The University of Akron Athletics
Barber, Garcia Jou and Murphy earn MAC Track and Field Athlete of the Week accolades
February 10 | Track & Field
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CLEVELAND, Ohio – Akron track and field standouts junior Shawn Barber (Kingwood, Texas), senior Claudia Garcia Jou (Barcelona, Spain.) and sophomore Clayton Murphy (New Paris, Ohio) were tabbed by the Mid-American Conference as the MAC Men's and Women's Track and Field Athletes of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday.
Barber and Garcia Jou captured accolades for the field events for the second-consecutive week, while Murphy took home honors on the track for the first time this season.
Barber stole the show at the Akron Invitational last Saturday, Feb. 7, with a jump of 19-3.5 (5.88m), a mark that broke the all-time collegiate indoor pole vault record of 19-2.25 (5.85m) set by Jacob Davis of Texas on March 6, 1999 in Indianapolis, Ind.
The mark also shattered Barber's Stile Athletics Field House record set at the Akron Pole Vault Convention on Jan. 10, as well as his own Canadian National record (19-3) set at the Texas Expo Vault on Jan. 3.
Barber tried to surpass six meters taking three runs at 19-8.25 (6.0m) with his closest clearance attempt coming on his first jump.
Garcia Jou once again cleared the six-foot barrier in the women's high jump at the Akron Invitational last Saturday, Feb. 7, equaling the school record of five-time All-American Mary Varga with a leap of 6-1.25 to win the competition. Her efforts also matched the top mark in the event in the country this season.
Murphy shattered the school and facility records in the mile at the Akron Invitational registering a time of 4:00.39 to cross the line first. The time is the 13th-fastest in the country this season.
He later paired with senior Sean Weems (Maple Heights, Ohio) and sophomores Miles Baldwin (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Brent Gray (Cincinnati, Ohio) to triumph in the 4x400 relay crossing the line in 3:11.83.
The accolades are third overall this season for both Barber and Garcia Jou and the first for Murphy. Collectively, the Zips have been honored 10 times on the campaign.
Akron returns to action on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 13-14, as the squad will compete at both the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., and at the SPIRE Division I Indoor Track and Field Invitational in Geneva, Ohio.
