The Kent State track and field team’s men’s 4×400 team placed top-10 all time in program history Saturday.

Among those records were the men’s 4×400 team that ran a 3:12.84, putting them at eighth all time in school history. The team took third overall at the Music City Challenge, which ran Friday and Saturday.

“The coaching staff that we have right now are making sure things happen,” coach Nathan Franger said.

Junior Nolan Landis brought home first place in shot put with a throw of 56’ at the SPIRE indoor games in Geneva Saturday.

“This season he’s been steady, Freddy,” Franger said. “He’s been practicing well and we’ve been working on his hand speed. He is at 17 meters steadily but we think he can hit the 18 meter mark soon.”

Junior Alex Shields lowered his personal best for the second time this season in the men’s 60 meter hurdles. He clocked in a time of 7.83, leaving him with a win at Music City.

Sophomore Aliesha Shaw placed first in the women’s shot put event with a throw of 49’-2.25”.

Graduate student Asa Hodrick and senior Jaheim Jones both shined in the men’s 60-meter as they finished in third and fifth, respectively.

Hodrick ran a time of 6.82, while Jones had a 6.88.

“That’s the sprints coach’s job,” Franger said. “We have 110 athletes on the team but as a head coach it makes me proud knowing my events coaches are doing the right thing.”

As the team gears up for the conference meet in just a couple weeks, Franger looks to lighten the load in practice a bit and get the athletes mentally prepared.

“We go through loading and deloading phases,” Franger said. “We try to get them mentally prepared and ready for the biggest event of the season.”

Franger also explains that this season is one of the toughest ever to make the NCAA indoor championship.

“Since everyone got an extra year of eligibility from COVID, it makes everything more challenging because there are athletes here that are 25, 26 years old when before it would be closer to 23, 24,” Franger said.

The team will be sending athletes to the AI Campbell Invitational in Akron Friday as well as the Alex Wilson Invitational at the University of Notre Dame Saturday.

Lucas Baker is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].