Track and Field Teams Sweep Akron in Annual Dual Meet

Friday, January 19

Kent, Ohio

3:30 p.m.

Kent State University

Akron Dual

Photo by: Nate Manley

Track and Field Teams Sweep Akron in Annual Dual Meet

1/19/2024 9:07:00 PM | Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field

Results

KENT, Ohio – The Kent State men's and women's track and field teams both won by more than 30 points and had three student-athletes record top-10 marks in program history during the annual dual meet with rival Akron at the Kent State Field House on Friday.

The men's team posted an 87-55 victory, while the women's team won by a score of 83-62.

For the second meet in a row, freshman Sean Callahan Jr. won the men's 60-meter dash in a time of 6.67 seconds to tie the facility record. Callahan Jr. returned to the track later in the night and won the 200-meter dash in 21.47 seconds.

Senior Kristian Kneffler soared 17'-3.50" to win the men's pole vault and claim the No. 2 spot on the Golden Flashes' all-time indoor performance list. Kneffler was unsuccessful to clear the bar at 17'-6.25", which would have broken the school record.

Sophomore Ayden Bath won the men's 60-meter hurdles and men's high jump. Bath ran a personal-best time of 7.97 seconds to improve his hold at No. 5 in Kent State history for the event. In the high jump, Bath cleared the bar on his first five attempts and won with a height of 6'-7.50".

Sophomore Svenia De Coninck claimed sole possession of the No. 4 spot in the women's high jump by clearing 5'-9.75".

Transfers Jericha Petrella and Azsah Bradley sprinted to top-10 times to lead the women on the track. Petrella won the 400-meter dash in 55.06 seconds, which sits at No. 7 all-time. Petrella also ran the final leg of the winning 4x400-meter relay and was joined by freshman Amryne Chilton, senior Taylor Korytkowski and senior Alexandria Verbancic for a time of 3:46.21. In her Kent State debut, Bradley crossed the finish line in 7.610 seconds to place second in the 60-meter dash, which was 0.009 behind the winner. Her time is tied for the ninth fastest in school history.

Sophomore Keeli Dunaway was the third Flash to win a pair of events. Dunaway recorded a personal-best of 18'-5.75" in the women's long jump and leaped 39'-1.75" to win the women's triple jump.

Junior Alexandre Malanda and redshirt senior Del'Mario Hairston posted victories to complete a sweep of the horizontal jumps. Malanda improved on his season opener with a mark of 51'-8.25" in the men's triple jump. Hairston won the men's long jump with a mark of 24'-2.5" to beat sophomore Amare Hall (24'-2.25") by the slimmest of margins.

The final individual victory on the men's side was claimed by graduate student Quintin Cooks, who won the 800-meter run in 1:53.27. Cooks also anchored the winning 4x400-meter relay team. Along with freshmen Joseph Lindsey Jr., Connor Boland and Owen Miller, the Flashes finished in 3:18.81.

Graduate students Gabby Bailey and Grace Luther won their respective throwing events for the second meet in a row. Bailey recorded a heave of 50' in the women's shot put and Luther won the women's weight throw with a toss of 61'-5".