When 57-year old Rodney Tafoya took the mound this past Saturday night at Rathert Field he was seeking his 456th career pitching victory. That didn't happen as the team he was pitching for, the Kansas City Knights, lost to the Brigade 13-6.

Tafoya started the game and went 4 2/3 innings, giving up 9 earned runs and 12 hits in the loss.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Rodney's goal is to reach 500 wins for his career which has spanned approximately five decades so far. "I'm about 92% through with my lifetime goal of winning 500 games."

Tafoya has pitched 13 seasons in Puerto Rico and also in Canada and Mexico along with many cities in the United States. "I just love to pitch and I've been blessed to pitch for five decades and hopefully in the next three or four years I can get 45 more."

Tafoya credits his conditioning as a factor in sustaining his success. "I've thrown about 80,000 thousand pitches, just a modest 120 per start. But I do 10 miles every morning at 7,000 feet where I live back in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the high country."

Tafoya pitched for his 180th team Saturday night and in his 680th game. It was his first visit to Rathert Field where he provided his impression of the facility. "I'd say superb, second to none. I'm impressed with the fast infield. I love the mound, synthetic mounds are great because everything is in symmetry. There's no holes you have to dodge or deal with." Tafoya called Rathert Field "very historic."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624287366935.jpeg" alt="Rodney Tafoya at Rathert Field" />
 <figcaption>Rodney Tafoya at Rathert Field</figcaption>
 </figure>When 57-year old Rodney Tafoya took the mound this past Saturday night at Rathert Field he was seeking his 456th career pitching victory. That didn't happen as the team he was pitching for, the Kansas City Knights, lost to the Brigade 13-6.Tafoya started the game and went 4 2/3 innings, giving up 9 earned runs and 12 hits in the loss.&nbsp;&nbsp;Rodney's goal is to reach 500 wins for his career which has spanned approximately five decades so far. "I'm about 92% through with my lifetime goal of winning 500 games."Tafoya has pitched 13 seasons in Puerto Rico and also in Canada and Mexico along with many cities in the United States. "I just love to pitch and I've been blessed to pitch for five decades and hopefully in the next three or four years I can get 45 more."Tafoya credits his conditioning as a factor in sustaining his success. "I've thrown about 80,000 thousand pitches, just a modest 120 per start. But I do 10 miles every morning at 7,000 feet where I live back in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the high country."Tafoya pitched for his 180th team Saturday night and in his 680th game. It was his first visit to Rathert Field where he provided his impression of the facility. "I'd say superb, second to none. I'm impressed with the fast infield. I love the mound, synthetic mounds are great because everything is in symmetry. There's no holes you have to dodge or deal with." Tafoya called Rathert Field "very historic."

Ageless Arm pitches at Rathert Field

Third, fourth and fifth innings were huge for the Junction City Brigade during their 13-6 win Saturday night over the Kansas City Knights at Rathert Field. Twelve runs were scored during those innings combined.

 Garrett Redden hit a home run and Joseph Kinneberg collected two doubles, a single and drew a walk for the brigade.&nbsp;

Rodney Tofoya, 57, "The Ageless Arm" pitched four and two-thirds innings for the Knights but gave up 12 hits, nine earned runs, walked two and struck out three batters during his time on the mound. He was seeking his 456th career pitching victory against only 97 losses.

Junction City will host Sabetha Tuesday night at 7 p.m.

Third, fourth and fifth innings were huge for the Junction City Brigade during their 13-6 win Saturday night over the Kansas City Knights at Rathert Field. Twelve runs were scored during those innings combined. Garrett Redden hit a home run and Joseph Kinneberg collected two doubles, a single and drew a walk for the brigade.&nbsp;Rodney Tofoya, 57, "The Ageless Arm" pitched four and two-thirds innings for the Knights but gave up 12 hits, nine earned runs, walked two and struck out three batters during his time on the mound. He was seeking his 456th career pitching victory against only 97 losses.Junction City will host Sabetha Tuesday night at 7 p.m.

Brigade put 13 runs up in win over the Kansas City Knights

Junction City rallied from a 5-1 deficit Friday night at Rathert Field and had the game with the Midwest A's tied 6-6 going into the ninth inning. Then pitching struggles proved costly for the Brigade as Drake Sizemore, on in relief, hit two batters and walked five others. A Brigade error also aided The A's as they scored five runs in the inning and went on to defeat Junction City 11-6.

Junction City had scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth on a throwing error by Midwest and that allowed the Brigade to tie the game. Then came the struggles in the ninth.

Junction City will be back in action Saturday night at Rathert Field when they host the Kansas City Knights at 7 p.m. Rodney Tofoya, 56, will be pitching for Kansas City. He will be seeking his 500th pitching victory.

There will also be a fireworks display after the game.

Junction City rallied from a 5-1 deficit Friday night at Rathert Field and had the game with the Midwest A's tied 6-6 going into the ninth inning. Then pitching struggles proved costly for the Brigade as Drake Sizemore, on in relief, hit two batters and walked five others. A Brigade error also aided The A's as they scored five runs in the inning and went on to defeat Junction City 11-6.Junction City had scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth on a throwing error by Midwest and that allowed the Brigade to tie the game. Then came the struggles in the ninth.Junction City will be back in action Saturday night at Rathert Field when they host the Kansas City Knights at 7 p.m. Rodney Tofoya, 56, will be pitching for Kansas City. He will be seeking his 500th pitching victory.There will also be a fireworks display after the game.

A's score five in the ninth to defeat the Brigade

By TOMMY REZAC <a href="https://stjosephpost.com">St. Joseph Post</a>

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The city of St. 
Joseph and Missouri Western State University will soon know for sure 
what the Kansas City Chiefs’ plan is for training camp.

The NFL 
has given the green light for all 32 teams to travel to their training 
camp sites this summer. Fans will also be allowed to watch as long as 
state and local protocols are followed.

Training camp has been at 
Missouri Western’s campus since 2010. It was held in Kansas City's 
practice facility last summer due to COVID-19. 

Missouri Western 
athletic director Josh Looney says the school's relationship with the 
Chiefs has always been positive, and he looks forward to hearing their 
plans about training camp soon.

"Obviously at Missouri Western, we
 feel very confident in our ability to host a camp this year and meet 
protocol," Looney told the Post in an interview. "We continue to work 
with the Chiefs and we're not in a position to share any dates or 
confirm things, and so it's still a bit of a waiting game."

The Chiefs are contracted to hold training camp in St. Joseph through
 2024. A full training camp schedule is expected to be announced in the 
next week or two.

"We'll follow the NFL's lead and adapt and we 
feel like we're in a good position to follow whatever protocols are 
necessary regarding training camp in 2021," Looney said.

Training 
camp has always brought hundreds of fans from Kansas City and beyond to 
St. Joseph, giving local restaurants, hotels and businesses a nice 
boost.

Looney says Kansas City's recent run of five straight 
division titles, back-to-back conference titles and a 2020 Super Bowl 
win has fueled the excitement, especially during the 2019 camp.

"We
 had a record camp and it was an unbelievable atmosphere," Looney 
recalled. "A sea of red throughout the community. We had a rally 
downtown to welcome the team to camp. Then, they go and win the Super 
Bowl. Then, in 2020 it was canceled and we were expecting another record
 camp, so I think there's pent up demand."

You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

By TOMMY REZAC <a href="https://stjosephpost.com">St. Joseph Post</a>ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The city of St. 
Joseph and Missouri Western State University will soon know for sure 
what the Kansas City Chiefs’ plan is for training camp.The NFL 
has given the green light for all 32 teams to travel to their training 
camp sites this summer. Fans will also be allowed to watch as long as 
state and local protocols are followed.Training camp has been at 
Missouri Western’s campus since 2010. It was held in Kansas City's 
practice facility last summer due to COVID-19. Missouri Western 
athletic director Josh Looney says the school's relationship with the 
Chiefs has always been positive, and he looks forward to hearing their 
plans about training camp soon."Obviously at Missouri Western, we
 feel very confident in our ability to host a camp this year and meet 
protocol," Looney told the Post in an interview. "We continue to work 
with the Chiefs and we're not in a position to share any dates or 
confirm things, and so it's still a bit of a waiting game."The Chiefs are contracted to hold training camp in St. Joseph through
 2024. A full training camp schedule is expected to be announced in the 
next week or two."We'll follow the NFL's lead and adapt and we 
feel like we're in a good position to follow whatever protocols are 
necessary regarding training camp in 2021," Looney said.Training 
camp has always brought hundreds of fans from Kansas City and beyond to 
St. Joseph, giving local restaurants, hotels and businesses a nice 
boost.Looney says Kansas City's recent run of five straight 
division titles, back-to-back conference titles and a 2020 Super Bowl 
win has fueled the excitement, especially during the 2019 camp."We
 had a record camp and it was an unbelievable atmosphere," Looney 
recalled. "A sea of red throughout the community. We had a rally 
downtown to welcome the team to camp. Then, they go and win the Super 
Bowl. Then, in 2020 it was canceled and we were expecting another record
 camp, so I think there's pent up demand."You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Missouri Western officials optimistic about return of Chiefs training camp

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;A.J. Kloss, who has spent the last seven seasons working with the Wildcat women’s basketball and women’s tennis teams, was recently named the strength and conditioning coach for the Kansas State men’s basketball team.

