Another meet, another win – but this one was still a little special. Senior K-State high jumper Erik Kynard has been wowing crowds since his freshman year and did it again over the weekend by setting the highest jump in an outdoor meet this season.

The Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, CA last week featured four competitors from the 2012 Olympic Games in London, including 2011 IAAF World Champion Jesse Williams. While Williams and Michael Mason cleared 7’7″, Kynard hit 7’8″ to both set a new Mr. SAC Relays record and ty his own school record. As noted above, his performance is also the new top mark in the outdoors this season.

“Erik jumped well. I think this was one of his best meets ever,” observed K-State Head Coach Cliff Rovelto. “We had a lot of solid marks today at both the meets we competed at in California. Probably, the most impressive was the men’s 4×400. All four guys ran really well.”

The Wildcat 4X400 team Rovelto was referring to ran the third fastest relay time in school history. The squad, consisting of Ifeanyi Otuonye, Carlos Rodriguez, Jay-J Parks and Chris Campbell,  finished fourth behind a team from Japan, Western Kentucky and the Big’s Texas Tech. K-State’s final time was 3:06.64, finishing .21 seconds behind Texas Tech.

Erik Kynard. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE.

On a day full of surprisingly early exits from the high jump competition, Erik Kynard maintained his focus. Kynard advanced to the Olympic high jump finals after clearing 7-06.00.

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Austra Skujyte with fellow competitors at the IAAF World Indoor Championships. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

It is undeniably true that Erik Kynard is certainly worthy of the extensive coverage we’ve given him. As the 6th-ranked high jumper in the world, he is KSU’s best hope for an Olympic medal. Having covered both his NCAA season, as well as his pursuit of a place on the United States 2012 Olympic Team, it is important to note that he is not the only K-Stater to be representing their country in London this summer. Five others will represent their respective countries in track & field during the upcoming week.

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Mandatory Credit: Douglas C. Pizac-US PRESSWIRE

Good day, boys and girls.

I hope you all had a fantastic Fourth of July, and that there was at least one non-serious, yet humorous, fireworks injury you all witnessed that can be told over drunken campfires for years and years to come. I had such an incident in high school.

My buddy lived by a river and we decided to have a fireworks war on one of its sandbars. Well, preceding the epic battle, my other buddy accidentally bulls-eye’d my right nipple with a roman candle from 20 feet away.

True story.

The legend goes that the roman candle ball “stuck” to my nipple for a good 10 seconds, before all the flesh that was left to burn had been consumed. I calmly sat down my Mountain Dew and jumped in the river. Granted, the next day and days later it looked like a charred, solid Iron-Man-esque circle was misplaced on my torso, but you better believe I fought the good fight in the fireworks war hours after the incident.

That was over a decade ago, but for those lucky enough to see my right nipple up close and personal, the scar is still visible. Yes, ladies, I technically have a third nipple area.

