The University of Akron Athletics
Annual Campbell/Wright Track Invitational Is This Weekend
May 06 | Track & Field
AKRON - The University of Akron track & field programs will host their annual Campbell/Wright Invitational as well as honor their 17 seniors, this Friday and Saturday (May 7-8) at Lee Jackson Track & Field. The Zips' final home meet of 2010 begins Friday with the men's and women's triple jump at 2 pm and the women's and men's hammer at 3 pm. The meet resumes Saturday at 10 am with numerous field events. The running events start Saturday at 2 pm.
This year's senior class includes Larisa Arcip, Alina Bocicor, Sediah Erskine, Zach Harper, Keith Huebner, Olivia Jaworek, Shelby Johnson, Carrie Kayes, Niesha Kelly, Daniel Kinsey, Allison Lawyer, Shamara McDavid, Joe Mummert, Katie Nentwick, Takias Peoples, Danielle Sidell and Lauren Whitehill.
This group has seen the Zips track & field programs to new heights over their careers. The women have won three indoor Mid-American Conference titles and each of the last two MAC Outdoor titles, including the most dominant team victory in league history in 2008. The men started their climb to the top of the MAC at the 2007 MAC Outdoor Championship, when they were runner-up with a one-point loss to Eastern Michigan. Since then, the Zips have won each of the last two MAC Outdoor titles and turned in two runner-up finishes at the MAC Indoor Championships.
Arcip will leave Akron as one of its most decorated middle distance runners. She is a four-time MAC Champion (1,500 outdoor in 2007, '08, '09 and Mile indoor in 2009) and four time MAC runner-up (Mile indoor in 2007, '08, '10 and 800 outdoor in 2007), while earning All-MAC honors three times in three cross country seasons, including first team recognition in 2008. Arcip additionally earned All-Mideast Region in 2008 and '09 for the 1,500, while picking up All-Great Lakes Region honors in cross country in 2008. She owns the fourth-best time in UA history for both the outdoor 800 (2:08.35) and 1500 outdoor (4:23.42) as well as the school's third-best indoor times in the 800 (2:09.97) and mile (4:53.39). Arcip also shines in the classroom as well, earning a total of eight Academic All-MAC honors to date.
Bocicor transferred to Akron in 2009 after two years at Jacksonville State. She made a significant impact upon her arrival, placing 13th at last year's NCAA Regional in the high jump, while scoring in the MAC Outdoor meet in the high jump (fifth), heptathlon (fifth) and triple jump (seventh). She additionally placed third in the high jump at the MAC Indoors, while claiming the All-Ohio Outdoor high jump title. Bocicor started 2010 in fine fashion, posting an NCAA provisional mark of 5-10 in the high jump - to rank fourth on the UA all-time list, but battled injuries most of the season only to come back and score in the triple jump, placing sixth, at the 2010 MAC Indoors. Most recently, she had a triple jump of 40-1.25, which ranks second on the UA all-time outdoor list with her mark of 39-1 being third-best on the UA all-time indoor list.
Erskine has been a consistent middle distance runner and has racked up numerous points for the Zips contributing to the many MAC titles. She burst on to the scene in 2006, placing fifth at the MAC Cross Country Championships and earning first team All-MAC honors as a true freshman. As a sophomore, Erskine added second team All-MAC honors, placing eighth at the league championships, and picked up her second cross country team MVP honor. She scored in every indoor and outdoor MAC Championship over her first three years before injury kept her out of the top eight at the 2010 MAC Indoors. Erskine owns the school's fifth-best time in the indoor mile (4:57.61).
Harper in the reigning MAC outdoor 110-meter hurdles champion, turning in a time of 14.11 last season to rank third on the UA all-time list. He is additionally a two-time (2008 and '09) MAC runner-up in the 60-meter hurdles, placing fifth at the 2010 MAC Indoors. In 2008, Harper set the UA record in the 60 hurdles (8.05), only to have current teammate Tyshaun Peoples break the mark. As a freshman, Harper scored at both the indoor and outdoor MAC Championships in both the hurdles and high jump. For the MAC Indoors, he finished fourth in the high jump and fifth in the 60 hurdles, while placing fifth in the 110 hurdles and eighth in the high jump at the MAC Outdoors. In all, Harper has scored a total of 10 times between the hurdles and high jump at the two MAC Championships. In 2009, Harper was named MAC Male Track Athlete of the Week after his performance at the Campbell/Wright Invitational, posting an NCAA Regional mark twice in the 110 hurdles and placing second in the high jump.