Kloss has been training with the men’s basketball team since they returned from summer workouts in early June. He replaces&nbsp;Ben O’Donnell, who resigned in late May to pursue a job in the private sector.

“First of all, I want to thank Ben for his dedication to our program these last five seasons,” said head coach&nbsp;Bruce Weber. “We are disappointed to lose him. He was well-liked by both our current and former players. He was an important part of our success and brought energy every day to our program.

“The first thing Ben told me after he was leaving was that A.J. was the right person for the job. A.J. is someone who has been around our program before as a graduate assistant, so he knows how we operate. Both Ben and A.J. have very similar philosophies of how they develop players in the weight room, and with summer workouts fast approaching, I knew A.J. would be an easy and quick transition.

Summer is such an important time in the development of our players, so it was critical to get someone in not only quickly, but also get someone who knows our players and has their respect. Having trained the women’s team, A.J. is someone that our returning players have been around and have learned to respect how he runs a weight room. It was important to consult (Coach) Jeff (Mittie), who hated to lose him, but was very, very positive of the move. He was glad that his players will still get to be around A.J.”

Kloss moves over to work with the men’s basketball team after spending the past seven seasons (2014-21) working with the women’s basketball and women’s tennis teams, including the last five in a full-time capacity. During that span, he helped the Wildcat women’s basketball team earn 125 victories, including 57 in Big 12 play, while advancing to the postseason on five occasions, including three trips to the NCAA Tournament. The women’s tennis team was also successful during his tenure training the team, registering three consecutive winning seasons (2017-20) and advancing to the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament.

In all, Kloss trained 30 All-Big 12 selections, including eight on the First Team, between the two sports as well as two Big 12 Freshman of the Year in tennis’&nbsp;Maria Linares&nbsp;(2018) and basketball’s&nbsp;Ayoka Lee&nbsp;(2019). This past season, he played a role in training Lee, who was a WBCA All-America honorable mention and a repeat First Team All-Big 12 selection. Lee led the Big 12 and ranked third nationally in field goal percentage.

Kloss was also part of the support team that helped aid former Wildcat&nbsp;Peyton Williams&nbsp;in balancing her two-sport schedule with the women’s basketball and volleyball teams. Williams was a two-time First Team All-Big 12 selection (2019 and 2020) in basketball and a 2019 Second Team selection in volleyball.

The Chicago native does have experience working with the men’s basketball team as a graduate assistant from 2014-16, along with his duties with the women’s basketball and tennis teams. He earned a Master’s degree from K-State in counseling and student affairs with an emphasis in Intercollegiate Athletics in 2016.

“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity Coach (Bruce) Weber and his staff have given me to join the program,” said Kloss. “The last few weeks have undoubtably been bittersweet because I’m losing a colleague and a collection of student-athletes that I admire. However, I’m excited for the opportunity, optimistic for the future and hope to make this team proud.

“I’ve been appreciative of the support I have received from Coach (Jeff) Mittie and Coach (Jordan) Smith throughout my tenure and during this transition. I am honored to take the torch from a first-class strength coach and valued friend,&nbsp;Ben O’Donnell. My predecessor only claimed 5-foot-7, but he left big shoes to fill - that’s not something I’m taking lightly.”

While working with the women’s basketball team, Kloss was not only responsible for designing and implementing strength and conditioning programs, but also created and helped facilitate individualized rehabilitation programs for student-athlete recovery from surgical procedures or injuries.

Kloss is a 2013 graduate of Iowa, where he was a strength conditioning intern assisting with the design and implementation of the strength and conditioning programs for the Hawkeye volleyball, rowing, tennis, golf, track and field, field hockey, baseball and men’s basketball teams. He earned his undergraduate degree from Iowa in health and human physiology.

Kloss is a certified member of the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA). In 2014, he was named the Lance Vermeil Scholarship award winner from the CSCCA.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;A.J. Kloss, who has spent the last seven seasons working with the Wildcat women’s basketball and women’s tennis teams, was recently named the strength and conditioning coach for the Kansas State men’s basketball team.Kloss has been training with the men’s basketball team since they returned from summer workouts in early June. He replaces&nbsp;Ben O’Donnell, who resigned in late May to pursue a job in the private sector.“First of all, I want to thank Ben for his dedication to our program these last five seasons,” said head coach&nbsp;Bruce Weber. “We are disappointed to lose him. He was well-liked by both our current and former players. He was an important part of our success and brought energy every day to our program.“The first thing Ben told me after he was leaving was that A.J. was the right person for the job. A.J. is someone who has been around our program before as a graduate assistant, so he knows how we operate. Both Ben and A.J. have very similar philosophies of how they develop players in the weight room, and with summer workouts fast approaching, I knew A.J. would be an easy and quick transition.Summer is such an important time in the development of our players, so it was critical to get someone in not only quickly, but also get someone who knows our players and has their respect. Having trained the women’s team, A.J. is someone that our returning players have been around and have learned to respect how he runs a weight room. It was important to consult (Coach) Jeff (Mittie), who hated to lose him, but was very, very positive of the move. He was glad that his players will still get to be around A.J.”Kloss moves over to work with the men’s basketball team after spending the past seven seasons (2014-21) working with the women’s basketball and women’s tennis teams, including the last five in a full-time capacity. During that span, he helped the Wildcat women’s basketball team earn 125 victories, including 57 in Big 12 play, while advancing to the postseason on five occasions, including three trips to the NCAA Tournament. The women’s tennis team was also successful during his tenure training the team, registering three consecutive winning seasons (2017-20) and advancing to the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament.In all, Kloss trained 30 All-Big 12 selections, including eight on the First Team, between the two sports as well as two Big 12 Freshman of the Year in tennis’&nbsp;Maria Linares&nbsp;(2018) and basketball’s&nbsp;Ayoka Lee&nbsp;(2019). This past season, he played a role in training Lee, who was a WBCA All-America honorable mention and a repeat First Team All-Big 12 selection. Lee led the Big 12 and ranked third nationally in field goal percentage.Kloss was also part of the support team that helped aid former Wildcat&nbsp;Peyton Williams&nbsp;in balancing her two-sport schedule with the women’s basketball and volleyball teams. Williams was a two-time First Team All-Big 12 selection (2019 and 2020) in basketball and a 2019 Second Team selection in volleyball.The Chicago native does have experience working with the men’s basketball team as a graduate assistant from 2014-16, along with his duties with the women’s basketball and tennis teams. He earned a Master’s degree from K-State in counseling and student affairs with an emphasis in Intercollegiate Athletics in 2016.“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity Coach (Bruce) Weber and his staff have given me to join the program,” said Kloss. “The last few weeks have undoubtably been bittersweet because I’m losing a colleague and a collection of student-athletes that I admire. However, I’m excited for the opportunity, optimistic for the future and hope to make this team proud.“I’ve been appreciative of the support I have received from Coach (Jeff) Mittie and Coach (Jordan) Smith throughout my tenure and during this transition. I am honored to take the torch from a first-class strength coach and valued friend,&nbsp;Ben O’Donnell. My predecessor only claimed 5-foot-7, but he left big shoes to fill - that’s not something I’m taking lightly.”While working with the women’s basketball team, Kloss was not only responsible for designing and implementing strength and conditioning programs, but also created and helped facilitate individualized rehabilitation programs for student-athlete recovery from surgical procedures or injuries.Kloss is a 2013 graduate of Iowa, where he was a strength conditioning intern assisting with the design and implementation of the strength and conditioning programs for the Hawkeye volleyball, rowing, tennis, golf, track and field, field hockey, baseball and men’s basketball teams. He earned his undergraduate degree from Iowa in health and human physiology.Kloss is a certified member of the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA). In 2014, he was named the Lance Vermeil Scholarship award winner from the CSCCA.

Kloss Named Strength Coach for Men’s Basketball Team

Junction City fell to the Midwest A's 5-4 in summer collegiate baseball Thursday evening.&nbsp; The two teams will play again tonight at 7 p.m. at Rathert Field.

Junction City fell to the Midwest A's 5-4 in summer collegiate baseball Thursday evening.&nbsp; The two teams will play again tonight at 7 p.m. at Rathert Field.

