The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Penn State National
Zips Continue Indoor Campaign at Penn State National
January 26 | Track & Field
Follow Zips Track & Field on Twitter (@ZipsTFCC) and Facebook
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (PDF) | LIVE RESULTS | BTN2GO ( FRIDAY VIDEO-$) | BTN2GO (SATURDAY VIDEO-$)
AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron men's and women's track and field teams return to competition this weekend traveling to University Park, Pa., to participate in the Penn State National this Friday and Saturday, Jan. 27-28.
The Zips will go against a 27-team field which includes; Akron, Army, Ashland, Binghamton, Bucknell, Buffalo, Georgetown, Iowa State, Indiana University (Pa.), La Salle, Lock Haven, Maryland, Middle Tennessee State, Mount St. Mary's, Norfolk State, Pittsburgh, Ramapo College, Saint Joseph's, Shippensburg, Stanford, Temple, Tiffin, UMBC, Vermont, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Youngstown State.
"We always enjoy going back to the Penn State National meet each year," Akron head coach Dennis Mitchell commented. "It gives an opportunity at the right time of the year to compete on a good 200-meter track facility against challenging competition."
The 58-event Penn State National will commence with competition in five field events beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 27, before the mixed one-mile run kicks off 19 running events at the same time.
The women's 400-meter final begins action at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, with the meet concluding with the men's 4x400 relay at approximately 5:40 p.m.
The Zips enter this weekend as the top-rated Mid-American Conference women's team (No. 40) in the latest United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division I National Team Computer Rankings released on Monday, Jan. 23.
The Zips have 15 men and four women ranked among the top-50 nationally in their respective events in the latest Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS) ratings released this week.
Freshman Lucy Bryan (Bristol, England) leads Akron's efforts owning the fourth-best mark (14-1.25) in the women pole vault, while junior Terrell McClain (Youngstown, Ohio) maintains the fifth-best leap in the country in the men's long jump (25-7.25).
Other top-50 performances include; sophomore Matt Ludwig (Chardon, Ohio) – 19th in the men's pole vault (17-1.75); senior Nikki Manson (Glasgow, Scotland) – 20th in the women's high jump (5-10); senior Matt Rowland (Bellevue, Ohio) – 21st in the men's pole vault (17-1.50); senior Daniella Johnson (Gahanna, Ohio) – 22nd in the women's long jump (19-11.50); redshirt junior Rebecca Pietsch (Dusseldorf, Germany) – 22nd in women's pole vault (13-3.50), senior Mike Ohiembor (Dayton, Ohio) – 23rd in the men's triple jump (51-0.75); senior Ariadna Ramos Gandia (Barcelona, Spain) – 26th in the women's triple jump (41-7.25); sophomore Curtis Richardson (Blacklick, Ohio) – 28th in the men's high jump (6-11.75); sophomore Cody Stine (Shelby, Ohio) – 28th in the men's high jump (6-11.75); junior Jamir Coleman (Lima, Ohio) – 34th in the long jump (24-3.75); sophomore Dajia Mills (Canton, Ohio) – 34th in the women's high jump (5-8.75); junior Jackie Siefring (Covington, Ohio) – 36th in the women's long jump (19-8.25); and junior Kwadarrius Smith (Orlando, Fla.) – 43rd in the 60 meters (6.76).
Sparked by a school-record mark and 19 first-place performances, the Akron track and field teams bested rival Kent State in a men's and women's dual meet at the Stile Athletics Field House on Friday, Jan. 20.
Powered by nine first-efforts on the women's side, Akron bettered Kent State 82-69. In the men's competition, the Zips garnered 10 winning performances to edge the Golden Flashes, 86-64.
McClain led Akron's efforts on the evening establishing a school-record mark of 25-7.25 (7.80m) en route to capturing the men's long.
Akron also received first-place efforts from redshirt sophomore Mackenzie Andrews (Toowoomba, Australia) in the women's mile (4:58.43), Bryan in the women's pole vault (14-1.25), junior Garrett Crichlow (Twinsburg, Ohio) in the men's mile (4:16.76), senior Daziah Green (Canton, Ohio) in the 400 meters (56.64), Johnson in the women's 60 meters (7.56), Manson in the women's high jump (5-10), redshirt sophomore Brandon Mitchell (Pittsburgh, Pa.) in the men's 60-meter hurdles (8.25), Ohiembor in the men's triple jump (51-0.75), redshirt junior Sean Poholski (Barberton, Ohio) in the men's 800 meters (1:52.39), Ramos Gandia in the women's triple jump (41-7.25), Richardson in the men's high jump (6-11.75), Rowland in the men's pole vault (17-1.50), Siefring in the women's 60-meter hurdles (8.68) and long jump (19-8.75), Smith in the men's 60 meters (6.76) and 200 meters (21.80), senior Natalie Zidd (Hinckley, Ohio) in the 800 meters (2:14.01) and the men's 4x400 relay team (3:19.27) of senior Anthony Young (Medina, Ohio), redshirt junior Taron Slone (Columbus, Ohio), and seniors Alante Oliver (Dayton, Ohio) and Miles Baldwin (Cincinnati, Ohio).
Players Mentioned