Huebner started his UA career with the Zips football team, split time between track and football in 2008 and devoted his time solely to track for 2009 and '10. He qualified for the 2008 NCAA Mideast Regional in the shot put and has scored in the shot put in each of the MAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships in which he has competed. As a sophomore, Huebner placed fourth at the 2008 MAC Outdoors and fifth at the MAC Indoors. Last season, he was fifth at the MAC Indoors and seventh at the MAC Outdoors. He is coming off fifth-place finish at the 2010 MAC Indoors. Huebner owns the Zips' fifth-best mark for the indoor shot (56-3.25) - that coming in a winning effort at the 2010 Akron invitational, and the third-best mark for the outdoor shot (57-10.50) - that coming at the 2010 Triton Invitational, putting him on track to advance to the first round of the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Jaworek is member of the cross country and track squads, but was unable to compete in 2010 due to a medical condition. Jaworek earned Academic All-MAC honors for cross country in 2007, while earning numerous Dean's List recognitions. She is a two-time winner of the steeplechase at the Northeast Ohio Quad and, at the 2009 Jesse Owens Classic, posted a personal-record time of 11:03.89 in the event.
Johnson has added depth to the UA sprint corps over his career and has taken full advantage of being a student-athlete, serving on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as well as padding his resume with impressive awards. First, Johnson, who carries a 3.809 GPA in Athletic Coaching and Education and has earned Dean's List recognition in his first seven semesters, was one of 13 recipients across the nation to win a 2010-2011 NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women's Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship. He will put that scholarship to use next year at Central Florida, working in academic advising as well as assisting with the track program. This past month, Johnson was named Akron's Bob Linton Male Student-Athletes of the Year, an award that accompanies the department's first sentence of its mission statement: "Our purpose is to further the educational mission of the University by developing the student-athlete as a total person."
Jones is a reigning MAC Outdoor 200 meter champion, while adding a runner-up finish in the 100 meters and running anchor leg for the runner-up 4x100 relay at the 2009 MAC Outdoor meet. Also in 2009, she was the runner-up at the MAC Indoor Championships in the 60 and 200 meters. Like Harper, Jones was named MAC Athlete of the Week for her performance at last year's Campbell/Wright Invitational, winning the 100 and 200. Jones also had an impressive 2008 MAC Outdoor meet, placing third in the 100 and 200 while running anchor on the runner-up 4x100 relay. The two-time NCAA Mideast Regional qualifier ranks third on the UA all-time indoor 60 list (7.49), fifth on the outdoor 100 (11.71) and fourth on the all-time outdoor 200 (23.90).
Kayes will leave Akron as its best pole vaulter, as well as being a well-rounded student-athlete. The 2009-10 UA Carolina J. Pardee Athlete of the Year earned All-American at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships, placing fourth with a school, MAC and state of Ohio record vault of 14-3.25. She was also the 2010 MAC Indoor pole vault champion, adding to her 2009 MAC Indoor and Outdoor titles. Kayes also earned All-American honors at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships, placing sixth with a UA, MAC and state of Ohio record vault of 14-1.25 (shared with former UA All-American Kira Sims), while participating for the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championships. In 2008, she just missed qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships as earned All-Mideast Region, tying for fourth but ultimately placing sixth in a jump-off. Kayes has placed no lower than fifth at a MAC Championship and is a three-time regional participant. Off the track, Kayes is a four-time Academic All-MAC honoree to date, adding Academic All-Region honors in 2009.
Kelly currently owns the UA records for the indoor (40-2.25) and outdoor (40-2.25) triple jumps, while ranking second on the UA all-time lists for indoor (19-9.75) and outdoor (20-0.25) long jumps. She was the 2009 MAC Indoor long jump champion and has added runner-up finishes in the indoor triple jump (2009) and outdoor long jump (2008). Kelly has additionally placed fifth and seventh in the long and triple jumps at the 2007 MAC Outdoors, sixth in the triple jump (2007 MAC Indoor), third in the triple (2008 MAC Outdoors), fourth in the long and triple jumps (2008 MAC Indoors) and fifth and eighth in the triple and long jumps at the 2010 MAC Indoors. Kelly added Academic All-MAC honors for the 2008 MAC Outdoor season and is a two-time NCAA Mideast Regional qualifier.
Kinsey earned All-American in 2009, placing 10th at the NCAA Outdoor Championship in the decathlon. He went on to place 11th at the USA National Championships. Kinsey was the 2009 MAC decathlon champion and placed fourth in the javelin, earning MAC Outdoor Most Outstanding Field Performance, and was a two-time MAC heptathlon champion (2008 and '09), adding a runner-up finish in 2010. Kinsey owns the UA heptathlon (5,490 points) and decathlon (7,563) record. In 2008, he placed fifth in the decathlon, despite a no-height in the pole vault, and third in the javelin. In addition to his two UA records, Kinsey ranks fifth on the UA all-time list in the javelin (200-7). He is a three-time MAC Field Athlete of the Week and came to Akron after one season on the Indiana Hoosier football team.
