Men's Track Heads To Illinois For The Central Collegiates
1/21/2005 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
KENT, Ohio The Kent State men's track and field team returns to action this weekend (Jan. 21-22) when the Golden Flashes hit the road for the Central Collegiate Championships in Champaign, Ill.
Black Squirrel Recap: Behind eight indivdual titles and two victories in the relays the KSU men dominated action at the Black Squirrel Invitational (Jan. 14-15) scoring 151 points to easily outdistance the University at Buffalo (103 points) and the University of Pittsburgh (44 points).
The men were impressive in the short sprints claiming three titles. Keith Roberts (Sr., Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) won the 60-meter hurdles (8.37). Marc Johnson (So., Middletown, Ohio/Middletown) captured the 60 meters (7.08) while Marc Mitchell (Sr., Pittsburgh, Pa., North Hills) took the 200 meters (22.36), rounding out the top scorers in the short sprints.
Ray Armstrong (So, Elyria, Ohio/Elyria) led the middle-distance runners, winning the 1000 meters in 2:29.27.
In the field events, the Golden Flashes were just as successful as they were on the track, winning four events.
Freshman Jaroslaw Zakrzewski (Gdansk, Poland) was victorious in the weight throw (62-3.25). Shamel Smith (Fr., Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) took his first collegiate title in the high jump (6-2). Pete Reynolds (Sr., Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) and Phil Rickaby (Jr., N.S.W., Australia/Winmalee) rounded out the individual winners in the pole vault (13-11.25) and long jump (22-7.75), respectively. The Golden Flashes completed their total team effort with victories in the distance medley relay in 10:26.25 and the 4x400-meter relay (3:26.42).
Golden Flash Gala Recap: The KSU men kicked off their season with the Golden Flash Gale (Dec. 10-11) posting three first place finishes and one regional-qualifying mark.
Freshman Jaroslaw Zakrzewski (Gdansk, Poland) hurled the weight throw 62-8 to regionally qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Also in the throwing events, Brent Shelby (Jr., Westlake, Ohio/Westlake) heaved the shot put a personal-best 57-0.25 to take third.
Phil Rickaby (Jr., N.S.W., Australia/Winmalee) led the jumpers finishing second in the long jump (22-7.75).
Sprinters Marc Johnson (So., Middletown, Ohio/Middletown) and Otis Jordan (Sr., Detroit, Mich./Bishop Gallagher) won the 60 meters (6.92) and the 200 meters (21.90).
Reigning indoor All-American Mike Inge (Jr., Elyria, Ohio/Elyria) proved last year's breakout performance was no fluke winning the 1000 meters in 2:26.22, two seconds off the school record. Inge's former high school teammate Ray Armstrong (So., Elyria, Ohio/Elyria) also stood out, taking third in the mile (4:16.26).
In the 5000 meters, former Kent State student-athlete Gareth Price, running unattached, won in 14:16.61.
Freshman Phenom: Somebody forgot to tell Jaroslaw Zakrzewski (Gdansk, Poland) that he's only a freshman. At the Golden Flash Gala, his first at Kent State, Zakrzewski hurled the weight throw 62-8 to regionally qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships (March 11-12) in Fayetteville, Ark. His throw ranks him sixth on the all-time KSU list and he is the first KSU athlete to crack the 60-feet barrier since Darren Zaylor in 1992.
Summer Success: Most college students spend their summers mowing lawns and working odd jobs, however that doesn't apply to Mike Inge (Jr., Elyria, Ohio/Elyria). Inge spent his summer trying to qualify for the Olympics. Inge turned in a stellar performance at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (July 9-18) finishing ninth, just .04 seconds out of the last spot for the finals. Despite not qualifying for the Olympics, Inge turned heads at the trials as he was the youngest participant (20 years) in the 800 and he broke his own school record with a mark of 1:47.23 in the prelims.