Anyway, on to this week’s BSLSH…

• How about K-State’s Erik Kynard, eh? He made Team USA in the high-jump and is the first active K-Stater to make an Olympic team since Nathan Leeper did so in the 2000 Sydney Games. Leeper was also a high-jumper. Kynard is officially the coolest person in Manhattan.
• Speaking of cool people, how about the man behind K-State track and field… head coach Cliff Rovelto? He not only trains Kynard, but is also the coach of the other two members of the Team USA high jump team, Jessie Williams and Jamie Nieto – both professionals. KSU has a reputation in the track and field circles as being “High Jump U” and Rovelto is a big reason for that. It’s extremely rare that all three athletes who make an Olympic team share the same trainer – and even Rovelto, who is normally excruciatingly humble – admitted to me last week that he didn’t recall another instance of that happening in his 20-plus years of being in the track and field scene.
• I watched WWE “Raw” the other night with one of my friends, who is a major, major fan. I learned a lot.
• Seriously, though… Rovelto is the real deal. He may be the most successful – and most internationally respected – head coach in K-State history who isn’t named “Bill Snyder”.
• Well, Anderson Cooper is gay. In other shocking news, Kim Kardashian is famous because her family is rich and she banged Ray J on the internet, chicks dig “Magic Mike”, Willie the Wildcat is actually a student, and peanut butter and jelly have the makings to combine for an easy on-the-go sandwich.
• There was way, way, way too much Ray J, and not near enough Kim K in that one. It’s sad to say, but I’m afraid if Ray J’s, uh… “private parts” left his body and committed a crime, there’s a good chance the millions of us that have seen the video can draw a composite sketch of what the perpetrator looks like.
• Hey, Lebron James is a champion now! It’s like he’s a whole different person now! (Cleveland disagrees.)
• Am I the only person that thought the KU basketball marijuana bust was the most ridiculous thing ever reported? Wow… college kids smoke pot. What a huge piece of “breaking news”. Next they are going to tell me Anderson Cooper is gay.
• What the hell has happened to The History Channel? What’s “historic” about some hillbilly shooting an alligator in the face?
• Alligators are pro-gun control. Which is historic, because they used to be anti-gun control during the Civil War. Also, they are aliens.
• So, Michael Beasley is a Phoenix Sun, now? I sincerely hope that works out for him, but if he wants to take a break from the astute life advice he gets from Spongebob Squarepants, I know a K-State high-jumper that can throw down some real tips for being a one-of-a-kind athlete.
• The WWE taught me it’s never good to ask out the other wrestler’s girlfriend. I will never ask out another wrestler’s girlfriend, nor a girl wrestler’s girlfriend.
• When will Sean Hannity announce he’s gay?
• If you haven’t seen Texas A&M’s “SEC welcome” video, do yourself a favor and check it out. I’m confident Octomom’s decision to do porn was more inspired and in more professional taste.

And that’s what’s making Bill Snyder laugh SO hard this week, my friends. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a high school buddy to track down and a roman candle to purchase.

See ya next week!

Ryann Krais. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-US PRESSWIRE

Posts best score of season

K-STATE SPORTS INFORMATION

June 30, 2012

EUGENE, Ore. – After finishing 14th at the NCAA Championship earlier this month in the heptathlon, Kansas State senior Ryann Krais rebounded and put together her best performance of the season to take seventh place at the USA Track and Field Olympic Trials. Krais bested seven collegiate athletes who finished better than her at the NCAA meet as she posted her best score of the year by more than 120 points with a total of 5,817 points.
Krais stood in 10th place entering the final three events on Saturday afternoon at Hayward Field. She put together three solid events to score big points and steadily move up the standings. Krais opened the day with a long jump of 5.61 meters (18-05.00), coming up just eight centimeters short of her best mark of the season from the Big 12 Championship.

The 2011 USA Championship runner-up then followed the long jump with one of her best throws in the javelin. Krais posted a mark of 40.50 meters (132-10) that was less than two feet short of her personal best set at the Big 12 Championship.

Krais’ strong marks continued in the final event as she crossed the line in 2:12.03 in the 800 meters. It was her best time of the season by more than 1.5 seconds as she shot up the standings into seventh place following the event. Only one athlete ran faster than Krais in the 800 meters.

“I’m proud of how Ryann competed this weekend,” said K-State Head Coach Cliff Rovelto. “She is getting close to full health and back to being her normal self, which is great to see from her.”

Two post-collegiate athletes who train with Rovelto also were fighting for a spot on the USA Olympic Team. One of those two came up just short of her dream finishing fourth.

Bettie Wade found herself in fourth place with 6,018 points after two days of hard work. Wade was 170 points behind former Nebraska Cornhusker Chantae McMillan and only 132 points off the Olympic A Standard score. Heading into the final event, Wade needed to reach the qualifying standard of 6,150 and finish ahead of McMillan. To reach that score Wade needed to run at least 2:09.80 in the 800 meters. McMillan did post the Olympic A Standard, finishing third in 6,188 points. Wade ran 2:19.06 and finished fourth overall.

