SLATE: At least we have Spring Football

While others start a party to which we were not invited, the sports doldrums are upon us. Still, we soldier on. Next year, we’re crashing that party. Mark it down.

K-State held a spring football media conference yesterday, featuring offensive coordinator and receivers coach Courtney Messingham. Everyone is optimistic in the spring, of course, but the Wildcats offered up reasons for that optimism on the offensive side, including the return of quarterback Skylar Thompson and running back Joe Ervin, improved size and physical condition of quarterback Will Howard, and the appearance of an improved wide receiver corps, headlined by Malik Knowles emerging as a clear No. 1 and Lawrence’s Keenan Garber showing that he’s ready to make plays for the Wildcats. Check out kstatesports.com for video of Messingham, as well as Knowles, Thompson and Deuce Vaughn.

Everything else comes to us courtesy of the athletic department website today:

Sports Extra featured two-event All-American TJ Shankar.

In golf, sophomore Tim Tillmanns (who plays lefty, meaning you just know he’s a good guy) improved five spots to tie for 14th at the George Hannon Collegiate in Austin, Texas. K-State slipped two positions as a team in the final round, however, finishing in a tie with West Virginia and Baylor for 9th in the 13-team field.

Goalkeeper Peyton Pierson won the Big 12 Freshman of the Week award after making five saves to keep a clean sheet and preserve K-State’s 0-0 draw against Kansas.

The volleyball squad which, at 10-6 in league play in the fall, was in good position to qualify for the NCAA tournament before COVID wrecked everything, found itself needing a win in the spring continuation of the season to keep those hopes alive. They got it against the top team from the Atlantic-10, the Saint Louis Billikens. Austin Siegel highlights a critical moment in that match as the Wildcats try to be one of the only 16 at-large selections into the tournament field.

The track and field squad has added six newcomers to the 2021 recruiting class, including a quartet of distance runners, an international horizontal jumps standout, and since K-State is High Jump U, the nations top-rated high jumper, Kamyren Garrett.

LATE ADDITION: Our old friend Byron Pringle will still be a Chief next season. Good for him. Pringle is a former undrafted free agent who has earned his spot and may be more involved in the passing game, as Demarcus Robinson and Sammy Watkins are expected to depart from the Chiefs as unrestricted free agents. Pringle will bank $2.133 million. Good work, if you can get it.