By: by Scott Lipsky
Final Results
AUBURN, Ala. – Three more school records fell, and four individuals won events to highlight a very successful weekend for the Kennesaw State men’s track and field team at the Auburn War Eagle Invitational.
Junior Gianni Catalano continued to reaffirm his dominance in the 800 Meters on Saturday. The Amherst, Ohio, who is the two-time defending Atlantic Sun Conference outdoor champion in the event, was victorious at Auburn this weekend, winning the race with a time of 1:50.73, breaking the school record that he originally held with a 1:51.41 effort at the LSU Alumni Gold in 2009. Perhaps most importantly, the time puts him in 43rd place on the performance list in the NCAA East Region for time being. The top 48 performances in each event will be invited to compete at the NCAA East Region Championship in Greensboro, N.C., May 27-29.
Also re-writing the school record book this weekend was the 4x400 Meter Relay squad of David Tansey, Daniel Grass, Tremaine Grant, and James Verdi, who finished second in the event with a time of 3:13.27. The effort smashed the KSU outdoor record of 3:13.39, which was achieved at the LSU Alumni Gold in 2009 by Josh James, Grass, Catalano, and Verdi.
Freshman Jake Bridges was the third Owl to break a school record this weekend, finishing second in the Pole Vault with a top clearance of 4.75 Meters (15’7”). His jump broke teammate Adam Reed’s record of 4.55 Meters, recently set at the Beynon Sports Surfaces Catamount Classic just three weeks ago.
Freshman Nabil Hamid showed his versatility, winning the 5000 Meters with a time of 14:50.03. His win comes just a week after he won the 10,000 Meters at the Sea Ray Relays, where he set a new school record in the event.
Senior Josh McNair was the other Owl to win an event at Auburn, taking first place in the Hammer Throw with a toss of 54.60 Meters (179’2”). The win was just part of a solid all-around performance for the Hinesville, Ga. native, as he also placed third in the Shot Put (16.98 meters- 55’8.5”) and sixth in the Discus (46.92 Meters- 153’11”).
Making sure his team was well represented in every aspect of competition, senior Jerome McKinzie joined his running and throwing counterparts in the victory circle on Saturday, winning the High Jump with a top leap of 2.13 meters (6’11.75”). The effort tied his school record from a year ago, and was a great sign that the Marietta, Ga. native, who redshirted the outdoor season in 2009, will be a force for the remainder of the schedule. The jump also put him in 16th on the performance list in the NCAA East Region, greatly enhancing his chances for a spot in Greensboro.
Overall, the weekend at Auburn produced 10 top-three finishes, with six of them coming in running events.
Head Coach Don McGarey’s squad will have the opportunity to break more school records and put more of his athletes in position for a top-48 spot in the region in two weeks, when they compete in the Georgia Tech/Clemson Duals on May 1st. The event will be hosted by Georgia Tech.
