When Kent State track and field Head Coach Bill Lawson met with the Golden Flashes prior to the 2009 Mid-American Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships he gave his athletes the challenge to “Make History” this weekend. The men's team was trying to win its first MAC Indoor Track Championship. Also, KSU has never won both the men's and women's titles during the same indoor championship competition.
Lawson knew that he and his staff had assembled a talented group of student-athletes who were capable of achieving both objectives. Weeks of practice and preparation had led up to this weekend and the opportunity for the Golden Flashes to “Make History”.
After two days of competition, Kent State's men's team earned its first indoor track and field conference championship with a total of 159 points and the women's squad served notice that they will be a force to reckon with after finishing second to five-time champion Akron with a total of 101 points.
“The win for the men's team was very poetic,” said Lawson. “The women took second, which makes us the best overall program in the MAC. I am very proud of our young men and women. This was our house and we got it done.”
In all the Golden Flashes had 14 student-athletes crowned as MAC Individual Champions this weekend. In addition, three Kent State athletes were crowned as outstanding athletes of the championships and Lawson was selected as the MAC Men's Head Coach of the Year. Senior LeVania Henderson (Westland, Mich./Churchill) was crowned as the Women's Most Outstanding Field Performer. Junior Curtis Eaton, Jr. (Akron, Ohio/Buchtel) was selected as the Men's Most Outstanding Track Performer. In addition, freshman Princeton Bryson (Toledo, Ohio/Bowsher) was named the Men's Most Valuable Performer. Henderson won the women's shot put with a toss of 54'-0.5”. She also finished second in the women's weight throw (67'-8.25”). Eaton, Jr. won the men's 400 meters with a time of 47.90 seconds. He also ran the anchor leg on the Golden Flashes' championship 4x400 relay team that finished in 3:12.01. Bryson ran the opening leg of the 4x400 relay team and finished second in both the men's 60 meters (6.84) and 200 meters (21.46).
Lawson becomes the second KSU head coach to be named the coach of the year. Former Kent State mentor Steve Rainbolt was honored in 2000. “I received the award, but the credit has to go to my assistant coaches,” said Lawson. “This was a total team effort.”
The Golden Flashes also ended Eastern Michigan's conference championship winning streak as the Eagles had won the previous three titles. Kent State also becomes the third team in the conference to win a men's team title as EMU (12) and Central Michigan (1) have won the previous 13 men's championships.
Kent State received title winning performances from sophomore Destin Heasley (Massillon, Ohio/Massillon Washington) who won the men's 800 meters with a time of 1:50.55. He also ran the third leg of the Golden Flashes' championship 4x400 meter relay team.
Others who aided the men's team's march to a championship were sophomore Matt Moffett (Salem, Ohio/Salem) placed third in the men's 400 meters (48.89). He also ran the second leg of the Flashes' championship 4x400 meter relay team. Senior Tony Jordanek (Lexington, Ohio/Lexington) outleaned an Eastern Michigan runner at the finish to take third in the men's 800 meters with a time of 1:52.21. Jordanek also teamed with sophomores John Minen (Medina, Ohio/Highland) and Scott Hilditch (Stow, Ohio/Woodridge) to take spots 2-4 in the men's mile to earn 18 points for KSU. Senior Joe Parker (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg) and sophomore Aiman Scullion (Salem, Ohio/Salem) picked up a total of six points for the Flashes when they finished fourth and fifth respectively in the men's 3,000 meters. Scullion also placed fourth overall in the men's 5,000 meters. Senior Greg Keys (Sandusky, Ohio/Bellevue) finished fourth in the men's 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.30 seconds. In addition, freshman Dean Wood (New South Wales, Australia/Colo) placed fourth in the men's high jump with a leap of 6'-10.25”. Countryman Rob Falchi (Winmalee, Australia/St. Columbus Springwood) was second in the men's triple jump (48'-8.00”) and placed third in the men's long jump with a leap of 23'-7.50”. Senior Gerald Mickie (Philadelphia, Pa./Milton Hershey) took fourth in the men's triple jump (46'-11.5”). Finally, sophomore Michael Schober (Penfield, N. Y./Webster Schroeder) was fifth in the men's heptathlon with a total of 4,881 points.
In addition to Henderson's performance, those who turned in title-winning performances for Kent State were freshman Diana Dumitrecu (Campulung, Arges, Romania/LNPA Campulung Muscel) who won the women's triple jump with a leap of 40'-3.5”. She also picked up two points in the long jump with a leap of 18'-8.5”.
Others who earned points for the women's team were freshman Andrea Patrasc (Bacau, Romania/LPS Bacau) who finished third in the women's triple jump (39'-1.75”) and fifth in the women's 400 meters (56.06 seconds). She also ran the anchor leg of the Golden Flashes' 4x400 meter relay team that placed third in 3:46.29. Junior Jessica Lhotsky (Medina, Ohio/Highland) was third in the women's 800 meters with a time of 2:11.07. She also ran the third leg of the Golden Flashes' 4x400 meter relay team. Junior Kelly Gephart (Oak Harbor, Ohio/Oak Harbor) and freshman Audrey Maheu (Bristolville, Ohio/Warren John F. Kennedy) earned 11 points combined for Kent State in the women's mile by finishing third and fourth respectively. Senior Sha-Tira Snell (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills) was fifth in the women's 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.66 seconds. In the pole vault, sophomore Kim Preston (Greenville, Pa./Reynolds) and junior Erin Ferut (Medina, Ohio/Medina) picked up five points for the Flashes. Sophomore Samantha Fetter (Darragh, Pa./Hempfield Area) added four points in the women's shot put. Finally, freshman Paige Wray (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton) and junior Rachel Crafton (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) ran the first and second legs of KSU's 4x400 relay team that placed third overall.
“I think this championship started with the assistant coaches being on the same page with me to have the drive and determination to become the best program in the conference,” said Lawson. “In addition, we have great leadership from our upperclassmen like Curtis Eaton, Jr. on the men's team and LeVania Henderson on the women's squad. We also have people like Andrew Linebarger and Destin Heasley, both sophomores, who are silent, strong leaders. With who we had returning and the talent that we added through recruiting, I knew that all we had to do was execute.”
Lawson added that this championship is just the start of an era of success for the Golden Flashes. “We're just halfway through what we want to accomplish this year,” said Lawson. “We have the rest of the outdoor season, then we begin our quest for titles in the outdoor season.”
