Rather than purple, K-State high jumper Erik Kynard will wear red, white and blue for team USA later this summer. Kynard leapt seven feet, five and three quarter inches Sunday at the USA track and field championships in Eugene, Oregon. He finished in 3rd place and hit the “A” qualifying standard of 7 feet 7 inches earlier this season, to make the US squad for the World Championships in South Korea.
K-State heptathlete Ryann Krais will be an alternate for Team USA after the national championships. Krais finished second in the meet with a personal best of 6, 030 points, but did not hit the “A” qualifying standard of 6, 150 points. The only athlete in the event heading for Korea with a “B” standard was USA champ Sharon Day. Krais still had a great meet, storming back from 6th place heading into the final event, the 800 meters. She bettered the rest of the field by nearly eight seconds with a personal best time of 2:08.96, to surge into second place in the heptathlon.