Brigade lose to the Midwest A'S

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– K-State head volleyball coach&nbsp;Suzie Fritz&nbsp;announced the addition of Florida transfer opposite&nbsp;Haley Warner&nbsp;to the Wildcats’ 2021 roster on Thursday.

Warner, a 6-foot-2 native of Fayetteville, Arkansas, comes to Manhattan after three seasons at Florida, in which she helped the Gators to three NCAA Tournament appearances. Listed as a senior, Warner still possesses two years of eligibility due to the COVID-19 eligibility waiver granted by the NCAA.

“We were hopeful to find an impact pin attacker that could bring more experience to our team,” said Fritz. “We feel as though we have found that in Haley and are looking forward to the impact that she will have on our team’s success over the next two seasons. As a left-hander, she gives us a different look at the opposite position from an attacking perspective, in addition to providing a physical presence at the net blocking.

“Haley is a terrific student, teammate and person. We have amazing women on this team and Haley will no doubt add positively to our team dynamic and culture.”

UF advanced to a Regional Final in last year’s postseason after back-to-back trips to the Sweet 16 in 2018 and 2019. Warner was also a part of Florida’s 2019 SEC championship team.

In three seasons, Warner appeared in 33 matches for the Gators, logging 57 kills and 20 total blocks. She hit .200 in her career, including a career-best .316 in 2020, and tallied a career-best nine kills against Dayton during the 2019 season.

Warner’s decorated prep career at Fayetteville High School included being named the 2014 Gatorade Arkansas Player of the Year and 2016 Wendy’s Arkansas Player of the Year. A three-time state champion, Warner was tabbed as the nation’s No. 25 recruit by PrepVolleyball.com in 2017.

Prior to committing to Florida, Warner earned a spot on the 2016 USAV Youth National Team and the 2014 and 2015 USAV High Performance A1 Teams. Additionally, she garnered high school all-America honors from PrepVolleyball.com (three times), MaxPreps (four times), Under Armour (second team) and&nbsp;USA Today&nbsp;(three times).

Warner is a three-time SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll recipient and will join setter&nbsp;Josie Halbleib, defensive specialist/libero&nbsp;Molly Ramsey&nbsp;and defensive specialist/libero&nbsp;Jaden Ravnsborg&nbsp;as part of the Cats’ 2021 class.

The four newcomers will pair with K-State’s 23rd-ranked recruiting class from a year ago in&nbsp;Aliyah Carter, Kadye Fernholz, Tessa Mati, Mackenzie Morris&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jayden Nembhard, according to PrepVolleyball.com. Carter was named the 2020 Big 12 Freshman of the Year in addition to the 2020 AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year.

<a>K-State ended the 2020 season 13-8 (10-6 Big 12) and in third place in the Big 12 standings, its highest conference finish since the 2008 season.</a>

2021 K-State Volleyball Signing Class

Name /&nbsp;Pos. /&nbsp;Height /&nbsp;Hometown / High School / Last School/Club

Josie Halbleib / S / 6-2 / Howards Grove, Wis. / Howards Grove HS / FC Elite

Molly Ramsey / DS/L / 5-4 / Roca, Neb. / Norris HS / Nebraska Juniors

Jaden Ravnsborg / DS/L / 5-8 / Shawnee, Kan. / Mill Valley HS / KC Power

Haley Warner /&nbsp;OPP /&nbsp;6-2 /&nbsp;Fayetteville, Ark. / Fayetteville HS / Florida

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– K-State head volleyball coach&nbsp;Suzie Fritz&nbsp;announced the addition of Florida transfer opposite&nbsp;Haley Warner&nbsp;to the Wildcats’ 2021 roster on Thursday.Warner, a 6-foot-2 native of Fayetteville, Arkansas, comes to Manhattan after three seasons at Florida, in which she helped the Gators to three NCAA Tournament appearances. Listed as a senior, Warner still possesses two years of eligibility due to the COVID-19 eligibility waiver granted by the NCAA.“We were hopeful to find an impact pin attacker that could bring more experience to our team,” said Fritz. “We feel as though we have found that in Haley and are looking forward to the impact that she will have on our team’s success over the next two seasons. As a left-hander, she gives us a different look at the opposite position from an attacking perspective, in addition to providing a physical presence at the net blocking.“Haley is a terrific student, teammate and person. We have amazing women on this team and Haley will no doubt add positively to our team dynamic and culture.”UF advanced to a Regional Final in last year’s postseason after back-to-back trips to the Sweet 16 in 2018 and 2019. Warner was also a part of Florida’s 2019 SEC championship team.In three seasons, Warner appeared in 33 matches for the Gators, logging 57 kills and 20 total blocks. She hit .200 in her career, including a career-best .316 in 2020, and tallied a career-best nine kills against Dayton during the 2019 season.Warner’s decorated prep career at Fayetteville High School included being named the 2014 Gatorade Arkansas Player of the Year and 2016 Wendy’s Arkansas Player of the Year. A three-time state champion, Warner was tabbed as the nation’s No. 25 recruit by PrepVolleyball.com in 2017.Prior to committing to Florida, Warner earned a spot on the 2016 USAV Youth National Team and the 2014 and 2015 USAV High Performance A1 Teams. Additionally, she garnered high school all-America honors from PrepVolleyball.com (three times), MaxPreps (four times), Under Armour (second team) and&nbsp;USA Today&nbsp;(three times).Warner is a three-time SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll recipient and will join setter&nbsp;Josie Halbleib, defensive specialist/libero&nbsp;Molly Ramsey&nbsp;and defensive specialist/libero&nbsp;Jaden Ravnsborg&nbsp;as part of the Cats’ 2021 class.The four newcomers will pair with K-State’s 23rd-ranked recruiting class from a year ago in&nbsp;Aliyah Carter, Kadye Fernholz, Tessa Mati, Mackenzie Morris&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jayden Nembhard, according to PrepVolleyball.com. Carter was named the 2020 Big 12 Freshman of the Year in addition to the 2020 AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year.<a>K-State ended the 2020 season 13-8 (10-6 Big 12) and in third place in the Big 12 standings, its highest conference finish since the 2008 season.</a> 2021 K-State Volleyball Signing ClassName /&nbsp;Pos. /&nbsp;Height /&nbsp;Hometown / High School / Last School/ClubJosie Halbleib / S / 6-2 / Howards Grove, Wis. / Howards Grove HS / FC EliteMolly Ramsey / DS/L / 5-4 / Roca, Neb. / Norris HS / Nebraska JuniorsJaden Ravnsborg / DS/L / 5-8 / Shawnee, Kan. / Mill Valley HS / KC PowerHaley Warner /&nbsp;OPP /&nbsp;6-2 /&nbsp;Fayetteville, Ark. / Fayetteville HS / Florida

Fritz Adds Florida Transfer Warner to 2021 Roster

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;– Five current and/or former Kansas State track and field athletes will vie for a chance at the Tokyo Olympic games with a trip to historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, which are set for Friday, June 18 through Sunday, June 27.

The list of athletes includes rising senior&nbsp;Ashley Latimer&nbsp;(women’s shot put), recent graduates&nbsp;Ashley Petr&nbsp;(women’s discus),&nbsp;Jah Strange&nbsp;(men’s triple jump),&nbsp;Logan Wolfley&nbsp;(men’s javelin) and two-time Olympian and 2012 London Olympic gold medalist&nbsp;Erik Kynard&nbsp;(men’s high jump).

The 10-day Olympic Trials will begin on Friday with a full slate of running and field events, including Petr in the qualifying round of the women’s discus at 6 p.m., CT. As many as three Wildcats could be action on Saturday beginning with Wolfley in the qualifying round of the men’s javelin at 4:15 p.m., CT, followed by Strange in the qualifying round of the men’s triple jump at 7:15 p.m., CT and Petr in the finals of the discus at 8:42 p.m., CT.

If either advance, Strange and/or Wolfley would be action on Monday, June 21 in the finals of their respective events with Wolfley in the javelin starting at 6:15 p.m., CT, followed by Strange in the triple jump at 6:40 p.m., CT.

After a two-day break in the competition, Latimer begins the qualifying round of the women’s shot put at 3:30 p.m., on Thursday, June 24 with the finals in the event set for later in the day at 10 p.m., CT.

Kynard will begin his journey to a third Olympics in the men’s high jump on Friday, June 25 with the qualifying round set for 5 p.m., CT, while the finals are set for Sunday, June 27 at 3:30 p.m. CT.

<a>Fan can watch most of the Olympic Trials on either NBC or NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), which will provide coverage over eight nights, including six in primetime on NBC. Coverage begins on Friday at 6 p.m. CT on NBCSN and run until Sunday, June 27 at 6 p.m., CT on NBC. NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app will present exclusive streaming coverage of a number of events, including the long jump, pole vault, shot put, hammer, javelin, discus, 20km race walk, decathlon and heptathlon.</a>

For Latimer, Petr and Wolfley, the surroundings will be familiar, as each just finished their respective collegiate seasons at the NCAA Championships at Hayward Field with All-America performances.

