Kansas State University 2025 Track and Field Recruiting Class

@JOSHUA.GRENADE

Track and Field Recruiting

The first-year coaching staff signed 21 student-athletes in the fall period

Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Travis Geopfert announced on Wednesday (Nov. 20) his first class of committed Wildcats.

The initial batch of signed recruits includes 21 student-athletes across all event groups and is highlighted by national record holders, state record holders, junior college national champions and 17 individual state champions, many of which are from the state of Kansas.

"I'm absolutely thrilled with this first wave of signees that our staff is bringing here to K-State," Geopfert said. "It's a tremendous mix of talent across a variety of event areas. It's also a great mix of student-athletes that stem from the state of Kansas, surrounding states and international star power from around the world,"

This group of signees have shown us that they are dedicated student-athletes both on and off the track. They are highly successful in the classroom, and they also know how to win! We want winners that want to gravitate toward excellence and this group of young people exemplifies that. Kansas State is rich in history and with the new facilities, we have everything we need to help these student-athletes reach their potential on a national and global level. I very much appreciate that our current student-athletes, these signees, and their families fully recognize that this is one of the best training environments in the world,"

Below is a brief description of each signee in alphabetical order:

Reece Ademola is a jumper from Cork, Ireland, set to join the Wildcats in January 2025. Previously competing with the Leevale Athletic Club, Ademola specializes in the long jump with a personal best distance of 7.97m (26' 1.75"). Ademola finished 5th at the U-20 World Athletics Championship in 2022 and he holds the Irish U-20 and U-23 national records. He also competes in the high jump, with a best clearance of 2.10m (6' 10.75").

Bree Allen is a distance runner from Prairie View High School in La Cygne, Kan. The 13-time state qualifier has six 3A state titles to her name ranging from the 800 meters to the 5000 meters. As a junior she was a two-time KSHSAA 3A state champion in the 1600 and 3200 meters. In the 5000 meters during cross country Allen clocked in her best time at 18:22.80. In her best event on the track, Allen boasts a 3200 personal best of 10:50.17.

Dorian Charles is a combined events athlete from Trinidad and Tobago who recently graduated from Jamaica College. He will be making the move to Manhattan for the start of the spring 2025 semester. In the decathlon, his highest score is 6,954 points which is a national record and U-20 world leading mark. Charles' strongest individual events include the javelin throw with a personal best of 66.12m (216' 11.25"). He has also run 52.02 in the 400 hurdles, qualifying for the U-20 World Championship in Lima, Peru this past summer.

Tafadzwa Chikomba is a sophomore transfer from Meridian Community College in Mississippi. Originally from Zimbabwe, Chikomba specializes in the long jump and was crowned winner in the event at the 2024 NJCAA Outdoor Championship. His personal best of 8.11m (26' 7.25") would have placed 7th at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games this past summer. Chikomba also has competed in the triple jump and has a wind legal 10.44 100-meter dash personal best.

Logan Beckman is a distance runner from Spring Hill High in Spring Hill, Kan. Earlier this month he was crowned the KSHSAA 5A individual state champion in cross country. Beckman also led Spring Hill to their first team title, in any sport, as the boy's cross country team won the 5A race. One week later, Beckman led his team again at the Nike Regional Championship in South Dakota. Spring Hill was one of two teams to advanced to the Nike National Championship, and the first boys' team ever to qualify from Kansas. Beckman holds personal bests of 15:01.2 for the 5000, 9:22.27 in the 3200, and 4:20.36 in the 1600.

Delaney Brinker is a sprinter from Ladue Horton Watkins High School in St. Louis, Mo. In May she finished runner-up in the 400 meters at the MSHSAA Class 4 State Championship. Over the summer, Brinker participated in the New Balance National Outdoor Championship, she finished 7th overall in the 400 meters with a personal best of 54.47. Her fastest times in other events include 24.59 in the 200 meters and 2:13.03 in her only attempt at the 800 meters.

Reese Brownlee is a decorated state champion from Clear Lake, Iowa. As a junior at Clear Lake High, Brownlee was a three-time IHSAA 3A state champion in the 400 meters, 400-meter hurdles, and long jump. Brownlee ran the 400 hurdles in 59.83 seconds, a new 3A state meet record and the second-fastest time in state history. In the long jump, she recorded her best of 5.88m (19' 3.50"), good enough for a new 3A state meet record. In the 400 meters at the state meet, Brownlee ran a personal best of 55.56, another win and another 3A state meet record. This past summer she qualified for the USATF U-20 Championship where she finished 10th in the 400 hurdles.

Payton Fink is a distance runner from Washburn Rural High School in Topeka, Kan. At the KSHSAA cross country state championship on November 2, Fink finished in 5th place in the 6A race, nearly helping her team win the state title. The nine-time state qualifier has a 5000 meter personal best time of 17:33.30. Her highest finish at the 2023 Nike Heartland Regional Championship in 14th place was just short of qualifying for the Nike Cross Country National meet.

