Anytime Grace Tennant steps into the shot put ring, assistant track coach Laron Brown says,  “She is a force to reckon with.” 

Tennant won her third consecutive shot-put meet with a throw of 53′ 2 ¾” her longest ever and the fifth best all-time at Kent State.

Tennant was last season’s Mid-American Conference indoor shot put champion and is a three-time NCAA East Preliminary Round qualifier.

“Grace is awesome,” Brown said. “She’s still not her very best; in a couple of weeks, she will be.” 

Tennant says she has tried to take that next step this season.

“I have been really working hard this season, putting more into the weight room,” Tennant said, “I would say I focused more on my mental performance.”

There were three other athletes that did well at the last weekend’s meet.

On the men’s side, Jake Wickey finished second in the weight throw with a toss of 72′-11.75″. That toss was also sixth best this season in the NCAA.

Asa Hodrick ranks second in the 200-meter dash (21.66) and makes another appearance in the 60-meter dash ranking fourth (6.83).

“Hodrick has grown as a sprinter, and this past weekend it showed,” Brown said.

Leah Pasqualetti, a freshman in her second collegiate meet, won the pole vault with a height of 13′ 6¼”. That is the third-best vault ever for a Kent State woman.

“She got her first collegiate win this past weekend, and we’re very excited for her,” said Brown.

The Flashes will be back in action as they host the Doug Raymond National Qualifier at the Kent State Field House on Saturday, February 13.

Ignatius Ogbu is a sports reporter. Contact him at [email protected].