The University of Akron Athletics
Akron Hosts MAC T&F Championships
February 23 | Track & Field
AKRON, Ohio – This weekend, the University of Akron
Athletics Field House will be the site of the 2007 Mid-American
Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. The event, which
will honor the "Legends of the MAC," gets underway Friday (Feb. 23)
at 11:00 am and runs through 6:00 pm, with Saturday's activities
lasting from 10:00 am-5:00 pm. Tickets for the championships are
$10 per day or $15 for a two-day pass for adults; $2 per day or $3
for a two-day pass for any MAC student with valid ID and $7 per day
or $10 for a two-day pass for youth ages 17 and under.
In addition to great competition, a tribute will be paid to
legendary MAC coaches and athletes for their contributions to the
sport. Commitments had been secured from the likes of Stan Huntsman
(former Ohio head coach, 1988 US Olympic head coach and member of
the USA Track & Field and United States Track Coaches Halls of
Fame), Bob Parks (former Eastern Michigan head coach and member of
the United States Track Coaches Hall of Fame), George Dales (former
Western Michigan head coach, member of the United States Track
Coaches Hall of Fame and coach for two ('64 & '65) NCAA Cross
Country Team National Championships), Les Carney (Akron native,
former Ohio standout and silver medalist in the 200 meters at the
1964 Olympics), Sid Sink (former Bowling Green head coach and
two-time ('71 & '72) NCAA steeplechase national champion) and
Mo Banton (former Ohio head coach and 1964 NCAA cross country
national champion.
Many others will be on hand with "The Legends" ceremony set for
Saturday at 12:45 pm, prior to the meet starting at 1:00 pm. Also
these legends will be honored throughout the meet, as each event
will be named after a legend. For instance the pentathlon will be
called the Christi Smith Pentathlon in honor of the former Akron
NCAA champion. In addition, Smith, current assistant coach at Kent
State, will be on hand for the awards ceremony. Other MAC Legends
already scheduled to be recognized include Paul McMullen (WMU),
Gary Bastien (EMU), Roberta Collins (KSU), Faith Thompson (UB),
Leslie Nielson (EMU), John Russell (UA), Dale Cowper (WMU), Alicia
Czajka (WMU), Bob Schul (MU), Steve Price (BGSU), Patricia Soman
(BSU), Kim Kriener (KSU), Mary Varga (UA), Sue Parks (EMU/BSU),
Kira Sims (UA), Shannon Gallagher (KSU), Paul McMullen (EMU), Becca
Williams (MU), Jack Shaw (WMU), Hayes Jones (EMU), Karen Bakewell
(MU), Dave Wottle (BGSU), Earl Jones (EMU), Clement Chukwu (EMU),
Ira Murchison (WMU), Brian Hallett (KSU), Bruno Pauletto (CMU),
Beeta Rudzinska (UA), Briana Shook (UT), Jordan Desilets (EMU)
LeShaunte Edwards (UA) and Charles Shugert (MU).
This year's MAC Indoor Championships features some of the best
athletes in the nation with league athletes ranking among the NCAA
leaders 22 times in their respective events.
Namely, Akron's Stevi Large, who has established a MAC record in
each of the last two weeks in the weight throw, is one of just
seven athletes in the nation to rank among the NCAA leaders in both
the weight throw and the shot put. More specifically, Large and
Arizona State's Sarah Evans and Jessica Pressley are the only three
athletes in the NCAA to rank among the nation's top 15 in both
events. Also of note, Becky Horn of Western Michigan ranks eighth
in the nation with her time of 2:05.90 in the 800 meters. On the
men's side, three MAC athletes rank among the nation's leaders in
the weight throw, including Kent State's Andy Nichols (12th),
Akron's Randal Hafner (16th) and Kent State's Jaroslaw Zakrewski
(20th).
The Akron women's team is looking for a three-peat as MAC Indoor
champion and Eastern Michigan is the defending men's champion. From
1997-2005, the MAC did not have back-to-back women's champions
until Akron won in 2005 and '06. Only two MAC men's teams have ever
won MAC Indoor titles. Central Michigan won the first in 1995 and
Eastern Michigan has won every indoor title since (nine years).
MAC Championships
Schedule
Friday, February 23, 2007
11:00 AM Heptathlon 60m
11:30 AM Pentathlon 60m Hurdles
11:45 AM Heptathlon Long Jump (2)
12:15 PM Pentathlon High Jump Women (2)
Running Prelims
2:00 PM 60m Hurdles Women
2:20 PM 60m Hurdles Men
2:30 PM 400m Dash Women
2:50 PM 400m Dash Men
3:05 PM 60m Dash Women
3:25 PM 60m Dash Men
3:35 PM 800m Run Women
3:55 PM 800m Run Men
4:10 PM 200m Dash Women
4:30 PM 200m Dash Men
Field Events - Running Events Finals (Awards)
1:30 PM 20 lb Weight Throw Women (E)
1:30 PM Long Jump Women (W)
3:00 PM Pole Vault Men (Field)
4:25 PM 35 lb Wgt Throw Men (E)
4:30 PM Long Jump Men (W)
4:50 PM 5,000m Run Women Awards: 5:35 PM
5:15 PM 5,000m Run Men Awards: 5:55 PM
5:40 PM Distance Medley Women Awards: 6:15 PM
6:00 PM Distance Medley Men Awards: 6:20 PM
Saturday, February 23, 2007
10:00 AM Heptathlon 60m Hurdles
10:35 AM Heptathlon - Pole Vault Men (2)
12:50 PM National Anthem
Field Events Pits/Rings
1:00 PM Triple Jump Women
1:05 PM Shot Put Women (W)
1:10 PM High Jump Men (E)
1:30 PM Pole Vault Women (N)
2:00 PM High Jump Women Field
3:15 PM Triple Jump Men (S)
3:05 PM Shot Put Men (E or W)
Running Events Finals (Awards)
1:15 PM Mile Women Awards: 1:40 PM
1:35 PM Mile Men Awards: 2:00 PM
1:55 PM 60m Hurdles Women Awards: 2:06 PM
2:05 PM 60m Hurdles Men Awards: 2:16 PM
2:15 PM 400m Women Awards: 2:35 PM
2:30 PM 400m Men Awards: 2:46 PM
2:45 PM 60m Women Awards: 2:56 PM
2:55 PM 60m Men Awards: 3:08 PM
3:05 PM 800m Women Awards: 3:18 PM
3:15 PM 800m Men Awards: 2:27 PM
3:25 PM 200m Women Awards: 3:37 PM
3:35 PM 200m Men Awards: 3:48 PM
3:45 PM 3000m Women Awards: 4:13 PM
4:15 PM 3000m Men Awards: 4:35 PM
4:30 PM 4 x 400m Women Awards: 4:55 PM
4:50 PM 4 x 400 Men Awards: 5:05 PM
