The 20 athletes who make both Wichita State indoor track teams AAC contenders
The indoor track and field season is underway and Wichita State has two teams capable of pushing for high finishes in the American Athletic Conference.
The Shockers have three weeks to prepare for the AAC Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Ala. on Feb. 22-23. Based on projections, the WSU men are only behind Houston, which finished third in the NCAA last year, and the WSU women have a slight lead in what should be a tight race.
WSU hosts an indoor meet this Friday at 10 a.m. at the Heskett Center. If you aren’t able to catch the Shockers then, here are 10 names from each team that should be in the mix for all-conference honors in February.
Men’s team
Rayvon Allen, sophomore from St. Louis, Mo.
Events: Long jump, triple jump, 200
Need to know: Allen has already logged a 24-9¼ mark in the long jump, which ranks third in the AAC, 31st in the NCAA and seventh all-time at WSU. Hasn’t popped a big one in triple jump, but more than capable; his career-best of 50-5¼ ranks fourth all-time at WSU and would put him in mix for a top finish in the AAC. He’s quickly developed his speed and he could add the 200 to his load at the AAC meet. He ran 21.59 at Air Force last weekend, sixth-fastest in WSU history and ninth-best in the AAC this season. Finished third at AAC Indoor in long jump last year and gained valuable experience this summer competing in long jump, finishing runner-up at the USATF Junior Championships and placing 10th at the IAAF World U-20 Championships in Finland.
Jared Belardo, senior from Leavenworth, Kan.
Events: Long jump, triple jump
Need to know: Arguably the most accomplished jumper in WSU history is looking to add a final chapter to his indoor career. He owns the best long jump (25-9¼) in school history and the second-best triple jump (51-11¾). He’s a four-time indoor champion, including winning last year’s AAC title in the long jump, and finished 12th to earn All-American status at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2016. His current season-bests — 24-3½ in long jump and 49-8¼ in triple jump — have him top-five in the AAC and top-55 in the country.
Hayden Bugner, senior from Andale, Kan.
Event: Pole vault
Need to know: The former state champion from Andale has finished runner-up and third at his last two indoor conference meets. He logged his season-best mark of 16-6¾ this past weekend at Air Force, which isn’t far from his personal-best and is tied for third-best in the AAC.
Isaiah Evans, senior from Mulvane, Kan.
Event: Weight throw
Need to know: In his second year at WSU, the Mulvane native has continued to improve in the weight throw. With the arrival of transfer Cory Martens, WSU now has the top two marks in the weight throw in the AAC with Martens (64-10) and Evans (63-11½). The new personal-best throw by Evans was recorded last weekend at Air Force and ranks him No. 7 at WSU all-time.
Joseph Holthusen, freshman from Wichita, Kan.
Event: 60 hurdles
Need to know: Perhaps the surprise of the winter season, the Bishop Carroll graduate who won a pair of 5A titles in the hurdles last spring has carried over his success to the Division I level. In just his second collegiate meet, Holthusen ripped off an 8.08 in the 60 hurdles that registers him eighth all-time at WSU and fourth in the AAC.
Jake Horsch, sophomore from Andale, Kan.
Event: Heptathlon
Need to know: Last year he finished fourth at the AAC Indoor Championships in the heptathlon and third at the AAC Outdoor Championships in the decathlon. Injuries have prevented him from completing a heptathlon yet this season, but his career-best mark of 5,161 points makes him a contender in the AAC.
Ben Johnson, senior from Tonganoxie, Kan.
Event: Heptathlon, 60 hurdles
Need to know: One of the most accomplished hepathletes in WSU history. Ranks fifth all-time with career-best 5,615 points and has finished runner-up at the conference meet two straight years. Johnson was on pace for a conference-leading mark last weekend, but a flu bug forced him to pull out of the meet. He also has a chance to score at the AAC meet in the open 60 hurdles, as his career-best of 8.10 ranks No. 10 all-time at WSU and would rank fifth in the AAC this season.
Cory Martens, senior from Newton, Kan.
Events: Weight throw, shot put
Need to know: The Newton native is a graduate transfer from Division II Chadron State and has taken off in the weight throw. Martens has added five feet to his personal-best and his mark of 64-10 is the best in the AAC, sixth-best in WSU history and No. 34 nationally. His mark of 53-6¼ in the shot put also ranks 10th in the AAC.
Zack Penrod, junior from Raytown, Mo.
Events: Mile, 800, Distance medley relay
Need to know: Penrod is the defending AAC champion in the indoor mile and ran the conference-leading time last weekend at the Pitt State Invitational in 4:04.80, which is also a top-50 mark nationally. He’s already not far off his career-best of 4:03.39, which ranks third in WSU history. Penrod could also double up and run the 800, where his career-best of 1:51.93 ranks ninth-best in WSU history and would put him near the top in the AAC. The Shockers should also be able to put together a competitive distance medley relay team, which Penrod could be a part of.
Nathan Wickoren, senior from Olathe, Kan.
