The top two high jumpers in the American Athletic Conference are from Beloit. In 2017, the same two went 1-2 in Class 1A at the Kansas State High School Track and Field Meet.
Both planned on playing basketball in college – until Wichita State and a former Shocker intervened. That is why director of track and field Steve Rainbolt exchanged triumphant text messages earlier this month with Lindsay Eck, who won Missouri Valley Conference championships in the long jump, 60-meter and 100-meter hurdles from 2003-2005.
"I felt sort of a sense of connection with this little 1A high school, because we'd had Lindsay on our team and she was such a wonderful athlete," Rainbolt said.