UA’s Kinsey earns All-American honors at NCAA track & field championships

VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT

AKRON — University of Akron junior Daniel Kinsey earned All-America honors in the decathlon at the NCAA outdoor track & field championships, held at the University of Arkansas.

Kinsey, a Beaver Local High graduate, scored 7,563 points to break his own school record in the event. His previous mark was 7,445 points, which he set in winning the Mid-American Conference championship and earning an at-large berth to this week’s national championships.

Kinsey was able to earn All-American honors despite finishing outside the top eight as he was one of the top eight, American-born athletes to place at the NCAA Outdoors.

Even though he was in 19th place after the first day of the two-day discipline, he was ahead of his record-setting pace from the MAC Championships. On the second day, Kinsey made his move thanks to his abilities in the discus, pole vault and javelin.

After a 19th-place finish in the final day’s first event, the 110-meter hurdles, Kinsey was just one of three to eclipse 150 feet in the discus, placing third with a distance of 150-9. He followed that with a sixth-place in the pole vault with a clearance of 15-5, missing his career best by just two inches. In the ninth event, the javelin, Kinsey got off to a slow start with a foul on his first attempt and a safe throw of approximately 145 feet on his second throw. Then, on his third and final attempt, he lapped the field to win with a throw of 196-9. He closed his championships by setting a personal record in the 10th and final event, the 1,500, bettering his previous best by eight seconds with a time of 4:38.95.

Kinsey is the 15th Zip track student-athlete to earn All-American honors.