Kent State University
MAC Championships
Men’s Track and Field Heads to MAC Indoor Championships
2/27/2020 3:13:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
KENT, Ohio – The Kent State men's track and field team will battle for the conference title, traveling to the University of Akron to compete in the 2020 Mid-American Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships this weekend, Friday, February 28 and Saturday, February 29.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Competition begins on Friday at 11 a.m. with the heptathlon 60-meter dash. Field events are scheduled to be underway by 12:30 p.m. with long jump. The 60-meter hurdles trials start the running events at 3:15 p.m. Opening day will come to a close on Friday with the distance medley relay at 6:55 p.m.
Saturday's action begins with the heptathlon 60-meter hurdles at 10 a.m. Triple jump and shot put get the field events going at 1 p.m. Running events begin on the track at 1:45 p.m. with the 1-mile run. The meet will conclude after the 4x400-meter relay at 4:45 p.m. with the Awards Ceremony right after starting at 5 p.m.
SCORING FORMAT
The top six competitors in each event will score points for their team with a 10-8-6-4-2-1 scale.
ADMISSION INFO
Single-session tickets are available at the door for $15 (cash only) for adults and $10 for youth (ages 3-14). All-session passes are $20 for adults and $15 for youth. Akron and other Mid-American Conference institution students with a valid ID will be admitted for $5 per session. All fans should enter through the Akron Student Recreation Center main entrance.
FOLLOW THE #MACTION
The MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships will be live streamed on the Zips Digital Network and will be broken up into morning and afternoon sessions for both days of competition. In addition to the Zips Digital Network, ESPN3 will be broadcasting the meet from 3-7 p.m. on Friday and from 1-6 p.m. on Saturday. Please note that during the ESPN3 broadcasts, any field events being streamed on the Zips Digital Network will only be available to viewers in the MAC's Digital Footprint, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and New York.
For those unable to stream the meet, results will be updated throughout the meet.
PREVIEWING THE FLASHES
Kent State will have 30 men competing at the conference meet, including 13 that rank in the top 5 in their respective events.
Redshirt senior TJ Lawson is the top-ranked athlete in both the long jump (24'-11") and heptathlon (5,885). Lawson's score of 5,885 earlier this year at the Razorback Invitational ranks fourth in the country.
Sophomore Asa Hodrick is also ranked top 5 in two separate events. Hodrick is third in the 60-meter dash (6.86) and comes in at fourth overall in the 200-meter dash (21.32).
The Golden Flashes have a pair of teammates who rank top 5 in the pole vault. Senior Christian Champen holds the top spot with a height of 17'-2.75" and is undefeated so far this season. Senior Mitchell Kubicki is tied for third, clearing a personal-best height of 16'-7.5".
Junior Jacob Mally comes in at second (5,181) in the heptathlon and will also run in the 60-meter hurdles.
Redshirt sophomore Ryan Demaline and redshirt senior Walter Petzel rank second (55'-3.75") and third (55'-2.75") in the shot put, respectively. Demaline secured his second-place position with a personal record throw earlier this year at the Kent State vs. Akron Dual.
Redshirt senior Brad Jones ranks fourth in the high jump with a season-best height of 6'-8.25", while Lawson makes another appearance in the top 5, coming in fifth (6'7.5").
Sophomore Nate Cousino and freshman Del'Mario Hairston sit at fourth overall in their respective events. Cousino established himself as a top 5 runner in the MAC in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:52.33 two weekends ago at the Doug Raymond National Qualifier, while Hairston did the same in the long jump (24'-4.5") at the Kent State vs. Akron Dual.
Rounding out the Flashes who rank in the top 5 are Drew Johnson, Anthony Milliner, and Jake Wickey. Johnson's personal record time of 4:11.26 earns him the fifth overall position in the MAC in the 1-mile run. Milliner's season-best jump of 50'-1.75" in the triple jump slots him at fifth overall as well, while Wickey's personal-best throw of 68'-0.25" earned him the fifth-place spot in the weight throw.
FLASH BACK 2019 MAC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Golden Flashes took first place in two events at last year's Mid-American Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships held in the Kent State Field House and finished third overall with 106.50 points.
TJ Lawson won the heptathlon with 5,427 points, while Jacob Mally finished right behind with 5,388 points.
Jake Wickey was also crowned champion in the weight throw (67'-8") for a second year in a row.
Asa Hodrick was voted Mid-American Conference Men's Freshman Track Performer of the Year after placing third in the 200-meter dash and fourth in the 60-meter dash.
NEXT UP FOR THE FLASHES
Kent State athletes that finish in the top-16 nationally in their respected events will qualify for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, which will be held in Albuquerque, N.M. from March 13-14.
Players Mentioned