Lawyer has built an impressive resume in her time at Akron. The Zanesville native is one pace to participate in the first round of the NCAA Championships in both the discus and shot put and she is a two-time NCAA Mideast Regional qualifier. Lawyer placed fifth in the shot at the 2010 MAC Indoor, adding a seventh-place finish in 2009, fourth in 2008 and 10th in 2007. At the MAC Outdoors, Lawyer has placed seventh in the 2009 discus, sixth in the 2008 shot put and seventh in the 2007 discus. She has posted wins in the indoor shot put at the Akron Quad and Sykes-Sabock meets, while winning the discus at the outdoor All-Ohio Championships in 2007. In addition to her success on the field, Lawyer was named USTFCCCA All-Academic in 2007 and honorable mention Academic All-MAC for the 2009 indoor and outdoor seasons. For her career, Lawyer ranks third on the UA all-time indoor shot put list (48-11.50) and fourth on the UA all-time outdoor shot put list (48-5.50).
McDavid has been a reliable sprinter over her four years with the Zips. She earned second team All-MAC in 2009 and '08, running the third leg of the runner-up 4x100 relay at the MAC Outdoor Championships. She also placed fourth in the 200 at the 2009 MAC Outdoors. For her effort, McDavid was tabbed Academic All-MAC for the 2009 outdoor season. As a sophomore - the year she was named Akron's Most Improved for the indoor season, she scored in both the 100 and 200 meters at the MAC Outdoors, finishing sixth and fourth respectively, while placing sixth in the 60 at the MAC Indoors.
Mummert, a three-time Academic All-MAC pick to date in his career, is closing his career in record-setting fashion. First, he set the UA record for the indoor 800 this past winter, turning in a time of 1:51.66 to break a six-year UA mark. He later placed third in the 800 at the 2010 MAC Indoors. For the 2010 outdoor season, Mummert has been on the record-setting 4x800 (7:35.70) and distance medley (9:59.17) relay teams, both records coming at the prestigious Penn Relays. He added an eighth-place finish in the 800 at the 2009 MAC Indoors. For his career, Mummert's time of 1:52.01 for the outdoor 800, ranks fifth on the UA all-time list.
Nentwick started her career as a long and triple jumper, but converted to being a valuable multi-athlete that has scored in each of her last three MAC meets. This past winter, Nentwick scored 3,564 points in the pentathlon to place eighth at the MAC Indoors. In 2009, she placed fourth in the heptathlon at the MAC Outdoors and seventh in the pentathlon at the MAC Indoors. Her personal-record point total of 3,564 in the pentathlon ranks seventh on the UA all-time list, while her heptathlon point total of 4.965 - set this season - ranks fourth on the UA all-time list and 20th-best in the NCAA East Region to date. She also is one of the MAC top javelin throwers as her mark of 136-7 at the All-Ohio Championship ranks second-best in the league and fifth-best on the UA all-time list. Nentwick is also a standout in the classroom, earning several Dean's List honors over her career.
Peoples came to Akron in 2009 after two seasons at Myers College, where he earned All-American honors with an eighth-place finish in the 400 meters in 2006. In his first season with the Zips, Peoples placed sixth in the 400 at the MAC Outdoors, while adding a seventh-place finish in the 200 and running the third leg of the third-place 4x400 relay. He added a fifth-place finish to score at the 2009 MAC Indoors. This season, People earned second team All-MAC honors, running lead leg on the runner-up 4x400 relay at the MAC Indoors. He additionally anchored the 4x400 relay team which set a UA record at the Akron Invitational with a time of 3:13.33. On the UA all-time lists, Peoples ranks fifth on the indoor 400 (48.49) and fourth on the outdoor 400 (47.74).
Sidell is a versatile middle distance runner, competing in 800, to the steeplechase, as well as being on the cross country team. She ranks fourth on the UA all-time indoor 800 (2:10.59), fourth in the indoor mile (4:57.05) and fourth on the outdoor steeplechase (10:46.91). Her personal-record time in the steeplechase, which came at the Jesse Owens Classic, qualified Sidell for her first NCAA Mideast Regional Championship, where she placed 23rd. Sidell earned second team All-MAC as a junior, finishing runner-up in the 800 at the MAC Indoor, while she placed sixth in the mile at the meet. Sidell additionally scored in the 800 at the 2008 MAC Outdoors, placing fifth.
Whitehill has saved her best for last, being Akron's top threat to win the women's javelin at the upcoming MAC Outdoor Championships. With a throw of 145-6 this past weekend at the Jesse Owens Classic, Whitehill has the best mark in the MAC by nine feet (over teammate Nentwick) and ranks 27th-best in the NCAA East Region. Last season, Whitehill placed third in the javelin at the MAC Outdoors to qualify for her first NCAA Mideast Regional Championship, where she placed 10th. Whitehill began her career with a third-place finish at the 2007 MAC Outdoors and added a sixth-place finish in 2008. Whitehill is also a standout in the classroom, earning several Dean's List honors over her career.
Akron's Campbell/Wright Invitational is named for Al Campbell and P.J. Wright. Campbell was the Zips' head cross country/track & field coach from 1968-95 and now is the women's head coach at Walsh College. Wright was a member of the Akron track team from 1986-89 and later served as the Zips' sprint coach from 1993-2002.
The event dates back to 1997, when it was just the Al Campbell Invitational, and has been contested each year, except 2000. The meet has officially been known as the Campbell/Wright Invitational since 2003.
