Junior Nick Gray will run the men’s 60-meter-dash, 200-meter-dash and 4×400-meter-relay this weekend at the Music City Challenge in Nashville, Tennessee. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State Athletics
Multiple members of the Ohio State track and field team set season highs and team highs at one of the most-competitive meets of the season, the Music City Challenge in Nashville, Tennessee. One Buckeye, senior Zack Bazile, even set this season’s NCAA record.
The Music City Challenge is comprised of 31 teams and some professional athletes. Along with the added competition of professionals, there were 12 different events with at least one athlete qualified for events at the NCAA national championship.
Men’s recap
In the long jump, Bazile launched himself into first place with a jump of 8.13 meters. It set the record for the longest jump in the NCAA this season and was the third-farthest jump in the world this year. The jump also broke the Vanderbilt facility record and is second-farthest jump in Ohio State history.
In his first 200-meter dash of the season junior Nick Gray took first with a time of 20.92. His mark is fast enough to qualify him for the NCAA national championship. Freshman Eric Harrison finished right behind Gray, taking second place at 21.24.
Senior Nick Demaline finished first in men’s shot put with a throw of 19.74 meters. It was Demaline’s season high and was the fifth-best throw in the NCAA this year.
In the 4×400-meter relay, Ohio State finished first and had its fifth-fastest time in program history and the best time this season.
Junior Luke Landis ran a personal best in the one-mile run, finishing second with a time of 4:06.
In his Ohio State track debut, redshirt sophomore Kendall Sheffield finished second in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.71. Sheffield beat Avery Hubbard, a professional sprinter, by .001 seconds. Sheffield also plays cornerback for the Ohio State football team.
For the second week in a row, senior Cole Gorski set a school record in pole vault, this time clearing 5.47 meters. Gorski finished in third place.
In the triple jump, junior DaJuan Seward set a personal best with a second place finish at 15.76 meters. Bazile finished fourth with 15.19 meters.
Senior Aaron Zedella came in third place in weight throw with a heave of 21.39 meters.
Women’s recap
Junior Karrington Winters earned a personal record in the 400-meter dash with a time of 53.21, which currently qualifies her for the NCAA national championship.
For the second meet in a row, the Buckeyes controlled the 200-meter dash. Freshman Anavia Battle set the team’s season high with a first-place finish at 23.62. Sophomore Halimah Barlow finished second (23.66) and freshman Syaira Richardson finished fifth (24.29).
Ohio State’s 4×400-meter relay team set a season best with a first-place finish at 3:36. The Buckeyes took the top spot by just .03 seconds.
Senior Chantel Ray earned a first-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.25. The run tied her personal best.
Sophomore Taylor DeLoach continues to be a strong point for the Buckeyes. She took first place in the long jump with a leap of six meters.
In the 800-meter run, freshman Aziza Ayoub finished third with a personal-best time of 2:08.
Junior Mikaela Seibert finished third in the triple jump with jumps combined for 12.7 meters. This was the season high for Seibert.
Junior Sade Olatoye finished fifth in the weight throw with a heave of 22.16. The fifth-place finish comes behind two of the top weight throwers in the country and two professional weight throwers.
Ohio State will host the Buckeye tune-up next weekend at the French Field House.
