Huge Weekend at Akron Invitational Produces Plethora of PRs for Kent State Track & Field
2/12/2011 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
AKRON, Ohio -- Things are coming together at the right time for the Kent State men's and women's track & field teams.
With just two weeks remaining until the Mid-American Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships, the Golden Flashes produced a total of 16 personal bests Saturday (Feb. 12) on the second day of the Akron Invitational at Stile Athletics Field House.
"Without a doubt, we took a step in the right direction," said Kent State director of track & field Bill Lawson. "This was kind of a snapshot of where we're going to be heading into the conference championships. We had a number of season bests and lifetime PRs, and we're very happy with how this weekend went."
Junior Rob Falchi (Winmalee, Australia) won the men's gold division triple jump by posting the sixth-best jump in Kent State history courtesy of a 48'-10.25" (14.89m).
Sophomore Melinda Sawnor (Rochester, N.Y.) clocked a 2:10.31 in the women's gold division 800-meter run, the eighth-fastest time in school history.
Freshman Katie Reiser (Wayne, Ohio) took sixth in the women's gold division 60-meter dash with a career-best time of 7.69, the sixth-fastest time in school history. She also posted a PR in the women's blue division 200-meter dash with a time of 25.29 to take third
Sophomore Kiplangat Tisia (Koiybey, Kenya) clocked an 8:19.45 in the men's gold division 3,000-meter run, taking sixth place with the fourth-fastest time in school history.Â
Senior Michael Schober (Penfield, N.Y.) won the men's blue division triple jump with a PR of 46'-02.50" (14.08m). Senior Andrew Linebarger (The Woodlands, Texas) recorded a season-best jump of 45'-06.50" (13.88m) while senior Michael Carroll (Honeoye Falls, N.Y.) placed fourth with a 44'-04.25" (13.52m).
Freshman Joh'vonnie Mosley (Youngstown, Ohio) won the women's blue division shot put with a career-best toss of 48'-07.25" (14.81m).
Freshman Marteze Roper (Warren, Ohio) won the men's blue division 800-meter run by clocking a career-best 1:52.97.
Sophomore Brandon Bailey (Verona, Pa.) won the men's blue division 200-meter dash by clocking a 22.10. Sophomore Ryan Thomas (Parma, Ohio) also recorded a PR by crossing the finish line in 22.54 to take 13th.
Freshman Erica Hutson (Akron, Ohio) won the women's gold division 400-meter dash with a career-best time of 56.64. She also posted a PR in the women's blue division 200-meter dash by clocking a career-best 25.63 to finish ninth.
Junior Loren Thomas (Strongsville, Ohio) tied for second with the women's blue division high jump with a career-best leap of 5'-04.50" (1.64m).
Sophomore Nate Scales (Hilliard, Ohio) posted a career-best time of 21.95 to finish fourth in the men's gold division 200-meter dash.
Freshman Daniel Bullard (North Olmsted, Ohio) finished fifth in the men's blue division 5,000-meter run with a career-best time of 14:59.52.
Sophomore Stephen Fischer (Hudson, Ohio) finished fifth in the men's gold division mile run with a team season- and personal-best 4:10.17.
In the men's blue division mile run, sophomore Michael Heller (Stow, Ohio) finished fourth with a time of 4:17.69.
The men's gold division 800-meter run saw senior Destin Heasley (Massillon, Ohio) take third with a time of 1:50.69 and Joshua Schmidt take fourth with a time of 1:51.76, both season bests.
Junior Diana Dumitrescu (Campulung Arges, Romania) Â set the tone for Kent State's weekend Friday (Feb. 11) by winningthe women's pentathlon and finishing no worse than fifth in each of the five pentathlon events. She totaled a team season-high 3,987 points. Dumitrescu recorded a career-best toss of 43'-11.25" (13.39m) to take second in the shot put portion. She also placed second in the high jump portion (5'-06.50"/1.69m) and long jump (18'-08.50"/5.70m) portion. She clocked an 8.99 in the 60-meter hurdles portion to finish third and also placed fifth in the 800-meter run portion with a personal season-best time of 2:27.76.
Sophomore Brooke Hutchings (Wadsworth, Ohio) took ninth in the pentathlon with a career-high 3,336 points. She did so thanks to career bests in the 800-meter run (2:28.65; seventh place), 60-meter hurdles (9.23; 10th place) and shot put (31'-11.25/9.73m; 11th place) portions.
The Golden Flashes host the Kent State Tune Up Feb. 19 at the Field House.