A native of Valley Center, Kansas, Latimer finished 13th&nbsp;in the shot put with a throw of 16.82m/55-02.25 to earn All-America accolades in the event in consecutive NCAA Championships (2019 and 2021). She collected her second straight Big 12 title in the event on May 15 with a season-best mark of 17.73m/58-02.

Petr is coming off a top-15 finish in the discus at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, in which, the Hastings, Nebraska native, earned All-America honors for the first time in her career. Her toss of 54.34m/178-03 came on her third and final attempt to finish in 15th&nbsp;place to secure Second Team honors.

The Big 12 champion in the javelin, Wolfley recently finished his K-State career at the NCAA Championships, where he finished 15th&nbsp;with a throw of 67.59m/221-9 to collect Second Team All-America honors. A native of Silver Lake, Kansas, he broke the school record with a toss of 73.08m/239-09 to become the first-ever Wildcat to win the javelin at the conference championship.

Strange, who competed in just one season after transferring from Purdue, narrowly missed a trip to the NCAA Championships in the triple jump with a 14th-place finish at the NCAA West Regional on May 28. His best leap of

15.95m/52-04 came on his final attempt, missing qualifying by a mere foot. He was the Big 12 runner-up in the event with a near season-best mark of 16.21m/53-02.25 on May 16.

An Olympian in the high jump in London (2012) and Rio de Janeiro (2016), Kynard will attempt to make the Games for a third time at the Trials. A silver medalist in London, his medal was recently upgraded to gold after a disqualification, while he finished sixth in 2016. He jumped 2.30m/7-06.50 at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California on April 3.

6:00 pm –&nbsp;Ashley Petr, Women’s Discus (qualifying)

4:15 pm –&nbsp;Logan Wolfley, Men’s Javelin (qualifying)

7:15 pm –&nbsp;Jah Strange, Men’s Triple Jump (qualifying)

8:42 pm – *Ashley Petr, Women’s Discus (finals)

6:15 pm – *Logan Wolfley, Men’s Javelin (finals)

6:40 pm – *Jah Strange, Men’s Triple Jump (finals)

3:30 pm –&nbsp;Taylor Latimer, Women’s Shot Put (qualifying)

10:00 pm – *Taylor Latimer, Women’s Shot Put (finals)

5:00 pm –&nbsp;Erik Kynard, Men’s High Jump (qualifying)

3:30 pm –&nbsp;Erik Kynard, Men’s High Jump (finals)

For the latest on K-State Track and Field follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter or Kansas State Track &amp; Field/Cross Country on Facebook.

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;– Five current and/or former Kansas State track and field athletes will vie for a chance at the Tokyo Olympic games with a trip to historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, which are set for Friday, June 18 through Sunday, June 27.The list of athletes includes rising senior&nbsp;Ashley Latimer&nbsp;(women’s shot put), recent graduates&nbsp;Ashley Petr&nbsp;(women’s discus),&nbsp;Jah Strange&nbsp;(men’s triple jump),&nbsp;Logan Wolfley&nbsp;(men’s javelin) and two-time Olympian and 2012 London Olympic gold medalist&nbsp;Erik Kynard&nbsp;(men’s high jump).The 10-day Olympic Trials will begin on Friday with a full slate of running and field events, including Petr in the qualifying round of the women’s discus at 6 p.m., CT. As many as three Wildcats could be action on Saturday beginning with Wolfley in the qualifying round of the men’s javelin at 4:15 p.m., CT, followed by Strange in the qualifying round of the men’s triple jump at 7:15 p.m., CT and Petr in the finals of the discus at 8:42 p.m., CT.If either advance, Strange and/or Wolfley would be action on Monday, June 21 in the finals of their respective events with Wolfley in the javelin starting at 6:15 p.m., CT, followed by Strange in the triple jump at 6:40 p.m., CT.After a two-day break in the competition, Latimer begins the qualifying round of the women’s shot put at 3:30 p.m., on Thursday, June 24 with the finals in the event set for later in the day at 10 p.m., CT.Kynard will begin his journey to a third Olympics in the men’s high jump on Friday, June 25 with the qualifying round set for 5 p.m., CT, while the finals are set for Sunday, June 27 at 3:30 p.m. CT.<a>Fan can watch most of the Olympic Trials on either NBC or NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), which will provide coverage over eight nights, including six in primetime on NBC. Coverage begins on Friday at 6 p.m. CT on NBCSN and run until Sunday, June 27 at 6 p.m., CT on NBC. NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app will present exclusive streaming coverage of a number of events, including the long jump, pole vault, shot put, hammer, javelin, discus, 20km race walk, decathlon and heptathlon.</a>For Latimer, Petr and Wolfley, the surroundings will be familiar, as each just finished their respective collegiate seasons at the NCAA Championships at Hayward Field with All-America performances.A native of Valley Center, Kansas, Latimer finished 13th&nbsp;in the shot put with a throw of 16.82m/55-02.25 to earn All-America accolades in the event in consecutive NCAA Championships (2019 and 2021). She collected her second straight Big 12 title in the event on May 15 with a season-best mark of 17.73m/58-02.Petr is coming off a top-15 finish in the discus at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, in which, the Hastings, Nebraska native, earned All-America honors for the first time in her career. Her toss of 54.34m/178-03 came on her third and final attempt to finish in 15th&nbsp;place to secure Second Team honors.The Big 12 champion in the javelin, Wolfley recently finished his K-State career at the NCAA Championships, where he finished 15th&nbsp;with a throw of 67.59m/221-9 to collect Second Team All-America honors. A native of Silver Lake, Kansas, he broke the school record with a toss of 73.08m/239-09 to become the first-ever Wildcat to win the javelin at the conference championship.Strange, who competed in just one season after transferring from Purdue, narrowly missed a trip to the NCAA Championships in the triple jump with a 14th-place finish at the NCAA West Regional on May 28. His best leap of15.95m/52-04 came on his final attempt, missing qualifying by a mere foot. He was the Big 12 runner-up in the event with a near season-best mark of 16.21m/53-02.25 on May 16.An Olympian in the high jump in London (2012) and Rio de Janeiro (2016), Kynard will attempt to make the Games for a third time at the Trials. A silver medalist in London, his medal was recently upgraded to gold after a disqualification, while he finished sixth in 2016. He jumped 2.30m/7-06.50 at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California on April 3.Schedule of EventsFriday, June 186:00 pm –&nbsp;Ashley Petr, Women’s Discus (qualifying)Saturday, June 194:15 pm –&nbsp;Logan Wolfley, Men’s Javelin (qualifying)7:15 pm –&nbsp;Jah Strange, Men’s Triple Jump (qualifying)8:42 pm – *Ashley Petr, Women’s Discus (finals)Monday, June 216:15 pm – *Logan Wolfley, Men’s Javelin (finals)6:40 pm – *Jah Strange, Men’s Triple Jump (finals)Thursday, June 243:30 pm –&nbsp;Taylor Latimer, Women’s Shot Put (qualifying)10:00 pm – *Taylor Latimer, Women’s Shot Put (finals)Friday, June 255:00 pm –&nbsp;Erik Kynard, Men’s High Jump (qualifying)Sunday, June 273:30 pm –&nbsp;Erik Kynard, Men’s High Jump (finals)For the latest on K-State Track and Field follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter or Kansas State Track &amp; Field/Cross Country on Facebook.

Five to Represent K-State at U.S. Olympic Team Trials

K-State Unveils 2021 Volleyball Schedule

The Junction City Brigade defeated the Lawrence Travelers 10-5 Tuesday night in Lawrence.&nbsp; it marked the second straight victory for the Brigade over the Travelers.

The Junction City Brigade defeated the Lawrence Travelers 10-5 Tuesday night in Lawrence.&nbsp; it marked the second straight victory for the Brigade over the Travelers.Junction City is 6-3 on the season.

Brigade defeat the Lawrence Travelers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Detroit starter Matthew Boyd and reliever Alex Lange both exited with injuries and the Tigers still ended a three-game losing streak, beating the Kansas City Royals 10-3. 

Willi Castro, Robbie Grossman and Niko Goodrum homered for Detroit. Miguel Cabrera got three hits and drove in two runs, with his RBI single keying a four-run first inning. The Royals, who have not led since finishing off Thursday’s 6-1 victory in Oakland, lost their fourth in a row. They are a season-worst five games below .500. 

