Kent State Throwers Open Strong at Fred Hardy Invitational
3/24/2006 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. The Kent State University mens and womens track and field throwers kicked off their season with all athletes finishing seventh or better in the shot put and hammer events. In the first day of competition at the Fred Hardy Invitational, Friday, March 24, in University of Richmond, Va., four Golden Flashes posted NCAA regional qualifying marks.
Senior Brent Shelby (Westlake, Ohio/Westlake) took first in the shot put with a throw of 56-6 ˝, an NCAA regional qualifying distance (51-1 ˝). Shelby was fourth in the hammer throw with a toss of 170-8.
Sophomore Jaroslaw Zakrzewski (Gdansk, Poland) posted an NCAA regional qualifying mark in the hammer throw with a mark of 199-11, taking first. Teammate Andy Nicholas (Jr., Sylvania, Ohio/Sylvania North) had a third-place finish in the hammer, throwing for a distance of 187-10, a regional qualifying mark. Nicholas shattered his personal record of 178-2 that he set in 2005.
On the womens side, sophomore LeVania Henderson (Westland, Mich./Livonia Churchill) carried on the success she experienced in the indoor season, where she was the 2006 Mid-American Conference (MAC) champion in the shot put, by taking first in the same event. With a 47-10 ˝ toss, Henderson qualified regionally (46-11) and set a new personal record, beating her old throw of 46-0 that she set in 2005. She was fourth in the hammer throw with a distance of 163-11, another personal best (158-5, 2005).
Senior Kelly Braden (Norwalk, Ohio/Western Reserve), the 2006 indoor MAC champion in the weight throw, took second in the hammer throw with a mark of 168-1. Braden was seventh in the shot put with a toss of 40-9 ˝. Junior Tana Walther (Canton, Ohio/Glen Oak) finished sixth in the shot put (41-8 ¾) and sixth in the hammer throw (152-3), setting a new personal record (150-4, 2004).
The Golden Flashes will resume competition tomorrow, Saturday, March 25, at 9 a.m.
