2022-23 Shocker Women XC and Track & Field

[1972Shocker]

[1972Shocker]

Roundhouse podcast with Destiny Masters on Shocker track and field

https://wichitastate.tv/podcast/roundhouse-podcast-with-destiny-masters-on-shocker-track-and-field/

Wichita State high jumper Destiny Masters talks about her dramatic qualifying for the NCAA Championships and how she progressed from uncertain Division I athlete at Bluestem High School to national qualifier. She details how coach Steve Rainbolt learned when to give her a break and when to push and how his positive reinforcement plays a role in her success. Masters also discusses her relationship with former Shocker assistant coach Pat Wilson and his role in getting her to Wichita State.

[1972Shocker]

Masters, Palen Represent Shockers at NCAA Championships

https://goshockers.com/news/2023/6/7/track-and-field-masters-palen-represent-shockers-at-ncaa-championships.aspx

Brady Palen and Destiny Masters are set to represent the Shockers Friday and Saturday in the high jump at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas.

SCHEDULE
Friday, June 9 – 7:30 p.m. - Men's High Jump – Brady Palen
Saturday, June 10 – 7:30 p.m. – Women's High Jump – Destiny Masters

[flyingMoose]

Since Brady Palen is listed above, I will note that he placed 18th, jumping 2.11m (6-11). He was one of six that failed to clear the next height, but his one miss earlier placed him toward the bottom of that group of six.

[1972Shocker]

Destiny Masters cleared 5-8 and 5-10 on her first attempt at each height. However, she missed her first 2 attempts at 5-11.25 before clearing that bar on her final attempt. She then missed all 3 attempts at 6-0.50. That was good enough for a 16 place finish which earns Destiny 2nd team All-American honors.

While Destiny is in her 4th year as a Shocker I believe she has 2 more years of eligibility remaining. Now whether she will use one or both of those years I can't say one way or the other.

[SubGod22]

Sounds like Coach Bolt has made a hire to add to the T&F staff.

Go Shockers - Rainbolt Announced Addition of Welter to Coaching Staff

Wichita State 23rd-year head coach Steve Rainbolt announced the addition of Aliyah Welter to his coaching staff Monday afternoon. Welter, a five-time All-American in the pole vault, will take over the Shocker pole vault program in August.

"I have had particularly strong references from around the world of track and field about Aliyah Welter's character, integrity, leadership skills and coaching acumen for a young coach," Rainbolt said. "I'm super excited about the energy that she is going to bring to our coaching staff and to our program, especially in the pole vault event."

Welter succeeds Pat Wilson, who coached the Shocker pole vaulters for 17 years. Wilson stepped away from coaching in 2023 due to health issues while former Shocker Tyler Knight led the event group for a season.

"This has been a challenging time for Coach Wilson, our staff and the team as Pat is battling some challenging health issues," Rainbolt said. "I personally can't say enough about my strong feelings about Coach Pat and all he has meant to Wichita State track and field these past 17 years. I think of him and pray for him daily and really value the impact that Pat has had on so many athletes, our team and our program. I'm also confident that this transition will be good and positive and that we picked a great person in Aliyah Welter to make it."

Welter, a native of Monticello, Ill., competed for Louisville from 2018-23, concluding her career June 8 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas, where she recorded her highest outdoor championship finish of her career, placing 12^th in the pole vault. She has competed in six NCAA championship meets, earning second team All-America recognition indoor and outdoor in 2021 and 2023, and qualified to the 2022 USATF Championships in the pole vault.

At Louisville, Welter was coached by former Shocker and Wichita State outdoor pole vault record holder, Brooke (Demo) Rasnick for four seasons.

"Aliyah Welter is one of the most impressive athletes I've coached," Rasnick said. "I could write a book about all the ways she has blown me away the past five years. She's a person that makes everyone around her better as she pursues excellence. Her discipline, knowledge, leadership ability and class will help her hit the ground running as a college coach. She's a high-level achiever in everything she takes on, and coaching at this level will be no different. I couldn't be more excited for my alma mater to add her its top-notch staff."