“Bettie did a good job today, particularly in the long jump in the rain,” Rovelto said. “Bettie tried hard, but she just left a few points behind yesterday.”

Hill took 18th place with 5,537 points. She entered the day in 18th place and hovered around the position on the leaderboard through the final day of the heptathlon. Hill posted a mark of 5.75 meters (18-10.50) in the long jump to open the day and then threw the javelin 35.47 meters (116-04). Hill closed the day with a run of 2:18.94 in the 800 meters.

Saturday marked the conclusion of any athletes with K-State connections at the USA Olympic Trials. Thus far a total of five current and former Wildcats have qualified to represent their homeland at the 2012 London Olympic Games. There is still a possibility for some to make their Olympic Teams, which would set a new record for K-State. The five Olympians currently ties for the most in school history from the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

K-State Results
Heptathlon
7: Ryann Krais, 5817 pts
Long Jump: 5.61m/18-05.00 (732 pts)
Javelin: 40.50m/132-10 (677 pts)
800m: 2:12.03 (935 pts)
Day 1
100H: 100H: 13.84 (1001 pts)
High Jump: 1.75m/5-08.75 (916 pts)
Shot Put: 12.00m/39-04.50 (661 pts)
200m: 24.91 (895 pts)

Professional Athletes Trained by Rovelto
4: Bettie Wade, 6018 pts
Long Jump: 6.21m/20-04.50 (915 pts)
Javelin: 35.79m/117-05
800m: 2:19.06 (836 pts)
Day 1
100H: 13.72 (1018 pts)
High Jump: 1.81m/5-11.25 (991 pts)
Shot Put: 13.62m/44-08.50 (769 pts)
200m: 24.84 (902 pts)

18: Kasey Hill, 5537 pts
Long Jump: 5.75m/18-10.50 (774 pts)
Javelin: 35.47m/116-04 (581 pts)
800m: 2:18.94 (838 pts)
Day 1
100H: 14.30 (936 pts)
High Jump: 1.60m/5-03.00 (736 pts)
Shot Put: 12.39m/40-07.75 (687 pts)
200m: 23.96 (985 pts)

Ryann Krais. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Treasure ties for 4th at Canadian Trials

K-STATE SPORTS INFORMATION

June 29, 2012

EUGENE, Ore. – After a week of waiting out other action at the USA Track and Field Olympic Trials, K-State senior Ryann Krais finally got to lace up her spikes and begin the heptathlon as she chases her dreams of representing the United States in London. Friday marked the first day of the heptathlon with the former NCAA champion and USA Championship runner-up competing against the best in the nation from Hayward Field and finding herself in the mix in 10th place.
Krais opened the day with her second-fastest time of the season in the 100 meter hurdles. Krais clocked in at 13.84 seconds to stand in 12th place. She followed that with her best high jump of the year after struggling at the NCAA Championship earlier this month. Krais cleared 1.75 meters (5-08.75), 2.25 inches higher than her previous best this year. That jump scored her 916 points and moved her up to eighth place.

The shot put proved to be another strong performance for Krais. She threw the shot exactly 12 meters, improving greatly on her toss at the NCAA Championship. Krais then closed the day with her fastest time of the season in the 200 meters crossing the line in 24.91 seconds.

Through the first four events, Krais has tallied 3,473 points and stands in 10th place. She is 204 points ahead of her Day 1 score from the NCAA Championship and 156 points ahead of her pace from her Big 12 Championship winning performance.

Two other athletes with K-State connections were competing in the heptathlon on Friday from Hayward Field. Former assistant coaches and current volunteer coaches Bettie Wade and Kasey Hill were also in the field hoping to make the Olympic Team. Both train with K-State Head Coach Cliff Rovelto.

