The Kent State track and field team kicked off 2025 with an ambitious season debut that saw records, both personal and team, get shattered in its performance at the Jud Logan Memorial at the Kent State Field House.
The Jud Logan Memorial saw the Flashes compete against the likes of Duquesne and Ashland on Saturday. This was KSU’s first competition of the 2025 indoor track season.
The Flashes saw key performances from several athletes on each side of the sport, but one would be remiss not to mention the feel-good story of the night.
“It was a good way to start the season,” coach Nathan Fanger said. “Some high points, some in-between marks; it was a good way to get the butterflies out.”
Senior triple jumper Alexandre Malanda, on his fifth attempt of the evening, ascended into the air and posted a mark of 53’-5.75”. This mark gave Malanda Kent State’s all-time triple jump record, surpassing Donovan Tolbert’s mark from 2016.
“The biggest key for him (Malanda) was breaking the 16-meter mark earlier in the meet,” Fanger said. “He felt more comfortable today.”
Malanda was not the only Flash to take home the first place nod, as sophomore thrower Charles Pawlosky, had a winning mark of 16.78m, or just over 55 feet. KSU also took second in men’s shot put, with senior Anthony Lambert posting a mark 15.83m, or just over 51 feet.
“They had a solid day,” Fanger said. “ It was a solid opener, but we’ll look for more.”
In the men’s 60 meter dash, fifth year Jaheim Jones snagged first place for Kent State in just under seven seconds at 6.78. Trailing Jones was another Flash, with sophomore Sean Callahan just 0.08 seconds behind his teammate.
Over on the women’s end of the meet, juniors Keeli Dunaway and Matilde Carboncini took first in the horizontal and long jumps, respectively. Both of their marks were personal records.
Speaking of personal records, two Kent State sophomores scratched out new heights while also taking hardware back to Kent. Kyla Taress cleared 12’-3.50” in the women’s pole vault, and Jack Curtis took first in the men’s 5,000-meter.
Sophomore runner Amryne Chilton put up a performance to be proud of with a victory in the women’s 60-meter dash in 7.51 seconds. Chilton also opened up competition for the Flashes in the women’s 4x400m relay.
“I think the sophomore class is gonna be pretty good,” Fanger said. “ We thought the freshman class last year was good, and that’s obviously the sophomore class this year.”
The Kent State track and field team will take its talents to University Park, PA. Jan. 31 at the Penn State National Open.
“We don’t know the level of competition that will be there, but I think we’ll be in the mix,” Fanger said.
Gage Wellman is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected] or @GageWellmanKSTV on X.