Kansas State’s Gary Moore Jr. Named Big 12 Men’s Co-Athlete of the Week
The Kansas State Wildcats track and field program continues to solidify its status as a national powerhouse. And this week, on Wednesday, the spotlight shines brightest on senior thrower Gary Moore Jr. On February 18, 2026, the Big 12 Conference officially named Moore the Big 12 Men’s Co-Athlete of the Week.
Big 12 Weekly Honor Highlights Kansas State Star
Moore shares the weekly accolade with Tayvon Kitchen of the BYU Cougars. That marked the first weekly conference honor of his distinguished career. He is the second Wildcat to be recognized by the Big 12 this season, following junior Tah Chikomba’s selection on February 4.
Big 12 Co-Athlete of the Week 😤@Big12Conference x #EMAW pic.twitter.com/wM51e3uiI8
— K-State T&F/XC (@KStateTFXC) February 18, 2026
On Tuesday, February 17, in the latest USTFCCCA national rankings, the K-State men’s team is set at No. 4 with 116.40 points, just two points shy of No. 3 Oregon.
The recognition stems from Moore’s staggering performance at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on February 13-14. Competing against some of the nation's elite, Moore launched the weight 23.54 m. That broke his own school record for the second time this season.
Moore secured a runner-up finish in a highly competitive field, with his mark landing a full foot and a half farther than the third-place finisher. Statistically, the throw is a game-changer. It currently stands as the No. 1 mark in the Big 12 and the No. 5 mark in the entire NCAA.
Hailing from New Haven, Connecticut, Moore has now firmly established himself as one of the premier throwers in the country. The 2025-26 indoor campaign has been nothing short of dominant for Moore.
At the Thane Baker Invite on January 16, 2026, he opened the season by breaking his previous school record with a throw of 23.14m. That improves by over a foot and a half. At the DeLoss Dodds Invite on January 30-31, 2026, he won the weight throw with a mark of 23.01m.
At the Tyson Invitational on February 13-14, 2026, he reset his school record at 23.54m while finishing runner-up. His statistical profile shows the full scope of his versatility and power. His weight throw school record stands at 23.54 m, set at the Tyson Invitational.
His shot put personal best of 18.21 m came at the Big 12 Championship on February 23-24, 2024. His discus throw best of 55.87 m was recorded at the Big 12 Championship on May 15-17, 2025. His hammer throw personal best of 67.68m also came at the Big 12 Championship on May 15-17, 2025.
Junior Year Breakthrough Laid the Foundation
Moore’s current dominance did not appear overnight. It was built on a breakout junior season in 2024-25. During the outdoor season, he competed in two events at the NCAA West Prelims on May 28-31, 2025. He finished 22nd in the hammer throw at 63.10 m and 25th in the discus at 55.83 m.
He was crowned the Big 12 hammer throw champion on May 15-17, 2025, with a personal best of 67.68m, the No. 2 distance in K-State history. He also placed seventh in the discus at the Big 12 Championship with a personal best of 55.87m, ranking No. 10 in program history, and competed in the shot put at 16.82m.
Indoors, he won the Big 12 Championship weight throw from February 28 to March 1, 2025, with a mark of 22.67 m. He tied for the high-point award at the KU-KSU-WSU Triangular on January 17, 2025, winning both the weight throw at 20.90 m and the shot put at 17.90 m.
He won the Steve Miller Invite on February 7, 2025, with 22.36m and the DeLoss Dodds Invite on January 31 to February 1, 2025, with 21.80m. He also finished runner-up at the Red Raider Invite on January 24, 2025, with 21.30m.
Before becoming a cornerstone of the Wildcats roster, Moore honed his skills with the Baylor Bears. As a sophomore in 2023-24, he recorded his shot put personal best of 18.21 m at the indoor Big 12 Championship on February 23-24, 2024, finishing sixth. He also placed seventh in the weight throw at 20.97 m, setting a new indoor school record for Baylor.
As a freshman in 2022-23, he advanced to the NCAA West Preliminary on May 24-27, 2023, finishing 31st in the shot put at 17.83 m. He competed in three events at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship on May 12-14, 2023. That made him set a discus personal best of 52.18 m at the Clyde Hart Classic on March 24-25, 2023.
K-State will finish the regular season on Friday, February 20, at home with the Steve Miller Invitational at the Cliff Rovelto Indoor Track. From there, the focus shifts to the Big 12 Indoor Championships in Lubbock, Texas, on February 27-28.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.