Kade McCall wrapped up his incredible college career with his family at his side.

The track and field star welcomed his family to California for one of his last meets representing Kansas State, where he finished third in his event. One of the best throwers in Wildcats history, McCall holds school records in the weight throw and the hammer throw.

At the Ward Haylett Invitational in Walnut, McCall once again threw for over 70 meters. “McCall family in California!! Had a great time with family and another meet over 70M also had some pretty good food too!,” he posted on Instagram.

With his final regular-season event Friday and the Big 12 Championships next week, McCall is looking towards his next athletic goal: a spot on Team USA for the Olympic Games.

“I would like to maybe make a world team or maybe an Olympic team a couple of years down the road,” he told K-State’s newspaper, The Collegian, at the start of the season.

The Idaho native certainly has the resume. A two-time Second-Team All-American honoree, he broke his own school record in the weight throw last indoor season. McCall also holds Idaho’s hammer throw record and regional record in the Junior Olympics.

Away from the track, McCall also excels in the classroom. He is a two-time U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Athlete.

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On just his third throw of this outdoor season, he broke his personal record and the school record by a foot in the hammer throw.

And the best part is, McCall attributes his success to coming out. He’s been open about his identity ever since stepping onto campus, addressing his orientation at the top of his Powercat profile.

“I’m an out and proud gay man,” he says with confidence.

As a high school student, McCall, like many closeted LGBTQ+ kids, fretted about possibly being outed. The non-stop fear weighed him down, and impacted his athletic and academic performance.

Since coming out, he’s felt like a new person.

“I was a lot more stressed in high school, always feeling like I was going to be outed or something if I did something wrong,” he told me. “It’s a lot better now in college. I think the throwing community fully well knows that I’m gay.”

Though McCall is thriving now, his coming out journey wasn’t seamless. It began when he was outed as a junior in high school, before he was ready to let his parents know about his sexuality. 

To make matters worse, one of McCall’s friends was responsible.

“[My parents] accept me now, but it was hard for them in the beginning” he said.

Standing at 6-feet and weighing 220 pounds, McCall doesn’t look stereotypically effeminate. A high school football lineman and wrestler, he cuts against the homophobic stereotypes.

When McCall was looking at colleges, Kansas State stood out for its reputation as an LGBTQ+-friendly campus. Offensive lineman Scott Frantz was publicly out for three years while playing football for the Wildcats, and says his experience was nothing but positive.

With 10 piercings, including a nose ring, McCall is now proud to stand out. And we must say, he looks pretty good in red, white and blue.

Last summer, he put on the Team USA uniform for an event in Costa Rica, and wound up taking home a silver medal.

“First time in a USA jersey! Had a great experience in Costa Rica, and an even better time with great teammates! Bringing home the hardware,” he wrote on Instagram.

May that triumph be a harbinger of great things to come!

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