National champion ’Cat Tah Chikomba has more to show and goals for next season
By Tim Schrag '12
In his first season with the ’Cats Tah Chikomba earned the 2026 NCAA long jump championship, a 2026 NCAA First Team All-American selection and the 2026 Big 12 championship in long jump, was named National Men’s Field Athlete of the Year, he set a school record in long jump, broke a sprinting record set by Terence Newman ’02, along with other accomplishments.
But Chikomba says he has more to give.
“I'm planning to come back and break the records,” he said.
Each day he looks at his trophy and medal from the national championship to focus on the goals ahead.
“It helps me to know that I still have something to achieve,” he said. “I still have more to come.”
He trains daily, working on small, technical aspects of jumping. It might sound counterintuitive, but most days Chikomba doesn’t jump much in training. Instead, they focus on strides or landings. He listens to feedback provided by head track and field coach Travis Geopfert and others.
“I’m a good listener and he knows that I listen and learn quick,” Chikomba said of Geopfert.
He watches videos about long jump in his spare time. Chikomba, a first team Academic All-American, is studying kinesiology and hopes to one day be an athletic trainer or a coach.
Chikomba grew up in Harare, Zimbabwe. As a child he loved sports, participating in soccer, track and volleyball. He had early success in track and his coaches noticed.
“I just made a decision that track is going to take me somewhere, because soccer is kind of crowded,” Chikomba said. “Everyone in the country wants to make a national team.”
Initially his primary event was triple jump, but as he gained experience… and muscle he switched to long jump for more success. Chikomba and his mother often had to work hard to afford to attend track meets in Zimbabwe and neighboring countries like South Africa. At times he felt discouraged, but his mother continually offered her encouragement and support.
“She just said, ‘Keep on. It's going to work, so I kept on doing it,’” he said. “But it was hard for me to work and get the money and travel and not get anything in return.”
Then in 2022 a friend invited Chikomba to come with him to a track meet in Zambia. Initially, Chikomba turned down the offer, but his friend persisted.
“He said, "Let's just go and have fun. You know, there's a lot of stuff. Actually, we were going for a meet, but we were going for other extra stuff,” Chikomba said.
At the meet, Chikomba competed in the long jump and did well enough to receive offers to compete in track and field in the U.S. first from Meridian Community College in Mississippi and then TCU along with several others. He signed with Meridian because the coach showed the most interest. While at Meridian he was back-to-back NJCAA champion in the outdoor long jump during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seaons. He also snagged the indoor championship in the 2024-25 season.
During this time Chikomba had learned about coach Travis Geopfert and the successes he had accomplished coaching athletes at Arkansas. They began talking back and forth about Chikomba coming to jump for him. Shortly after, Geopfert was named head coach of the Wildcats.
“When I saw the news, I was like, ‘Oh, then I'm calling K State,’ and I had to cancel all my other visits,” Chikomba said.
Upon visiting campus seeing the Cliff Rovelto Indoor Track, the R.V. Christian Track Complex, and the other training spaces Chikomba new he had found his next home.
“Everything is just professional here,” he said adding that training at K-State gives him access to some of the nicest facilities in the world. When he finishes his time as a Wildcat, he plans to remain in Manhattan to train with Geopfert and his staff.
"This is my place, because I'm not a city guy,” Chikomba said. “So this is this is the best place for me. That's why I love Kansas.”