The University of Akron Athletics
Day Two at Track & Field MAC Championships Blog
February 28 | Track & Field
KENT, Ohio - The Akron women won the 2009 MAC
Championship with 126 points while the men finished third with 109
points. A complete recap will be posted momentarily.
Quotes from Players and Coaches:
Head Coach Dennis Mitchell on winning
today:
"I feel great and I feel relieved. It was a real hard fought
victory. After yesterday, I had my concerns with Kent competing
strongly but this morning we performed well, scoring big points in
the triple jump as Neisha Kelly came in and got a big jump on her
last attempt. Larisa Arcip and Danielle
Sidell got things really started in the mile and the 800. The
biggest thing today was that our kids had the attitude and mental
toughness that we needed today, to really fight back and win. I
could be nothing but proud of them and the support they provided
one another to provide the performances they had."
Head Coach Mitchell on winning the 2009 MAC Coach of the
Year Award:
"I deeply appreciate the award, I didn't really expect it this
year, obviously my hat's off to Kent State for a great, great meet
on the women's side. Our girls and assistant coaches deserve this
recognition as much as I do, they're all phenomenal."
Coach Scott Jones on the distance runners
performances:
"I'm really proud of the way Larisa (Arcip) raced,
especially the way in which she won. We knew she was in a position
to win the mile and our program has a great tradition of winning
the mile event and Larisa has helped us build on that tradition. I
was also proud of the way both she and Danielle (Sidell) came back
and competed so well in the 800. At that point in the meet it was
really a tipping point event. Our team chances and moral were in
the balance but they both raced so courageously that it turned the
meet around for us so that's what I'm most proud of."
Senior Daniel Kinsey on winning the Heptathlon:
"Going in, I felt pretty confident as long as I didn't
have too big of a mistake today. I did pretty well and had five
personal records to show for it. I worked hard yesterday and gave
my all today so I'm excited about my win."
Junior Larisa Arcip on her win in the women's mile
event:
"I feel great, I knew I was capable of winning and I felt
confident about this race. In the last 300 meters (last lap), I
constantly told myself, 'i'm gonna be the champ' and I won."
Freshman Phil Ferguson on his victory in the men's
200-meter dash:
"Coming into this race, this was only my first year
running track. I ran two months in high school. All season,
everything has been building up to this event. My coaches prepared
me really well, especially coach LeShaunte
Edwards, who's a really great coach. My teammates have been
around me all season inspiring me and telling me I could win the
race (200 meter dash). So I came out, got a great start and just
tried to compete with heart. It was a great win."
Freshman Tyshaun Peoples discusses his victory in the
men's 60-meter hurdles event:
"Going into the hurdle race I knew I had the number one
time heading into the finals, and Zach (Harper) had the third
fastest time going into the final. So heading into the race I just
knew that we both had to execute. This weekend was very important
to me. It was my first MAC meet as a freshman and I got to witness
the intensity so now I'm just looking forward to outdoors."
Event Number 20 – Women's Pole Vault (4:45
pm)
• Junior Carrie Kayes earned first team All-MAC honors
with a first place finish. Kayes height of 12-07.50 (3.85) paced
the field.
Freshman Katherine Lee finished third with a career-best
height of 12-07.50 (3.70).
Event Number Five – Men's High Jump (4:45 pm)
• Sophomore Mike
McCall registered a personal-best height of 7-00.25 (2.18),
capturing the men's high jump event this afternoon.
• Junior Zach Harper finished fifth with a career-high
height of 6-08.25 (2.04).
Event 23 – Women's High Jump (4:45 pm)
• Junior Alina
Bocicor registered a jump of 5-07.75 (1.72), earning a third
place finish in today's finals.
Event 16 – Men's 4 x 400 Relay (4:45 pm)
• Akron finished fifth in a time of 3:16.73 as Phil
Ferguson, K.C. LaCross, James
Seale and Takias Peoples ran for the season-best mark.
Event Four – Men's Shot Put (4:45 pm)
• Senior Auston Papay threw a distance of 55-03.00
(16.84) to finish fourth in today's shot put.
• Junior Keith Huebner trailed in fifth with a distance of
54-06.75 (16.63).
• Senior Dylan Page finished in 11th place with a throw of
49-10.50 (15.20).
Event 34 – Women's 4 x 400 Meter Relay (4:30 pm)
• Akron finished 11th in a season-best time of
3:54.65 as sophomore Ashley Kaltwasser, juniors Larisa
Arcip and Azzure Lindsey as well as sophomore Seanlay
Bell all ran in the race.
Event 6 – Men's Triple Jump (4:30 pm)
• Sophomore Collister
Fahie paced the Akron jumpers, earning a fifth place finish
with a distance of 46-02.00 (14.07).
• Senior Tyler Chronister finished 10th with a distance of
42-01.50.
• Freshman Kyle Wagner jumped for a personal-best
distance of 40-01.50 (12.23), finishing 11th on the day.
Event 15 – Men's 3000 Meter Run (4:15 pm)
• Sophomore Joe
McCoy was the lone competitor in the 3000 for the men. McCoy
finished in seventh place with a personal and season-best time of
8:39.55.
Event 33 – Women's 3000 Meter Run (4:15 pm)
• Senior Carol
Eckerly led Akron with a fifth place finish in a time of
10:05.89.