Boyd departed in the third because of discomfort in his left arm. Lange left after recording just one out in the fifth with an unspecified problem.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Detroit starter Matthew Boyd and reliever Alex Lange both exited with injuries and the Tigers still ended a three-game losing streak, beating the Kansas City Royals 10-3. Willi Castro, Robbie Grossman and Niko Goodrum homered for Detroit. Miguel Cabrera got three hits and drove in two runs, with his RBI single keying a four-run first inning. The Royals, who have not led since finishing off Thursday’s 6-1 victory in Oakland, lost their fourth in a row. They are a season-worst five games below .500. Boyd departed in the third because of discomfort in his left arm. Lange left after recording just one out in the fifth with an unspecified problem.

Tigers defeat the Royals 10-3

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;For the second consecutive year and the third time since 2015, the Kansas State Athletics Communications Office was named one of the nation’s best by earning the 2020 Super 11 Award from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).

The honor, which is based on media accessibility, relationships and media operations, has been awarded to FBS sports information staffs each year since the conclusion of the 2009 season.

K-State was joined on the 2020 Super 11 list by Appalachian State, Boston College, Clemson, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Carolina and West Virginia. The 2020 Super 11 Coach of the Year was Indiana’s Tom Allen. Additionally, the FWAA issued Special Merit Awards to the media information staffs of the Cotton and Rose bowls for their efforts in hosting the Rose Bowl Game in Arlington, Texas, and to San José State due to the fact the Spartans did not play home games and trained away from home, causing its SID staff extra work during what turned out to be a banner season on the field.

“This (2020) was a different kind of year, obviously,” FWAA Executive Director Steve Richardson said. “We tried to honor schools who went the extra mile in player and coach access remotely in most cases or to help writers in a scrambled season.”

Assistant Athletics Director for Communications&nbsp;Ryan Lackey&nbsp;and Executive Associate Athletics Director for Communications/Public Relations&nbsp;Kenny Lannou&nbsp;lead the office in matters related to the Wildcat football program. Other department staffers who worked primarily with football throughout the 2020 season include Video Producer&nbsp;Preston Koerner, Football Creative Coordinator&nbsp;Emily Starkey&nbsp;and Director of Football Graphic Design&nbsp;Jonathan Castro.

Additional in-season support was provided by Director of Men’s Basketball Communications&nbsp;Tom Gilbert, Office Manager&nbsp;Mary Gorman, Athletics Communications Assistant&nbsp;Grant Leibee, Director of Social Media and Digital Engagement&nbsp;Jay Moline, Director of Digital Media&nbsp;Scott Retzlaff, Graphic Designer&nbsp;Ron Cook, Creative Writing and Content Specialist&nbsp;Austin Siegel, Staff Photographer&nbsp;Scott Weaver&nbsp;and numerous student assistants.

The winners of the Super 11 Award are deemed by FWAA observers to have had good accessibility from program’s head coach, assistant coaches and players during the week of the game and after the game. Other criteria include how press boxes and gameday operations were run, quality and timeliness of information provided, the amount of information presented and appropriately updated on websites, personal responsiveness to media inquiries as well as the accessibility of players and coaches.

The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,300 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards, a national poll and its annual All-America teams.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;For the second consecutive year and the third time since 2015, the Kansas State Athletics Communications Office was named one of the nation’s best by earning the 2020 Super 11 Award from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).The honor, which is based on media accessibility, relationships and media operations, has been awarded to FBS sports information staffs each year since the conclusion of the 2009 season.K-State was joined on the 2020 Super 11 list by Appalachian State, Boston College, Clemson, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Carolina and West Virginia. The 2020 Super 11 Coach of the Year was Indiana’s Tom Allen. Additionally, the FWAA issued Special Merit Awards to the media information staffs of the Cotton and Rose bowls for their efforts in hosting the Rose Bowl Game in Arlington, Texas, and to San José State due to the fact the Spartans did not play home games and trained away from home, causing its SID staff extra work during what turned out to be a banner season on the field.“This (2020) was a different kind of year, obviously,” FWAA Executive Director Steve Richardson said. “We tried to honor schools who went the extra mile in player and coach access remotely in most cases or to help writers in a scrambled season.”Assistant Athletics Director for Communications&nbsp;Ryan Lackey&nbsp;and Executive Associate Athletics Director for Communications/Public Relations&nbsp;Kenny Lannou&nbsp;lead the office in matters related to the Wildcat football program. Other department staffers who worked primarily with football throughout the 2020 season include Video Producer&nbsp;Preston Koerner, Football Creative Coordinator&nbsp;Emily Starkey&nbsp;and Director of Football Graphic Design&nbsp;Jonathan Castro.Additional in-season support was provided by Director of Men’s Basketball Communications&nbsp;Tom Gilbert, Office Manager&nbsp;Mary Gorman, Athletics Communications Assistant&nbsp;Grant Leibee, Director of Social Media and Digital Engagement&nbsp;Jay Moline, Director of Digital Media&nbsp;Scott Retzlaff, Graphic Designer&nbsp;Ron Cook, Creative Writing and Content Specialist&nbsp;Austin Siegel, Staff Photographer&nbsp;Scott Weaver&nbsp;and numerous student assistants.The winners of the Super 11 Award are deemed by FWAA observers to have had good accessibility from program’s head coach, assistant coaches and players during the week of the game and after the game. Other criteria include how press boxes and gameday operations were run, quality and timeliness of information provided, the amount of information presented and appropriately updated on websites, personal responsiveness to media inquiries as well as the accessibility of players and coaches.The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,300 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards, a national poll and its annual All-America teams.

K-State Athletics Communications Earns Second-Straight Super 11 Award

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Chris Bassitt escaped a scary line drive to win his seventh straight decision, Matt Olson homered twice and the Oakland Athletics powered past the Kansas City Royals for a 6-3 win. 

Olson hit solo shots in the third and fifth for his second two-homer game this season and 10th of his career, while Matt Chapman also connected to back Bassitt. After losing his first two decisions of the season, he hasn't lost.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Chris Bassitt escaped a scary line drive to win his seventh straight decision, Matt Olson homered twice and the Oakland Athletics powered past the Kansas City Royals for a 6-3 win. Olson hit solo shots in the third and fifth for his second two-homer game this season and 10th of his career, while Matt Chapman also connected to back Bassitt. After losing his first two decisions of the season, he hasn't lost.

Royals fall to Oakland

The Junction City Brigade baseball game at Sabetha Friday night was cancelled due to field conditions. Rain moved through northeast Kansas earlier in the day on Friday.

A makeup date will be announced at a later time.

Junction City will host Sabetha Saturday at 7 p.m. at Rathert Field.

The Junction City Brigade baseball game at Sabetha Friday night was cancelled due to field conditions. Rain moved through northeast Kansas earlier in the day on Friday.A makeup date will be announced at a later time.Junction City will host Sabetha Saturday at 7 p.m. at Rathert Field.

Brigade game was cancelled Friday night

Junction City used two home runs by Casey Steward to power the Brigade to an 8-6 win over the Sabetha Bravos at Rathert Field. Steward hit a grand slam home run in the 1st inning to help the Brigade take an early 5-0 lead and then another solo shot in the 3rd inning.

Tristan Wolf pitched 3 and 2/3 innings for Junction City, giving up four hits and four runs. Brian Bruxvoort pitched 3 and 1/1 innings, giving up five hits and one run.&nbsp;

The teams play again at 7 p.m. Friday in Sabetha and at 7 p.m. Saturday at Rathert Field.

Junction City used two home runs by Casey Steward to power the Brigade to an 8-6 win over the Sabetha Bravos at Rathert Field. Steward hit a grand slam home run in the 1st inning to help the Brigade take an early 5-0 lead and then another solo shot in the 3rd inning.Tristan Wolf pitched 3 and 2/3 innings for Junction City, giving up four hits and four runs. Brian Bruxvoort pitched 3 and 1/1 innings, giving up five hits and one run.&nbsp;The teams play again at 7 p.m. Friday in Sabetha and at 7 p.m. Saturday at Rathert Field.

Brigade win game one of series with Sabetha

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Griffin Canning pitched five-hit ball into the seventh inning, Anthony Rendon hit a two-run double and the Los Angeles Angels swept the Kansas City Royals with a 6-1 victory. Kean Wong had a two-run single and José Iglesias added an RBI double for the Angels, who have won eight of 11 after completing a 5-2 homestand and a three-game sweep of Kansas City. Los Angeles is still mired in fourth place in the AL West despite winning 11 of 16 since May 23. Kelvin Gutiérrez drove in the only run for the Royals, who have lost five straight.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Griffin Canning pitched five-hit ball into the seventh inning, Anthony Rendon hit a two-run double and the Los Angeles Angels swept the Kansas City Royals with a 6-1 victory. Kean Wong had a two-run single and José Iglesias added an RBI double for the Angels, who have won eight of 11 after completing a 5-2 homestand and a three-game sweep of Kansas City. Los Angeles is still mired in fourth place in the AL West despite winning 11 of 16 since May 23. Kelvin Gutiérrez drove in the only run for the Royals, who have lost five straight.

