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Here’s what WSU basketball fans may have missed with Shockers’ spring sports
Now that the men’s basketball season has come to a close, Shockers fans can turn their attention to spring sports.
TRACK AND FIELD
What you missed: On the men’s team, Rayvon Allen has climbed the program’s long jump list with a personal-best of 25 feet, 5¼ inches for the seventh-best mark all time. Senior graduate transfer Cory Martens, a Newton native, has also landed on the program’s discus (171-1, No. 11) and hammer throw (201-5, No. 5) lists. The men’s team is currently ranked No. 41 in the country in the USTFCCCA poll, No. 6 in the Midwest regional and third-best in the American.
Why to watch: Both teams are stocked with top-tier athletes and will be competing for AAC titles in front of a home audience later this season. On the men’s team, jumpers Jared Belardo and Rayvon Allen both have the chance to win titles in the long and triple jumps. Zack Penrod is competitive in the 1,500 and Austin Corley is in the 400 hurdles.
What’s coming up: The annual K.T. Woodman Classic is coming up Wednesday through Saturday this week at Cessna Stadium. The Shockers will also head to Lawrence for the KU Relays, Des Moines for the Drake Relays and Lubbock, Texas, for the Red Raider Shootout. But the crown jewel of the schedule comes May 10-12, when WSU will host the AAC Outdoor Championships at Cessna Stadium. TENNIS
What you missed: The women’s and men’s programs have both spent time in the national team rankings this season. The men’s team also cracked the top 40, at No. 39, the first time it has done so since 1983. While neither team is currently ranked in the latest ITA-Oracle poll, the men’s
Why to watch: The men’s team should also make a strong push to return to NCAA Tournament action after missing out the last two seasons. To do so, the men will need a better showing at the conference tournament after bowing out without a win the last two seasons.
What’s coming up: The men’s team has its final regular-season tune-up on Monday at Texas-Arlington before the Shockers compete in the AAC Championships in Orlando, Fla., from April 18-21. GOLF
What you missed: The men’s team had a strong fall, but its scoring average has jumped seven strokes — up to 299.7 — this spring. Senior Yannik Emmert leads the way with a 72.4 average, with five top-20 finishes and three top-10 finishes in eight events this season.
Why to watch: This year will be the last one for men’s head coach Grier Jones, who will complete his 24th season at the helm. Jones helped rejuvenate the men’s golf program when hired in 1995 and in his fourth season had already delivered a conference championship to WSU, the first in 20 years. In total, Jones was a 13-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year and led WSU to 15 conference championships and 13 NCAA Regional appearances, with the Shockers advancing to the NCAA Championships in 2003 and 2004.
What’s coming up: The men’s team will play tournaments in Arizona and Texas before competing in the AAC championships in Palm Harbor, Fla. from April 21-23.
Now that the men’s basketball season has come to a close, Shockers fans can turn their attention to spring sports.
TRACK AND FIELD
What you missed: On the men’s team, Rayvon Allen has climbed the program’s long jump list with a personal-best of 25 feet, 5¼ inches for the seventh-best mark all time. Senior graduate transfer Cory Martens, a Newton native, has also landed on the program’s discus (171-1, No. 11) and hammer throw (201-5, No. 5) lists. The men’s team is currently ranked No. 41 in the country in the USTFCCCA poll, No. 6 in the Midwest regional and third-best in the American.
Why to watch: Both teams are stocked with top-tier athletes and will be competing for AAC titles in front of a home audience later this season. On the men’s team, jumpers Jared Belardo and Rayvon Allen both have the chance to win titles in the long and triple jumps. Zack Penrod is competitive in the 1,500 and Austin Corley is in the 400 hurdles.
What’s coming up: The annual K.T. Woodman Classic is coming up Wednesday through Saturday this week at Cessna Stadium. The Shockers will also head to Lawrence for the KU Relays, Des Moines for the Drake Relays and Lubbock, Texas, for the Red Raider Shootout. But the crown jewel of the schedule comes May 10-12, when WSU will host the AAC Outdoor Championships at Cessna Stadium. TENNIS
What you missed: The women’s and men’s programs have both spent time in the national team rankings this season. The men’s team also cracked the top 40, at No. 39, the first time it has done so since 1983. While neither team is currently ranked in the latest ITA-Oracle poll, the men’s
Why to watch: The men’s team should also make a strong push to return to NCAA Tournament action after missing out the last two seasons. To do so, the men will need a better showing at the conference tournament after bowing out without a win the last two seasons.
What’s coming up: The men’s team has its final regular-season tune-up on Monday at Texas-Arlington before the Shockers compete in the AAC Championships in Orlando, Fla., from April 18-21. GOLF
What you missed: The men’s team had a strong fall, but its scoring average has jumped seven strokes — up to 299.7 — this spring. Senior Yannik Emmert leads the way with a 72.4 average, with five top-20 finishes and three top-10 finishes in eight events this season.
Why to watch: This year will be the last one for men’s head coach Grier Jones, who will complete his 24th season at the helm. Jones helped rejuvenate the men’s golf program when hired in 1995 and in his fourth season had already delivered a conference championship to WSU, the first in 20 years. In total, Jones was a 13-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year and led WSU to 15 conference championships and 13 NCAA Regional appearances, with the Shockers advancing to the NCAA Championships in 2003 and 2004.
What’s coming up: The men’s team will play tournaments in Arizona and Texas before competing in the AAC championships in Palm Harbor, Fla. from April 21-23.