The men’s and women’s indoor track-and-field season will begin Friday and Saturday with the Golden Flash Gala.

The meet will be a warm-up for many who have not competed since June.

“We try to do one in December to see where our athletes are at,” Kent State assistant coach Shannon Gallagher said.

Returning for the women’s team is senior Jackie Rodgers, a two-time All-American in pole vaulting.

“We’ve got a pretty stacked group in pole vault,” Gallagher said. “We have five who can jump higher than 11 feet 6 inches, and that’s pretty high.”

Gallagher said last year’s national qualifier junior Mark Johnson will lead the sprinters.

This will be the first track season for new Kent State coach Bill Lawson, who joined the team in October.

– Sean Ammerman