Men Look To Capture First MAC Indoor Title
2/24/2005 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
KENT, Ohio The men's track and field team heads to Mount Pleasant, Mich. on the campus of Central Michigan University for the 2005 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships, Feb. 25-26. The 2004 MAC outdoor champs, will attempt to win their first indoor team title. The Golden Flashes finished third at last season's MAC meet in Ypsilanti, Mich.
Tune-Up Roundup: Mike Inge (Jr., Elyria, Ohio/Elyria) led the way for the men, winning the 1000 meters in a school-record 2:21.02. In the 300 meters, Marc Mitchell (Sr., Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) won in 34.97. Mitchell also placed second in the long jump (23-4.50).
Also standing out on the track were sophomores Ryan Schroeder (Pemberville, Ohio/Eastwood) and Ryan Spellman (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson). Schroeder was second in the 800 meters with a personal-best 1:52.36 and Spellman was second in the 5000 meters in a personal-best 15:12.70.
In the field, the Golden Flashes had three winners. Chad Clemons (So., Marblehead, Ohio/Danbury) won the high jump with a leap of 6-6. Pawel Dutkiewicz (Jr., Leszno, Poland/Higher School) took the long jump (23-5.50) and Brent Shelby (Jr., Westlake, Ohio/Westlake) was victorious in the shot put (56-4).
Inge Named MAC Track Athlete Of The Week: Mike Inge turned in a stellar effort at the KSU Tune-Up (Feb. 19) winning the 1000 in a school-record 2:21.02. With the school record, Inge now has a hand in four indoor school records (600, 800, 1000 and distance medley relay).
This is Inge's fourth career MAC Athlete of the Week honor and first of the season to go along with three from last season.
Inge, who was a 2004 NCAA Indoor All-American, is ranked first in the MAC and sixth nationally in the 800 meters with a NCAA provisional time of 1:48.05. He also was a member of the dimr that provisionally qualified in 9:38.86. That time ranks first in the MAC and seventh nationally.
Top-Ranked Flashes: Besides Inge, several other Golden Flashes are top-ranked in the MAC while numerous others are near the top of the rankings.
Ofer Barniv (Sr., Kent, Ohio/Roosevelt) leads the MAC in the 3000 meters with a school-record mark of 8:18.46. Barniv also stands second in the mile (4:09.39).
James Sjostrom (Sr., Aurora, Ohio/Aurora) is first in the 5000 meters (14:19.51) and third in the 3000 (8:22.33).
Adrian Ghioroaie (Sr., Bucharest, Romania/UTEP) leads the jumpers with a No. 1 ranking in the triple jump (52-2). Ghioroaie's distance is a NCAA provisional mark and also ranks eighth in the MAC.
In the long jump Phil Rickaby (Jr., N.S.W., Australia/Winmalee) leads a trio of Golden Flashes in the long jump with a mark of 23-11, ranking first in the MAC. Pawel Dutkiewicz is second in the long jump (23-8.25) while 2004 MAC Indoor and Outdoor long jump champ Marc Mitchell is third with a mark of 23-6.
Other Golden Flashes who are in the top-three of the MAC are: Keith Roberts (Sr., Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) in the 60-meter hurdles (2nd), Ray Armstrong (So., Elyria, Ohio/Elyria) in the 800 meters (2nd), Seth Hutchinson (So., Kent, Ohio/Field) in the 5000 (3rd), Jaroslaw Zakrzewski (Fr., Gdansk, Poland) in the weight throw (3rd) and Brent Shelby in the shot put (3rd).
Performance List Update: Three Golden Flashes dented the Kent State all-time indoor performance list at the KSU Tune-Up. Mike Inge won the 1000 meters in a school-record 2:21.02. Jaroslaw Zakrzewski improved his fifth-place distance in the weight throw (63-8.25) and Ryan Schroeder moved up to sixth on the 800-meter performance list with a mark of 1:52.86.
Up Next: The KSU men will travel to South Bend, Ind. for the Last Chance Meet (March 4-5), where the Golden Flashes will have one last opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Meet (March 11-12).