Wade is among the leaders currently standing in fifth place through the first four events with 3,680 points. After standing in 10th place following the hurdles, Wade steadily climbed the leaderboard taking fourth in the high jump and second in the shot put. Hill stands in 18th with 3,344 points. She had one of the fastest times of the day in the 200 meters, clocking in at 23.96 seconds and standing fourth for the event.

Also competing on Friday afternoon was former Wildcat Amy Mortimer in the semifinals of the 1,500 meters. Mortimer finished 17th overall with her time of 4:12.04 and failed to make the final. She advanced to the semifinals by taking third in her preliminary heat Thursday evening to grab an automatic spot in the next round.

Krais, Wade and Hill will conclude the heptathlon on Saturday. Action resumes at 5 p.m. CT with the long jump followed by the javelin and 800 meters. The Olympic A Standard for the event is 6,150 points. That will be the target score for the athletes to reach to make the team.

“Ryann was pretty solid, I thought. She is coming around,” Rovelto said. “Bettie was fine but left a few points out there in some events. She will need to be very solid tomorrow to move up. Kasey was a little off through three events but ran a great 200 to close the day.”

At the Canadian Olympic Trials in Calgary, more Wildcats were in action. Freshman high jumper Alyx Treasure was looking to make the women’s team, and former Wildcat Jared MacLeod was competing in the men’s 110 meter hurdles.

Treasure finished in a tie for fourth place in the final and will miss going to the Olympic Games. She cleared two bars each on her first attempt, registering 1.70 meters (5-07.00). She missed all three of her attempts at 1.75 meters (5-08.75).

MacLeod missed making his national team for the London Olympic Games finishing fourth in Friday’s final. He crossed the line in 14.19 seconds. MacLeod advanced through the semifinals earlier Friday by clocking in at 14.26 and finishing in the top three of his heat to take an automatic spot in the final.

Saturday’s action from Eugene will be on NBC from 8-9 p.m. CT. Fans can follow the action online with live results provided by flashresults.com. Live streaming of the NBC broadcast will also be available at nbcolympics.com. K-State’s @kstate_gameday Twitter account will be active as well providing updates on the heptathlon and other tidbits about the action.

K-State Results
USA Track and Field Olympic Trials
Heptathlon Day 1
5: Bettie Wade, 3680 pts
100H: 13.72 (1018 pts)
High Jump: 1.81m/5-11.25 (991 pts)
Shot Put: 13.62m/44-08.50 (769 pts)
200m: 24.84 (902 pts)

10: Ryann Krais, 3473 pts
100H: 13.84 (1001 pts)
High Jump: 1.75m/5-08.75 (916 pts)
Shot Put: 12.00m/39-04.50 (661 pts)
200m: 24.91 (895 pts)

18: Kasey Hill, 3344 pts
100H: 14.30 (936 pts)
High Jump: 1.60m/5-03.00 (736 pts)
Shot Put: 12.39m/40-07.75 (687 pts)
200m: 23.96 (985 pts)

1500m Semifinals
17: Amy Mortimer, 4:12.04

1500m First Round (Thursday)
Amy Mortimer, 4:16.02 – advance

Canadian Track and Field Olympic Trials
Women’s High Jump
T-4: Alyx Treasure, 1.70m/5-07.00

Men’s 110m Hurdles Final
4: Jared MacLeod, 14.19

Men’s 110m Hurdles Semifinals
Jared MacLeod, 14.26 – advance

Erik Kynard. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE

Normally this site doesn’t use exclamation points in headlines, but Erik Kynard is a special case. The first Kansas State undergrad to represent the United States as an Olympian since Nathan Leeper in 2000, Kynard finished second to Jamie Nieto in the 2012 United States Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.

