Smith Earns Triple Jump Bronze Medal, Women’s 4x400 Relay are NCAA First Team All-Americans
Jun 13, 2026 | Track & Field
10 Wildcats earned First Team All-American honors at the 2026 NCAA Championship
EUGENE, Ore. – Freshman Destini Smith finished 3rd in the triple jump at the NCAA Championship on Saturday (June 13) while the 4x400 relay team also earned First Team All-America honors. The K-State women finished with eight points tied for 29th place, while the three women's podium finishes are the most since 2019 when they finished in 16th place with 16 points. Georgia won the women's team title with 50 points while Florida was runner-up with 43 points.
With her sixth attempt leap of 13.79m (45' 3") to secure third place, it was Smith's best wind legal jump of the season, now the no. 2 furthest jump in the K-State outdoor school records. At the NCAA West Preliminary on May 30 she jumped to 13.81m, with a wind aide of 3.3, also finishing third in that meet.
Smith, from Harleysville, Pa., is the first Wildcat freshman to earn First Team honors since 2017 when Nina Schultz finished runner-up in the heptathlon.
"Destini Smith finished third in the triple jump," head coach Travis Geopfert said. "A true freshman came out here from the jump, controlled the crowd, got the crowd rocking, and went out there and punched people in the nose right off the start, and then a clutch last effort to secure her third-place finish. It's so impressive for anybody to be a First Team All-American, but to have a true freshman do what she did… Sometimes there's a learning curve on a lot of fronts with young athletes, and she feels like a seasoned veteran in how she handles herself on the track, off the track. And just hats off to that young lady for an unbelievable freshman season."
The 4x400 relay team then finished the competition with an 8th place time of 3:29.27, with freshman Desirae Riehle, senior Vanessa Mercera and freshmen Delaney Brinker and Anastasiia Kretova. Those four ran a total of five races together this outdoor season including the new school record time of 3:28.74 at the West Preliminary.
The last time a women's 4x400 team earned First Team honors was in 2014 when Sonia Gaskin, Tia' Gamble, Merryl Mbeng and Erica Twiss finished 8th with a time of 3:34.76.
"I want to congratulate Coach Mat Clark," Geopfert added. "He pours into those young ladies and has done an unbelievable job in developing them. When you look at that relay and you have three true freshmen on the relay, just a fantastic job. But the star of that relay tonight was our senior, she ran 50.16, auto timed by the timing company, 50.16 on her relay split in that four-by-four. And so Vanessa Mercera caps off an unbelievable career, and so proud of her, proud of our seniors."
Also competing in the triple jump, junior Daniela Wamokpego earned Second Team All-America honors with an 11th place finish at 13.25m (43' 5.75"). Competing for Iowa during the 2025 season she finished in 18th place for All-America honorable mention.
The men's team ended the 2026 season in 8th place with 30 points with two national champions, junior Tah Chikomba in the long jump and sophomore Selva Prabhu in the triple jump. There was a total of seven K-State First Team All-American accolades for 10 individuals, Chikomba, Prabhu, Smith, senior Aaliyah Lindsay (8th; long jump), sophomore Uroy Ryan (3rd; long jump), senior Emil Uhlin (5th; decathlon) and the women's 4x400 relay.
Four more Wildcats earned Second Team All-America honors, Wamokpego, freshman Dorian Charles (10th; decathlon), senior Gary Moore Jr. (12th; hammer throw) and junior Riley Marx (15th; javelin). The men's 4x400 team, with juniors Nen Matlock and Tavon Underwood, freshman Heath Grant and senior Bongumusa Nkosi earned All-America honorable mention in 17th place at 3:04.83.
FROM THE TRACK
Head Coach Travis Geopfert
On Second Team All-America honors for Daniela Wamokpego…
"I know that Daniela wanted more, and she just barely missed making the final. And in reflecting on that, I think there's some things that we can do in practice to create pressure situations for those clutch third attempts, and that's on me. Like we got to create some of those more scenarios, but it was not for lack of effort from that young lady. I'm so proud of her, she's such an integral part of this program, and I know she's highly motivated for more, and there's a lot more good opportunities and good times in the tank for her in the future."
On the success in finishing the 2026 season…
"Four true freshmen today that received First Team All-American honors. Just appreciate everybody that's involved in this program. Now, there's a lot of excitement, and we have a lot of momentum to build head into next year. It was a great 2026 and so keep it rocking."
NCAA Championship
Hayward Field
Eugene, Ore.
