Athlete Gage Voyles Poses in preseason photo. Photo courtesy of KSU Athletics
Track and field will be represented on the national stage as freshman Gage Voyles and sophomore Kenyatta Bennett qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
The duo, who have been exceptional all season, secured their spots Friday at the NCAA East First Rounds at the University of Kentucky, each clearing 2.16 meters (7’1”) to finish tied for first in the event.
Voyles and Bennett became just the second pair of Conference USA high jumpers to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the same season and the first in 26 years. They also joined former Owl Andre Dorsey, who is now a volunteer coach for the program, as the only athletes in KSU history to advance to the NCAA finals in the high jump.
The qualification adds to an impressive freshman campaign for Voyles, who was recently named CUSA Men’s Field Athlete of the Meet following his performance at the CUSA Outdoor Championships. The freshman won the conference title with a school-record clearance of 2.27 meters (7’5.25”), a mark that ranks second in the NCAA this season and is tied for the second-highest winning clearance in conference championship history.
Bennett has been a consistent contributor alongside Voyles throughout the outdoor season, helping establish KSU as one of the top high jump programs in CUSA/
The accomplishment is particularly notable given the youth of the Owls’ high jump group. Voyles completed his stellar freshman season as one of the nation’s top jumpers, while Bennett emerged as one of the conference’s top competitors. The pair’s rapid development has provided KSU with a strong foundation in the event moving forward.
The Owls also saw success in other events at the NCAA East First Round. The men’s 4×400-meter relay team of Justin Warner, Marion Clark, Eric Young II, and Pishon Haughton set a school record with a time of 3:04.51. Joao Dalandrea competed in the discus, while Chinedum Ike represented KSU in the triple jump.
Voyles and Bennett are set to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on June 12, at the University of Oregon in Eugene.
