KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ed Broxterman grew up in Baileyville, Kansas, a speck of an unincorporated town in Nemaha County near the Nebraska border.
So, it’s fitting in a way that Broxterman came out of nowhere to qualify for the 1996 U.S. Olympic track and field team.
Broxterman was never an All-American at Kansas State in the high jump, but he set a personal record by two inches at the 1996 Olympic Trials, clearing 7 feet-6 1/2 inches to finish second and qualify for the 1996 Atlanta Games.
He wasn’t able to replicate his PR, which would have been the top mark in qualifying, during the Olympics and failed to make the final.
Broxterman’s mark from the Olympic Trials remains tied for the fourth-best outdoor clearance in K-State track and field history, while his indoor PR (7-4-1/2) is tied for seventh among Wildcats all-time.
He now works for Evergy and resides in the Kansas City area.
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The Kansas City region has a deep, rich history with respect to the Olympic Games. As the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games approach with the Opening Ceremony scheduled for July 23, we will profile an athlete with ties to Kansas City, Missouri or Kansas each day.
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