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Family Atmosphere Attracted Geopfert to K-State (K-State Sports Extra, July 16, 2024)

Travis Geopfert was named K-State's seventh full-time Director of Track and Field/Cross Country by Director of Athletics Gene Taylor on July 11, 2024.

Geopfert was a four-time National Assistant Coach of the Year during two stints at Arkansas across 12 years, with 22 total years of experience also at Tennessee, Northern Iowa and Central Missouri.

At Arkansas with the men's team, he was a part of two NCAA Championship teams (2013 indoor and 2023 indoor), 21 top-10 NCAA team finishes and 25 SEC Championships.

Individually, Geopfert coached three Bowerman Award finalists (track and field’s version of the Heisman Trophy) while at Arkansas, including a pair of winners in sprinter and long jumper Jarrion Lawson (2016) and triple and long jumper Jaydon Hibbert (2023) as well as 2022 finalist Ayden Owens-Delerme. In total, he has helped train 20 national champions (a combined 12 in the long and triple jump) in his career as well as 106 NCAA First Team All-Americans, 182 NCAA National Finals Qualifiers and 89 conference champions.

Geopfert has coached 15 Olympians, including eight who have advanced to this summer’s Paris Games. Those eight Olympians include Romaine Beckford (high jump/Jamaica), Tara Davis-Woodhall (long jump/USA), Jaydon Hibbert (triple jump/Jamaica), Jarrion Lawson (long jump/USA), Carey McLeod (long jump/Jamaica), Jah-Nhai Perinchief (triple jump/Bermuda), Ayden Owens-Delerme (decathlon/Puerto Rico) and Wayne Pinnock (long jump/Jamaica).

In total, Geopfert’s athletes have qualified for the World Championships 30 times with five global medals. They have broken three American Junior records, three World Junior records, two NCAA all-time collegiate records and two NCAA meet records. They have combined to break 59 school records at Northern Iowa, Arkansas and Tennessee.

“My family and I are thrilled to become part of the Kansas State community,” Geopfert said. “Just look at every named facility on campus and it’s obvious that family and community are the framework of Kansas State. That may be the biggest thing that attracted us to Manhattan.

“I’d like to thank Gene Taylor, (executive associate AD) Kenny Lannou and (deputy AD) Jill Shields for giving me this opportunity to lead such a storied program - a program with multiple Olympians, Olympic medalists and NCAA champions, led for more than three decades by hall of fame coach Cliff Rovelto.

“It’s not lost on me the shoes that I’m trying to fill in following a legendary coach.  Coach Rovelto has built a foundation at Kansas State that makes this one of the most attractive opportunities in NCAA track and field. With that, I promise to work tirelessly for the alumni and current student-athletes here at Kansas State.  I want to help make all of these individuals proud of where they are from. They built the foundation for our future success, and we owe it to them and this administration to get after it here with everything we’ve got.

“With that said, I cannot express enough appreciation to Gene Taylor for handing me the reigns here in Manhattan.  His reputation precedes him in making great coaching hires.  I’m humbled that he believes in me to continue to move this program forward.

“Lastly, I’d like to thank my former student-athletes, bosses and colleagues at Central Missouri, Northern Iowa, Tennessee, and Arkansas.  The last 22 years learning from all of them has given me the foundation I need to coach and mentor at the highest level.  These coaching experiences along with the amazing support of my wife Nicole, our kids and my entire family gives me the confidence I need to be the next Director of Track and Field / Cross Country at K-State.”

Coaching Experience

Graduate assistant (Men’s and Women’s), Central Missouri (2002-03)
Assistant Track and Field Coach (Men’s and Women’s), Northern Iowa (2003-07)
Associate Head Track and Field Coach (Men’s and Women’s), Northern Iowa (2007-08)
Head Track and Field Coach (Men’s and Women’s), Northern Iowa (2008-09)
Assistant Track and Field Coach (Men’s), Arkansas (2009-18)
Associate Head Track and Field Coach (Men’s and Women’s), Tennessee (2018-21)
Associate Head Track and Field Coach (Men), Arkansas (2021-24)
Director of Cross Country and Track and Field, Kansas State (2024-present)

Coaching Honors

4-time USTFCCA National Assistant Coach of the Year (Arkansas)

(2013, 2014, 2023 men’s indoor and 2023 men’s outdoor)

5-time USTFCCA South Central Region Men’s Indoor Assistant Coach of the Year (Arkansas)

(2013, 2014, 2017, 2023, 2024).

