MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State junior defensive back D.J. Reed was one of 42 players nationally to be named a candidate for the Lott IMPACT Trophy as the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation announced its 2017 watch list.

Reed’s honor marks the sixth-straight season a Wildcat has been up for the award, joining Arthur Brown (2012 finalist), Ty Zimmerman (2013), Ryan Mueller (2014 quarterfinalist) and Dante Barnett (2015 and 2016).

This is the 14th year the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation has presented the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which goes to the student-athlete who exhibits the characteristics displayed by Ronnie Lott during his legendary college and professional careers. IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.

Reed, a community-college transfer prior to the 2016 season, tied for second on the team with 75 tackles to go along with three interceptions and a Big 12-leading 19 passes defended en route to Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year and First Team All-Big 12 accolades. He tied for third in school history and fifth nationally during the 2016 season in passes defended, while he was one of three Wildcats last season with three interceptions. The Bakersfield, California, native returned one of his interceptions 35 yards for a touchdown against Texas Tech to earn Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors.

Reed, who was voted a team captain for the 2017 season, has participated in several community service events, including Cats in the Classroom and Special Olympics in addition to working a youth football camp.

K-State kicks off the 2017 campaign on Saturday, September 2, against Central Arkansas at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, a contest that serves as the ninth-annual K-State Family Reunion. Following home game against Charlotte on September 9, the Wildcats travel to Nashville, Tennessee, to take on SEC foe Vanderbilt.

Season tickets for the seven-game home slate in 2017 are on sale now through the K-State Athletics Ticket office online at www.k-statesports.com/tickets, by phone at 1-800-221-CATS or at the main ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum. Single-game ticket pre-orders are available to season-ticket holders until May 26. Public single-game tickets will go on sale beginning June 19 exclusively for Ahearn Fund members, to all fans online only on June 20 and over the phone on June 21.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Laird Veatch, who has played a key role in the continued growth and development of the Kansas State athletics program in his role as Deputy Athletics Director, has been named Executive Associate Athletics Director for Internal Affairs at the University of Florida, the school announced today.

Veatch, who will begin his new role July 1, will be departing his alma mater following a 7.5-year tenure that has included roles as Associate Athletics Director for Capital Support, Senior Associate Athletics Director, Executive Associate Athletics Director and Deputy Athletics Director.

“As Manhattan natives and K-State graduates, Brandy and I never imagined leaving the place we love so much.  It would take an incredibly special opportunity for us to do so, and the chance to join Scott’s (Stricklin) administrative team supporting programs that compete at the very highest level in the Southeastern Conference is just that,” Veatch said. “During our recent visit to Gainesville, we were so impressed with the people and culture in the Florida program, established by Jeremy Foley and continued under Scott’s leadership.

“I will always be grateful to John Currie and our University leadership for the opportunity to return home and develop such meaningful life-long friendships. Gene (Taylor) has been great to our family, and it would have been an honor to remain at K-State and learn from him. He is an excellent fit for K-State, and we look forward to following K-State’s continued success under his leadership. We will always be Wildcats, but this is a chance for my family and me to grow in exciting new ways and experience things we never expected. We are excited to get to Florida and begin this new chapter in our lives.”

A member of Bill Snyder’s first recruiting class and former K-State team captain, Veatch has provided oversight to the Athletic Department’s Senior Staff on strategic direction, fundraising, fan experience, ticket sales and multi-media rights in his role as Deputy Athletics Director.

In addition, he was the lead manager of new capital facility projects, including the coordination of fundraising, design vision and oversight of construction accountability for the $85 million West Stadium Center project at Bill Snyder Family Stadium and the $65 million Vanier Family Football Complex. The latter was completed in just seven months between football seasons.

“I have really enjoyed getting to know Laird and Brandy both on a personal and professional level, and they were tremendous in helping our family transition to Manhattan and K-State,” said Athletics Director Gene Taylor. “Laird has been a Wildcat his entire life and played a major part of this department’s success over the years. While I would have loved to see him stay and continue that working relationship, I fully understand that this was an outstanding opportunity for him and his family and one that he could not pass up. We know that Scott and his staff are getting a great person in Laird and wish him and his family all the best in Gainesville.”

Veatch re-joined K-State Athletics in January 2010 after 15-plus years of distinguished service at Texas, Missouri, Iowa State in various administrative roles and also as regional VP for Learfield.

– k-statesports.com –

KENNY LANNOU
Associate A.D. for Communications | K-State Athletics

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Entering the final day of competition with a 16-point lead over the rest of the field, the 12^th-ranked Kansas State women’s track and field team used individual titles from Nina Schultz (high jump) and Shadae Lawrence (discus) to help propel them to the program’s third Big 12 Outdoor Conference Championship, and first since 2002, on Sunday at Rock Chalk Park.

The Wildcats finished the three-day competition with a program-best 133 total points, holding off a surging Texas team, which finished as the runner-up with 128.5 total points. It is K-State’s first women’s outdoor team title since 2002 when the team scored 121 points to win the crown in Columbia, Missouri.

Schultz also brought home High Point Scorer of the Meet honors, totaling 25 points for the women’s side after competing in the javelin throw, high jump, long jump, 100-meter hurdles and the 4×400-meter relay.

