Spring (Outdoor Season) is Upon Us🌻
Pens to Paper and Kansas Athletes on the Big Stage
Now with the professionals done, it is officially time for the outdoor season, and we can all kiss 200m tracks goodbye! Sure, I’ll miss some aspects of indoor, but now we finally get the 10,000m and the 3000m steeplechase. Indoor was fun, but the next few months are going to be even better. Before we talk about outdoor, let’s cover a few other topics first.
College Commitment Rundown✍️
If you’re an avid Twitter user, you may have seen the little spreadsheet we made that contained every single Kansas athlete, in both track & field and cross country, that are planning to compete at the next level. With all of the data we’ve been given and collected over the past few months, we’ve tallied 73 athletes across the state that have committed/signed to continue their athletic endeavors at 26 different schools, across 10 different states! The chance that I missed some athletes is very likely, considering some schools don’t announce incoming athletes until later in the spring. If you are one of those athletes, let me know! I’ll add your name and make sure our readers know where you’re taking your talents!
55 athletes, or 75% of signees are staying close to home and will be competing in the same state for another four years, as they’ve decided to attend an in-state school in the fall. Working our way from Division I down to the NJCAA, we’ll start with the three DI programs that in total brought in 18 recruits.
Kansas 🌻
Kansas State —Manhattan 📍
Grace Meyer — Shawnee Mission East
Katie Schwartzkoph — Mill Valley
Cecilia Fisher — Blue Valley Northwest
Delaney Wright — Louisburg
Carson McEachern — Bishop Carroll
Kansas — Lawrence📍
Tanner Newkirk — Topeka-Hayden
Sawyer Schmidt — Augusta
Tayton Klein — Andover
Tylen Ashihi — El Dorado
Marcus Freeman — Fort Scott CC
Ashton Barkdull — Andover Central
Grace Cramblett — Shawnee Mission Northwest
Tori Wingrove — Blue Valley
Wichita State — Wichita📍
Emily Whorton — McPherson
Mattelyn Swartz — Chaparral
Tess Roman — Shawnee Mission East
Aidan Reyna — Olathe West
Following suit in the Division I programs, which all snagged in-state recruits, the five Division II programs did some heavy recruiting throughout the last year as each of the five universities have brought in 24 athletes, the most out of any of the five collegiate levels.
Newman — Wichita📍
Lucy Brown — Remington
Nayelly Rosales — Wichita North
Anna Corbett — Campus
Paul Sevart — Campus
Pittsburg State — Pittsburg📍
Shelby Sogaard — Shawnee Mission Northwest
Kelsey Bruening — Kapaun Mt. Carmel
Kinley Smith — Girard
Jentrie Alderson — Southeast of Saline
Jordan Kilonzo — Gardner-Edgerton
Dylan Sprecker — Southeast of Saline
Brenden Duncan — Blue Valley Southwest
Tyler Atkins — Junction City
Chase Poague — Southeast of Saline
Luke Jenkins — Olathe East
Fort Hays State — Hays📍
Sage Pauly — Maize South
Max Bowyer — Manhattan
Emporia State — Emporia📍
Tayler Williams — Blue Valley Northwest
Brooke Hammond — Garden Plain
Brogan Renfro — Silver Lake
Steele Ebers — Maize South
Washburn — Topeka📍
Josie Ware — West Elk
Ryan Rochford — Topeka-Hayden
Jordan Dale — Hays
If you aren’t aware, there are roughly zero Division III schools in Kansas, making the NAIA our next level of schools, and then to the NJCAA.
St. Mary — Leavenworth📍
Kenneth Howell — Lansing
MidAmerica Nazarene — Olathe📍
Marc Farris — Basehor-Linwood
Tyler Swearengin — Olathe South
Davis Brogan — Blue Valley Southwest
Gracie Enochs — Smith Center
Kansas Wesleyan — Salina📍
Madisyn Ehrlich — Salina-Sacred Heart'
Joni Schroeder — Southeast of Saline
Remington Wiseman — West Elk
Baker — Baldwin City📍
Donald Chambers — Gardner-Edgerton
Jacob McGlasson — Mill Valley
Haley Carter — Shawnee Mission South
Hutchinson CC — Hutchinson📍
Hayden Keller — Buhler
Grace Lambert — Smoky Valley
Cloud County CC — Concordia📍
Hailey Sharp — Riley County
Nebraska🌽
Our Northern neighbors had their fair share of Kansas athletes choose them over the remaining suitors, snagging seven athletes from their neighbors down South.
Creighton — Omaha📍
Matthew Tolman — Olathe South
Eli Moore — St. James Academy
Katherine Soule — Blue Valley West
Alexis Huddin — St. Thomas Aquinas
Nebraska — Lincoln📍
Brett Schwartz — Santa Fe Trail
Zoie Ecord — Maize
Nebraska-Kearney — Kearney📍
Lexi Liess — Blue Valley Northwest
Here is a rundown of the remaining seven states and the athletes that they’ll have competing for them in the fall and next winter.
