Akron Garners Four Titles on Opening Day of MAC Track and Field Championships

Friday, February 26

University of Akron

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP

Akron Garners Four Titles on Opening Day of MAC Track and Field Championships

February 26 | Track & Field

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AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron track and field team combined to capture four titles on the opening day of the Mid-American Conference Championships on Friday, Feb. 26, at the Stile Athletics Field House.

The Akron women's squad holds a slim one-point lead over Eastern Michigan after five events in the women's team race, while the Eagles, sparked by their distance running success, maintain a 27-point advantage in the men's title chase over both the Zips and Central Michigan.

Senior Alexis Cooks (Colorado Springs, Colo.) captured the Zips' first title of the day taking top honors in the women's weight throw with a mark of 66-3 (20.21m). The championship was the third overall in Cook's distinguished Akron career.

Sophomore Jackie Siefring (Covington, Ohio) turned in a school- and Stile Athletics Field House-record performance in the pentathlon capturing wins in three of the five events to register a cumulative score of 4,215. The total represented the ninth-best performance in the country this year to give Siefring her first career MAC title.

Siefring finished first in the 60-meter hurdles (8.67), long jump (19-10.25), and 800 meters (2:17.79), while placing second and third, respectively, in the shot put (41-9.75) and high jump (5-5.25).

Junior Matt Rowland (Bellevue, Ohio) earned his first-ever conference title in the pole vault with a clearance of 17-0.75 (5.20m). Rowland's efforts marked the ninth consecutive year in which a Zip has won the league crown in the pole vault.

The men's distance medley relay team of sophomore Garrett Crichlow (Twinsburg, Ohio), redshirt sophomore Taron Slone (Columbus, Ohio) and juniors Dan Zupan (Berea, Ohio) and Clayton Murphy (New Paris, Ohio) set a conference oversized meet record winning the race in 9:45.38. The league titles were the first, first, second, and seventh in the respective careers of Crichlow, Slone, Zupan and Murphy.

Establishing a new Akron school record in the women's distance medley relay was the quartet of freshman Cynthia Haas (Tallmadge, Ohio), juniors Samia Bell (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Tara Snipes (Covington, Ohio) and redshirt freshman Mackenzie Andrews (Toowoomba, Australia), who crossed the line sixth in 11:40.02.

Akron stands third, fourth and fifth, respectively, after four events of the men's heptathlon. Senior Alex McCune (Pittsburgh, Pa.), redshirt junior Quentin Cieslinski (Madison, Ohio) and freshman Kamar Majid (Akron, Ohio) will enter Saturday's final three events with cumulative scores of 3,064, 2,970 and 2,859.

Garnering a second-place showing in the women's long jump was junior Daniella Johnson (Gahanna, Ohio) with a leap of 20-1. Finishing third with the fourth-best jump (19-11) in program history was Siefring. Johnson also moved into the finals of the 60 meters placing third in the preliminaries in 7.55.

Junior Daziah Green (Canton, Ohio) advanced to the finals in both the 200 and 400 meters, placing second and third, respectively, with times of 24.08 and 54.98.

Freshman Dara Perry (Akron, Ohio) turned in the fourth-fastest time (8.56) in program history in the 60-meter preliminaries to place fourth, while senior Alex Allen (Warren, Ohio) finished seventh (8.65), to also move into the finals.

In the women's 800 meters, redshirt junior Natalie Zidd (Hinckley, Ohio) and Andrews advanced to the finals placing third (2:12.13) and sixth (2:12.40), respectively.

In the men's 400 meters, junior Miles Baldwin (Cincinnati, Ohio) and redshirt senior Brent Gray (Cincinnati, Ohio) moved into the finals running the fourth- and sixth-best preliminary round times of 47.57 and 47.71.

Redshirt junior Bryce Jones (University Heights, Ohio) qualified for the finals of the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.17.

Moving into the finale of the 60 meters was sophomore Kwadarrius Smith (Orlando, Fla.) and redshirt junior Hakeem Lawrence (Miami, Fla.) with the fourth- and fifth-fastest preliminary times of 6.81 and 6.82, respectively.

The Zips advanced three runners in the 200 meters as sophomore Jamir Coleman (Lima, Ohio), Smith and redshirt junior Alante Oliver (Dayton, Ohio) with times of 21.41, 21.51 and 21.61.