During her time as a student-athlete, Welter worked as an assistant track and field coach at Trinity High School, coaching the pole vault group in 2022. Like many pole vaulters and pole vault coaches, she brings a gymnastics background to the event having competed as a Level 10 gymnast prior to her collegiate career.

Welter holds the sixth-best indoor and seventh-best outdoor marks in Cardinal history as a seven-time All-ACC performer in the pole vault. She has also been named to the All-ACC Academic Team five times and the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team twice.

"I really believe that Aliyah's perspective as an elite pole vaulter is going to create an energy that our athletes are going to really benefit from," Rainbolt said.

---

Athletic Accomplishments
5x All-American – Pole Vault – Indoor Second Team: 2021, 23; Outdoor Second Team 2021, 23
7x All-ACC – Pole Vault – Indoor First Team: 2021, 23; Outdoor First Team: 2022,23; Indoor Second Team: 2020, 22; Outdoor Second Team: 2021
5x All-ACC Academic Team
2x All-Academic Team

She's young. Fairly accomplished. Been coached by a former Shocker. I think this will be a good add.

[1972Shocker]

She's young. Fairly accomplished. Been coached by a former Shocker. I think this will be a good add.

That's an understatement. Just finished her college career on June 8th. And I would call her more than fairly accomplished.

Interesting that Coach Wilson, may God bless him in his battle with brain cancer, is being replaced by someone coached and mentored by Brooke (Demo) Rasnick, the best female vaulter Pat Wilson ever coached at Wichita State. I think Brooke probably had a lot to do with Aliyah being considered and selected to replace Coach Wilson. And Coach Rasnick's comments certainly show she thinks very highly of Aliyah.

Louisville Bio: https://gocards.com/sports/track-and...h-welter/13243

[1972Shocker]

BTW, Brooke Rasnick coached Aliyah through the 2021-22 season. However, she left coaching after that season and started her own athlete recruiting service.

https://www.elevateathleticrecruiting.com/about-5

[1972Shocker]

Shockers To Compete at USATF Outdoor Championships

https://goshockers.com/news/2023/7/7...pionships.aspx

Freshmen Sadie Millard and Tess Roman wrap up their first year as Shockers with one last multi-event competition in the USATF U20 heptathlon Friday and Saturday.

Destiny Masters will compete in the high jump at the USATF Championships. Masters competes in a 16-athlete field which includes the NCAA champion, Charity Griffith and two-time Olympian and 11-time (indoor/outdoor) national champion, Vashti Cunningham. Masters also qualified to compete in the heptathlon but opted to focus on the high jump.

[1972Shocker]

No luck for Destiny in the high jump. The jumpting started at 5-11.25 which is the height Destiny cleared on her final attmept to finish 16th in the NCAA Championships. Destiny opened at 5-8 at the NCAA's. Unfortunatley, Destiny missed all 3 attempts at this challenging opening height. But she wasn't alone. 6 other jumpers failed to clear this height and 1 jumper was a scratch. So onlty 8 of the 16 jumpers moved past the opening height. Destiny's career best jump is 6-0 which she had done only once.

[1972Shocker]

In the heptathlon Tess finished 5 with 4,867 points which is shy of her personal best of 4,989 from her 6th place finish at the AAC Championship in May. Sadie finished 8th with 4,445 points well below her personal best of 4,756 from her 12th place finish in the AAC Championships.

Tess did nudge her PB shot put mark up a tad from 10.70m to 10.72m.

Saidie increased her high jump PB from 1.44m to 1.54m.

.Other than that both young ladies were off their best marks in all other events. Not sure how hard the ladies trained for this event.

At this point Tess looks like she has the ability to make the Shocker All-Time Top 10 in the heptathlon by the time she is done. Sadie is well behind Tess at this point.