Iowa🌪
Iowa State — Ames📍
Hope Jackson — Bishop Carroll
Olivia Bakker — Blue Valley West
Kaylee Tobaben — Olathe North
New Jersey🐅
Princeton — Princeton📍
Casey Helm — Madison
Colorado🦅
United States Air Force Academy — Colorado Springs📍
Tanner Lindahl — Buhler
Indiana🚂
Purdue — West Lafayette📍
Logan Seger — St. Thomas Aquinas
Arkansas🐺
Arkansas State University — Jonesboro📍
Andrew Mason — Blue Valley Northwest
Missouri🦁
Rockhurst — Kansas City📍
Isaac Zitter — Christ Preparatory Academy
Missouri Southern State — Joplin📍
Mackenzie Mayer — Eudora
Wisconsin🐻
Wisconsin-Parkside — Kenosha📍
Chase Matthews — Arkansas City
Massachusetts🟥
Harvard — Cambridge📍
Ben Shryock — Lawrence Free State
Kassidy Johnson Stock📈
Kassidy Johnson already had a lot of success to her name while she competed for Maize South. 5-time all-state finisher between the 400m, 800m and cross country, with an additional four state titles in the 400m and 800m. For a lot of athletes, it may have been a difficult transition from such a successful high school career to a change of scenery at the collegiate level. What I learned from talking with Kassidy, is that the best thing you can do as an athlete on the verge of transitioning from one level to the next is to “trust the process”. I had the chance to catch a glimpse of what it’s like to be an NCAA DI All-American, and boy, it seems like a fun time. It wasn’t an easy path to this level of success, but Kassidy has kept her head down and worked hard over the last five years, which allowed her to reach the level of success she had wanted.
1. What made you choose to run at Kansas State after high school over other collegiate programs?
I chose K-State because Coach Ryun made me feel wanted and as though he was confident that he could develop me and had a plan to do so whereas other coaches did not. K-State also had my majors (Dietetics & Spanish) and was outside of my hometown but still close enough for comfort.
2. At the beginning of the season, did you think that there was any chance that you would be competing at the national championships?
At the beginning of the season I definitely did not think I would qualify for the national championships. I was hoping to run some PRs but the indoor National meet seemed a bit unattainable if I’m being completely honest.
3. Your first ever 800m as a Wildcat was a 2:16. What have been the biggest factors that have helped you lower your PR by over 12 seconds?
I think the biggest factor in lowering my time is simply consistent training over many years. Nothing crazy, just trusting the process and putting in long- term sustainable work. Other things that are always important, especially in the long run, are getting adequate sleep, stretching and rolling, eating enough, staying hydrated, and working on self confidence, mental toughness, and anxiety management.
4. Going into the prelim, did you expect to be in the position to move on to the final? What point during the race did you realize that there was a solid chance you could qualify?
Going into the prelim I absolutely did not expect to qualify for the final. I knew that anything was possible and that I was going to give it my all, but I definitely did not expect it to happen. I don’t think I actually thought I was going to qualify until the last 30 or 40 meters when I was still in second place and couldn’t feel anyone coming. Even when I moved into second with 150 meters to go, I figured that it was only a matter of time before I got taken over and I was just trying to hold the position for as long as possible and ended up holding it through the finish!
5. What was your strategy heading into the final?
Heading into the final, my strategy was honestly the same as any other 800m race I’ve run this year. It was really just about trusting myself and my coach and running my own race. I wanted to have fun with it and enjoy the experience while also seeing how many people I could beat in the process!
6. After a stellar indoor season, what is your plan/goal for the outdoor season? Are you going to focus on the 800m, or maybe double in the 1500m?
This outdoor season will be a mix of both the 800m and 1500m as well as some relays. I would love to make it to outdoor Nationals in the 800m now as well, but I’m also excited to see what I can do in the 1500m this year!
7. What are your plans after you graduate? Are you going to try and run professionally or are you hanging up the spikes?
The current plan is to hang up the spikes after this outdoor season which will be bittersweet for sure. I will begin graduate school and supervised practice at Rutgers University for Dietetics in the fall.
8. Finally, I really enjoyed your post and and what you had to say about your season and your approach to training, involving your happiness and eating. If you could say anything to the next/younger generation of female runners?
If I could say one thing to younger athletes, it would be to let your body be. Society and running culture will pressure you to manipulate your body and intake, but know that you don’t have to! Your happiness is more important than anything and you are enough as you are right now! Focus on how you are feeling and the rest will fall into place. Also remember that sports are supposed to be fun, so don’t let worry and anxiety take that from you! Also also, believe in yourself because anything is possible and the body achieves what the mind believes!
I knew that I was going to enjoy the answers from Kassidy, but come on, how could you not like her answers? With the approach and mindset she’s had for so long, it’s almost hard to believe she’s still in college. I think my favorite part of her responses were what she had to say about the mental and physical health aspect of the sport. Today it seems like that can be a touchy subject in sports, but I’m glad that Kassidy has what it takes to speak on it and in no way stand down to the topic. I can’t wait to see what she’s capable of in outdoor, and I really hope her season ends with her standing on a podium, maybe even the top.
