The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
MAC Indoor Championships
Zips Men Claim MAC Indoor Title in Dramatic Finish, Women Place Runner-Up
March 01 | Track & Field
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KENT, Ohio – Fueled by a dominant weekend by its distance runners, The University of Akron men's track and field team continued its mastery of the Mid-American Conference by claiming its third Indoor Championship in four years Saturday at Kent State Field House.
The Zips, who came from behind to defeat host Kent State in a thrilling finish, have now won six MAC team titles since 2011, including three indoor (2011, '12, '14) and three outdoor ('11, '12, '13) championships. It was an impressive two days for the UA women's team as well as the Zips placed runner-up to the Golden Flashes among 12 league teams.
With a split of the event, Akron now leads Kent State 4.5-3.5 in the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge standings.
In guiding the Zips men to their eighth MAC title in program history, head coach Dennis Mitchell was named the 2014 MAC Men's Indoor Coach of the Year. It is the 18th time the 19-year Zips coach has earned the league's highest honor overall and the eighth time he has been given the distinction for his men's team.
After sailing to victories in both the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter races, UA junior Kyle Cochrun was named the MAC Men's Indoor Most Valuable Performer as the meet's highest point earner (20 points).
With a team total of 140 points, the Zips men earned an eight-point win over second-place Kent State. Defending MAC Indoor Champion Eastern Michigan (110) placed third, followed by Buffalo (101) and Central Michigan (42).
In all, the Zips men tallied 62 points in four distance races while sweeping the 800-meters, mile, 3K and 5K. But it's biggest victory came in the second-to-last event of the meet with the team championship hanging in the balance.
Kent State jumped out to just its second lead of the meet by finishing 1-2-4 in the men's 200m and appeared to be in control with an 11-point lead and just two events left.
But Cochrun coasted to the victory in the 3K – leading the full length of the race – with a time of 8:17.37 and teammate Clayton Murphy, who won the mile (4:08.69) earlier in the day, overtook a pair of Eastern Michigan runners during the final lap, to not only place second but also push Kent State's lone scorer to sixth place.
As a result, the Zips took a six-point advantage into the 4x400-meter relay and – needing just a third-place finish or better to secure the title – watched its foursome of Miles Baldwin, Nick Owens, Brent Gray and Mike Ohiembor set a school record with a time of 3:11.30 and finish runner-up.
UA also received a big boost in the 800m when Jake Hiltner established a new MAC Indoor Championship Meet record with a winning time of 1:48.85 and teammate Gabriel Genovesi came in third, running 1:50.82. Hiltner's mark is also second-best on the Zips' all-time list while Genovesi's time represented a season low.
A pair of first-time MAC Champions led the charge on the women's side Saturday as newcomers Annika Roloff brought home the individual title in the pole vault and Weronika Gaudyn did the same in the triple jump.
Roloff, who entered the weekend as the nation's No. 3-ranked pole vaulter, lived up to her billing by smashing the league's championship meet record with a winning jump of 14-01.25. The record-setting mark also established a new facility milestone at Kent State Field House. Following Roloff's lead, junior Claire Lucas established a personal record with a jump of 13-09.25 to claim second place.
Roloff's mark easily surpassed the previous MAC record, originally established by former Zips three-time All-American Kira Sims, who jumped 13-11.75 in 2004.
The women's second MAC Champion on the day, Gaudyn soared to the easy win with a jump of 42-06.25, which was nearly eight inches better than any the nearest competitor. Also scoring in the event for the Zips was Iyisha Weaver, who came in sixth with a mark of 38-11.50.
Saturday also capped off an impressive weekend for Skyler Willis, who scored in all four events she competed in – including the pentathlon Friday night. After recording the third-best pentathlon score in school history (3,974) Friday, the junior then finished runner-up in the 60-meter hurdles (8.49), ran the second leg on the Zips' 4x400 relay team that came in fourth (3:45.85), and placed seventh in the high jump (5-04.25).
