Kansas State Wildcats Track and Field Closes Championship Weekend
The Kansas State Wildcats track and field team did not just compete this past weekend at the Sports Performance Center. The Wildcats made a statement. Under second-year head coach Travis Geopfert, Kansas State transformed from a developmental squad into a legitimate Big 12 powerhouse. They finished just one point shy of a conference title.
Kansas State Relay Fireworks and Record-Breaking Track Finals
The men’s team delivered a historic runner-up finish with 124 points across 19 events, their highest scoring output since 2016, when they totaled 98.5 points. It also marked the program’s first silver-medal team finish since 2004.
BIG 12 INDOOR DAY 2 MEDAL COUNT 🔥
— K-State Athletics (@kstatesports) March 1, 2026
🥇 Matlock, Grant, Nkosi, Underwood - M 4x400 Relay - 3:05.56
🥈 Selva Prabhu - M TJ - 16.59m (54' 5.25")
🥉 Dorian Charles - M Heptathlon - 5,698 points
🥉 Tah Chikomba - M 60m - 6.59
🥉 Vanessa Mercera - W 600 Yards - 1:18.1
🥉 Heath Grant… pic.twitter.com/LwFByGnlap
Kansas State finished a single point behind champion Texas Tech Red Raiders track and field. This claimed the title with 125 points. Just two seasons ago, the Wildcats were 13th. Now they are No. 2 in the Big 12.
The women added to the momentum with a fourth-place finish and 78.5 points, their highest total since 2021 when they reached 100.5.
The women’s 4x400 relay team of Desirae Riehle, Delaney Brinker, Anastasiia Kretova and Vanessa Mercera shattered their own school record by two full seconds. Their 3:31.44 performance earned third place and rewrote the program record book once again.
The men’s 4x400 squad of Nen Matlock, Heath Grant, Bongumusa Nkosi and Tavon Underwood ran their fastest race of the season at exactly the right time. They won the event in 3:05.59, securing 10 critical team points and energizing the entire facility.
Individually, senior Vanessa Mercera delivered bronze in the 600-yard final with a school-record time of 1:18.1. Delaney Brinker followed closely in sixth at 1:19.06, the second-fastest mark in program history. On the men’s side, freshman Heath Grant added a bronze in the 600 yards, clocking 1:08.53.
Speed showed up in the sprint lanes as well. Tah Chikomba claimed bronze in the 60-meter dash with a personal-best 6.59 seconds, the No. 2 time in Kansas State history. Trevon Hamer finished sixth in 6.66, capping a weekend that began with history.
During Friday’s prelims, Hamer ran 6.58 to break a 22-year-old school record of 6.62 set by Terence Newman in 2002. Mercera also opened her weekend by setting a school record in the 600-yard prelims with a 1:18.79, surpassing the previous mark of 1:19.46 from 2015.
Can't Decide Which One Did Great: Heptathlon Grit Or Jumping Dominance
In the heptathlon, three Wildcats finished in the top eight. Freshman Dorian Charles led the way with a third-place finish and 5,698 points, a 63-point personal best that ranks seventh all-time at Kansas State. Charles recorded personal bests in five of seven events, including a runner-up finish in the 60m hurdles at 7.94, the eighth-fastest time in school history.
Senior Emil Uhlin placed fifth with 5,649 points, and freshman Mattix DaCunha finished seventh with a personal-best 5,533. The climb was dramatic. After four events, Charles sat eighth, DaCunha ninth and Uhlin 12th. By the end, all three stood in scoring position.
On the women’s side, Zoey Brinker placed fourth in the pentathlon with a personal-best 4,091 points. She won the high jump at 5'11.25" and finished runner-up in the 800m with a 2:18.37, showcasing versatility and competitive edge.
In the men’s triple jump, Kansas State swept spots two through four. Selva Prabhu earned silver with a leap of 54'5.25". Aaron Antoine secured bronze at 53'6.5". Jhavor Bennett placed fourth with a season-best 52'8".
The women followed suit. Daniela Wamokpego tied her personal best at 44'7" for bronze, and freshman Destini Smith finished fifth with a personal-best 43'8.75".
The long jump delivered more gold. Uroy Ryan won the men’s title with a 25'11" leap, becoming the first Wildcat to win the indoor event since 2016 and moving to No. 3 in program history. Maud Zeffou-Poaty claimed the women’s crown with a personal-best 21'8.75", remaining third on the all-time indoor list and inching closer to second.
Senior Devin Loudermilk soared to victory in the high jump by clearing 7'4.5", a season-best just shy of his lifetime mark. Though he won the event in 2024 while competing for Kansas, he became the first Wildcat to claim the conference high jump title since 2021.
Monique Hardy captured the women’s weight throw title at 71'10", nearly five feet ahead of the runner-up, earning her second conference championship. Kade McCall matched the energy by winning the men’s weight throw with a personal-best-tying 74'3", securing his first indoor conference crown.
By the end of the meet, Kansas State had crowned five individual field event champions and surged into first place in both team standings after six events. Now the focus shifts to the NCAA Indoor Championships at the Randal Tyson Track Center on March 13 and 14. The NCAA will announce the official qualifiers on Tuesday, March 3.
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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.