Category: Shocker Athletics

Shocker men’s tennis sophomore Zaid Al Mashni’s run to the singles round of 16 highlighted the week for the Shockers at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Central Region Championships in Oklahoma.

Al Mashni, the top seed in singles qualifying at regionals, dispatched Oral Roberts’ Lucas Couy 6-2, 6-4 Oct. 8 to reach the main draw. In the main draw, the sophomore defeated Memphis’ Marcos Castro Fabra 6-4, 7-6 (8) in the round of 64, and followed it with a win over six-seed Jakub Vrba from Arkansas 6-3, 6-4 to move into the round of 16. In the round of 16, Al Mashni fell to Arkansas’ Ben Weintraub 5-7, 6-0, 6-0, ending his run.

Shocker men’s basketball senior guard Kenyon Giles was named to the American Preseason All-Conference First Team, as selected by the league’s coaches.

The Chesapeake, Virginia native is a UNC Greensboro transfer who averaged better than 15 points per game on 40% shooting from beyond the arc last season for the Spartans.

Giles is just the fourth Shocker to earn American Preseason All-Conference honors, and first since Tyson Etienne in 2021. Three of the four Shockers who have collected preseason American honors have been named to the first team (Giles, Etienne and Landry Shamet). Markis McDuffie was a second team pick in 2018.

Emilio Arellano Lamas earned his third consecutive top 10 individual finish as Shocker men’s golf took third in the Grier Jones Shocker Invitational Oct. 7.

The Shockers posted rounds of 292, 281, 292 for an 865 (+1) team score. Kansas City and St. Thomas both edged the Shockers with matching 862 (-2) performances to split the team title. The Shockers’ third-place finish is their third consecutive tournament finish in the top five, the first time Wichita State has posted three successive top-five finishes since the 2020-21 season.

Shocker men’s basketball hosts Drake in a charity scrimmage at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11 in Charles Koch Arena. WSU students, faculty, staff and administration can claim a general admission ticket on game day at the Shocker Ticket Office for no cost with their Shocker ID. All youth 18 and under can also claim a ticket at no cost.

All other tickets are $20 with proceeds benefiting Cheese Johnson’s UJUMP Junior Mentoring Program and the Wichita Children’s Home.

Join Shocker volleyball and wear black to break the stigma around mental health during the game against UAB at noon Sunday, Oct. 12 in Charles Koch Arena. Together, Shocker Athletics is serving up more than just a game — it’s serving up awareness, compassion and hope. The first 500 fans receive a free Suspenders4Hope T-shirt, and stick around after the match for postmatch serves.

Wear pink for breast cancer awareness at Shocker volleyball’s annual Dig Pink game to help raise money for the Sideout Foundation against Memphis starting at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10 in Charles Koch Arena. The first 500 fans receive a pair of free pink sunglasses courtesy of the Shocker Store.

Wichita State’s Xin Tong Wang was named the American Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Month for September by the conference office.

For Wang, it’s her first Player of the Month award and her third in-season award from the American Conference, as she has been named Women’s Tennis Player of the Week twice in her Shocker career.

Wang earned the monthly honor for her performance at the ITA All-American Championships, where she became the first Wichita State player to compete in — and win a match in — the singles main draw. She defeated No. 19-ranked Catherine Aulia, 7-6 (2), 6-2, in the round of 64.

Wang was the only player in the American Athletic Conference to record a main-draw singles win. She also won two matches in the doubles qualifiers at the All-Americans with partner Giorgia Roselli. Wang is currently ranked No. 73 in singles and No. 31 in doubles, paired with Roselli.

Wang and the Shockers return to action Oct. 15-18 at the ITA Central Region Championships in Norman, Oklahoma.

Wichita State’s Mercy Jepkoech claimed her first American Conference weekly award, the conference announced Oct. 7.

The freshman from Eldoret, Kenya was named the American Conference Athlete of the Week following a top-10 finish at the Chile Pepper Festival. She ran 16:54.2 in the 5,000-meter race, recording the best finish by an American Conference runner in the competition.

She has finished in the top 10 in all three meets she has raced in thus far and is set to run again with the rest of the team at the Pre-National Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 18 in Columbia, Missouri.

Shocker Athletics announces an all-new way for fans to connect with their favorite coaches and programs. Beginning this season, popular coaches shows are moving from radio broadcasts to a fully on-demand podcast format — giving Shocker fans the flexibility to listen anytime, anywhere.

The new format allows fans to stay connected with the volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, and softball programs in a way that fits their busy schedules. Episodes will be packed with insider updates, in-depth conversations with coaches and behind-the-scenes stories that fans love — now available on their favorite podcast platforms.

For more information on the schedule for each sport and a link to each show, visit goshockers.com/coachesshows.

Shocker men’s basketball will host former Missouri Valley Conference rival Drake in a charity scrimmage at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11 here in Charles Koch Arena. All tickets are $20 and seating is general admission. Tickets are available for purchase online or by contacting the Shocker Athletics Ticket Office. Proceeds will be split between two local community groups, the Wichita Children’s Home and UJUMP. Come be a part of a good cause and get an early glimpse of the men’s basketball squad.