Wickey’s Record-Setting Day Highlights Friday’s Action at MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships

Photo by: David Dermer

Wickey’s Record-Setting Day Highlights Friday’s Action at MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships

2/26/2022 8:37:00 AM | Men's Track & Field

KENT, Ohio – Jake Wickey captured his Mid-American Conference record fourth weight throw title to open the first day of the MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday inside the Kent State Field House. The Golden Flashes totaled 32 team points and sit in third entering the final day of competition on Saturday.

The historic victory for Wickey came in the most anticipated event of the championships meet, as the Medina native was joined by Eastern Michigan's Taige Bryant and Newlyn Stephenson in the top-five of the national rankings. An opening round throw of 72'-5' established Wickey as the leader from the start. He beat that mark on his fourth attempt and followed with the winning throw of 73'-11" on his fifth.

Alexander Shields and Jacob Mally are currently in second (3125) and fourth place (2841) in the heptathlon, respectively. Shields took first place in the long jump clearing a height of 23'-10" and capturing his highest point total on the day of 876 while Mally secured his highest point total (785) in the 60-meter dash finishing in third.

Other student-athletes to score for the Golden Flashes include Lukas Van Der Watt and Mally in the pole vault, Del'Mario Hairston and Alexandre Malanda in the long jump, Shadrack Kipkosgei and Joe Farley in the 5000-meter run, and the 4000-meter distance medley relay team composed of Baidy Ba, Kyle Sommer, Jacob Mirabell, and Drew Johnson. Van Der Watt and Mally took second (16'-3.25") and fifth (13'-9.75") in the pole vault, respectively, earning eight and two points. Hairston and Malanda finished fourth (23'-8.75") and sixth (23'-1.75") in the long jump for four points and one point, respectively. Kipkosgei and Farley crossed the finish line in fifth (14:29.99) and sixth place (14:52.70), respectively, for two points and one point, and the distance medley relay team finished fourth (10:03.47) securing four points for the Golden Flashes.

Kent State also had 11 student-athletes qualify for the finals of their respective running events. Mally and Shields will be competing in the 60-meter hurdles; Jonathan Solomon, Shakorie Davis II and Sommer in the 400-meter dash; Jaheim Jones and Asa Hodrick in the 60-meter dash as well as the 200-meter dash, with Mondo Colome joining them for the 200-meter race; and Ethan Yost, Quintin Cooks, and Trey Double in the 800-meter run.

Competition continues tomorrow inside the Kent State Field House at 11:30 a.m. with the heptathlon 60-meter hurdles.