TRACK AND FIELD: Buckeye Zack Bazile Claims First National Title In 25 Years With Record-Breaking Long Jump

4x100m Relay advances to finals, Demaline finishes eighth in shot put —

EUGENE, Ore. – The Ohio State track & field team is set on making even more history this season at the last event of the year, the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. First, the men’s team won the Big Ten Indoor Championship for the first time in 25 years, and followed that up with the first Big Ten Outdoor Championship in as many years. Now, OSU has its first National Champion since that 1993 season in senior Zack Bazile, who leaped a program and career-best 8.37m (27-5.5) in the long jump.

Bazile, a native of Montvale, N.J., becomes a four-time All-American in the long jump and breaks the previous school record of 8.15m (26-9) set by Michael Hartfield in 2013. The mark is a lifetime best, and is the furthest long jump in the nation this season. 8.37m is also the best mark at the NCAA Outdoor Championships since 2011. Bazile becomes the first NCAA Champion for the Buckeyes since Chris Nelloms won the 200m dash in 1993, and is the first long jump champion since Joe Green in 1989.

Not only did Bazile win the long jump, but he helped the men’s 4x100m relay team to qualify for the final with a time that improves the school record at 38.67. Bazile anchored the relay with freshman Eric Harrison Jr., senior Duan Asemota and senior Drelan Bramwell. The four finished with the fourth-best time overall, placing third in the second heat but managing to advance on time to secure a spot as the only Big Ten relay team in the 4x100m final. In the elite field, two additional relay teams had faster times than the final two automatically qualified teams. Ohio State appears in the 4x100m relay final for the first time since 1994.

Senior Nick Demaline threw an outdoor career-best of 20.18m on his second try in the shot put, ending in eighth overall for his third All-America honor.

The men’s 4x400m relay team of Bramwell, junior Nick Gray, sophomore Asa Burke and freshman Andre Jeff clocked in at 3:08.04, placing 19th overall.

Senior Cole Gorski appeared in the pole vault final but did not clear a height.

The Ohio State men are tied for seventh in the team standings with 11 points.

Action resumes tomorrow at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with the first day of women’s competition, beginning at 8:02 p.m. ET for the Buckeyes with Chantel Ray in the 100m hurdles semifinal.

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