Flashes send two to nationals on big opening day at NCAA East Prelims in Greensboro, N.C.
5/23/2013 12:00:00โฏAM | Track and Field, Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
GREENSBORO, N.C. โ It's the time of year when student-athletes have the opportunity to make their names known and define their legacies.ย A roller-coaster ride of emotions usually accompanies the journey, but the Kent State outdoor track and field teams made the most of their chances today (May 23) on the opening day of the NCAA Division I East Preliminary at North Carolina A&T State University's Irwin Belk Track.
"The kids competed great out there today," said Kent State coach Bill Lawson, who qualified 22 student-athletes in 23 events to the three-day event in Greensboro, N.C.ย "It's a high-low situation.ย The kids moving onto nationals are on Cloud 9 and the ones who aren't are disappointed when it's the end, but everyone competed like champions and that's what you always hope to see."
The top 12 competitors in each individual event and top 12 teams in each relay event from each of the preliminary round sites advance to the NCAA Finals June 5-8 hosted by the University of Oregon in Eugene, Ore.
When fans look back 10 years from now, they might just remember Greensboro as the site where freshmen throwers Reggie Jagers (Cleveland, Ohio) and Danniel Thomas (Shrewsbery, Jamaica) officially arrived on the outdoor scene.
Jagers was seeded 20thย in the men's discus, but punched his ticket to the NCAA Finals in Eugene with a ninth-place finish at 182 feet, 3 inches.ย The toss is sixth all-time in the Kent State record books.
Thomas, seeded 11thย in the discus, is also headed to the northwest in two weeks after placing eighth at 166-0 to rank ninth in Kent State history.ย It was a remarkable feat considering Thomas nearly didn't advance from her preliminary heat after fouling on her first two attempts.
"Danniel really stayed calm and focused," Lawson said.ย "I think the coaching staff was more nervous than she was.ย Danniel needed to make her final throw to get through and she did just that.ย Reggie has also been coming on all season.ย [Kent State throws coach, 2000 KSU grad and school discus record-holder] Nathan Fanger always says how explosive Reggie is, so we were hoping for these results.ย Overall, it was just a great showing by our young kids."
Sophomore Matthias Tayala (McDonald, Ohio) finished 17thย in the discus at 172-5, but will be competing in his best event, the hammer throw, on Saturday.ย Thomas also qualified in the women's shot put and will also compete in that event on Saturday.
The Golden Flashes didn't just limit their highlights to the field events.ย They dazzled on the track as well.
Junior Shanequa Williams (Akron, Ohio) broke her own Kent State record in the 400 meters by finishing 20thย in the prelims in 53.53 seconds.ย Williams is one of 24 competitors to advance to Friday's quarterfinals with the top 12 advancing to Eugene.ย The sprint stalwart, who will also run the 200, bested the 400 standard of 53.66 she set last season.ย
"Shanequa ran the smartest race I've ever seen her run," Lawson said.ย "She didn't go out super fast, but ran the best close I've seen in her Kent State career."
Sophomore Miles Dunlap (McDonald, Ohio) ran a personal-best 52.14 in the 400 hurdle prelims, which is seventh all-time at Kent State, to advance to the quarterfinals Friday in 20thย place.ย It keeps Dunlap's hopes of advancing to Eugene very much in the cards.
A pair of seniors closed outstanding outdoor track careers in Greensboro as Brandon Bailey (Pittsburgh, Pa.) placed 32ndย in 47.09 in the men's 400 and Melinda Sawnor (Rochester, N.Y.) finished 36thย in the women's 800 in 2:08.93.ย Both times are ranked sixth in their respective events in the Kent State record books.ย Bailey's 46.91 in 2012 still stands second all-time in the 400.
"Brandon and Melinda have meant a lot to the Kent State program and they competed like the champions they are today," Lawson said.ย "It's always tough at the end, but they deserve congratulations on great careers.ย We'll see Mindy during cross country in the fall, but both of them will be missed on the track."
Sophomore Jacob Swords (Akron, Ohio) was unable to finish his prelim in the men's 800 after another competitor interfered with him about 300 meters into the race.ย The Kent State coaching staff filed a protest in an effort to get Swords reinstated, but meet officials turned it down.
Other Kent State student-athletes competing in Greensboro included freshman Hannah Fleck (Celina, Ohio), 42ndย in the 1,500 in 4:32.90; freshman Jesse Oxley (Sugar Grove, Ohio), tied for 18thย in the pole vault at 15-7; juniorย Ann Marie Duffus (North Clarendon, Jamaica), 32ndย in the long jump at 19-0.75; and sophomore Roseanne Erickson (Alexandria, Minn.), 39thย in the long jump at 18-8.75.
Competition resumes with the women's hammer throw at 10 a.m. Friday.ย The women's 100 hurdles kick off the track events at 4:30 p.m.ย Click here for the full ย schedule of events.ย
