The RoundHouse | 4/13/2024 7:18:00 PM
By Paul Suellentrop
Two small-town Kansas high jumpers are among the nation's best for Wichita State. They share that background, along with a desire to be great.
In both cases, learning the event unlocked athletic ability and propelled
Destiny Masters and
Brady Palen to NCAA All-American honors.
Coaching them couldn't be more different for
Steve Rainbolt, WSU's director of track and field.
"Brady is very level-headed and keeps his emotions in check," Masters said. "Very opposite of me. It's probably really hard for (Rainbolt). He tells me he wants me to be more like Brady, more stoic. More level-headed. I, personally, don't know how to do that. He doesn't show his emotions. I just wear them."
Palen and Masters observe each other compete. They rarely cross paths during practice schedules because of Masters' time in the multi-events. They do, Palen admits, pay attention to the results.
"It's a good rivalry that we have," Palen said. "We fight like brother and sister, but I think we both get a little jealous of each other when we see other's performances and where we rank in the nation."
Whatever Rainbolt does – which includes flexibility, plenty of positive reinforcement and video recorded on his phone - is working. Masters, from El Dorado, is a two-time second-team NCAA All-American in the high jump (in addition to first team in the pentathlon). Palen, from Beloit, earned first-team honors indoors and honorable mention outdoors in 2023.
"He's coaching two totally different athletes," Masters said. "He's done a great job not treating us the same. He tells Brady exactly what he needs to do. Bam, bam. He asks me 'Hey, kid how did that feel? What do you need?"
Palen entered Saturday's K.T. Woodman Classic ranked No. 4 nationally with a height of 7 feet, 2 ½ inches. He cleared 7-1 on Saturday to win the meet. Masters entered Saturday ranked No. 12 nationally at 5-11 ¼. She cleared 5-9 3/4 to win.
Different personalities. Different coaching styles. Different schedules, because the multi-events demand Masters' time and add to the complexity of coaching. Rainbolt enjoys working with both and enjoys watching them thrive.
"They're both clutch performers," Rainbolt said. "It's become sort of remarkable how many third-attempt makes Destiny has executed. Brady is the same way. That guy's a heck of a competitor."
Masters won the Class 2A long jump and placed third in the high jump (5-2) as a senior at Bluestem High School. Palen won the Class 1A high jump at 6-10 ½ for St. John High School. They blossomed at Wichita State as they refined techniques and conditioning and focused on their events.
"Both of them have become very attentive," Rainbolt said. "They can climb out of the pit and tell me what I saw. They have a feel for what just happened. Then you're getting your coaching as a sounding board."
Rainbolt coaxed the most out of Masters, lukewarm on track before deciding to compete in college, by listening, encouraging her through highs and lows, and adapting training to fit her mindset. For example, she prefers a shorter warmup before competition than most athletes. She is hard on herself, getting angry at a miss, before channeling that emotion into a make-or-break jump.
"She likes a very brief warmup," Rainbolt said. "In track and field, we've gotten more and more into dynamic warmups that take 20, 30 minutes. She takes five to eight minutes."
Through discussion and compromise, the results put Masters on the awards stand regularly.
"She seems to do pretty good, so I'm going to move her direction," Rainbolt said. "Now, I'm going to ask her to move my direction, too. And she does. That's the nuance of the negotiation."
Palen attributes his demeanor to a lifetime of playing sports and learning how to take coaching, even when he might see things from a different viewpoint.
"I don't think (Rainbolt) and I have ever been mad at each other," Palen said. "I've played every sport. I learned to work with a coach in four or five different sports. I've definitely got moments where I don't agree, but I can respect he's been coaching for 30-some years and that he knows what's going on."
Rainbolt, the 1977 indoor Big 8 high jump champion at Kansas, also connects with Palen over a love of golf.
"He's always been very coachable," Rainbolt said. "He's a smart guy. He feels what's happening in real time in the high jump. I might have input for him, and we come to agreement on a plan."
The plans are different. The people are different. What is similar is the sight of Palen and Masters clearing bars and climbing the NCAA rankings.
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
