Kent State University
Kent State National Qualifier
Kent State Track and Field Hosts National Qualifier Meet Saturday
2/9/2018 2:08:00 PM | Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
Meet Schedule (PDF) • Heat Sheets (PDF) • Live Results
Kent State will host a National Qualifier meet featuring some of the top track and field program in the regional at the Kent State Field House on Saturday, Feb. 10.
The women's weight throw gets competition started at 12 p.m., with the women's pole vault, women's high jump and women's long jump all slated for 1 p.m. Also at 1 p.m., the women's 5,000-meter run will kick off action on the track.
Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for youth and seniors, per day.
THE FIELD
Athletes from nine schools will compete at the meet. These schools include: Akron, Ashland, Buffalo, Michigan, Ohio, Pitt, Tiffin and Toledo.
On the men's side, Michigan is ranked No. 20 in the country and No. 3 in the Great Lakes Region. Kent State is close behind in the region at No. 5 and Akron is No. 7. Pitt is No. 5 in the Mid-Atlantic Region.
The Wolverines are the nation's 13th-ranked team on the women's side. Akron is No. 7 in the Great Lakes Region with Kent State coming at No. 11. Pitts is No. 3 in the Mid-Atlantic Region.
KENT STATE IN THE RANKINGS
Both the men's and women's teams are receiving recognition from various track and field rankings. In the most recent United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I Indoor Track and Field Regional Index, the men's team is No. 5 in the Great Lakes Region. The Golden Flashes have 219.72 points and are behind only Eastern Michigan among MAC teams. On the women's side, Kent State is No. 11 in the Great Lakes Region with 86.67 points.
The latest Collegiate Indoor Dual Meet Rankings as compiled by Jesse Squire for Track and Field News has Kent State No. 12 in the men's poll and No. 24 in the women's poll. The men are 1-0 with a dual victory over Akron, while the women are 4-0 in dual meets.
Individually, six Flashes are ranked among the top-20 nationally in events according to the Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). The top 16 athletes in each event will earn an invitation to the 2018 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships from March 9-10 in College Station, Texas.
TJ Lawson is the highest-ranked Kent State athlete at No. 5 in the heptathlon with a school-record 5,865 points. Samory Fraga's school-record mark of 25'-04.5" in the long jump ranks 13th. Craig Stevens, Jr. (51'-07.00") is 18th in the triple jump. Rounding out the men's competitors is Riak Reese, who ranks 18th in the 200-meter dash (21.02).
Gabrielle Figueroa leads the women's team with a No. 13 ranking in the weight throw (68'09.25"). Maria Horrigan sits at No. 19 in the pole vault with a top clearance of 13'-08.25".
PREVIEWING THE FLASHES
On the men's side, 39 Golden Flashes are scheduled for competition, including 10 top-3 MAC rankings. Riak Reese has run the conference's fastest time in both the 60-meter dash (6.70) and 200-meter dash (21.02). Jake Wickey is the conference leader in weight throw (66'-3.00"), while Craig Stevens, Jr. (51'-07.00") and Anthony Milliner (49'-03.00") own the top two marks in the triple jump. Samory Fraga (25'-04.5") and TJ Lawson (24'-09.75") are ranked second and third, respectively, in the long jump. Christian Champen and David Paliscak are ranked second in their respective events. Champen has cleared 16'-9.50" in the pole vault and Paliscak has a top mark of 56'-10.00" in the shot put. Brad Jones ranks third in the high jump (6'-10.75").
The women's team will also have 39 athletes in action, including four ranked in the top 3 in the conference. Gabrielle Figueroa leads the MAC in weight throw (68'09.25"). Maria Horrigan and Nicole Yeargin are ranked second in their respective events. Horrigan has cleared 13'-8.25" in the pole vault and Yeargin has a top time of 24.27 in the 200-meter dash. Alyssa Matheny is third in the high jump with a best height of 5'-7.75".
NEXT UP FOR KENT STATE
The Golden Flashes will conclude the regular season by hosting the Kent State Tune Up on Saturday, Feb. 17 at the Kent State Field House.
Players Mentioned
