Kent State University
Summer Olympics
Four Golden Flashes Post Top-20 Finishes at Tokyo Olympics
8/6/2021 2:45:00 PM | General, Men's Golf, Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
TOKYO — Kent State was represented well at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics with four graduates placing in the top-20 of their respective events.
The Golden Flashes had five graduates that competed overall, breaking the school's previous record of four Olympians at the Munich Games in 1972.
Danniel Thomas-Dodd finished 13th in women's shot put with a throw of 18.37m (60'-3.25"), which was just 0.2m short of advancing to the finals. The Westmoreland, Jamaica native improved upon her performances at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Summer Olympics by 13 spots.
Corey Conners also placed 13th in men's golf, which featured a field of 60 competitors. Conners shot par or better in all four rounds and closed strong with a 65 in the final round to finish at -13 for the tournament. Fellow Canadian Mackenzie Hughes was tied with Conners for 17th at the end of the third round but finished 50th with a -3 overall.
Samory Fraga leaped 7.88m (25'-10.25") on his first attempt of the men's long jump, as the Porto Alegre, Brazil native placed 16th.
Kent State's first member of Team USA since 2008, Reggie Jagers III took 19th in the men's discus throw. The Cleveland native flung the discus 61.47m (201'-8") on his final attempt of the preliminary round.
The Flashes have been represented at 10 consecutive Summer Olympics dating back to 1984, when Thomas Jefferson captured a bronze medal in the men's 200-meter dash. Ten different Kent State athletes have represented five countries (Brazil, Canada, Great Britain, Jamaica, USA) and competed in four sports (athletics, basketball, golf, softball) during this time.
Players Mentioned