Events: Mile, 3,000, Distance medley relay
Need to know: The senior from Olathe had a major improvement on his career-best in the mile this past weekend at the Pitt State Invitational, shaving off three seconds to run a 4:06.39. He combined with teammate Zach Penrod to go 1-2 in the race and now the two teammates are 1-2 atop the AAC list in the mile. He might run the 3000 at the conference meet and the 10th-best time right now at 8:29.69. Like Penrod, WSU could decide to use Wickoren on its DMR team to make a strong push in the event.
Women’s team
Amiya Anoma, freshman from Randallstown, Md.
Events: Triple jump, long jump, 60 hurdles
Need to know: The biggest surprise of the season so far, the freshman from the Baltimore area burst onto the scene last week at Air Force. Her mark of 41-6 in the triple jump is the third-best in WSU history and ranks her No. 3 in the AAC and No. 37 nationally. She also added nearly a foot to her career-best in the long jump (18-10¾) and has moved up to No. 6 in the AAC. She is also rapidly improving in the 60 hurdles, where she lowered her career-best to 8.87.
Jacque Darby, sophomore from Olathe, Kan.
Event: 200
Need to know: Was part of the massive redshirt plan for WSU last season, but is back this season and ran a career-best 24.53 in the indoor 200 last week to move up to No. 4 all-time at WSU and No. 14 in the AAC this season. Darby is a former five-time Kansas high school state champion at Olathe South, where she won the 6A titles in the 100 and 200 her final two years.
Alesa Frey, senior from Brookfield, Mo.
Event: Pole vault
Need to know: Frey already improved her career-best mark in the pole vault to 12-11½ this season, which ranks No. 6 all-time at WSU and No. 4 in the AAC this season. She is looking to become just one of five women to break 13 feet in WSU history.
Kendra Henry, sophomore from Waverly, Kan.
Event: Pentathlon
Need to know: Henry won the AAC title in the outdoor heptathlon, but isn’t as potent in the indoor pentathlon without the javelin throw. She finished ninth last year in the pentathlon at the AAC meet, but should be improved this season. Henry notched a career-best score of 3,594 points back in November, which stands No. 3 in the AAC and No. 41 nationally.
Winny Koskei, sophomore from Kericho, Kenya
Events: 3,000, 5,000
Need to know: Koskei had the best 2018 of any Shocker: she won two AAC outdoor titles on the track, then won the AAC cross country title and became an NCAA All-American last fall. She’ll be the favorite to win the 5,000, as she ran a career-best 16:17.22 in December, which stands as the top time in the AAC, No. 4 at WSU all-time and No. 32 nationally. She also lowered her career-best time in the 3,000 to 9:30.46 last weekend, which is No. 6 all-time in WSU, No. 3 in the AAC and top-40 nationally.
Claudia Rojo, junior from Naron, Spain
Event: Pentathlon
Need to know: The Spaniard is on WSU’s all-time list in the pentathlon, scoring 3,595 points for the No. 9 score in program history in 2017. After taking a redshirt last indoor season, Rojo is back and scored 3,582 points in the season-opening event in November. That score still ranks No. 7 in the AAC and top-50 nationally.
Sidney Sapp, freshman from Oklahoma City, Okla.
Event: High jump
Need to know: Sapp was a big-time recruit who was a six-time state champion in Oklahoma. She specializes in the high jump for WSU and cleared the 5-9 barrier for the first time two weeks ago. Her career-best mark of 5-9¼ already is the fourth-best mark in WSU history and stands as the No. 2 mark in the AAC and No. 27 nationally.
Kelsey Slawson, senior from Paola, Kan.
Event: Shot put
Need to know: Slawson is the programs best shot put thrower of all-time, as she owns the top mark in indoor (51-2¾) and outdoor (51-0¾). The Paola native upped her career-best indoor throw just 10 days ago, as the 51-2¾ mark ranks No. 2 in the AAC and No. 38 nationally.
Rebekah Topham, junior from Griswold, Iowa
Events: Mile, 3,000
Need to know: Topham pairs with teammate Winny Koskei for the top distance duo in the AAC. Topham is three-time conference champion in track and won the 2016 cross country title in the Missouri Valley. Topham ran the third-fastest mile in school history at 4:45.75 in 2017 and her current season-best of 4:53.06 ranks second in the AAC. Topham shaved seconds off her career-best in the 3,000 last weekend at Pitt State, as her time of 9:26.76 is less than a second off the top time in the AAC and moves her up to No. 4 all-time in WSU history.
Sydney Wilson, sophomore from Sterling, Kan.
Events: Pentathlon, high jump
Need to know: Another athlete coming off a redshirt season, Wilson scored a career-best 3,586 points in the pentathlon this past week at Air Force, which ranks sixth in the AAC. Wilson also cleared 5-7 in the open high jump, which has her tied for the sixth-best mark in the AAC this season.
This story was originally published January 28, 2019 at 4:29 PM.
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