The RoundHouse | 5/15/2022 10:24:00 PM
Steve Rainbolt hugged Houston coach Leroy Burrell and assistant Carl Lewis, as the Olympic champions congratulated him. For three seasons, Houston's elite sprinters and hurdlers held off Rainbolt's balanced Wichita State track and field team.
On Sunday, Wichita State's depth caught Houston's speed.
"It's unbelievable," Rainbolt told the Houston coaches. "It means the world to me to compete against your team."
Wichita State needed to go to the final two events at Cessna Stadium to score 185.50 points and end Houston's streak of five American Athletic Conference Outdoor championships. The Cougars finished with 179 points.
"Everyone here wanted it," Wichita State junior
Clayton Duchatschek said after clinching the title in the 5,000 meters. "Team effort. When it comes to conference time, we just come together."
It is Wichita State's first men's track title since joining the American in 2017-18. The Shockers finished second in the outdoor meet in 2019 and 2021 and second in the 2019 indoor. They pushed Houston with their balance in field events, decathletes and a willingness to fill events in search of each and every point.
The Cougars counter with speed that carried them to third-place finishes in the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2018 and 2019. They counter with what Rainbolt called a mystique that adds to their hold on the title.
"I'm telling you there are days when you think that's an unreachable opponent," Rainbolt said. "It feels like 'Will we ever beat them?' And we managed to do it."
On Sunday, the Shockers looked at the form chart and saw their approach worked. They scored points in 19 of 21 events and exceeded the chart in 11 of them. Houston scored in 13 events and clustered 93 points in the 100, 200, 110 hurdles and 400 hurdles.
That left plenty of openings for the Shockers.
"I saw all the guys fighting," Rainbolt said. "Every point mattered."
Friday and Saturday's performances set the stage by cutting Houston's projected edge on the form chart to 15 points, down from 31. The Shockers won events – Duchatschek in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Adria Navajon in the decathlon,
Taran Taylor (javelin),
Michael Bryan (hammer).
They also gritted out the less-glamorous task of piling up points by finishing fourth or fifth with an all-hands-on-deck spirit. Some surprises helped.
On Sunday, Wichita State's
Yuben Goncalves placed second in the triple jump with a leap of 51 feet, 3 ¾ inches. He had not competed in that event this spring, due to injuries. On Saturday, he placed fourth in the long jump (24-3/4) in his first long jump since 2021.
"I didn't jump the entire year," he said. "But I'm a jumper, so I knew I could come here and do great and give some points to the team."
As expected, Wichita State's high jumpers provided key points.
Brady Palen jumped 7 feet, ½ inch to finish second with teammates
Davis Dubbert (6-10 ¼) third,
Chandler Stiawalt (6-6 ¼) tied for sixth and Navajon (6-4 ¼) in eighth.
Adam Moore placed second in the 800 (1:52.31) and third in the 1,500 (3:48.12).
In the discus on Sunday, Matthew Everett threw 184 feet, 2 inches to win for the Shockers. Teammate
Ridge Estes finished second at 176 and Wichita State picked up five more points than the form chart expected.
Duchatschek gave the Shockers a boost of five points by winning the steeplechase. In the 5,000 – the meet's second-to-last event – he needed to finish at least eighth to clinch the title. He ran a 14:37.41 to finish eighth and grab that final point. Tulsa's powerful distance runners took the top seven spots.
"I wasn't seeded to score in the 5,000, so I took it mentally easy on myself and was like 'I'm just going to give it my best,'" he said. "I wanted to run my race and not anybody else's. Trust my training. Trust my coaches and it worked out for me."
All the Shockers needed in the 1,600 relay was a complete race – good start, stay in the lane, pass the baton cleanly. They finished third with a time of 3:11.59 to set off a celebration in Cessna Stadium.
It took five years and four outdoor championship meets. Wichita State's depth caught Houston's speed.
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
