A second-floor study room in Wayne and Kay Woolsey Hall is where Ridge Estes goes when he is serious about concentration. Working there eliminates the distractions of studying at home.
“Put yourself in a spot where you’re forced to lock in and use that time wisely,” he said. “My favorite study spot is one of the private rooms in Woolsey Hall. In a good three or four hour session, I can knock out quite a bit.”
Estes, from Bucklin, used his study time and his athletic time wisely during his Wichita State University career. He majored in exercise science with minors in health science and entrepreneurship and graduated earlier this month with a 3.473 grade-point average.
Estes is a two-time Academic All-American Athletic Conference selection. He placed second in the AAC Championships in the discus in 2022 and sixth in 2023. His 2025 throw of 186 feet, 1 inch ranks fifth on WSU’s career list in the discus. He ranks eighth in the shot put at 55 feet, 5 inches.
on the influence of Dr. Mike Rogers
This week, he continues his Shocker career at the NCAA West Preliminaries in College Station, Texas.
The busy schedule of a student and the demands of NCAA Division I track and field taught Estes that procrastination doesn’t lead to success.
“That is the killer,” he said. “That was freshman and sophomore year. That’s when I learned the real pain is procrastination.”
To stay on schedule, he loaded up on classes in the fall before spring meets. In the spring, he prioritizes getting his studies done early in the week before travel and meets take up time.
Studying in Woolsey Hall, the Rhatigan Student Center or the Student-Athlete Success Center put him in the right environment.
“If you have buddies in the class, or people around you who are taking the same class – study groups are great,” he said. “I struggled studying at home, because there’s so much more to do and distract yourself.”
Estes calls his classes with Dr. Mike Rogers, a professor in the exercise science department, pivotal in his time at WSU. Rogers helped him crystallize his career goals in physical fitness and nutrition.
“He really gave me my direction and solidified that this was where I wanted to be,” Estes said. “His classes were definitely not easy. He really stresses that you have to do the work.”
Estes launched his next step a year ago. He started Wildcard Fitness, an online fitness coaching platform, with childhood friend Josh Stout, also a 2025 Wichita State graduate in exercise science. They are developing a fitness app for clients to use. They plan to stay in Wichita to build the company.
A paid internship as a sales associate for Supplement Giant helped his understanding of nutrition and fitness equipment.
“We’re focusing on body recomposition, getting people back into shape and living the best lives they can,” he said. “You can tailor it to every single person.”
About Wichita State University
Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and the WSU Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (WSU Tech), including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student-centered and innovation-driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The National Science Foundation ranked WSU No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
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