Track finishes third in conference championship
Senior Roosevelt Dotson raises his finger after receiving his first place medal in the high jump competition during the MAC Indoor Track and Field Championship at University of Akron’s Stile Athletic Field House on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016.
Kent State’s men and women’s track team both finished third in the Mid-American Conference championship this past weekend.
Senior William Barnes was the highlight at the meet for the Flashes, breaking another record and winning individual MAC championships in the 60-meter hurdles and 200-meter dash.
Barnes broke the MAC 60-meter hurdle record with a time of 7.69 seconds, set by previous Kent State alum Ron Andrews at 7.72 seconds. Barnes also set a personal record in the 200-meter race, breaking teammate senior Wayne Gordon’s Stiles Field House record at 20.95 seconds with a finish of 20.91 seconds.
Seniors Donovan Tolbert and Roosevelt Dotson took home individual championship as well in the triple jump and high jump.
Scoring in the top six for the men was senior Jesse Oxley, who took second place in the pole vault, senior Michael King, who placed third in the shot put and redshirt junior Reginald Jagers III, who took the fifth spot in the weight throw.
Sophomore Jonathan Grant placed second in the long jump and fourth in the 60-meter dash while Gordon placed second in the 60-meter dash and third in the 200-meter race. Junior Brian Smith came in sixth place in the 200-meter race.
The women had one individual MAC champion this weekend in senior Roseanne Erickson, who placed first in the long jump.
Coming in first as a team were 4×400 relay teammates junior Jorian Ordway, senior Taylor Farquhar, sophomore Tyler Williams and junior Chelsea Laury. Senior Dior Delophont came in second place in both the triple and high jump while junior Morgan Estes took third in the pole vault.
In the multi-events, sophomore Ryan Looser placed fourth in the men’s heptathlon, while in the women’s pentathlon, Laury placed fifth, freshman Aspen Gaita took sixth and freshman Talia Falco scoring in seventh place.
The event ends the indoor season for most athletes on both teams. Barnes and Tolbert will be headed to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship, set to take place on March 11 in Birmingham, Alabama.
Samantha Lough is the track and field reporter for The Kent Stater. Contact her at [email protected].