Willis also ran the second leg of the Zips 4x400 relay team that broke the school record with a time of 3:45.85 in a fourth-place finish. Running with Willis were teammates Daziah Green, Mycah Mason and Desiree Garland.
Despite the Zips' outstanding individual performances, they were unable to catch the Golden Flashes, who secured their third consecutive MAC Indoor crown with 127.50 points. Akron's total of 98.50 points was seven more than third-place Eastern Michigan (91.50) and more than 40 points better than fourth-place Buffalo (58).
The Zips will have a week off from competition to prepare for the 2014 NCAA Indoor Championships, which will be hosted by the University of New Mexico from March 14-15.
RESULTS – 2014 MAC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
March 1, 2014 | Kent State University | Kent State Field House | Kent, Ohio
MEN'S TEAM SCORES (points)
1. Akron (140), 2. Kent State (132), 3. Eastern Michigan (110), 4. Buffalo (101), 5. Central Michigan (42).
MEN'S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (points)
60m: 3. Hakeem Lawrence, 6.78 (6), 7. Bryce Cheek, 6.68, 8. Julius Ruby, 6.87; 400m: 5. Mike Ohiembor, 47.90 (2), 6. Brent Gray, 48.07 (1); 800m: 1. Jake Hiltner, 1:48.85 (10), 3. Gabriel Genovesi, 1:50.82 (6); Mile: 1. Clayton Murphy, 4:08.69 (10), 2. Dan Zupan, 4:09.31 (8), 9. Zach Goulet, 4:14.36; 3000m: 1. Kyle Cochrun, 8:17.37 (10), 2. Clayton Murphy, 8:20.33 (8), 13. Trevor Norris, 8:58.37; 4x400 Relay: 2. Akron (Miles Baldwin, Nick Owens, Brent Gray, Mike Ohiembor), 3:11.30 (8); 60mH: 6. Alex McCune, 8.16 (1); High Jump: 2. Martel Durant, 6-10.75 (8), 7. Quentin Cieslinski, 6-06.75; Triple Jump: 4. Mike Ohiembor, 48-05.25 (4), 5. Miles Coats, 48-04.50 (2), 6. De'Vion Tate, 48-02.50 (1); Shot Put: 6. Nick Banke, 55-05.00 (1), 9. Casey Slane, 51-10.50; Heptathlon: 6. Quentin Cieslinski, 5,198 (1), 7. Bryan Jones, 5,191, 8. Bjorn Johansson, 5,140.
WOMEN'S TEAM SCORES (points)
1. Kent State (127.50), 2. Akron (98.50), 3. Eastern Michigan (91.50), 4. Buffalo (58), 5. Central Michigan (52), 6. Toledo (49), 7. Western Michigan (48), 8. Bowling Green (38), 8. Miami (38), 10. Northern Illinois (37), 11. Ohio (24), 12. Ball State (1.50).
WOMEN'S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (points)
60m: 7. Rachel Christian, 7.61 (2); 200m: 4. Rachel Christian, 24.51 (5), 8. Daziah Green, 24.83 (1); 400m: 8. Desiree Garland, 55.72 (1); Mile: 18. Michaela Foisy, 5:08.18, 20. Kayla Whitlow, 5:20.80; 4x400 Relay: 4. Akron (Daziah Green, Skyler Willis, Mycah Mason, Desiree Garland), 3:45.85; 3000m: 12. Jillian Roth, 10:07.62; 60mH: 2. Skyler Willis, 8.49 (8), 4. Annika Roloff, 8.61 (5); High Jump: 4. Gabriela Szkolnicka, 5-08.00 (5), 7. Skyler Willis, 5-04.25 (1.5); Pole Vault: 1. Annika Roloff, 14-1.25 (10), 2. Claire Lucas, 13-09.25 (8), Caroline Hasse, NH; Triple Jump: 1. Weronika Gaudyn, 42-06.25 (10), 6. Iyisha Weaver, 38-11.50 (3), 13. Amanda Pinheiro, 36-04.25; Shot Put: 5. Alexis Cooks, 49-09.00 (4), 14. Megan Dornisch, 42-09.00.