Angels complete sweep of the Royals

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– K-State freshman shortstop&nbsp;Nick Goodwin&nbsp;was named to&nbsp;Collegiate Baseball’s&nbsp;Freshman All-America Team, the publication announced Wednesday.

The Overland Park, Kansas, product posted a slash line of .277/.355/.482 with 10 home runs, 13 doubles, 33 runs batted in and a team-high 14 stolen bases. Goodwin’s 10 homers tied K-State’s freshman record, as he matched Dylan Phillips’ mark set in 2019.

Goodwin put together 17 multi-hit games, including four three-hit efforts. His 14 steals ranked seventh in the Big 12 during the regular season and was tied for most among league freshmen.

Goodwin, a Big 12 All-Freshman Team selection and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick, started all 57 games in his initial campaign, with the last 32 starts coming at shortstop.

He was one of five Wildcats to reach double-digit home runs in helping the team hit a single-season program record 89 homers.

Goodwin is the third Freshman All-American under third-year head coach&nbsp;Pete Hughes, as K-State has had a Freshman All-America pick in each of the last three seasons (Connor McCullough, Jordan Wicks). Goodwin is the Wildcats’ 12th&nbsp;Collegiate Baseball&nbsp;Freshman All-American and the 16th&nbsp;overall selection.

K-State finished the 2021 season with a 34-23 record, its highest win total since 45 in 2013. The Wildcats advanced to the semifinal round of the 2021 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship last week to mark their longest tournament run since making the title game in 2008.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– K-State freshman shortstop&nbsp;Nick Goodwin&nbsp;was named to&nbsp;Collegiate Baseball’s&nbsp;Freshman All-America Team, the publication announced Wednesday.The Overland Park, Kansas, product posted a slash line of .277/.355/.482 with 10 home runs, 13 doubles, 33 runs batted in and a team-high 14 stolen bases. Goodwin’s 10 homers tied K-State’s freshman record, as he matched Dylan Phillips’ mark set in 2019.Goodwin put together 17 multi-hit games, including four three-hit efforts. His 14 steals ranked seventh in the Big 12 during the regular season and was tied for most among league freshmen.Goodwin, a Big 12 All-Freshman Team selection and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick, started all 57 games in his initial campaign, with the last 32 starts coming at shortstop.He was one of five Wildcats to reach double-digit home runs in helping the team hit a single-season program record 89 homers.Goodwin is the third Freshman All-American under third-year head coach&nbsp;Pete Hughes, as K-State has had a Freshman All-America pick in each of the last three seasons (Connor McCullough, Jordan Wicks). Goodwin is the Wildcats’ 12th&nbsp;Collegiate Baseball&nbsp;Freshman All-American and the 16th&nbsp;overall selection.K-State finished the 2021 season with a 34-23 record, its highest win total since 45 in 2013. The Wildcats advanced to the semifinal round of the 2021 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship last week to mark their longest tournament run since making the title game in 2008.

Goodwin Tabbed Freshman All-America by Collegiate Baseball

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;– The Kansas State men’s and women’s track and field teams will conclude an unprecedented season this week, as 13 individuals vie for the ultimate prize at the NCAA Outdoor Championships set for historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon from Wednesday-Saturday, June 9-12.

The four-day NCAA Championship meet will begin on Wednesday with a full slate of men’s running and field events, including the decathlon. The women began their competition on Thursday with their own running and field events, along with the conclusion of the decathlon. Friday and Saturday serve as the finals for the men’s and women’s running events, along with the heptathlon competition.

Fans can watch the entire Championship meet on the WatchESPN app with select portions appearing on ESPNU/2 on Wednesday night beginning at 7 p.m./8 p.m. CT, on ESPN2 on Thursday at 5:30 p.m., CT, on ESPN2 on Friday at 7 p.m., CT and on ESPNU on Saturday at 5 p.m., CT.

The 13 individuals (10 women, 3 men) will compete in 11 events (women’s 100 meters, women’s 400-meter hurdles, women’s discus, women’s hammer throw, women’s shot put, men’s high jump, men’s javelin, men’s and women’s long jump, women’s triple jump and heptathlon) with the Wildcats having at least two individuals competing on each day of the Championship meet.

K-State will have two competitors each in the women’s hammer throw (senior&nbsp;Helene&nbsp;Ingvaldsen&nbsp;and junior&nbsp;Shaelyn&nbsp;Ward) and heptathlon (seniors&nbsp;Ariel Okorie&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren&nbsp;Taubert), while there will be an entry in both the men’s and women’s long jump (seniors&nbsp;Jullane Walker&nbsp;and&nbsp;Taishia&nbsp;Pryce) and the first-ever competitor in the women’s 100 meters (junior&nbsp;Wurrie Njadoe).

The Wildcats hold the second-longest active streak of sending a heptathlete to the Championships at five years, dating back to 2015. A Wildcat high jumper has now made the NCAA Championships in 18 consecutive seasons (2003-present) with five combining to earn 16 All-America honors.

Of the 13 individuals competing for K-State, eight will be making their second consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships, which will be held for the first time since 2019 after the 2020 meet was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven will be competing in the same event – Ingvaldsen (women’s hammer), junior&nbsp;Taylor Latimer&nbsp;(women’s shot put), Okorie (heptathlon), senior&nbsp;Ashley Petr&nbsp;(women’s discus), junior&nbsp;Tejaswin Shankar&nbsp;(men’s high jump), Taubert&nbsp;(heptathlon) and Walker (men’s long jump) – while the eighth –&nbsp;Pryce (women’s long jump) – will return to the Championships as an individual after being a part of the 4x100-meter relay team in 2019.

Ingvaldsen will be making her fourth consecutive trip (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021) to the NCAA Championships in the hammer, where she has twice earned All-America honors, including First Team distinction with a seventh-place finish in 2018. Shankar, the 2018 NCAA Outdoor National Champion, will be making his third straight appearance (2018, 2019, 2021) at the national meet, where he has earned First Team All-America accolades twice (2018, 2019), including a runner-up finish in 2019.

Junior&nbsp;Wurrie Njadoe, who tied the school record in the women’s 100 meters en route to qualifying for the NCAA Championships with a time of 11.40, will be making her return to the national meet for the first time since 2017 when she earned First Team All-America honors in the long jump with a mark of 6.36m/20-10.50. She missed the entire 2018-19 season due to injury before having the 2020 outdoor season cancelled due to COVID-19.

Four Wildcats (senior&nbsp;Kimisha Chambers&nbsp;(women’s 400-meter hurdles), freshman&nbsp;Rhianna Phipps&nbsp;(women’s triple jump), junior&nbsp;Shaelyn Ward&nbsp;(women’s hammer) and senior&nbsp;Logan Wolfley&nbsp;(men’s javelin) will be competing in their first-ever NCAA Championships.

Wolfley (men’s javelin) and Walker (men’s long jump) will kick things off on Wednesday night at 8:15 p.m., and 8:30 p.m., CT, while Ingvaldsen and Ward will open Thursday’s event with the women’s hammer at 3 p.m., CT.

The NCAA Championship Central&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/gameday/track-field-vs-ncaa-outdoor-championships/trackandfield/20/" target="_blank">link</a>&nbsp;on the K-State Athletics’ website will be a hub for everything regarding the 13 qualifying Wildcats, including the schedule of events and broadcast links, athlete bios and features and all the highlights from the NCAA West Regional in College Station, Texas, May 26-29.

K-State sent 15 athletes to the last NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2019, which was held at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas. Then senior&nbsp;Shardia Lawrence&nbsp;helped the Wildcat women finish 16th&nbsp;as a team by winning the NCAA title in the triple jump with a school-record leap of 13.99m/45-10.75, which is the seventh-best mark in the event in NCAA Championships history. The women’s team has placed among the top-20 at the NCAA Championships in six consecutive seasons.

The men’s team finished tied for 26th&nbsp;with 12 points, which included a second-place finish by then sophomore&nbsp;Tejaswin Shankar&nbsp;in the high jump, a sixth-place finish by junior&nbsp;Aaron Booth&nbsp;in the decathlon and an eighth-place finish by senior&nbsp;Brett Neely&nbsp;in the discus.

Three Wildcats –&nbsp;Taylor Latimer,&nbsp;Tejaswin Shankar&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren Taubert&nbsp;– were First Team All-Americans in their respective events in 2019.&nbsp;The 2018 NCAA Outdoor High Jump champion and a two-time First Team All-American, Shankar was the runner-up to LSU’s&nbsp;JuVaughn Harrison&nbsp;on misses with a mark of 2.27m, while Latimer finished in fourth place in the shot put with a toss of 17.67m./57-11.75 and Taubert placed eighth in the heptathlon with a score of 5,793 points, both in their first NCAA Outdoor appearances.