Women's Triple Jump
3. Destini Smith, 13.79m (45' 3")(1.5)
11. Daniela Wamokpego, 13.25m (43' 5.75")(2.1)
Women's 4x400 Relay (Final)
8. K-State, 3:29.27
(D. Riehle, V. Mercera, D. Brinker, A. Kretova)
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.
With her sixth attempt leap of 13.79m (45' 3") to secure third place, it was Smith's best wind legal jump of the season, now the no. 2 furthest jump in the K-State outdoor school records. At the NCAA West Preliminary on May 30 she jumped to 13.81m, with a wind aide of 3.3, also finishing third in that meet.
Smith, from Harleysville, Pa., is the first Wildcat freshman to earn First Team honors since 2017 when Nina Schultz finished runner-up in the heptathlon.
"Destini Smith finished third in the triple jump," head coach Travis Geopfert said. "A true freshman came out here from the jump, controlled the crowd, got the crowd rocking, and went out there and punched people in the nose right off the start, and then a clutch last effort to secure her third-place finish. It's so impressive for anybody to be a First Team All-American, but to have a true freshman do what she did… Sometimes there's a learning curve on a lot of fronts with young athletes, and she feels like a seasoned veteran in how she handles herself on the track, off the track. And just hats off to that young lady for an unbelievable freshman season."
The 4x400 relay team then finished the competition with an 8th place time of 3:29.27, with freshman Desirae Riehle, senior Vanessa Mercera and freshmen Delaney Brinker and Anastasiia Kretova. Those four ran a total of five races together this outdoor season including the new school record time of 3:28.74 at the West Preliminary.
The last time a women's 4x400 team earned First Team honors was in 2014 when Sonia Gaskin, Tia' Gamble, Merryl Mbeng and Erica Twiss finished 8th with a time of 3:34.76.
"I want to congratulate Coach Mat Clark," Geopfert added. "He pours into those young ladies and has done an unbelievable job in developing them. When you look at that relay and you have three true freshmen on the relay, just a fantastic job. But the star of that relay tonight was our senior, she ran 50.16, auto timed by the timing company, 50.16 on her relay split in that four-by-four. And so Vanessa Mercera caps off an unbelievable career, and so proud of her, proud of our seniors."
Also competing in the triple jump, junior Daniela Wamokpego earned Second Team All-America honors with an 11th place finish at 13.25m (43' 5.75"). Competing for Iowa during the 2025 season she finished in 18th place for All-America honorable mention.
The men's team ended the 2026 season in 8th place with 30 points with two national champions, junior Tah Chikomba in the long jump and sophomore Selva Prabhu in the triple jump. There was a total of seven K-State First Team All-American accolades for 10 individuals, Chikomba, Prabhu, Smith, senior Aaliyah Lindsay (8th; long jump), sophomore Uroy Ryan (3rd; long jump), senior Emil Uhlin (5th; decathlon) and the women's 4x400 relay.
Four more Wildcats earned Second Team All-America honors, Wamokpego, freshman Dorian Charles (10th; decathlon), senior Gary Moore Jr. (12th; hammer throw) and junior Riley Marx (15th; javelin). The men's 4x400 team, with juniors Nen Matlock and Tavon Underwood, freshman Heath Grant and senior Bongumusa Nkosi earned All-America honorable mention in 17th place at 3:04.83.
FROM THE TRACK
Head Coach Travis Geopfert
On Second Team All-America honors for Daniela Wamokpego…
"I know that Daniela wanted more, and she just barely missed making the final. And in reflecting on that, I think there's some things that we can do in practice to create pressure situations for those clutch third attempts, and that's on me. Like we got to create some of those more scenarios, but it was not for lack of effort from that young lady. I'm so proud of her, she's such an integral part of this program, and I know she's highly motivated for more, and there's a lot more good opportunities and good times in the tank for her in the future."
On the success in finishing the 2026 season…
"Four true freshmen today that received First Team All-American honors. Just appreciate everybody that's involved in this program. Now, there's a lot of excitement, and we have a lot of momentum to build head into next year. It was a great 2026 and so keep it rocking."
NCAA Championship
Hayward Field
Eugene, Ore.
Women's Triple Jump
3. Destini Smith, 13.79m (45' 3")(1.5)
11. Daniela Wamokpego, 13.25m (43' 5.75")(2.1)
Women's 4x400 Relay (Final)
8. K-State, 3:29.27
(D. Riehle, V. Mercera, D. Brinker, A. Kretova)
-- 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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