At each Olympics, viewers tune in worldwide to see the best athletes on the planet compete at the pinnacle of their sport. Athletes representing Kansas State struck gold at Paris 2024, taking home three top-of-the-podium finishes.
Tara Davis-Woodhall, Long Jump, United States
Davis-Woodhall, one of the newest members of the Wildcat family, earned her gold medal with a long jump distance of 7.10 meters (roughly 23 feet, 4 inches).
She out-did Germany’s Malaika Mihambo and the United States’ Jasmine Moore as the only individual to clear seven meters.
Unlike the other representatives, Davis-Woodhall is currently a coach for the Wildcats, as opposed to a current or former Manhattan athlete.
She recently entered the Little Apple after Travis Geopfert, the new head of K-State’s Track & Field program, hired her as an assistant coach.
“I’m thrilled to have Tara joining us at K-State,” Geopfert said in a statement from K-State Athletics. “To say that she brings the energy is an understatement.”
“I’ve loved coaching this young woman for the last three years and to bring her elite-level experience to Manhattan is absolutely invaluable,” Geopfert continued. “She knows what it takes to be great, and she also fully understands the challenges of what life is like as both a student-athlete and as a professional athlete.”
Eugene Omalla, Mixed 4×400, The Netherlands
Omalla, a former senior on the Wildcats’ roster last year, took home gold as a part of The Netherlands’ 4×400 mixed relay team.
The Dutch quartet recorded a time of 3:07.43, which was two-hundredths of a second short of tying the Olympic and World Record at 3:07.41.
Omalla became the fourth K-State athlete to add gold to the track and field program’s trophy case, joining Thane Baker (400-meter relay, 1956), Kenny Harrison (triple jump, 1996) and Erik Kynard (high jump, 2012).
Erik Kynard, high jump, United States
While Kynard did not bring a medal home for his efforts in Paris, he received his 2012 gold medal in a reallocation ceremony for his performance at the London Olympics.
At London 2012, Kynard cleared a height of 2.33 meters (7 feet, 7.75 inches) but received silver behind Russian Ivan Ukhov, who notched a mark of 2.38 meters (7 feet, 9.7 inches).
However, in a 2021 decision by the International Olympic Committee, Kynard’s original silver medal was upgraded after Ukhov’s results from 2012 to 2014 were disqualified for the use of illegal doping substances.
“We are very pleased for Erik that the IOC finally approved reallocating medals for the men’s high jump at the 2012 London Olympic Games resulting in Erik being awarded the gold medal,” former Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto said in a 2021 statement. “We have always viewed Erik’s performance in London as he won the silver, not that he lost the gold. He competed very well in the Olympic final.”
Trenton Miller, Basketball, United States
The key behind the two gold medals from the United States men’s and women’s basketball teams is a Wildcat — at least the key to promoting the team’s success.
Trenton Miller, a K-State grad and former athletics communications assistant, is the USA Basketball senior manager of digital communications.
He is responsible for producing viral content on USA Basketball social media accounts, including millions of engagements during the two squads’ journeys to gold medals.
Together. Victorious. Hopeful. pic.twitter.com/Pn5TVImyFv
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 13, 2024
Miller, who is just 29 years old, graduated in 2016 while interning for the Kansas City Chiefs and the MLS’ Philadelphia Union.
After being an intern for USA Basketball — and shortly after a communications assistant — Miller was promoted to his current position in 2018. Now, Miller has earned his place, displaying his skills for everyone to see on the world’s biggest stage.