Taishia Pryce&nbsp;will look to match or better her effort in the long jump from the indoor season after earning First Team All-America honors on March 12 with a leap of 6.48m/21-3 ¼ to register a seventh-place finish.

Other Returning Wildcat Finishes in 2019

The other four Wildcat returners –&nbsp;Helene Ingvaldsen,&nbsp;Ariel Okorie,&nbsp;Ashley Petr&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jullane Walker&nbsp;– from the 2019 Outdoor Championships did not earn First or Second Team All-America honors. Okorie was 18th&nbsp;in the heptathlon with 5,439 points, while Petr (discus/51.80m/169-11) and Walker (long jump/7.44m/24-05) were each 19th&nbsp;in the respective event and Ingvaldsen was 21st&nbsp;in the hammer with a throw of 60.69m/199-01.

Seniors&nbsp;Ariel Okorie&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren Taubert&nbsp;punched their tickets to the national meet in the heptathlon after posting scores that ranked among the top-24 nationally during the regular season. Taubert currently ranks eighth in the event after scoring 5,831 points at the Jim Click Invitational on April 10, while Okorie is 17th&nbsp;after scoring 5,661 points at the Big 12 Championships May 14-15. K-State and Duke are the only schools to have multiple entries in the heptathlon.

It will mark the second consecutive appearance for Okorie and Taubert in the event at the NCAA Outdoor Championship after each advanced in 2019. Taubert earned First Team All-America honors with an eighth-place finish with 5,793 points, while Okorie finished 18th&nbsp;with 5,439 points.

K-State has had an athlete earn All-America honors in the heptathlon in each of the last 5 national meets.

Almost half of the K-State team advancing to the NCAA Championships are from the throwing events, including a pair in the women’s hammer throw (Helene Ingvaldsen&nbsp;and&nbsp;Shaelyn Ward) and one each in the women’s shot put (Taylor Latimer), women’s discus (Ashley Petr) and men’s javelin (Logan Wolfley).

The Wildcats have now advanced more than one hammer throw in four of the last five national meets, but the first time since 2018 when Ingvaldsen was joined by&nbsp;Janee Kassanavoid. Latimer and Petr are both making return trips to nationals in their respective events, as Latimer is the first Wildcat to advance in the shot put in consecutive national meets since&nbsp;Dani Winters&nbsp;in 2015 and 2016.

Wolfley is the first Wildcat to advance to the national meet in the javelin since&nbsp;Ivan Hartung&nbsp;earned All-America honors with a 16th-place finish in 2014.

8:15 pm –&nbsp;Logan Wolfley, Men’s Javelin

8:30 pm –&nbsp;Jullane Walker, Men’s Long Jump

3:00 pm –&nbsp;Helene Ingvaldsen&nbsp;and&nbsp;Shaelyn Ward, Women’s Hammer

6:46 pm –&nbsp;Wurrie Njadoe, Women’s 100 meters (semifinals)

7:00 pm –&nbsp;Taishia Pryce, Women’s Long Jump

7:30 pm –&nbsp;Kimisha Chambers, Women’s 400-meter Hurdles (semifinals)

7:40 pm –&nbsp;Taylor Latimer, Women’s Shot Put

2:00 pm –&nbsp;Ariel Okorie&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren Taubert, 100-meter Hurdles (heptathlon)

3:00 pm –&nbsp;Ariel Okorie&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren Taubert, High Jump (heptathlon)

5:00 pm –&nbsp;Ariel Okorie&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren Taubert, Shot Put (heptathlon)

6:30 pm –&nbsp;Tejaswin Shankar, Men’s High Jump

7:43 pm –&nbsp;Ariel Okorie&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren Taubert, 200 meters (heptathlon)

1:00 pm –&nbsp;Ariel Okorie&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren Taubert, Long Jump (heptathlon)

2:15 pm –&nbsp;Ariel Okorie&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren Taubert, Javelin (heptathlon)

4:35 pm –&nbsp;Ashley Petr, Women’s Discus

5:20 pm –&nbsp;Rhianna Phipps, Women’s Triple Jump

5:52 pm –&nbsp;Wurrie Njadoe, Women’s 100 meters (if advances)

6:27 pm –&nbsp;Kimisha Chambers, Women’s 400-meter Hurdles (semifinals)

6:43 pm –&nbsp;Ariel Okorie&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren Taubert, 800 meters (heptathlon)

