The University of Akron Athletics
Akron T&F Sends Three to NCAA Championships
May 29 | Track & Field
AKRON – Three University of Akron student-athletes – Stevi Large, Auston Papay and Natalie Sako – will be competing in the 2007 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, held in Sacramento, Calif., June 6-9 at Sacramento State's Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex. All three Zips will compete on the first day of competition (Wednesday, June 6), with Papay also competing on June 7 in the shot put.
Large (Somerset, Ohio/Sheridan HS) earned an automatic berth by virtue of her third-place finish in the hammer at the Mideast Regional this past weekend. The sophomore broke both her own school and Mid-American Conference record in the event at the Regional with a throw of 202-10 (61.83). The 2007 MAC champion in the discus and hammer, Large was named the MAC Indoor and Outdoor Female Field Performer of the Year and qualified for both the shot put and weight throw at the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championships.
Papay (Sharon, Pa./Sharon HS) earned his second consecutive berth to the NCAA Outdoors, gaining an automatic berth in the discus and receiving an at-large invitation in the shot put. After placing third for the second straight year at the Mideast Regional in the discus, the junior, who placed 25th in the in the event at the 2006 NCAA Outdoors, had a throw 180-2 (54.92) at the Regional to advance to nationals. Papay set the Akron record in two events this outdoor season, including the discus (187-6; 57.16) and shot put (60-8.75; 18.51). Both of those marks came at the MAC Outdoor Championships. On the strength of his school-record throw in the shot put, combined with both his national rank of 19th and his 12th-place finish in the event at the Regional, Papay became eligible to participate in the shot put at nationals as well.
Sako (Parma, Ohio/Valley Forge HS) received an at-large invitation to the NCAA Outdoors in the high jump. She placed sixth in the event at the Regional, one spot away from the automatic bid. However, the senior has cleared 5-11.25 (1.81) three times during this outdoor season, including a first-place finish at the MAC Championships, which ranks among the best in the nation. Sako is no stranger to the NCAA Championships, earning four All-American honors to date. This past March, she placed 10th at the NCAA Indoors to earn her third Indoor All-American honor. Her lone Outdoor All-American recognition came last spring when she placed 12th with a leap of 5-9.75. As a sophomore, Sako competed in the 2005 NCAA Outdoors, but did not make it pat the preliminary round, tying for 16th with a height of 5-9.75.
Akron sent six student-athletes to the 2006 NCAA Outdoors, with Sako, John Russell (sixth in the pole vault), Tomasz Smialek (eighth in the high jump) and Ashley Kaufman (eighth in the javelin) earning All-American honors. During the 12 years Dennis Mitchell has been Akron's head track & field coach (1996-pres.), there have been a total of 35 All-American honors bestowed upon 11 athletes, including Akron's only national title going to Christi Smith in the heptathlon at the 2000 NCAA Outdoors.
Akron at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships
* - Indicates Earned All-American Honors
Year Athlete(s) Place Event Result
1992: Jeff Vojtko 15th Javelin NA
1998: Christi Smith 9th* Heptathlon 5,351
1999: Christi Smith 2nd* Heptathlon 5,773
Mary Varga 9th* High Jump 5-11.25
Chad Bullett 10th* 100 10.32
Jeanine Thomas -- Pole Vault NH
2000: Christi Smith 1st* Heptathlon 5,797
LeShaunte Edwards 7th* 200 FINAL 20.79
Chad Bullett -- 200 (prelim) 20.79 (5th Heat 2)
2001: Mary Varga 8th* Heptathlon 5,419
13th* Javelin 145-1
16th High Jump 5-8
2003: Kira Sims 4th* Pole Vault 13-9.25
Mary Varga 8th* Heptathlon 5,346
John Russell 16th-t Pole Vault 16-4.75
Beata Rudzinska 11th 800 2:05.09
2004: Beata Rudzinska 4th* 800 FINAL 2:04.33
Kira Sims 4th* Pole Vault 13-9.25
Greg Corbitt 21st Hammer 198-1
John Russell -- Pole Vault NH
2005: John Russell 3rd-t* Pole Vault 17-8.50
Beata Rudzinska 3rd* 800 FINAL 2:03.14
Ashley Kaufman 7th* Javelin 155-8
Tomasz Smialek 10th High Jump 7-1.50
Natalie Sako 16th High Jump 5-9.75
2005: John Russell 6th* Pole Vault 17-10.50
Ashley Kaufman 8th* Javelin 160-0
Tomasz Smialek 8th* High Jump 7-2.50
Natalie Sako 16th High Jump 5-9.75
Randall Hafner 23rd Discus 170-8
Auston Papay 25th Discus 166-10
