Zips Host 14th Annual Akron Invitational

Thursday, February 1

Akron, Ohio

University of Akron

14th Annual Akron Invitational

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

January 31 | Track & Field

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MEET INFORMATION (PDF) | MEET SCHEDULE (PDF) | LIVE STATS | ACCEPTED ENTRIES (PDF)

AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron men's and women's track and field teams welcome a 23-team field to the Stile Athletics Field House this weekend as the Zips host the 14th Annual Akron Invitational this Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 1-3.

UP NEXT: The three-day meet will commence at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1 with the men's and women's Blue Division discus followed by the women's and men's Gold Division discus competition. The meet will continue on Friday, Feb. 2 with the Blue Division men's and women's pole vault and men's long jump at 4 p.m. before running events, including the community mile, get underway at 8 p.m.

The final day of the meet commences with action being split between a morning and afternoon session. Action in the Blue Division commences at 10 a.m. and runs through approximately 1 p.m.

The showcase of the meet will be Saturday's Gold Invitational, which begins with a host of field events at 3 p.m. and continues with final heats on the track throughout the afternoon. The final race, the men's and women's 4x400 relay is scheduled to start at 5:40 p.m.

Tickets are available at the door for $10 (cash only). Akron students with valid ID will be admitted free of charge. All fans should enter through the Akron student recreation center main entrance. A separate ticket is required for both the Friday and/or Saturday sessions, but tickets purchased for Saturday grants admission to both the Blue Section and Gold Invitational. Doors will open to the public at 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 2, and at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3.

The Zips will go against a 23-team field which includes; Akron, Ashland, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Cedarville, Central Michigan, Cleveland State, Dayton, Indiana Tech, IUPUI, Kent State, Malone, Michigan State, Mount St. Mary's, Penn, Saint Francis, South Florida, Tiffin, University of Windsor, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Xavier.

Live stats for the meet will be available beginning on Friday at www.GoZips.com.

NATIONAL RANKINGS: The University of Akron men's and women's track and field teams continue to garner recognition for their efforts this season as the Zips were ranked 32nd and 43rd, respectively, in the 2018 United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I Indoor Track and Field National Team Computer Rankings released on Jan. 29.

The Zips' men's squad is the highest-rated team in the Mid-American Conference, while the men's and women's teams are ranked No. 21 and No. 25, respectively, in the latest Collegiate Indoor Dual Meet Rankings as compiled by Jesse Squire for Track and Field News. The Akron women and men are also ranked eighth and ninth, respectively, in the Great Lakes Regional polls.

ZIPS AMONG NATION'S BEST IN LATEST TFRRS RANKINGS: Akron currently has six student-athletes ranked in the top-25 nationally by the Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS), including Matt Ludwig (Chardon, Ohio), who is second in the men's pole vault (18-6.75/5.66m).

Also rated among the top-25 is sophomore Lucy Bryan (Bristol, England) (ninth in the women's pole vault – 14-0/4.27m), redshirt junior Mackenzie Andrews (Toowoomba, Australia) (15th in women's mile – 4:42.42), redshirt freshman Abby Helminiak (Toledo, Ohio) (18th in the women's pole vault – 13-7.25/4.15m), senior Jackie Siefring (Covington, Ohio) (18th in the long jump – 20-0.25/6.10m) and junior Cody Stine (Shelby, Ohio) (21st in the men's high jump – 7-0.50/2.15m).

CRACKING THE ALL-TIME TOP-FIVE PERFORMANCES: The Zips garnered three performances at the Penn State National last weekend that rank among the top-five efforts in indoor program history. Mackenzie Andrews shattered the school record in the women's mile crossing the line second in the elite event with a time of 4:42.42.

Posting the second-best effort and No. 18 mark in the world in 2018 in the men's pole vault with a clearance of 18-6.75 (5.66m) was Matt Ludwig.

In the women's shot put, junior Abigale Wilson (Carrollton, Ohio) registered the fourth-longest throw in indoor program history at 50-4 (15.34m), while in the men's weight throw, senior Phil Jagers (Solon, Ohio) posted the fourth-best performance with a mark of 63-10.25 (19.46m).

A YEAR AGO: Senior Daziah Green (Canton, Ohio) notched a pair of victories to headline the efforts of the University of Akron track and field teams on the final day of the Akron Invitational on Feb. 4, 2017 at the Stile Athletics Field House.

Green captured triumphs in the finals of the 60 and 200 meters in the gold division, crossing the line in 7.54 and 24.86, respectively.

The Zips' men's squad recorded 25 top-five performances, including six victories on the day, while the women's team garnered 13 top-five efforts and four wins.

Matt Ludwig capped the performances for the Zips on the afternoon winning the men's pole vault with a then career-best clearance of 18-0.50 (5.50m). Also eclipsing a personal-best mark of 17-6.25 (5.34m) to finish second was Matt Rowland.

Junior Curtis Richardson (Blacklick, Ohio) took first place in the men's gold division high jump surpassing 6-11.25 (2.12m), while redshirt junior Jordan Latimer (Huber Heights, Ohio) notched the win in the men's long jump posting a mark of 24-10.25 (7.58m).

Mike Ohiembor registered a mark of 51-5.50 (15.68m) to earn the victory in the men's triple jump.

In the women's pole vault, Lucy Bryan finished second with a mark of 14-2.25 (4.33m). Her effort resulted in the third-best jump in program history.

Natalie Zidd won the women's 800 meters for the second straight year at the Akron Invitational with a time of 2:11.09.

Senior Kwadarrius Smith (Orlando, Fla.) took second in the 60 meters with a time of 6.75, while senior Jamir Coleman (Lima, Ohio) took fourth in 6.93.

Miles Baldwin placed second for the Zips in the men's 400 meters with a time of 47.14, the No. 26 time nationally, while in the mile, senior Garrett Crichlow (Twinsburg, Ohio) finished fourth crossing the line in 4:08.73.

Akron went 2-3-4 in the men's 800 meters with senior Nick Winkler (Wadsworth, Ohio) and Sean Poholski and Zach Alexander registering times of 1:52.19, 1:52.58 and 1:53.91.

Redshirt junior Maurice Harris (Toledo, Ohio) notched a pair of top-three finishes on the day for the Zips with a second-place effort in the men's blue division shot put with a toss of 52-10 (16.11m) and a third-place showing in the blue division weight throw, posting a throw of 55-7.25 (16.95m).

The Zips' 4x400 men's relay team of redshirt junior Milton Greer (Copley, Ohio), senior Taron Slone (Columbus, Ohio), redshirt sophomore Joe Harrington (Youngstown, Ohio), Baldwin placed first crossing the line in 3:17.34.

Winning the women's 4x400 relay for Akron in 3:46.65 was the quartet of senior Kiara Chatman (Reynoldsburg, Ohio), Green, sophomore Dimitra Gnafaki (Chania, Greece) and Jackie Siefring.

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