The Kansas State track and field team sent 10 individuals and two relay squads to Eugene, Oregon, for the NCAA Outdoor Championships on June 8-11. The championships featured the top outdoor track and field athletes across the nation.
“I believe a majority of the athletes placed higher than they were ranked coming in, which is indicative of competing well,” Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto said to K-State Athletics. “For a number of them, this was their first experience at the national meet, and they will be better for it when they return.”
Fifth-year senior Tejaswin Shankar won the championship title for the men’s high jump at the event late Friday night, bringing the title back to K-State for the first time since 2018.
Shankar won in a jump-off between himself and Georgia senior Darius Carbin. After both fouled three times at the 2.24m/7-4.25 height, Shankar cleared the 2.27m/7-5.25 height while Carbin knocked the bar down, giving K-State the victory.
“It feels great to be a national champion,” Shankar said to K-State Athletics. “I wanted to give my best and go out with a title. For that to happen is just a blessing.”
🏆 TEJASWIN SHANKAR IS THE CHAMPION! 🏆
With a height of 2.27m/7-5.25, TJ Shankar has been crowned the 2022 High Jump National Champion!#KStateTF x #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/lruLzsfUQL
— K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) June 11, 2022
According to K-State Athletics, this is Shankar’s second outdoor national title, winning his first in 2018. He was the national runner-up in 2019 and 2021 and finishes his career as an eight-time All-American in the high jump (indoor and outdoor), including a four-time First Team Outdoor All-American.
“This meet was my last meet, and I wanted to go out there and make it memorable for myself,” Shankar said to K-State Athletics. “In the last five years, the university has done so much for me. I would like to dedicate this to the athletics department and the Little Apple. K-State is High Jump U.”
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Other top placements include Urte Bacianskaite’s first-place win in the women’s heptathlon shot put (13.92m/45-8) and Emil Uhlin’s second-place win in the men’s decathlon 1500-meter (4:23.85). Bacianskaite finished the heptathlon in 22nd while Uhlin finished the decathlon in 10th.
“From a year ago, Urte is a completely different athlete in a good way,” Rovelto said to K-State Athletics. “What is exciting for her is that she still has a great deal of room for improvement. She really hung in there.”
K-State concluded the 2021-2022 season with three All-American honors in the indoor season and six All-American recipients for the outdoor season, according to K-State Athletics. The full list of 2022 Track and Field Championship results is available on the official NCAA Championships page.