Kansas & Co.🇺🇸🇹🇹🇧🇷 → Belgrade, Serbia 🇷🇸
The 2022 IAAF World Indoor Championships were held last weekend in Belgrade, Serbia, as the world champions were crowned indoor, just over four months before the World Outdoor Championships will take place in Eugene, Oregon. The indoor championships have never seen the same popularity as the outdoor, with athletes often deciding to scratch or simply not even attempt to qualify. The reason for the lack of interest has always been completely unclear, but that’s not the case for all athletes around the world. Typically, it’s primarily the distance athletes who pass on the chance to compete on the world stage, but for five Kansas athletes/alumni, they took advantage of the opportunity and put their talent to the test against. the best in the world.
Bryce Hoppel is a pretty common name for fans of Kansas track & field, and especially anyone that loves the 800m. Since his days as a Jayhawk, Hoppel has been a constant threat in whatever race he is in. Before he was competing on the world stage, Hoppel was the best in the NCAA. There was a period in 2019, spanning from February to June, where the junior Jayhawk was undefeated for 21 consecutive races, ending in the semi-finals of the 2019 USATF Outdoor Championships. During his streak, Hoppel won two NCAA national titles, and set himself up to qualify for the United States team for the 2019 World Championships. Fast forward to 2022, and Hoppel hasn’t let off of the gas. Since he traded in his college uniform for the “three stripe life”, the 24-year-old has finished 4th in the 2019 World Outdoor Championships in Doha, Qatar, made the Olympic semi-final this past year in Tokyo, and earned his first international medal at the 2022 World Indoor Championships this past weekend in Serbia. The first 40 or so meters of the race, Hoppel was on the outside of the back athletes, and slowly worked his way up to 4th throughout the 1st lap. With 400m to go, Hoppel moved back a spot to 5th, as the front pack came through roughly on pace for 1:41.00, which would have been incredible to say the least. As the bell rang with 200m to go, the Spaniard Mariano Garcia and 19-year-old star in Kenyan Noah Kibet both made a move to overtake the leader for the first 600m, Canada’s Marco Arop, while the former Jayhawk made a move to take 3rd in 1:46.51, just .32 seconds away from a world championship gold. The success and experience in March will surely benefit Hoppel this summer, as he’ll look to win his 2nd U.S. title of 2022, and punch his ticket to his 4th international team.
If you were able to watch any of the sprints and/or sprints during the meet last weekend, you may have recognized a few significant athletes who had the chance to represent their native country on the sport’s largest stage. Jerod Elcock, the reigning NJCAA national champion in the 60m dash represented his native Trinidad and Tobago, as he finished 6th in the world in the same event he won a national title in less than a month ago. In a field that included the defending world champion and the Olympic gold medalist, Elcock was set to race in what was the fastest race of his career. The Butler CC sophomore finished 6th, clocking 6.63, just shy of his fastest time ever. The two men that took 1st and 2nd in the final with Elcock both ran 6.41, the current world leading times in the event.
Vitória Alves, a current Kansas State Wildcat, joined Elcock in Belgrade, this time competing in the 60mH. Alves, a 2021 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship qualifier, donned the yellow and green as she represented Brazil for what I believe was the first time in her career. The Wildcat senior placed 5th in her heat, but was very grateful for the experience, describing it as “[ . . . ] incredible. I never pictured myself at that stage and seeing myself having the opportunity to go there and compete was very special.” As the indoor season comes to a close, Alves looks to shift her focus to the outdoor season and make it last as long as it possibly can.
Outdoor Track is Here☀️
After a typical Kansas winter that had its days below zero and its days above 60, the outdoor season has finally made its way back into the state. This past weekend, there were two collegiate meets across the state, the Bethel College Open in Newton and the ESU Spring Invite in Emporia. Kansas teams also traveled to the Dr. Dan Caprioglio Early Bird meet in Pueblo, Colorado, and the CMU Open in Fayette, Missouri. Here’s a quick guide to where all of our in-state schools competed and links to the results!
Bethel College Open
📍 Bethel College, Newton, Kansas
📊 Results
Bethel
Butler CC
Cloud CC
Colby CC
McPherson
MidAmerica Nazarene
Tabor
ESU Spring Invite
📍 Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas
📊 Results
Baker
Coffeyville CC
Emporia State
Kansas
Neosho County
Ottawa
Pittsburg State
Pratt CC
Saint Mary
Wichita State
CMU Open
📍Central Methodist University, Fayette, Missouri
📊 Results
Baker
Dr. Dan Caprioglio Early Bird
📍CSU-Pueblo, Pueblo, Colorado
📊 Results
Pittsburg State
It only took a few months for me to finally summarize the college commitments, and there is no way I could have done it without a lot of you who informed me of commitments/signings that I had missed. As I mentioned on Twitter, if there are more that I missed or any new ones that come out, let me know and I’ll add them to the extensive list above! With the weather a little warmer than it was today, if you know anyone competing this weekend or can’t come up with anything else to do, I highly recommend you go find yourself a track meet to enjoy. I hope all of you have a great weekend, and I’ll see you in a week!