The second-oldest of eight children, junior track and field athlete Luke Porter hails from a big Catholic family in Wichita.
“There were always little kids to be helped around,” Porter said. “I say that like it’s a bad thing. It really isn’t. You almost have a built-in best friend too, all the time. I honestly think you learn a lot of good qualities. You’re not the center of the universe.”
When he’s not engrossed in his studies for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) or track practice, Porter works at the Human Performance Laboratory in the Heskett Center. Other than that, he still resides at home helping out around the house.
“Taking care of so many of the younger kids,” Porter said. “It’s priceless. Family is forever, you know.”
Going into his collegiate sports career, Porter chose to stay home but admits that while he still sees old faces — like those of his seven siblings — there are plenty of new people to meet as a Shocker.
“Everyone goes on their own path,” Porter said. “One of my best friends from high school, his name is Will Anciaux (brother of WSU women’s basketball senior center Ella Anciaux), plays football at K-State. Every time he comes back to town, we catch up, we get lunch or we watch a football game at his house.”
Porter has a pedigree in track. His mother was a sprinter for the University of Iowa, running the 100-meter, 200-meter and 60-meter indoors.
In high school, Porter played four sports: baseball, basketball, football and track. He ended up doing both baseball and track up until his junior year when he said everything took off for him.
“I really liked doing the field events in track, but I didn’t know anything besides running,” Porter said. “I was like, ‘Whoa, I want to try and throw a spear.’”
Porter had a connection to Wichita State, as his father works at the university. His father got him in contact with former Shocker Aaron True, who holds javelin sessions in Emporia.
The Shocker connections do not end there. Porter’s track and field coach at Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School was none other than John Kornelson, the namesake of Wichita State’s annual home cross country meet — the JK Gold Classic — and coach of Kapaun’s track and field team from 1984-2000.
“He was like, ‘You should try the decathlon. I think you’d like it,’” Porter said. “So I went down to Humboldt, Texas, and qualified for the Junior Olympics. (I) found out I was pretty good at the decathlon. I reached out to some coaches and got connected with (WSU track and field director) Steve Rainbolt. The rest is history.”
Porter turned down offers from other schools, including Iowa State University, two hours away from where his mother competed.
“Some of the people I was around were cutthroat, for the lack of a better term,” Porter said. “I just didn’t feel there was as much team chemistry. When I was here (at WSU), everybody was super close.”
Porter regards faith as one of the most important things in his life. He attends church regularly and is part of a Bible study group on the track and field team.
Senior Hudson Bailey, one of Porter’s teammates, describes him as “dedicated.”
“Right now, he’s trying to get into med school,” Bailey said. “That’s pretty much what he spends all of his free time doing right now, studying.”
And while Porter will likely miss this indoor track and field season with a Jones fracture, the decathlete plans to be back by the outdoor season.
“Coming back from that, (the) progression is just tough because there’s not a lot of blood flow in that area of the foot,” Porter said. “I’m doing everything in my power to make it happen.”
