Kent State University
NCAA East Regionals
Kristen Jay Punches Ticket to NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships with Javelin Throw PR
5/30/2026 7:55:00 PM | Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kent State sophomore Kristen Jay advanced to nationals in the women's javelin during competition at the 2026 NCAA East Preliminary Rounds.
Jay unleashed a personal-best throw of 168'-3" on her first attempt and finished eighth. Her mark ranks fifth on the program's all-time performance list, and she is the first Golden Flash to advance to the NCAA Championships in the javelin since 2012.
The men's 4x100-meter relay team of Sean Callahan Jr., Ryan Gruss, Chaz Sakala and Micah Coates finished in 39.53 seconds to place 19th. The team is the second fastest in school history.
In the men's long jump, Amare Hall soared 24'-2.25" to place 28th and Luigi Case recorded a mark of 22'-4.5" to finish 41st.
Baidy Ba took 30th in the men's 5,000-meter run with a time of 14:13.52 as his Kent State career came to an end.
Lanee Hall recorded a mark of 40'9.75" to placed 33rd in the women's triple jump.
Amryne Chilton competed in a pair of races and placed 34th in the women's 200-meter dash (23.52) and 45th in the women's 100-meter dash (11.66).
Marinna Atanmo made her NCAA East Preliminary Rounds debut and finished 42nd in the women's 400-meter hurdles with a time of 59.77 seconds.
Kristen Jay will represent the Flashes in the women's javelin at the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which will be held June 10-13 in Eugene, Oregon.
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![Four Kent State track and field athletes pose together on the awards podium wearing light blue Under Armour uniforms and gold MAC Championship medals. Left to right: Chaz Sakala (bib 1196), Sean [last name partially visible] (bib 1157, holding a relay baton), Ryan Gross (bib 1167), and Jacob Stanley (bib 1192). The group smiles for the camera following their relay event at the MAC Outdoor Championships.](https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Fkentstatesports.com%2Fimages%2F2026%2F5%2F21%2FIMG_2657.jpg&height=340&type=webp)
