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It’s a very slow Friday here at BotC World Headquarters, but tomorrow will be loaded with action as the K-State Winter Invitational takes place and the men’s basketball team will be taking on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.
As for today? Well, let’s see here.
Football
K-State was completely shut out of the Sports Illustrated All-American team, but the day wasn’t a total loss as D.J. Reed was named second team All-American at kick returner by the Walter Camp Foundation (.pdf press release).
After the 2015 season, defensive end C.J. Reese announced he was transferring. He changed his mind then and stuck it out, and he’ll be rewarded for that with a degree from Kansas State University tomorrow. But that means he’s immediately eligible to use his final year of eligibility elsewhere next season, so the Cactus Bowl will be the final time Reese will suit up in the Purple.
The Capital-Journal’s Ken Corbitt weighs in on Dana Dimel’s departure for UTEP, and Bret Bloomquist of the El Paso Times introduces the locals to their new head coach.
Track and Field
The indoor season begins today at 10am within the friendly confines of Ahearn Field House as K-State hosts the Carol Robinson Winter Pentathlon and the Atilla Zsivoczky Men’s Pentathlon.
In the Robinson, three Wildcat sophomores return from stellar 2017 campaigns; Ariel Okorie and Lauren Taubert finished in the top 10 at the Big 12 Indoors, and while Nina Schultz didn’t participate, she did make the NCAA Indoor Championships... where she finished third. It would be no surprise for the Wildcats to sweep the podium today. On the men’s side, junior Max Estill returns to defend his title.
The competition won’t be stiff, with athletes from Kennesaw State, Emporia State, Fort Hays State, and Washburn attending, but the season will be underway at least.
The action continues tomorrow with the K-State Invitational, where all the non-pentathlon events will be taking place. It’s largely the same schools participating, although Nebraska-Omaha will be arriving tomorrow.
This is the only event this season which will take place before the new year, so get down to Ahearn and take advantage of free admission to see how the team’s shaping up early.
Basketball
In today’s Sports Extra, Corbin McGuire previews tomorrow’s game in Wichita against Tulsa.