2014 All-MAC Indoor Team
Men's First Team
Riak Reese, KSU (60m)
Wayne Gordon, KSU (200m)
Tyler Brown, EMU (400m, 4x400)
Jake Hiltner, Akron (800m)
Clayton Murphy, Akron (Mile)
Kyle Cochrun, Akron (3000m, 5000m)
Renaldo Powell, CMU (60m Hurdles)
Chris Reape, Buffalo (High Jump)
Shawn Barber, Akron (Pole Vault)
Daryl Baptiste, Akron (Long Jump)
Donald Scott, EMU (Triple Jump)
Jonathan Jones, Buffalo (Shot Put)
Evan Palmer, Buffalo (Weight Throw)
Mike Morgan, Buffalo (Heptathlon)
Alec Peinkofer, Buffalo (DMR)
Brian Cummiskey, Buffalo (DMR)
Tyler Scheving, Buffalo (DMR)
Brian Crimmins, Buffalo (DMR)
Cameron Bolton, EMU (4x400)
Jeff Elam, EMU (4x400)
Mason Waynes, EMU (4x400)
Men's Second Team
Miles Dunlap, KSU (400m)
Daniel Zupan, Akron (Mile)
Warren Witchell, EMU (5000m)
William Barnes, KSU (60m Hurdles)
Martel Durant, Akron (High Jump)
Max Babits, EMU (Pole Vault)
Ryan Billian, Buffalo (Long Jump)
Donovan Tolbert, KSU (Triple Jump)
Michael King, KSU (Shot Put)
Matthias Tayala, KSU (Weight Throw)
Kyle Tywon, KSU (Heptathlon)
Daryl Smith, EMU (DMR)
Scott Bradley, EMU (DMR)
Willy Fink, EMU (DMR)
Miles Baldwin, Akron (4x400)
Nick Owens, Akron (4x400)
Brent Gray, Akron (4x400)
Michael Ohiembor, Akron (4x400)
Women's First Team
Jeanette Pettigrew, BGSU (60m)
Camaria Long, Buffalo (200m, 4x400)
Shawntoreah Turk, CMU (400m)
Asia Henry, Buffalo (800m, 4x400)
Megan Wright, Toledo (Mile)
Victoria Voronko, EMU (3000m, 5000m, DMR)
Ann Marie Duffus, KSU (60m Hurdles)
Dior Delophont, KSU (High Jump)
Annika Roloff, Akron (Pole Vault)
Roseanne Erickson, KSU (Long Jump)
Weronika Gaudyn, Akron (Triple Jump)
Danniel Thomas, KSU (Shot Put)
Brittany Funk, Akron (Weight Throw)
Sarah Chauchard, EMU (Pentathlon)
Taylor Knoll, EMU (DMR)
Iesha Hardiman, EMU (DMR)
Marina Manjon Rivadulla, EMU (DMR)
Donna Jeanty, Buffalo (4x400)
Crystal Graham, Buffalo (4x400)
Women's Second Team
Aaliyah McKinney, EMU (60m)
Andrea Arnold, WMU (400m, 4x400)
Aisha Hodge, WMU (800m)
Anna Lamb, Miami (3000m)
Brooke Tullis, Toledo (5000m)
Skyler Willis, Akron (60m Hurdles, Pentathlon)
Katie Wolanin, EMU (High Jump)
Claire Lucas, Akron (Pole Vault)
Megan Patterson, Buffalo (Shot Put)
Jackie Leppelmeier, KSU (Weigh Throw)
Priscilla Timmons, Toledo (DMR)
Sarah Woodrum, Toledo (DMR)
Janelle Noe, Toledo (DMR)
Alexis Hull, WMU (4x400)
Kathryn Pickett, WMU (4x400)
Rebecca Hall, WMU (4x400)