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;– The Kansas State men’s and women’s track and field teams will conclude an unprecedented season this week, as 13 individuals vie for the ultimate prize at the NCAA Outdoor Championships set for historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon from Wednesday-Saturday, June 9-12.The four-day NCAA Championship meet will begin on Wednesday with a full slate of men’s running and field events, including the decathlon. The women began their competition on Thursday with their own running and field events, along with the conclusion of the decathlon. Friday and Saturday serve as the finals for the men’s and women’s running events, along with the heptathlon competition.Fans can watch the entire Championship meet on the WatchESPN app with select portions appearing on ESPNU/2 on Wednesday night beginning at 7 p.m./8 p.m. CT, on ESPN2 on Thursday at 5:30 p.m., CT, on ESPN2 on Friday at 7 p.m., CT and on ESPNU on Saturday at 5 p.m., CT.The 13 individuals (10 women, 3 men) will compete in 11 events (women’s 100 meters, women’s 400-meter hurdles, women’s discus, women’s hammer throw, women’s shot put, men’s high jump, men’s javelin, men’s and women’s long jump, women’s triple jump and heptathlon) with the Wildcats having at least two individuals competing on each day of the Championship meet.K-State will have two competitors each in the women’s hammer throw (senior&nbsp;Helene&nbsp;Ingvaldsen&nbsp;and junior&nbsp;Shaelyn&nbsp;Ward) and heptathlon (seniors&nbsp;Ariel Okorie&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren&nbsp;Taubert), while there will be an entry in both the men’s and women’s long jump (seniors&nbsp;Jullane Walker&nbsp;and&nbsp;Taishia&nbsp;Pryce) and the first-ever competitor in the women’s 100 meters (junior&nbsp;Wurrie Njadoe).The Wildcats hold the second-longest active streak of sending a heptathlete to the Championships at five years, dating back to 2015. A Wildcat high jumper has now made the NCAA Championships in 18 consecutive seasons (2003-present) with five combining to earn 16 All-America honors.Of the 13 individuals competing for K-State, eight will be making their second consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships, which will be held for the first time since 2019 after the 2020 meet was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven will be competing in the same event – Ingvaldsen (women’s hammer), junior&nbsp;Taylor Latimer&nbsp;(women’s shot put), Okorie (heptathlon), senior&nbsp;Ashley Petr&nbsp;(women’s discus), junior&nbsp;Tejaswin Shankar&nbsp;(men’s high jump), Taubert&nbsp;(heptathlon) and Walker (men’s long jump) – while the eighth –&nbsp;Pryce (women’s long jump) – will return to the Championships as an individual after being a part of the 4x100-meter relay team in 2019.Ingvaldsen will be making her fourth consecutive trip (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021) to the NCAA Championships in the hammer, where she has twice earned All-America honors, including First Team distinction with a seventh-place finish in 2018. Shankar, the 2018 NCAA Outdoor National Champion, will be making his third straight appearance (2018, 2019, 2021) at the national meet, where he has earned First Team All-America accolades twice (2018, 2019), including a runner-up finish in 2019.Junior&nbsp;Wurrie Njadoe, who tied the school record in the women’s 100 meters en route to qualifying for the NCAA Championships with a time of 11.40, will be making her return to the national meet for the first time since 2017 when she earned First Team All-America honors in the long jump with a mark of 6.36m/20-10.50. She missed the entire 2018-19 season due to injury before having the 2020 outdoor season cancelled due to COVID-19.Four Wildcats (senior&nbsp;Kimisha Chambers&nbsp;(women’s 400-meter hurdles), freshman&nbsp;Rhianna Phipps&nbsp;(women’s triple jump), junior&nbsp;Shaelyn Ward&nbsp;(women’s hammer) and senior&nbsp;Logan Wolfley&nbsp;(men’s javelin) will be competing in their first-ever NCAA Championships.Wolfley (men’s javelin) and Walker (men’s long jump) will kick things off on Wednesday night at 8:15 p.m., and 8:30 p.m., CT, while Ingvaldsen and Ward will open Thursday’s event with the women’s hammer at 3 p.m., CT.The NCAA Championship Central&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/gameday/track-field-vs-ncaa-outdoor-championships/trackandfield/20/" target="_blank">link</a>&nbsp;on the K-State Athletics’ website will be a hub for everything regarding the 13 qualifying Wildcats, including the schedule of events and broadcast links, athlete bios and features and all the highlights from the NCAA West Regional in College Station, Texas, May 26-29.The Last TimeK-State sent 15 athletes to the last NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2019, which was held at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas. Then senior&nbsp;Shardia Lawrence&nbsp;helped the Wildcat women finish 16th&nbsp;as a team by winning the NCAA title in the triple jump with a school-record leap of 13.99m/45-10.75, which is the seventh-best mark in the event in NCAA Championships history. The women’s team has placed among the top-20 at the NCAA Championships in six consecutive seasons.The men’s team finished tied for 26th&nbsp;with 12 points, which included a second-place finish by then sophomore&nbsp;Tejaswin Shankar&nbsp;in the high jump, a sixth-place finish by junior&nbsp;Aaron Booth&nbsp;in the decathlon and an eighth-place finish by senior&nbsp;Brett Neely&nbsp;in the discus.Returning All-AmericansThree Wildcats –&nbsp;Taylor Latimer,&nbsp;Tejaswin Shankar&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren Taubert&nbsp;– were First Team All-Americans in their respective events in 2019.&nbsp;The 2018 NCAA Outdoor High Jump champion and a two-time First Team All-American, Shankar was the runner-up to LSU’s&nbsp;JuVaughn Harrison&nbsp;on misses with a mark of 2.27m, while Latimer finished in fourth place in the shot put with a toss of 17.67m./57-11.75 and Taubert placed eighth in the heptathlon with a score of 5,793 points, both in their first NCAA Outdoor appearances.Taishia Pryce&nbsp;will look to match or better her effort in the long jump from the indoor season after earning First Team All-America honors on March 12 with a leap of 6.48m/21-3 ¼ to register a seventh-place finish.Other Returning Wildcat Finishes in 2019The other four Wildcat returners –&nbsp;Helene Ingvaldsen,&nbsp;Ariel Okorie,&nbsp;Ashley Petr&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jullane Walker&nbsp;– from the 2019 Outdoor Championships did not earn First or Second Team All-America honors. Okorie was 18th&nbsp;in the heptathlon with 5,439 points, while Petr (discus/51.80m/169-11) and Walker (long jump/7.44m/24-05) were each 19th&nbsp;in the respective event and Ingvaldsen was 21st&nbsp;in the hammer with a throw of 60.69m/199-01.Okorie, Taubert Set for NCAAsSeniors&nbsp;Ariel Okorie&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren Taubert&nbsp;punched their tickets to the national meet in the heptathlon after posting scores that ranked among the top-24 nationally during the regular season. Taubert currently ranks eighth in the event after scoring 5,831 points at the Jim Click Invitational on April 10, while Okorie is 17th&nbsp;after scoring 5,661 points at the Big 12 Championships May 14-15. K-State and Duke are the only schools to have multiple entries in the heptathlon.It will mark the second consecutive appearance for Okorie and Taubert in the event at the NCAA Outdoor Championship after each advanced in 2019. Taubert earned First Team All-America honors with an eighth-place finish with 5,793 points, while Okorie finished 18th&nbsp;with 5,439 points.K-State has had an athlete earn All-America honors in the heptathlon in each of the last 5 national meets.Throw Cats ExcelAlmost half of the K-State team advancing to the NCAA Championships are from the throwing events, including a pair in the women’s hammer throw (Helene Ingvaldsen&nbsp;and&nbsp;Shaelyn Ward) and one each in the women’s shot put (Taylor Latimer), women’s discus (Ashley Petr) and men’s javelin (Logan Wolfley).The Wildcats have now advanced more than one hammer throw in four of the last five national meets, but the first time since 2018 when Ingvaldsen was joined by&nbsp;Janee Kassanavoid. Latimer and Petr are both making return trips to nationals in their respective events, as Latimer is the first Wildcat to advance in the shot put in consecutive national meets since&nbsp;Dani Winters&nbsp;in 2015 and 2016.Wolfley is the first Wildcat to advance to the national meet in the javelin since&nbsp;Ivan Hartung&nbsp;earned All-America honors with a 16th-place finish in 2014.Schedule of EventsWednesday, June 98:15 pm –&nbsp;Logan Wolfley, Men’s Javelin8:30 pm –&nbsp;Jullane Walker, Men’s Long JumpThursday, June 103:00 pm –&nbsp;Helene Ingvaldsen&nbsp;and&nbsp;Shaelyn Ward, Women’s Hammer6:46 pm –&nbsp;Wurrie Njadoe, Women’s 100 meters (semifinals)7:00 pm –&nbsp;Taishia Pryce, Women’s Long Jump7:30 pm –&nbsp;Kimisha Chambers, Women’s 400-meter Hurdles (semifinals)7:40 pm –&nbsp;Taylor Latimer, Women’s Shot PutFriday, June 112:00 pm –&nbsp;Ariel Okorie&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren Taubert, 100-meter Hurdles (heptathlon)3:00 pm –&nbsp;Ariel Okorie&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren Taubert, High Jump (heptathlon)5:00 pm –&nbsp;Ariel Okorie&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren Taubert, Shot Put (heptathlon)6:30 pm –&nbsp;Tejaswin Shankar, Men’s High Jump7:43 pm –&nbsp;Ariel Okorie&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren Taubert, 200 meters (heptathlon)Saturday, May 291:00 pm –&nbsp;Ariel Okorie&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren Taubert, Long Jump (heptathlon)2:15 pm –&nbsp;Ariel Okorie&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren Taubert, Javelin (heptathlon)4:35 pm –&nbsp;Ashley Petr, Women’s Discus5:20 pm –&nbsp;Rhianna Phipps, Women’s Triple Jump5:52 pm –&nbsp;Wurrie Njadoe, Women’s 100 meters (if advances)6:27 pm –&nbsp;Kimisha Chambers, Women’s 400-meter Hurdles (semifinals)6:43 pm –&nbsp;Ariel Okorie&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lauren Taubert, 800 meters (heptathlon)For the latest on K-State Track and Field follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter or Kansas State Track &amp; Field/Cross Country on Facebook.

13 Wildcats Vie for Glory at NCAA Outdoor Championships Starting Wednesday

Junction City rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to defeat the Topeka Golden Giants 5-3 in summer collegiate baseball at Rathert Field. Junction City improved to 3-2 with the win.

The Brigade host the Sabetha Bravos at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Junction City rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to defeat the Topeka Golden Giants 5-3 in summer collegiate baseball at Rathert Field. Junction City improved to 3-2 with the win.The Brigade host the Sabetha Bravos at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Brigade rally for win over the Golden Giants

LAWRENCE, Kan. (WIBW) - The Jayhawks will faceoff against the Mizzou Tigers in early December to renew the Border Showdown.

The University of Kansas says nationally ranked non-conference schedules are common for the Jayhawks, and the 2021-22 slate continues more traditions. It said the Jayhawks led the country in strength of schedule in two of the last three seasons and five times overall during Coach Bill Self’s 18 seasons. Additionally, it said it has placed in the top 10 in strength of schedule 11 times under Self, including top-two ranking in six of the last eight seasons.

As usual, KU said the non-conference part of the schedule will top off with the Champions Classic. It said the 2021 Classic will be held in New York’s Madison Square Garden and the Jayhawks will face off against Michigan State. It said the non-conference schedule also highlights games in Allen Fieldhouse against Mizzou in the rebirth of the Border Showdown.

By WIBW TVLAWRENCE, Kan. (WIBW) - The Jayhawks will faceoff against the Mizzou Tigers in early December to renew the Border Showdown.The University of Kansas says nationally ranked non-conference schedules are common for the Jayhawks, and the 2021-22 slate continues more traditions. It said the Jayhawks led the country in strength of schedule in two of the last three seasons and five times overall during Coach Bill Self’s 18 seasons. Additionally, it said it has placed in the top 10 in strength of schedule 11 times under Self, including top-two ranking in six of the last eight seasons.As usual, KU said the non-conference part of the schedule will top off with the Champions Classic. It said the 2021 Classic will be held in New York’s Madison Square Garden and the Jayhawks will face off against Michigan State. It said the non-conference schedule also highlights games in Allen Fieldhouse against Mizzou in the rebirth of the Border Showdown.

KU and Missouri to resume play in basketball non-conference action

The Junction City Brigade defeated the Topeka Golden Giants 20-8 Monday evening in Mid-Plains League baseball. The two teams will play again Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. at Rathert Field.

The Junction City Brigade defeated the Topeka Golden Giants 20-8 Monday evening in Mid-Plains League baseball. The two teams will play again Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. at Rathert Field.