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Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE

5 of 13 finalists have K-State connections

K-STATE SPORTS INFORMATION

June 23, 2012

EUGENE, Ore. – NCAA high jump champion Erik Kynard advanced to the final of the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials with ease on Saturday evening at Hayward Field. With the top 12 jumpers slated to advance to Monday’s final, Kynard was one of only four jumpers to clear all three bars cleanly with no misses.
Kynard cleared bars at 6-10.75 (2.10 meters), 7-00.50 (2.15m) and 7-01.75 (2.21m) on his first attempt each time. He will compete for the chance to wear the Red, White and Blue on Monday night at 7:50 p.m. Central, 5:50 p.m. Pacific time.

The field battled poor weather as heavy rains came and went throughout the competition during the second day of the Olympic Trials from TrackTown USA.

K-State Head Coach Cliff Rovelto also had three professional jumpers who train with him in the competition. They along with Kynard represent the only four jumpers to clear all three bars cleanly on Saturday evening.

Reigning world champion Jesse Williams was perfect on Saturday as well as 2004 Olympian Jamie Nieto and former NCAA Division II champion Jim Dilling. They will all be in the field of 13 jumpers in the field on Monday as there was a tie at 11th place.

One future Wildcat also made the final in the high jump. Zack Riley grabbed one of the final spots as he and two others tied for 11th. He advanced despite not clearing the third bar in the poor conditions with the top 12 originally set to move to the final. Riley signed a National Letter of Intent in February out of Renn Lake Community College in Illinois and has a personal best jump of 7-05.00 (2.26m) and is an NJCAA champion.

Rovelto said Kynard did a good job of jumping in the wet conditions after doing so in winning his first NCAA title last year.

“I thought Erik looked very good,” Rovelto said.”Jesse, Jim and Jamie also jumped well, particularly under the rainy conditions. It was also nice to see Zack Riley make the final.”

Monday’s final can be followed with live results provided by flashresults.com. Fans can also keep up with the action via Twitter by following the handle @kstate_gameday. NBC Sports Network will have two hours of coverage airing from 8-10 p.m. CT as well.

In earlier action at the U.S. Trials on Friday, former K-Sate track star Christian Smith competed in the first round of the 800 meters. Smith finished sixth in his heat, crossing the finish line in 1:49.21. He finished 25th overall to miss his bid at repeating as a member of Team USA at the Olympic Games. Smith qualified for the 2008 Beijing Games in the 800 meters.

Ryann Krais long jumping. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee. US PRESSWIRE

Earns first team status for efforts on track, in classroom

June 21, 2012

2012 Academic All-America Team 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State senior Ryann Krais has amassed a number of awards during her career for both her athletic and academic achievements. The Big 12 champion added to her trophy case this week as she was named to the Capital One Academic All-America First Team. The honor adds to her already impressive list of academic awards just this season alone. At the NCAA Championship she received the NCAA Elite 89 Award recognizing her as the top student-athlete in the classroom at the NCAA Championship meet. She also received the Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship from the Big 12.

The Capital One Academic All-America Team is voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors Association and takes both academic and athletic success into account. This season, Krais won the Big 12 Championship outdoors in the heptathlon and indoors in the pentathlon. She finished fifth in the pentathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championship and 14th outdoors. Krais earned her degree in psychology this May with a 3.95 GPA.

To be eligible for Academic All-America, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing and be nominated by his or her sports information director for Academic All-District. Student-athletes selection to their respective district’s first team are then eligible for voting onto the Academic All-America Team.

With her selection to the Academic All-America Team, Krais adds to another successful season in the classroom for K-State student-athletes. Football player Tysyn Hartman was named a finalist for the Campbell Trophy and awarded a scholarship for postgraduate studies. He also was selected as a member of the first team of Capital One Academic All-America Team. Victor Ojeleye from the men’s basketball team received the prestigious Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award over more than 600 candidates. Ojeleye graduated this spring and was a three-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection. Earlier this week, the K-State Athletics Department announced all 16 of its teams met and exceeded the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate standards for the second straight year.

Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-US PRESSWIRE

Two former K-State athletes competing at Olympic Trials

K-STATE SPORTS INFORMATION

June 21, 2012

Olympic Trials Notes Package 

Olympic Trials Bio Blast 

Live Results: U.S. Olympic Trials – Canadian Olympic Trials

U.S. Olympic Trials T.V. Schedule

MANHATTAN, Kan. - A trio of Kansas State Wildcats are preparing to chase their Olympic dreams this month. Back-to-back NCAA high jump champion Erik Kynard is hoping to qualify for Team USA this weekend and senior heptathlete Ryann Krais is set to compete on the final weekend of the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials next week. Freshman Alyx Treasure is ranked No. 2 in her native Canada and has her sites set on a spot on the Olympic team in the women’s high jump as well.

The U.S. Olympic Trials begin Friday in Eugene, Ore., where action will run through July 1st at legendary Hayward Field. TrackTown USA will be buzzing with the best athletes in America looking to represent the Red, White and Blue in London this summer for the 2012 Olympic Games. The Canadian Trials are slated for June 27-30 in Calgary.

Kynard leapt a new school record at the NCAA Championships as he is the first Wildcat to clear 7-08.00 (2.34m). His mark also broke the Drake Stadium record in a dramatic high jump competition that saw the Wildcat and three-time NCAA champion Derek Drouin battle. Kynard is set to compete in the qualifying round of the high jump on Saturday at 4:20 p.m. Pacific time. The field will be narrowed down to 12 competitors at that time before jumping in the final on Monday at 5:50 p.m.

Krais won the Big 12 title in the heptathlon and also indoors in the pentathlon. At the NCAA meet, she finished 14th outdoors and fifth indoors. She has seen success in TrackTown USA, where she finished second at the 2011 USA Championship in the heptathlon. Last year, Krais scored 6,030 points to finish second and narrowly miss a spot on Team USA for the IAAF World Championships.

Treasure is one of the most decorated young athletes from Canada. She won the Canadian Junior Championship last season and then stepped up to compete against older competition and finished fifth at the Canadian Championship. She finished fifth at the Big 12 outdoor meet this season as a freshman and won the indoor crown. She enters the Canadian Track and Field Trials ranked No. 2 at 6-00.50 (1.84m). She trails Jillian Drouin, sister of Indiana Hoosier Derek Drouin, by three centimeters. The qualifying round of the high jump is slated for 5:30 p.m. June 28 with the final the following day at the same time.

One former Wildcat will be in Eugene scouting the action for Team USA. All-American and two-time NCAA runner-up both indoor and outdoor, Gwen Wentland-Mikinski is a member of the USA Track and Field coaching staff for this year’s Olympic Games. She will serve as the women’s assistant coach for jumps.

Two other former Wildcats will be competing for a spot on the team as well. Amy Mortimer looks to qualify in the 1,500 meters. She will run the qualifying round on June 28. Olympian Christian Smith will be running the 800 meters, hoping to make the team again after a dramatic diving finish to qualify in 2008. The first round is set for 5:20 p.m. Friday with semifinals at 4:45 p.m. Saturday. The final will be Monday at 7:47 p.m.

NBC will be providing live coverage from the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. The network will air coverage Saturday and Sunday as well as the final two days of the meet. The newly launched NBC Sports Network will also have coverage Friday and June 25-29. Check your local listings for times and to see if your cable or satellite provider carry NBC Sports Network.

The Canadian Track and Field Trials will be broadcast on CBC Sports. Check your local listings for times and to see if you get the network. The network will air two hours live on television and another two hours of live online steaming on its website.

Fans will be able to follow the action at the U.S. Olympic Trials online with live results provided by flashresults.com. Updates will also be available on Twitter. Those wanting to stay in the know in that manner, can follow @kstate_gameday as well as @USATrack_Field. Hashtags #KStateTrack ,  #London2012 and #Eugene2012 will be used throughout the U.S. Trials. Information from Canadian Trials can be followed on @AthleticsCanada with a live results link available atwww.2012trials.ca.