• Sophomores Cassie Schenck and Kim
Lorentz finished in ninth and 10th with respective times of
10:11.48 and 10:12.24.
Event 14 – Men's 200 Meter Dash (3:35 pm)
• Freshman Phil
Ferguson improved his personal time in the 200 meter dash to
21.44 en route to winning the race and earning first team All-MAC
honors.
• Sophomore Aaron Dobson also improved his personal
mark, finishing the race sixth with a time of 22.11.
Event 32 – Women's 200 Meter Dash (3:35 pm)
• Junior LaTalia
Jones recorded a second place finish with a personal-best time
of 24.37.
Event 13 – Men's 800 Meter Run (3:30 pm)
• Junior Joe Mummert finished eighth in a time of
1:55.61.
• Senior Mike Baraona trailed in ninth, finishing in
2:03.01.
Event 22 – Women's Shot Put (3:30 pm)
• Senior Stevi Large threw a distance of 51-09.00
(15.77) for a third place finish in today's finals.
• Junior Allison Lawyer's distance of 48.08.00 (14.83)
earned her seventh place.
Event 26 – Women's 60 Meter Dash (3:15 pm)
• Junior LaTalia Jones finished second in a time of
7.58.
• Sophomore Seanlay Bell finished sixth in a personal
best time of 7.67.
Event 31 – Women's 800 Meter Run (3:15 pm)
• Junior Danielle Sidell paced the Zips in the race
with a time of 2:11.03 in second place.
• Junior Larisa Arcip who captured the mile race earlier
in the day, finished fourth in a time of 2:12.16.
Event 8 – Men's 60 Meter Dash (3:00 pm)
• Freshman Phil
Ferguson finished fourth in a time of 6.91.
• Sophomore Aaron Dobson followed in sixth with a time
of 6.96. Dobson's season-best time of 6.80 ranks fourth on the
all-time top performers list.
Event 11 – Men's 400 Meter Dash (2:30 pm)
• Junior Takias
Peoples paced the Zips with a fifth place finish in the race
with a time of 49.27.
• Junior K.C. LaCross managed a seventh place finish with
a 50.69 timestamp.
Event 18: Men's Heptathlon # 7 – 1000 Meters (2:30 pm)
• Senior Weston Lott registered a season-best time
of 2:45.17 en route to a second place finish in the 1000 meter
race.
• Junior Daniel Kinsey followed in fourth with a time of
2:50.17.
Heptathlon Final Results (2:30 pm)
• Akron combined for a 1-2 finish in the heptathlon as
junior Daniel Kinsey earned first-team All-MAC honors
with a personal-best 5490 points. Senior Weston
Lott followed in second place with a personal-best overall
score of 5111. With the finish, Kinsey moves into first place atop
the all-time performance list.
Event 18: Men's Heptathlon # 6 – Pole Vault (2:00 pm)
• Senior Weston Lott improved his season-best mark
in the pole vault with a height of 15-09.00 (4.80), vaulting into
first place.
• Junior Daniel Kinsey followed closely in second with a
height of 15-05.00 (4.70).
• Freshman Kyle Wagner recorded a height of 9-02.25
(2.80) for a 10th place finish.
Event 24: Women's Triple Jump (2:00 pm)
• UA junior Niesha
Kelly registered a second place finish in the triple jump with
a personal-best distance of 39-05.25 (12.02). With the jump, Kelly
improves her distance in second place on the all-time top
performers list.
Event 7: Men's 60 Meter Hurdles (2:00 pm)
• Freshman Tyshaun
Peoples ran the 60 meter hurdles in a time of 8.06 to earn a
win for the Akron men. Peoples, who holds the Akron record and
ranks first on the all-time top performers list with a time of
8.03, missed tying his record by just three hundredths of a
second.
• Junior Zach Harper registered a second place
finish in the race with a season-best time of 8.13. Harper ranks
second on the all-time top performers list in the 60 meter hurdles
with a 8.05 timestamp
Event 10 – Men's 1 Mile Run (1:30 pm)
• Senior Mike Baraona ran the race in a time of
4:11.86, claiming a sixth place finish.
• Freshman Adam Stackpole turned in a time of 4:28.03,
finishing 11th.
Event 28 – Women's 1 Mile Run (1:30 pm)
• Junior Larisa Arcip picked up the first Akron win on the
day, earning first-team all MAC honors, running the mile in a
season-best time of 4:53.78. With the win Arcip remarked, "I feel
great, I knew I was capable of winning and I felt confident about
this race. In the last 300 meters (last lap), I constantly told
myself, 'i'm gonna be the champ' and I won."
• Junior Danielle Sidell turned in a time of 4:57.05
earning sixth place in the race, while moving into fourth place on
the Akron all-time performers list behind Arcip (4:53.39)
Event 18: Heptathlon – Men's 60 Meter Hurdles
(11:45 am)
• Junior Daniel
Kinsey registered a third place finish with a personal-best
time of 8.54. Kinsey, who currently ranks first on the all-time top
performers list, paces the field in the heptathlon with 3907 points
through five events.
• Senior Weston Lott finished in sixth place with a 8.85
timestamp.
• Akron freshman Kyle Wagner also competed, finishing 11th
in a personal-best 9.85.
