After a strong performance at the Nebraska Tune-Up, the Kansas State track and field team is looking forward to the Big 12 Indoor Championships, which will be hosted in Ames, Iowa, Friday.
Junior Brett Neelly led the competition in Nebraska in the men’s shot put category, throwing an 18.34m/60-02 in Lincoln, and stands second in the Big 12 with his personal best of 19.19m/62-11.50, which he threw at the Texas Shootout last week.
K-State also dominated the women’s 4×400-meter relay with a time of 3:45.43, which was almost 10 full seconds over South Dakota. The Wildcats running this race included sophomores Lauren Taubert and Akia Guerrier and seniors Keiteyana Parks and Ranae McKenzie.
K-State also took third in this category with the team consisting of freshmen Paige Kimble, Victoria Robinson, Cara Melgares and sophomore Ariel Okorie, who together had a time of 3:58.91.
Sophomore Helene Ingvaldsen was K-State’s last winner of the competition with her weight throw of 20.37m/66-10. This was Ingvaldsen’s sixth weight throw competition win of the season. Sophomore Ashley Petr did very well in the weight throw as well, posting a personal best throw of 18.16m/59-07, which was good for fifth place. And freshman Shaelyn Ward was right behind her at sixth with a throw of 17.85m/58-06.75.
“We feel we still have some big throws in us, Ashley [Petr] was pretty stoked to set a personal best of over two meters in the weight throw and Kyle [Mitchell] keeps getting better every week,” assistant coach Greg Watson told K-State Sports.”We have another week for us to prepare for the Big 12 Championships, and I think everyone is excited to get up to Ames and compete.”
Senior Mitch Dixon came in second in the men’s weight throw with a throw of 21.06m/69-01.25, which was less than one meter away from the the winning throw.
Melgares set a new personal best in the women’s mile, recording a 4:57.66, which placed her second overall in the competition.
Both K-State teams placed sixth last season at the Big 12 Indoor Championships at the Lied Recreation Center in Ames, Iowa. The tournament will start on Friday, Feb. 23, and go through Saturday.