Jack Guthridge is a sprinter from Kapaun Mount Carmel High School in Wichita, Kan. Guthridge is a two-time KSHSAA 5A state champion in the 200 meters and 400 meters. Considered the best all-around sprinter in the state of Kansas this year, his personal bests include 10.40 in the 100, 21.25 in the 200, and 47.57 in the 400 meters.

Trevon Hamer is a transfer from Barton Community College. Specializing in the triple jump, Hamer is originally from Guyana, a country on the north coast of South America. As a freshman at Barton, Hamer swept the indoor and outdoor national titles in the triple jump. His personal best of 15.90m (52' 2") came at the outdoor championships last May. With a personal best of 7.47m (24' 6.25"), Hamer is also a skilled long jumper. In the long jump he placed 5th at the 2024 indoor national meet, and 4th at the outdoor national meet.

Ricardo Hayles is also a transfer from Barton Community College. A thrower, originally from Clarendon, Jamaica, Hayles specializes in the shot put and discus throw. He competed in the indoor and outdoor NJCAA Championship in the shot put, recording his best throw of 16.97m (55' 8.25"). His best discus throw came from the NJCAA Regional Championship where he won with a toss of 60.83m (199' 7"). As a freshman, that discus personal best would have ranked Hayles 4th in the Big 12 Conference and 14th in the NCAA last spring.

Reese Kasper is a sprinter from Niwot, Co., who helped lead her team to a state championship title in 2024. She was the CHSAA 4A state champion in the 300-meter hurdles with her fastest time of 42.23 seconds. She also was runner-up in the 100-meter hurdles. Kasper boasts a 400-meter personal best of 56.36 seconds. At the Nike Outdoor National Championship this past summer, Kasper finished 10th in the 400 hurdles.

Hanna Keltner is a distance runner from Eudora High School in Eudora, Kan. Earlier this month she claimed the KSHSAA cross country state championship for 4A. During the outdoor track season in May, Keltner was crowned the 1600 meters KSHSAA 4A state champion and finished runner-up in the 3200 meters. Her personal best times are 4:58.63 in the 1600 and 18:15.66 in the 5000.

Vance Krudwig is a middle distance runner from DeSoto High in DeSoto, Kansas. He was the KSHSAA cross country state runner-up for 5A on November 2. Krudwig's fastest 5000-meter time is 15:20.73. On the track, his personal bests are 4:13.92 in the 1600, and in his only attempt at the 800 meters last spring Krudwig ran 1:53.20. At Nike Outdoor Nationals this past summer he finished 6th in the 1600 meters.

Chase McMullen is from Danville, Calif., and attends San Ramon Valley High School. He is the nephew of Paul McMullen, 1996 Olympian for the United States in the 1500 meters. Chase's father, Phil McMullen, is one of the most accomplished decathletes in U.S. history, finishing 4th at two USA Olympic Trials in 2000 and 2004. Predominantly a long sprinter in high school, Chase plans to compete in combined events, following in the footsteps of his father.

Taegan Olson is a pole vaulter who attends Roosevelt High School in Milliken, Co. She is also a member of Above the Bar Pole Vault Club, headed by former Big 12 champion, Pat Manson. A five-time state qualifier, Olson claimed the top spot in the CHSAA 4A state championships. Her personal best is 3.91m (12' 10"). At Nike Outdoor Nationals Olson placed 13th overall.

Dylan Plath is a middle-distance runner from Olathe South High School here in Kansas. Earlier this month he claimed the 6A runner-up spot in the KSHSAA cross country state championship. His personal best for the 5000 meters in cross country is 15:01.70. In May 2024 he was crowned the 800-meter 6A state champion and he also finished runner-up in the 1600. His personal bests are 1:53.18 in the 800 and 4:12.66 in the 1600. Showing his versatility and range, Plath also can drop down and split 48 on the 4x400 relay.

Destini Smith is a jumper from Souderton Area High School in Harleysville, Pa. In May she won the PIAA state championship in the triple jump. She's also an accomplished competitor in the high jump and long jump, qualifying for the state meet in both events. In June 2024, Smith competed in the New Balance Outdoor National Championship where she finished 2nd overall in the triple jump with a personal best of 12.78m (41' 11.25").

Camden Vulgamore is a combined events athlete from Scott City High in Scott City, Kan. Vulgamore plans to compete in the heptathlon indoors and decathlon outdoors, specializing in the pole vault and 400 meters. He claimed the KSHSAA 4A 400-meter state title with his fastest time of 48.07 seconds and finished 3rd in the pole vault.

Niomi Wines is a jumper and sprinter from Lubbock, Texas who attends Lubbock-Cooper High School. The two-time state qualifier claimed the 2024 Texas 5A state championship in the high jump. Her highest clearance is 1.72m (5' 8"). She also runs the 200 meters with a personal best time of 24.09 seconds.

Payton Wurtz is a middle-distance runner from Wabaunsee High School just down the road from Manhattan. Wurtz showed great range this fall by finishing runner-up at the KSHSAA 2A state cross country championship on November 2. During the outdoor track season last spring, she was the 800-meter state champion with her fastest time of 2:16.16. Her fastest 5000 meters is 18:21.90 and she also anchored the 2A state record setting relay team in the 4x400 relay with an FAT split of 57.70.