Destiny Masters laughs after a high jump of 1.76 meters on March 30, 2024. (File photo)
Five Wichita State track and field athletes competed in the NCAA Outdoor Championships last Wednesday to Saturday in Eugene, Oregon. Three were named Second Team All-Americans and two earned All-America Honorable Mentions.
In the 110-meter hurdles semifinals, sophomore Josh Parrish finished 19th with a time of 13.68 and was named an All-American Honorable Mention. He also competed in the long jump finals and fouled on all three of his attempts.
Sophomore Yared Kidane raced in the 800-meter semifinals and finished in 10th place, earning Second Team All-America, with a time of 1:46.86. He missed out on the 800-meter finals by one spot.
Sophomore Jason Parrish, Josh’s twin, finished 10th in the 400-meter hurdles. He missed qualifying for the finals by less than a tenth of a second and was also named a Second Team All-American.
The Parrish twins, Kidane and senior Joakim Genereux were WSU’s 4×400 meter relay team, who barely snuck into the Outdoor Championships at the West Preliminaries on May 30. The Shockers finished 23rd of 24 teams with a time of 3:10.61 and they were named All-America Honorable Mentions.
In the heptathlon, senior Destiny Masters finished 10th overall with a personal best score of 5,763 points and was named Second Team All-America for the second straight year in the multis event.
Masters placed 22nd in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.23. In the high jump, she finished first with a season-high mark of 1.84 meters, and in the shot put, she finished in fifth with a throw of 13.48 meters.
Masters finished the first day of events with a season-best time in the 200 meters at 25.54, good for 23rd place.
To start the final day of the heptathlon, Masters finished 16th in the high jump with a clearance of 5.79 meters. She later threw 44.45 meters in the javelin, which placed her in second in that event. The heptathlon wrapped up with the 800 meters, where she finished with a time of 2:33.30, good enough for 21st place to earn her Second Team All-America status.
The Outdoor Championships concluded Wichita State’s regular outdoor track and field season. Some athletes who qualify will compete and represent WSU in the USA Track and Field U20 Outdoor Championships from Thursday, June 19, through Sunday, June 22.