Completed Event: Men's Golf at Bearcat Invitational on September 15, 2025 , , 8th (858, +6)
Final
Men's Golf
at Bearcat Invitational
8th (858, +6)
Photo by: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Four Jayhawks compete in 2025 World Athletic Championships
9/20/2025 12:45:00 PM | Track & Field
TOKYO - The 2025 World Athletic Championships took place from September 13-21 in Tokyo Japan, bringing together the top outdoor track & field athletes from around the world to compete on the global stage. Four Jayhawks competed in the events, representing four different nations.
Two-time Olympian Alexandra "Sasha" Emilianov, the current Kansas women's discus record holder, kicked off action by representing Moldova in the discus throw. In addition to her Kansas record, Emilianov is a three-time Big 12 discus Champion, Big 12 shot put Champion, NCAA National runner-up in the discus, World U20 discus Champion, World U18 discus Champion, European U20 discus Champion, and European U18 Champion in both the discus and shot put.
Emilianov placed fifth in her preliminary group with a 63.45m throw to advance to the final. In the final, Emilianov finished 10th with a throw of 62.59m. It was the second time Emilianov had competed at the World Athletic Championships, after previously participating in 2022 in Eugene, Oregon.
The second former Kansas athlete to compete was 2024 Paris Olympian Hussain Al Hizam. Al Hizam, an NCAA National Champion and three-time Big 12 Champion in the pole vault, represented Saudi Arabia at the event. In addition to his success in the United States, Al Hizam is a two-time Saudi Arabia National Champion and Asian Indoor Championship winner.
Al Hizam placed 10th in his group and 17th overall in the preliminary round with a clearance of 5.70m. This was his third World Championships he has participated in after competing in 2022 and 2023 in Budapest, Hungary.
Bryce Hoppel was next up to compete in the games, representing the United States in the 800 meters. Hoppel, the current sixth best 800-meter men's runner in the world according to World Athletics, has made splashes at global events in recent years.
Hoppel, like Emilianov, is a two-time Olympian, competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and placing fourth at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Additionally, he is an NCAA National Champion in both the Indoor and Outdoor 800-meter, three-time Big 12 800-meter Champion, Big 12 DMR Champion, four-time National Indoor Champion, three-time National Outdoor Champion, World Indoor Championships winner and third place finisher and Pan American Games fourth place winner.
In the preliminary round, Hoppel placed second in his heat with a time of 1:45.09, qualifying him for the semifinal. In the semifinal, he ran a 1:43.52, but missed the cut by 0.12 seconds and failed to advance to the final. This was the fourth World Athletic Championships he had competed in, after also participating in 2023, 2022 and 2019.
The final Jayhawk that competed was 2025 graduate Dimitrios Pavlidis. Pavlidis holds both the Greek National Record and the Kansas record in the discus. Additionally, he has won two Greek National Championships, two Big 12 Championships, and placed third and sixth at the NCAA National Championships.
In the qualification round, Pavlidis had a top throw of 62.49m, placing 10th in his group and 22nd overall. This was his first World Athletics Championship that he competed in but has previously finished fourth overall in the U20 Championships.
Full results can be found at the World Athletic Championships homepage.
Two-time Olympian Alexandra "Sasha" Emilianov, the current Kansas women's discus record holder, kicked off action by representing Moldova in the discus throw. In addition to her Kansas record, Emilianov is a three-time Big 12 discus Champion, Big 12 shot put Champion, NCAA National runner-up in the discus, World U20 discus Champion, World U18 discus Champion, European U20 discus Champion, and European U18 Champion in both the discus and shot put.
Emilianov placed fifth in her preliminary group with a 63.45m throw to advance to the final. In the final, Emilianov finished 10th with a throw of 62.59m. It was the second time Emilianov had competed at the World Athletic Championships, after previously participating in 2022 in Eugene, Oregon.
The second former Kansas athlete to compete was 2024 Paris Olympian Hussain Al Hizam. Al Hizam, an NCAA National Champion and three-time Big 12 Champion in the pole vault, represented Saudi Arabia at the event. In addition to his success in the United States, Al Hizam is a two-time Saudi Arabia National Champion and Asian Indoor Championship winner.
Al Hizam placed 10th in his group and 17th overall in the preliminary round with a clearance of 5.70m. This was his third World Championships he has participated in after competing in 2022 and 2023 in Budapest, Hungary.
Bryce Hoppel was next up to compete in the games, representing the United States in the 800 meters. Hoppel, the current sixth best 800-meter men's runner in the world according to World Athletics, has made splashes at global events in recent years.
Hoppel, like Emilianov, is a two-time Olympian, competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and placing fourth at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Additionally, he is an NCAA National Champion in both the Indoor and Outdoor 800-meter, three-time Big 12 800-meter Champion, Big 12 DMR Champion, four-time National Indoor Champion, three-time National Outdoor Champion, World Indoor Championships winner and third place finisher and Pan American Games fourth place winner.
In the preliminary round, Hoppel placed second in his heat with a time of 1:45.09, qualifying him for the semifinal. In the semifinal, he ran a 1:43.52, but missed the cut by 0.12 seconds and failed to advance to the final. This was the fourth World Athletic Championships he had competed in, after also participating in 2023, 2022 and 2019.
The final Jayhawk that competed was 2025 graduate Dimitrios Pavlidis. Pavlidis holds both the Greek National Record and the Kansas record in the discus. Additionally, he has won two Greek National Championships, two Big 12 Championships, and placed third and sixth at the NCAA National Championships.
In the qualification round, Pavlidis had a top throw of 62.49m, placing 10th in his group and 22nd overall. This was his first World Athletics Championship that he competed in but has previously finished fourth overall in the U20 Championships.
Full results can be found at the World Athletic Championships homepage.
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