The second and final day opens with the conclusion of the multi-events at 10 a.m. The first running event is slated to begin at 1:30 p.m. with the men's mile.

WOMEN'S TEAM STANDINGS (THROUGH FIVE EVENTS):
1) Akron (38 points), 2) Eastern Michigan (37), 3) Kent State (34), 4), Buffalo and Central Michigan (16), 6) Northern Illinois (15), 7) Ohio (13), 8) Toledo (9), 9) Miami (8), 10) Bowling Green (6), 11) Western Michigan (2), 12) Ball State (1)

MEN'S TEAM STANDINGS (THROUGH FIVE EVENTS):
1) Eastern Michigan (54 points), 2) Akron (27) and Central Michigan (27), 4) Kent State (25), 5) Buffalo (21)

WOMEN'S PRELIMINARIES (TOP 8 QUALIFY TO FINAL):
400 Meters: Daziah Green (3rd-54.98); 60-Meter Hurdles: Dara Perry (4th-8.56), Alex Allen (7th-8.65), Jackie Siefring (10th-8.74); 60 Meters: Daniella Johnson (3rd-7.55), Eboni Hall (16th-7.75); 800 Meters: Natalie Zidd (3rd-2:12.13), Mackenzie Andrews (6th-2:12.40); 200 Meters: Daziah Green (2nd-24.08)

WOMEN'S FINALS:
Weight Throw: Alexis Cooks (1st-66-3/20.21m), Megan Dornisch (11th-55-10/17.02m), Olivia Snyder (19th-49-0/14.95m); Long Jump: Daniella Johnson (2nd-20-1/6.12m), Jackie Siefring (3rd-19-11/6.07m), Ana Martin-Sacristan (11th-18-7.75/5.68m); Distance Medley Relay: Cynthia Haas, Samia Bell, Tara Snipes and Mackenzie Andrews (5th-11:40.02)

Pentathlon: Jackie Siefring (1st-4,215); 60-Meter Hurdles: Jackie Siefring (1st-8.67), Shawnn Foster (11th-9.37); High Jump: Jackie Siefring (3rd-5-5.25/1.66m); Shot Put: Jackie Siefring (2nd-41-9.75/12.74m); Long Jump: Jackie Siefring (1st-19-10.25/6.05m); 800 Meters: Jackie Siefring (1st-2:17.79)

MEN'S PRELIMINARIES (TOP 8 QUALIFY TO FINAL):
400 Meters: Miles Baldwin (4th-47.57), Brent Gray (6th-47.71), De'Waylan Letlow (13th-50.17); 60-Meter Hurdles: Bryce Jones (5th-8.17); 60 Meters: Kwadarrius Smith (4th-6.81), Hakeem Lawrence (5th-6.82), Taron Slone (9th-6.92); 200 Meters: Jamir Coleman (4th-21.41), Kwadarrius Smith (6th-21.51), Alante Oliver (7th-21.61)

Heptathlon: Alex McCune (3rd-3,064), Quentin Cieslinski (4th-2,970), Kamir Majid (5th-2,859); 60 Meters: Alex McCune (1st-7.02), Kamar Majid (4th-7.22), Quentin Cieslinski (5th-7.27); Long Jump: Alex McCune (2nd-22-11.25/6.99m), Quentin Cieslinski (4th-22-5/6.83m), Kamir Majid (6th-22-0.75/6.72m); Shot Put: Quentin Cieslinski (3rd-44-6.25/13.57m), Alex McCune (4th-42-11.50/13.09m), Kamir Majid (6th-37-7.75/11.47m); High Jump: Kamir Majid (3rd-6-3.50/1.92m), Quentin Cieslinski (4th-6-2.25/1.89m), Alex McCune (4th-6-2.25/1.89m)

MEN'S FINALS:
Pole Vault: Matt Rowland (1st-17-0.75/5.20m): Distance Medley Relay: Garrett Crichlow, Taron Slone, Dan Zupan and Clayton Murphy (1st-9:45.38); Weight Throw: Zack Shull (6th-61-2/18.66m), Bobby Mitman (7th-61-1/18.63m), Maurice Harris (10th-56-10/17.33m); Long Jump: Terrell McClain (4th-24-6.25/7.47m), Joe Oduho (5th-23-11.75/7.31m), Jamir Coleman (8th-23-4.75/7.13m)