Kent State’s Men’s T&F Team Finishes Third at MAC Championships

Thursday, May 15

Athens, Ohio

Kent State University

MAC Championships

Photo by: David Dermer

Kent State’s Men’s T&F Team Finishes Third at MAC Championships

5/17/2014 6:08:00 PM | Men's Track & Field

Results

ATHENS, Ohio – Kent State's men's track and field team finished third at the 2014 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Goldsberry Track at Ohio University on Sat., May 17.

The Golden Flashes finished in third with a 157 points, 41.5 points behind the champions, Eastern Michigan University (198.5 points). Akron's men's team finished in second place with 180.5 points.

Matthias Tayala was named the co-Most Valuable Performer as he finished the championships with a first place in the hammer, second place in the discus and fourth place finish in the shot put to total 23 individual points; Tayala tied with Taylor Brown of Eastern Michigan. Wayne Gordon was selected as the Most Outstanding Track Performer with two first place finishes in both the 100m dash and the 200m dash.

Kent State's Wayne Gordon, William Barnes and Reggie Jagers were all crowned champions in their events Saturday.

Gordon defended his 2013 MAC title in the 200-meter dash with a first place finish at the 2014 Championships with a time of 20.81. Gordon picked up his first title of the day in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.50.

Barnes took home the crown in the 110-meter hurdles with a personal-record and second best time in Kent State history of 13.86. Barnes also ran the 200-meter dash and took fourth, 21.15.

Reggie Jagers and Matthias Tayala took the top-two places in the men's discus throw as Jagers won with a heave of 58.23m (191' 0"). Tayala took second with a personal-best of 58.15m (190' 9"), to move up to third on the Kent State All-Time Top Performers List.

Gordon and Barnes joined up with Nate Scales and Laron Brown in the 4x400-meter relay to take second, with the fourth fastest time in school history, 40.30.

Miles Dunlap ran into the history books with a second place finish and school record 46.59 in the 400-meter dash. Dunlap followed that up with a second place finish in the 400-meter hurdles, 51.55.

Jailyn Twitty took the bronze in the triple jump Saturday morning with a new personal-best of 15.19m (49' 10"). Twitty moved up to seventh on the school's All-Time Top Performers List, surpassing assistant coach Phil Rickaby.

The 4x400-meter relay team – Matthew Tobin, Miles Dunlap, Danny Young, and Laron Brown – closed out the championships with a third place finish, 3:11.54.

The Golden Flashes take a week off as the prepare for the NCAA East Regional Championships in Jacksonville, Fla., Thurs., May 29-Sat., May 31.

Final Team Standings:
1) Eastern Michigan 198.5
2) Akron 180.5
3) Kent State 157
4) Buffalo 138
5) Central Michigan 70
6) Miami (Ohio) 69

Most Valuable Performer
Matthias Tayala, Kent State
Tyler Brown, Eastern Michigan

Most Outstanding Track Performer
Wayne Gordon, Kent State

Most Outstanding Field Performer
Mike Morgan, Buffalo

Coach of the Year
John Goodridge

All-MAC First Team
Wayne Gordon (100m Dash / 200m Dash)
William Barnes (110m Hurdles)
Reggie Jagers (Discus Throw)
Matthias Tayala (Hammer Throw)

All-MAC Second Team
Miles Dunlap (400m Dash / 400m Hurdles)
Laron Brown (4x100m Relay)
Nate Scales (4x100m Relay)