Kent State Runners Fly at Meyo Invite
2/4/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
PRs fall, team top 10s reset against tough competitors
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Members of the Kent State indoor track and field team competed at the challenging Meyo Invitational at the University of Notre Dame this weekend, as various runners competed against some of the nation's elite.
In all, seven runners set new personal bests during the two-day event and improved five times that rank in Kent State's top 10s.
Junior Melinda Sawnor (Rochester, N.Y.) set a personal best with her second-place finish in the women's 800-meter run on Saturday against a field of 72 competitors. Her time ranks sixth in team history.
Not to be outdone in the men's 800-meter run, junior Joshua Schmidt (Ashwood, Australia) turned in the third-best time in program history with his PR of 1:50.49, good for an eighth-place finish.
Sophomore Shanequa Williams (Akron, Ohio) posted a 24.35 time in the women's 200-meter dash, which not only was a personal best, but also improved her second-best time in team records. She placed fourth overall among 73 racers.
Teammate Chanitta Westbrooks (Cleveland, Ohio) also moved up Kent State's top 10 ladders with her time of 24.74 in the 200-meter dash, which is tied for fifth in team history; she finished eighth overall.
On Friday, junior Mitchell Seawood (Warren, Ohio) advanced out of the prelims for the men's 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.11. In Saturday's final, Seawood finished eighth with a mark of 8.12.
In the women's 60-meter dash, Westbrooks qualified on Friday with a new personal best of 7.66, improving her 8th-best time in team history. In the final, Westbrooks ran in 7.67 to take 10th overall.
Senior Princeton Bryson (Toledo, Ohio) took second among a highly competitive field in the men's 200-meter dash, finishing in 21.55. In the men's 60-meter dash, Bryson qualified on Friday with a 6.93 before posting a 6.81 in the final to place fourth.
Junior Michael Heller (Stow, Ohio) set a new personal best in the 5,000-meter run (14:48.35) to finish 15th overall.
Sophomore Erica Hutson (Akron, Ohio) finished ninth in the 500-meter run with a time of 1:15.76.
![Four Kent State track and field athletes pose together on the awards podium wearing light blue Under Armour uniforms and gold MAC Championship medals. Left to right: Chaz Sakala (bib 1196), Sean [last name partially visible] (bib 1157, holding a relay baton), Ryan Gross (bib 1167), and Jacob Stanley (bib 1192). The group smiles for the camera following their relay event at the MAC Outdoor Championships.](https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Fkentstatesports.com%2Fimages%2F2026%2F5%2F21%2FIMG_2657.jpg&height=340&type=webp)
