K-State Catbacker Tour comes to Dodge City

May 20, 2023

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T-Shirt throw — After a Q&A session, K-State student athletes throw t-shirts at the crowd. Dodge city residents reach to grab a shirt from the air. (Cole Bertelsen | Collegian Media Group)

DODGE CITY — Kansas State’s annual Catbacker Tour is making its way through the state, meeting with supporters of K-State Athletics and the K-State Alumni Association.

The Catbacker Tour arrived in Dodge City on Thursday.

The tour features student athletes, the K-State cheer team, Willie the Wildcat and coaching staff, and is emceed by Wildcat sportscaster Wyatt Thompson.

Dodge City K-State fans met athletes like women’s basketball star Ayoka Lee, and heard men’s basketball head coach Jerome Tang reflect on the team’s success.

Members of the K-State men’s basketball staff, [left to right] graduate student manager Curtis Kelley, Director of Operations Bailey Bachamp, assistant coach Jareem Dowling and head coach Jerome Tang, discuss the past season and future plans. Attendees were given time to ask the speakers questions. (Cole Bertelsen | Collegian Media Group)

Time was allotted for fans to ask questions to the coaching staff, and the student athletes asked each other questions about their favorite memories and what they do off the court or field.

Items were auctioned off and given away in raffles throughout the event.

The second week of the tour will include football head coach Chris Klieman and starts in Manhattan on Monday. On Tuesday the tour will visit Hutchinson and Wichita. On Wednesday it will be in Chanute, Emporia and Kansas City, and on Thursday it will finish off in Seneca and Topeka.