“I thought we were a year away because this is an extremely young team,” Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto said. “It is so hard to win a conference title. But this group did not want to wait a year. They wanted it now. They competed their guts out.”

Schultz’s big day started in the women’s high jump, where she took her first career Big 12 title with a huge personal-best mark of 1.82m/5-11.50. She opened at 1.63m/5-04.25 and was perfect through her first three bars before missing at once at 1.76m/5-09.25. She then cleared her next two bars, including the winning bar of 1.82m/5-11.50, on her first attempt to seal the title.

The New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, native then stepped onto the track for the 100-meter hurdles finals, where she posted a time of 13.40 (3.5) to finish in seventh place and earn two more points for the team. She closed out the day as a member of the 4×400-meter relay, where she helped the Wildcats earn a sixth-place finish with a time of 3:36.94 to close out the meet.

Throwing at the same time as Schultz, Lawrence faced windy conditions on her first three attempts and sat in third place with a best throw of 54.86m/ heading into the finals. The sophomore then proved why she is the best discus thrower in the conference, shattering the school, facility and conference championship record on her fifth attempt with a mark of 62.59m/205-04. All three of her attempts in the finals were over 60 meters, making her the only athlete to eclipse the 60-meter mark in the event.

The turning point of the day was the Wildcats’ 4×100-meter relay squad, which finished runner-up in the race. ­­  Entering the day with the seventh-best time in the Big 12, the group made up of Akia Guerrier, A’Keyla Mitchell, Ranae McKenzie and Claudette Allen, finished in second place with a time of 44.93 to earn eight team points and extend the team’s lead.

There were plenty of other dominant results on the final day of the Big 12 Championship.

K-State saw its other three women’s high jumpers score as well, with Rhizlane Siba taking third place with a mark of 1.76m/5-09.25.  Shanae McKenzie, a sophomore, also cleared 1.76m/5-09.25, a new personal best in the event, while fellow sophomore Morgan Coffman rounded out the scoring efforts with a clearance of 1.73m/5-08 to finish in seventh place.

Sophomore Shardia Lawrence had a big day in the field in triple jump, finishing runner-up by just one centimeter with a huge season-best jump of 13.79m/45-03 (3.4) to claim eight points. Freshman Konstantina Romaiou scored in the event with a mark of 13.08m/42-11 (4.3) to finish in seventh place.

On the track, McKenzie posted a time of 58.23 in the 400-meter hurdles to finish in third place. Mitchell, a junior, also finished in the top-five in her final, taking fifth place in the 200-meter dash with a season-best time of 23.07 (3.4). Senior Marija Stambolic took eighth in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:15.37.

The women earned their victory with plenty of help on Friday and Saturday, including conference titles by Janee’ Kassanavoid (hammer throw) and Morgan Wedekind (3,000-meter steeplechase). Full recaps from the first two days of competition can be found on the K-State track website here.

On the men’s side, there were plenty of scoring efforts on the final day of action in Lawrence. In the field, newcomer Javier Lowe took sixth place in his first triple jump competition of the outdoor season with a mark of 15.64m/51-03.75 (3.2). Sophomore Brett Neelly also scored in field events, finishing in eighth place in the discus with a toss of 51.70m/169-07. Neelly won the men’s shot put title on Saturday.

Junior Terrell Smith had a dominant day on the track. He opened the day in the 100-meter dash, where he placed fifth with a time of 10.19 (5.3). He returned an hour later to claim a bronze medal in the 200-meter dash, posting a season-best time of 20.44 (4.0). Elsewhere on the track, Kain Ellis took fourth place in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:52.29.

K-State returns to action in two weeks as the team heads to Austin, Texas, for the 2017 NCAA Division I Track and Field West Preliminary. More information on the meet, including ticket information, a complete schedule and more, can be found on the Texas track and field website here.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State safety Dante Barnett became the fifth Wildcat from last year’s squad to join the NFL as he signed a rookie free agent contract with the Denver Broncos, the organization announced Saturday afternoon.

Barnett joins fellow rookie free agents Charmeachealle Moore (Los Angeles Chargers) and Deante Burton (Atlanta Falcons) along with draftees Jordan Willis (3^rd Round, Cincinnati Bengals) and linebacker Elijah Lee (7^th Round, Minnesota Vikings) as new NFL players. Barnett is the 13^th Wildcat to join the Broncos and first since punter Ryan Doerr in 2013.

A two-time All-Big 12 performer, Barnett made 41 career starts at K-State, totaling 248 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, eight interceptions and 24 passes defended. He finished seventh in school history in career unassisted tackles (182) and ninth in career interception-return yards (160). A member of five bowl teams, Barnett helped the Wildcats earn a 43-22 record over his five seasons, while he was one of six three-time team captains in school history.

As a senior in 2016, Barnett totaled 67 tackles in addition to 3.5 TFLs, his first career sack and an interception en route to Honorable Mention All-Big 12 accolades. He carded 10 tackles against Oklahoma, while he had eight stops against West Virginia and Iowa State.

– k-statesports.com –
RYAN LACKEY
Asst. Director/Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics