Wildcats have a new high jump champion

Today’s Slate is an all-track-and-field Slate.

As reported at Bring on the Cats last night, the big Kansas State story is that freshman Tejaswin Shankar has won the 2018 NCAA outdoor high jump title.

With Christoff Bryan’s win in 2017, the Wildcats are now back-to-back winners in the event, and Shankar is only the fifth freshman to ever take home the NCAA high jump crown, but also the fifth Wildcat in just ten years. #HighJumpU indeed.

The men’s championships at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Track Championships have concluded, with the Georgia Bulldogs taking the team crown.

Competition continues today with the women’s championship finals. In action for the Wildcats today will be Nina Schultz and Ariel Okorie in the heptathlon, with the long jump, javelin throw, and 800m events. Schultz is currently in seventh place, about 300 points off the lead set by Georgia’s Louisa Grauvogel. Okorie, who set a new personal best mark in the 100m hurdles to start the heptathlon, is currently in 23rd place.

Also in action for Kansas State today will be Shadae Lawrence, the defending NCAA discus champion, triple jumpers Konstantina Romaiou and Shardia Lawrence, and current Big 12 champion Ranae McKenzie in the 400m hurdles.

The events will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks, beginning at 1:20 on ESPN3 and concluding at 5:30 PM on ESPN. (All times Central).

In other track news, Big 12 shot put runner up Brett Neelly was named Co-Big 12 Men’s track and field Scholar Athlete for 2018. Neelly, a junior who also competed at the NCAA Championships, is majoring in mechanical engineering and has a GPA of 3.77. In addition to setting a new personal best mark in the shot put, Neelly was also named a first team Academic All-Big 12 athlete earlier this season. Congratulations to Brett Neelly on the honor!