Track and Field | 4/11/2025 8:35:00 AM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
Jenna Kuepker plans to be a chiropractor after college, which fits with how she studies the javelin for Wichita State.
 
Proper positioning. Alignment of the body. Hip strength. Power from the legs up. Wrist straight. Arm parallel to the ground.
 
"Strength isn't always the main thing in javelin," Kuepker said. "There's a lot of technical work. I've always been fascinated by the body. All athletes, we get out of whack, and it feels good to get adjusted properly."

 
Kuepker, a sophomore from Andale, is adjusting well to Wichita State after one season at Hutchinson Community College. WSU's women's javelin group is ranked No. 12 nationally by the USTFCCCA.
 
Her throw of 154 feet, 5 inches in late March ranks eighth on WSU's record list and fifth in the current American Athletic Conference rankings. She is the top seed in the event at the K.T. Woodman Classic that begins Friday at University Stadium. Javelin throws begin at 6 p.m.
 
"She really came on in junior college," throws coach John Hetzendorf said. "She's evolving technically, and I feel like she's getting ready for a break-through. We haven't seen it yet, but I'm seeing signs of somethings connecting, getting more consistent with her technique."
 
Kuepker played softball in high school until her junior season. Teammate McKenzie Fairchild, who throws at Texas A&M, suggested a switch.
 
"She was like 'You should change to throw javelin your junior year. You would be good at it,'" Kuepker said. "We worked out together and she could see strength. She would help me before we started practice with all the little technical things that would help me. I was like 'Yeah, let's do it.'"
 
Kuepker finished fourth in the NJCAA last spring at Hutchinson with a personal record of 158-1. Like Hetzendorf, she sees progress this spring that she believes will push her to that distance and farther. When she leaves WSU, she wants to own the school record, currently 164-11 by Carlea Holt in 2016.
 
"That's my goal," she said. "Commitment. That's a big thing within your throw. You have to be committed to it, and it will fly."
 
Hetzendorf enjoys the depth with his javelin group this spring. Six Shockers are in the AAC's top 13 after one meet. Reagan Ayres (136-5) and Addison Bailey (133-4) are 11^th and 12^th as freshmen.
 
"We've got a complete mix, seniors to freshmen," Hetzendorf said. "It's very much a group mentality, whether it's training, weight room and even at the track meet. They like working hard and getting better, supporting one another."
 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.