The Basics
            The Shocker track and field and cross country programs are both in action this weekend.
            Wichita State cross country opens in abbreviated season with the JK Gold Classic at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. This meet is a good rust-buster for cross country competition, but it also serves as a preview of the course for when the Shockers host the AAC Championships on Feb. 6.
            The track and field teams head to Lawrence for the Jayhawk Classic. Friday's portion of the meet starts at 10 a.m. and Saturday's section begins at 11 a.m.
 
Follow The Meet
            Fans can follow along with updates on Twitter @GoShockersTFXC. A full recap of each day will be posted on Twitter, Facebook and GoShockers.com.
            A live results link for the JK Gold Classic will be posted when it is available.
            Live results for the Jayhawk Classic can be found at https://results.blacksquirreltiming.com/meets/6967
 
Meet Schedule
            The JK Gold Classic kicks off on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. with the women's 5,000 meters. The men's 6,000 meters will follow at 11 a.m.
            The Jayhawk Classic kicks off at 10 a.m on Friday with multi-event competition. Track and field events start at Noon.
            Saturday's action at the Jayhawk Classic will continue with the conclusion of the heptathlon at 11 a.m. with track and field events beginning at 11:20 a.m.
 
Last Time Out
            The Shockers opened their track and field seasons with a pair of meets in the Shocker Prelude and the KU-KSU-WSU Triangular.
            The Wichita State men highlighted the weekend, scoring 122 points and winning that side of the Triangular meet (which is scored combining men and women team scores).
            Jaleel Montgomery had a good start to his Wichita State career, running a time of 6.87 in the 60 meters to slot himself in a tie for seventh in the Shockers' top 10.
            The men's hurdlers got off to a hot start, too. Antonio Norman ran 8.00 seconds or less in all three of his 60-meter hurdles races. Joseph Holthusen also ran a time of 7.99 twice.
            Adam Moore and Michael Bryan earned individual victories at the Triangular as well. Moore won the 3,000 meters and Bryan won the weight throw.
            Winny Koskei was the lone Triangular victor on the women's side, winning the women's 3,000 meters.
 
Head Cross Country Coach Kirk Hunter on the Meet
On how it feels to have a cross country meet
"It feels good. We've been waiting for 10 and a half or 11 months since the kids got to compete. Some of the kids competed at the indoor meet last week, so that was good, but to have a cross country meet is a little odd, but the fact we're having the meet against good competition feels more normal. It's nice to finally have."
 
On the expectations for the JK Gold Classic
"This meet is really about going over the course and getting comfortable with it again. It's about remembering what racing cross country is like on grass and not on a track. We've been doing so much hybrid track and cross country stuff for the last year, it's been difficult, but we're in full cross country mode now. (The athletes) have done a good job of preparing for cross country."
 
On the best lessons that can be learned from the meet
"The best thing is getting to know the course. The good thing is is that it's our course. Our course is deceiving. It looks simple and easy and flat and easy to run around on, but when you get through 8,000 meters on that course, you've done a workout that's for sure. It's deceiving going up that hill three times. Knowing that and knowing how to handle it will be important when it comes time for the AAC Championships."
 
On training for both cross country and track
"It's been more mental for us. That being said cross country demands specific training. There isn't as much focus on speed compared to track, but it's more mental."
 
Back To The Course
            It has been a long break for the Wichita State cross country program, but it will finally be in action this weekend on their home course.
            The break will be 435 days between meets for the Shockers (not including Winny Koskei's appearance at the NCAA Championships). They last competed together as a team on Nov. 15, 2019, at the Midwest Regional.
            The time between meets was a roller coaster. The Shockers had a 2020 fall schedule set until the American Athletic Conference decided to postpone the season to the spring of 2021.
            One positive to remain from that decision was to keep the AAC Championships in Wichita, which were originally scheduled for Oct. 31, but were postponed and rescheduled for Feb. 6.
            The Shockers have finally made it back to the course and their shortened season starts Saturday.
 
JK Gold Classic Streaks
            Wichita State has dominated the JK Gold Classic in recent history.
            The Wichita State men have won the team title in seven of the last eight meets. The Shocker women have taken home the individual title in four of the last five meets.
            A Shocker has won the men's individual title in four of the last seven meets. Wichita State individuals have also claimed 11 individual titles on the women's side in the last 16 tries. Current Shocker Rebekah Topham won the women's title as an unattached runner in 2017 as one of the non-Shockers to win in the last 16 years.
            Ben Flowers took home the men's title last year and Winny Koskei won the women's title. The Shocker men and women both won team titles, to complete a Shocker sweep at the most recent installment in 2019.
 
Hurdlers Starting Hot
            Going into the 2021 indoor track and field season, the Shocker men looked to have one of the best hurdling groups in the conference with all-conference performer Joseph Holthusen, nearly all-conference honoree Antonio Norman, a promising freshman in Jaleel Montgomery, transfer athlete Yuben Goncalves and young talent in Kieron Hunter.
            The group proved their hype last weekend. The Shockers own four of the five fastest 60-meter hurdle times in the conference with Norman and Holthusen holding strong at first and second.
            The success from the opening week translates nationally. Norman is No. 23 in the country with his time of 7.98 and Holthusen is right behind him at 27th with a time of 7.99.
            When this group is firing on all cylinders, it will be hard to stop them and it will be for quite some time. All five of them have at least three years of eligibility left.