Close-up of numbered running lanes. Photo by Lisa Kara
Freshman-sophomore duo Gage Voyles and Kenyatta Bennett closed out standout seasons Friday, earning Second Team All-American honors in the high jump at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Competing against the nation’s top collegiate athletes at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon, the pair became the latest Owls to earn All-America recognition after a season that saw them both rank among the best high jumpers in Conference USA.
Bennett turned in the best performance by a Kennesaw State athlete in program history after placing 15th, clearing 2.16 meters (7’1”). He successfully cleared both 2.11 meters (6’11”) and 2.16 meters on third attempts to secure the historic finish.
Voyles finished just behind the sophomore, tying for 16th after clearing the opening height of 2.11 meters (6’11”). He capped one of the most successful debut seasons in program history as just a freshman, having broken the school record three times during the season’s outdoor stint.
Together, Voyles and Bennett established themselves as one of the top high jump duos in CUSA. The pair finished first and second in the event at both the conference’s indoor and outdoor tournaments to help elevate the Owls’ presence on the national stage throughout the entire season.
KSU director and head coach of track and field Cale McDaniel said the experience will be valuable as both athletes continue their collegiate careers.
“Today was a great experience for our two young men,” McDaniel said in a statement on ksuowls.com.
“Congratulations to both Gage and Kenyatta on earning Second Team All-America honors and putting together great seasons. Both guys will learn a lot from this experience and both will be back.”
McDaniel also credited assistant head coach Jaymes Talkington for preparing the two throughout the season.
The NCAA Outdoor Championships concluded the 2025-26 season for the Owls.
