2021-22 Shocker Men XC and Track & Field

[1972Shocker]

Hammer Throw

2 flights. 12 participants in each flight. Michael Bryan is in Flight 2. 3 attempts each.

Flight one is in the books. Pretty decent throws as you would expect from 12 of the top 24 guys in the country. Throw ranged from 214-0 to 229-7. The 229-7 is a solid throw and will take a good effort to beat that.

Flight 2 has started and Michael uncorks a new personal best on his 1st attempt at 234-9 which, of course, means he has broken his own school record. Michael currently sits in 2nd place behind Penn State's Tyler Merkley who also set a new personal best of 235-1 on his 1st attempt.

Neither Merkley or Michael were able to improve on their marks with their 2nd attempts and remain 1-2. Five guys are are over 230' after 2 attempts.

3rd and final attempts coming up.

Michael does not improve on his 3rd attempt so we'll have to see how his 234-9 holds up.

Nebraska's Alexander Talley his a big throw on his final attempt but comes up 1 inch shy of Michael at 234-8, also a new personal best.

However, Minnesota's Kostas Zaltos also nails his best throw on his final attempt to take the lead at 237-10, also a new personal best.

Looks like they are done throwing and Michael will finish 3rd behind Zaltos and Merkley earning First Team All-American honors to close out his Shocker career.

One terrific, interesting and unlikely career for Michael who is somewhat undersized for a hammer thrower.

Congratulations on a job very well done.

---

Correction

The top 9 places after 3 attempts earned 3 more attempts. Michael could not improve on his initial throw however and he dropped to 5th place in the final standings. However, he still earns First Team All-American honors.

Logan Bloomquist of SE Missouri Statte came through with a throw of 240-8 on his 6th and final attempt to win the event.

[1972Shocker]

[1972Shocker]

JavelinThrow

2 flights. 12 participants in each flight. Taran Taylor is in Flight 2. 3 attempts each.

Flight 1 is in the books. Throws ranged from 209-7 to 230-4.

After the initial attempts in Flight 2 Taran is in 6th place with a throw of 237-5. The top 3 guys are all over 250 after 1 attempt and the favorite, the freshman stud out of Baylor, is in 4th at 243-11. My hope is Taran will be able to hang on of a top 8 fnish.

Taran was unable to improve his mark on his 2nd attempt and has dropped down to 8th place. The Baylor freshman has taken the lead.

Final attempts coming up.

Mark Michello of Penn nails his 3rd attempt and leads with throw of 266-3. Taran was unable to improve his mark over his initial attempt and will finish in 8th place with his mark of 237-5 after 3 initial throws. I assume as in the hammer the top 9 after 3 throws will get 3 more attempts.

Taran probably has a little more in him but not a lot. Hopefully, he can hang on to that 8th spot if not move up 1 or 2 spots.

Shows you what I know. Taran did, in fact, have more in him. He fouled on his 4th attempt but than set a new personal best on his 5th throw at 245-3 to move into 6th place. However, he saved the best for last had hit a big new PB on his 6th attempt with a mark of 258-5 moving up 2 more spots to finish 4th in the nation. BTW, Taran's last throw of his career also set a new Shocker school recored breaking Aaron True's mark of 254-3 set oin 2018 when Taran was his freshman teammate.

This is great effort by Taran and easily earrns him First Team All-American honors. What a way to end a carreer the required coming back from serious injury and dealing with Covid.

Congratulations Taran!

[1972Shocker]

Taran Taylor's final throw as a Shocker setting the school record and finishing 4th in the nation:

[1972Shocker]

It's been a tough year for Shocker sports overall but what a way to cap off the 2021-22 season with Michael Bryan finishing 5th in the hammer throw and Taran Taylor finishing 4th in the javelin with both earning First Team All-American honors and both setting new Shocker school records.



"Very special day for Wichita State track and field," throws coach John Hetzendorf said. "Two seniors who've worked very hard for a long time both broke the school records in their events and became First Team All-Americans. Both did great things in very tough competitions."

"The men's javelin was by far the best men's javelin throw in NCAA history," Hetzendorf said.

These were the 2 highest NCAA finishes for the Shockers in these 2 events in school history.

Combine that with the Shocker men's track & field team upsetting Houston at Cessna Stadium to win their 1st AAC Championship and the plethora of All-American honors raked in by Sydney McKinney and Addison Barnard in softball and we leave the year on a somewhat high note.

BTW, Taran and Micheal are couple of Kansas kids. Taran from Arkansas City and Michael from Wamego.

[SubGod22]

Go Shockers - Shocker Decathlete Wins Commissioner's Postgraduate Leadership Award

IRVING, Texas – American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco announced Wednesday that Wichita State track and field standout Chonnor Ludolph and Temple cross country/track and field athlete Michelle Joyce have been chosen as the winners of the 2021-22 Commissioner's Postgraduate Leadership Awards.

The awards, which are voted on by faculty athletics representatives from around the league, are given annually to one male and one female student-athlete from an American-sponsored sport who have been admitted to a degree-granting or professional program for the following year and who have demonstrated leadership through excellence in academic credentials, athletic performance and depth of commitment to service within the institution or the community.

Ludolph and Joyce will each receive a $5,000 scholarship, which may be applied to postgraduate study.

[1972Shocker]

Ludolph becomes the first Wichita State student-athlete to earn a Commissioner's Postgraduate Leadership Award. He helped the Shockers to the 2022 American Athletic Conference Men's Outdoor Track and Field title by virtue of a fourth-place finish in the decathlon.

The Leroy, Kan. native graduated from Wichita State with a 3.87 grade-point average while majoring in exercise science. He earned Dean's List accolades in every semester at WSU and has been accepted into the school's physical therapy doctoral program.