2-time USTFCCA South Central Region Men’s Outdoor Assistant Coach of the Year (Arkansas)

(2022, 2023)

1-time USTFCCA South Region Men’s Indoor Assistant Coach of the Year (Tennessee) (2020)
2-time USTFCCA Midwest Region Men’s Outdoor Assistant Coach of the Year (Northern Iowa)

(2007, 2008)

1-time USTFCAA Division II Central Region Men’s Outdoor Assistant Coach of the Year (Central Missouri) (2003)
2009 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Coach of the Year (Northern Iowa)
3-time USA vs. Germany Thorpe Cup decathlon head coach

(2009, 2013, 2014)

Athlete Honors

1998 Missouri Valley Conference decathlon champion
1999 Missouri Valley Conference 4x100-meter relay champion
2000 Missouri Valley Conference indoor distance medley relay champion
2000 NCAA Indoor All-American (distance medley relay)
4-time All-Missouri Valley Conference performer (1997, 1998 indoor and outdoor)
2-time Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete (1999, 2000)
2004, 2006 Drake Relay decathlon champion
5-time national qualifier at the USATF Indoor and Outdoor Championships
2004 Olympic Trials qualifier
3-time member of the U.S. vs. Germany decathlon Thorpe Teams (2003, 2005, 2006)

Education

Bachelor’s degree in general studies, University of Northern Iowa, 2002

Personal

Born: August 20, 1978, in Panora, Iowa
Wife: Nicole
Children: sons Jones and Jax and daughter Ellyn

Women
#	Name	Class	Pos	Hometown
	Paige Baker	So.		Olathe, Kan.
	Cecilia Fisher	Jr.		Overland Park, Kan.
	Gracie Jacobs	Fr.		Kansas City, Mo.
	Christine Jerono	Fr.		Kobujoi, Kenya
	Kate Kowalik	Sr.		Prairie Village, Kan.
	Grace Meyer	Jr.		Prairie Village, Kan.
	Stella Miner	Fr.		Omaha, Neb.
	Bree Newport	Fr.		Olathe, Kan.
	Alexa Rios	Sr.		Shawnee, Kan.
	Katie Schwartzkopf	Jr.		Shawnee, Kan.

Coaching Staff
Image	Name	Title	Email	Phone Number
	Kate Bucknam	Head Cross Country Coach	kbucknam@kstatesports.com	(785) 706-1480
	Trey Brokaw	Assistant Coach	tbrokaw@kstatesports.com	(309) 335-3895
	Stephanie Brokaw	Assistant Coach
	Travis Geopfert	Director of Track and Field and Cross Country	tgeopfert@kstatesports.com	(785) 532-7071

Men
#	Name	Class	Pos	Hometown
	Ty Brechler	So.		Overland Park, Kan.
	Devin Chappel	So.		Garden City, Kan.
	Jackson Esquibel	Fr.		Topeka, Kan.
	Alex Gutierrez	Sr.		Eden Prairie, Minn.
	Matthew Hauser	Sr.		Columbia, Mo.
	Tommy Hazen	Sr.		Overland Park, Kan.
	Lucas Holdren	Fr.		Manhattan, Kan.
	Silas Miller	Fr.		Marysville, Kan.
	Jacob Norris	So.		Olathe, Kan.
	Brock Olsen	Fr.		Overland Park, Kan.
	Adam Snoke	So.		St. Louis, Mo.
	Jackson Steger	Fr.		Lansing, Kan.
	Peyton Willbanks	Fr.		Liberty, Mo.

Upcoming Events

2024 Cross Country Roster

Paige Baker

Cecilia Fisher

Gracie Jacobs

Christine Jerono

Kate Kowalik

Grace Meyer

Stella Miner

Bree Newport

Alexa Rios

Katie Schwartzkopf

Ty Brechler

Devin Chappel

Jackson Esquibel

Alex Gutierrez

Matthew Hauser

Tommy Hazen

Lucas Holdren

Silas Miller

Jacob Norris

Brock Olsen

Adam Snoke

Jackson Steger

Peyton Willbanks

Kate Bucknam

Trey Brokaw

Stephanie Brokaw

Travis Geopfert

Jared Oluwek

Kayla Tully