Quotables | Dual Rankings

WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State's track and field program will travel to Colorado Springs, Colo., to compete in the Air Force Combined Events/Team Challenge on Thursday, Jan. 18 and Friday, Jan. 19.
 
THE SHOCKERS
The men's team enters the meet ranked No. 9 in the collegiate men's indoor dual meet rankings according to trackandfieldnews.com. Shockers currently have four athletes with NCAA top 15 marks, including No. 1 Hunter Veith (6,023 points) and No. 4 Ben Johnson (5,471 points).  Jared Belardo No. 5 in the triple jump (15.65m/51-4.25), Veith No. 7 in the long jump (7.58m/24-10.5) and freshman Rayvon Allen No. 11 in the triple jump (15.37m/50-5.25). The women's team has been lead by strong leadership from the upperclassmen, five of six athletes who rank in the American Athletic Conference top ten are upperclassmen. Redshirt Freshman Kendra Henry is the top ranked athlete in the pentathlon with 3,331 points, followed by junior Carlea Miles in second with 3,107 points. Natalie Halfman is second in the 400m (56.74), Alesa Frey ranks third in conference with a pole vault mark of 3.86m/12-8, Kelsey Slawson is fifth best in the shot put (14.83m/48-8) and Meghan Holmes has the eighth furthest mark in the triple jump (11.88m/38-11.75).
 
THE FIELD
The Shocks will be competing against Air Force, BYU and Colorado State. In 2017 Colorado State won the men's and women's Mountain West Indoor Championships, Air Force men placed second. During the outdoor season Air Force won the men's Mountain West championship, while Colorado State men and women placed second. BYU is the top ranked team of the meet at No. 7, Colorado State No. 12 and Air Force No. 18. BYU brings a talented field of individual athletes, including seven with top ten rankings in their respected events.  Clayson Shumway ranks second and Connor Mantz fourth in the 3000m, Marcus Dickson fifth and Abraham Alvarado eighth in the mile. Brian Matthews is sixth in the heptathlon, the BYU women have Whittni Orto ranked seventh in the mile and Anna Camp tenth in the 800m. Air Force enters with three athletes in the top ten rankings, Shelley Spires is seventh in the high jump and Kathryn Tomczak is eighth in the pole vault. John Reynolds is the lone falcon on the men's side in the top ten, he ranks fourth in the triple jump. Nick Kravec of Colorado State ranks third in the heptathlon.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State last competed in the WSU/KSU/KU Triangular on Jan. 13, the Shocker men finished second with 108.5 points and the women third with 75 points. The women were well represented in the weight throw and shot put. Meagan Williams finished third in the weight throw, Slawson took fifth, followed by a second place finish in the shot put. The long jump group of Holmes and Skaila White took second and third. The men took second and third in the triple jump, led by All-American Belardo and freshman Allen. Jake Horsch won the 600yd and Austin Corley won the 400m in a personal best 48.74.
 
The Air Force Combined Events Meet is set to start with day one of the men's heptathlon and the women's pentathlon Thursday, Jan. 18 at 2:00 p.m. CT. Day 2 of the men's heptathlon begins Friday, Jan. 19 at 12:00 p.m. CT, followed by the Air Force Team Challenge at 5:00 p.m CT.