. Aaron Antoine, 16.55m (54' 3.75")(2.1)
6. Apalos Edwards, 16.50m (54' 1.75")(4.4)
7. Jhavor Bennett, 16.40m (53' 9.75")(0.7) (PR)

Men's Discus Throw
3. Ricardo Hayles, 57.84m (189' 9")
7. Gary Moore Jr., 56.90m (186' 8") (PR)
25. Emil Uhlin, 45.49m (149' 3")

Men's 4x100 Relay
9. K-State, 40.85
(U. Ryan, T. Chikomba, C. DaCunha, J. Guthridge)

Men's 400 Meters
3. Tavon Underwood, 45.30 (PR)

Women's 400 Meters
7. Desirae Riehle, 52.24 (PR)

Men's 400 Meter Hurdles
9. Thomas Canivet, 51.80

Women's 400 Meter Hurdles
1. Vanessa Mercera, 55.39 (PR)*
6. Jourdin Edwards, 57.57
9. Reese Brownlee, 58.17

Women's High Jump
T8. Zoey Brinker, 1.78m (5' 10")
T16. Lindsey DeWitt, 1.69m (5' 6.5")
20. Shanniqua Williams, 1.69m (5' 6.5")

Women's Triple Jump
2. Daniela Wamokpego, 13.45m (44' 1.5")(1.3)
3. Destini Smith, 13.42m (44' 0.5")(2.5)
9. Aaliyah Lindsay, 12.91m (42' 4.25")(-0.7)
11. Taylor Mayo, 12.83m (42' 1.25")(1.0)
12. Kayla Goodwin, 12.78m (41' 11.25")(5.3)
13. Tesia Thomas, 12.72m (41' 8.75")(1.5)

Men's 5,000 Meters
27. Jackson Esquibel, 14:58.77
31. Brock Olsen, 15:10.94

Women's 5,000 Meters
21. Grace Meyer, 17:10.06
26. Christine Jerono, 17:34.09

Men's 4x400 Relay
5. K-State, 3:04.20
(B. Nkosi, C. Ways, H. Grant, T. Underwood)

Women's 4x100 Relay
6. K-State, 3:33.12
(D. Riehle, A. Jackson, A. Kretova, D. Brinker)

-- 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.