Kent State University
NCAA East Preliminary
Figueroa and Stevens, Jr. Punch Tickets to NCAA Championships
5/26/2018 8:19:00 PM | Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
TAMPA, Fla. – Gabrielle Figueroa and Craig Stevens, Jr. qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday, as Kent State boasted four top-15 finishers on the final day of competition at the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
The day started with Figueroa placing fourth in the women's hammer throw. Sitting in 15th after her first two attempts, Figueroa delivered a huge throw of 204'-1" to punch her ticket to nationals. It was the third-best throw of her career, with both of her top two marks coming at the Jesse Owens Classic on April 20. Figueroa will give the Golden Flashes a representative in the women's hammer throw for the third time in the past four years.
Stevens, Jr. punched his ticket in the triple jump for the second straight year with a top mark of 51'-8.5", which was good for 11th-place. He was one of only three competitors to jump 51'-2" or further on all three attempts. Stevens, Jr. was a First Team All-American in 2017 and gives Kent State a triple jump national qualifier for the third year in a row.
After earning his spot at the national meet in the 100-meter dash on Friday, Riak Reese came within .04 seconds of qualifying in a second event and placed 13th in the 200-meter dash. Reese was one of only seven sprinters to finish in the top-13 in both the 100m and 200m.
Brad Jones and Anthony Milliner both finished at least 14 spots higher than their seed in their respective events. Jones cleared 6'11" in the men's high jump to match his personal-best and finish 15th as the No. 47 seed in the 48-man field. Milliner leaped 48'-8" for 32nd in the men's triple jump. He was seeded 46th.
David Paliscak placed 44th in the men's shot put with a top throw of 53'-9" to conclude the competition for the Flashes.
Kent State will send four athletes to the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships— Gabrielle Figueroa (women's hammer throw), TJ Lawson (men's decathlon), Riak Reese (men's 100m) and Craig Stevens, Jr. (men's triple jump) — to be held June 6-9 at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Players Mentioned
