The University of Akron Athletics

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Zips Primed for Breakout Performances at NCAA East Preliminary Round
May 23 | Track & Field
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NCAA EAST PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE (REVISED 5-23) (PDF) | HEAD COACH DENNIS MITCHELL COMMENTS (5/23) | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO ($) | EAST PRELIMINARY ROUND MEN'S STARTING LIST | EAST PRELIMINARY ROUND WOMEN'S STARTING LIST | EAST PRELIMINARY ROUND MEN'S DECLARED ATHLETES | EAST PRELIMINARY ROUND WOMEN'S DECLARED ATHLETES | HEAD COACH DENNIS MITCHELL COMMENTS ON NCAA QUALIFIERS
TAMPA, Fla. – The University of Akron Track and Field program is primed for breakout performances at the NCAA East Preliminary Round this weekend as the Zips will be represented by 22 student-athletes at the three-day event hosted by the University of South Florida on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 24-26.
The meet, which invites the region's top 48 athletes in each event, serves as the opening round of the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The top 12 finishers in each event will advance to the NCAAs in Eugene, Ore. from June 6-9. The NCAA West prelims will be held in Sacramento, Calif., at the same time.
The Zips lead the Mid-American Conference with a league-best 26 combined men's and women's qualifiers (22 Zips across 18 events) for the NCAA East Preliminary Round and NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Akron is followed by Kent State (19 – 13 men/6 women), Eastern Michigan (15 – 8 women/7 men), Central Michigan (8 – 5 women/3 men), Miami (7 – 4 women/3 men) and Buffalo (14 – 3 men/1 woman).
UP NEXT: The Zips will be represented by 11 men and 11 women at the NCAA East Preliminary Round in Tampa this weekend.
Competing for Akron on the women's side will be; redshirt junior Mackenzie Andrews (Toowoomba, Australia) (1,500 meters), junior Lucy Bryan (Bristol, England) (pole vault), freshman Jenna Frantz (Versailles, Ohio) (pole vault), senior Daziah Green (Canton, Ohio) (100 and 200 meters), junior Eboni Hall (Pickerington, Ohio) (pole vault), redshirt freshman Abby Helminiak (Toledo, Ohio) (pole vault), senior Patricia Ortega (Logrono, Spain) (high jump), junior Dara Perry (Akron, Ohio) (100-meter hurdles), senior Ariadna Ramos Gandia (Barcelona, Spain) (triple jump), senior Jackie Siefring (Covington, Ohio) (long jump) and junior Abigale Wilson (Carrollton, Ohio) (discus and shot put).
AKRON WOMEN'S QUALIFIERS (Qualifying Rank):
100 Meters: Daziah Green (41); 200 Meters: Daziah Green (25); 1,500 Meters: Mackenzie Andrews (21); 100-Meter Hurdles: Dara Perry (15); Long Jump: Jackie Siefring (33); High Jump: Patricia Ortega (21st); Pole Vault: Lucy Bryan (7), Eboni Hall (9), Jenna Frantz (10), Abby Helminiak (30); Triple Jump: Ariadna Ramos Gandia (44); Shot Put: Abigale Wilson (16); Discus: Abigale Wilson (5)
Taking part in the men's competition for the Zips will be; redshirt sophomore Ian Behm (Volant, Pa.) (javelin), junior Tyler Fraker (Delta, Ohio) (pole vault), senior Maurice Harris (Toledo, Ohio) (discus), junior Rodrigo Iglesias (Logrono, Spain) (javelin), redshirt junior Jordan Latimer (Huber Heights, Ohio) (long jump), junior Matt Ludwig (Chardon, Ohio) (pole vault), senior Terrell McClain (Youngstown, Ohio) (long jump), junior Curtis Richardson (Blacklick, Ohio) (high jump), senior Taron Slone (Columbus, Ohio) (200 meters), senior Kwadarrius Smith (Orlando, Fla.) (100 meters) and redshirt sophomore Cole Wigal (Belpre, Ohio) (pole vault).
AKRON MEN'S QUALIFIERS (Qualifying Rank):
100 Meters: Kwadarrius Smith (29); 200 Meters: Taron Slone (38); High Jump: Curtis Richardson (28); Pole Vault: Matt Ludwig (2), Cole Wigal (43), Tyler Fraker (45); Long Jump: Terrell McClain (2), Jordan Latimer (10); Discus: Maurice Harris (24); Javelin: Ian Behm (5), Rodrigo Iglesias (16)
For the complete list of entries, please log on to NCAA.com
Additionally, Ortega and Siefring qualified for final of the women's heptathlon to be contested in Eugene, Ore., June 6-9.
NCAA EAST PRELIMINARY ROUND MEET SCHEDULE: The NCAA East Preliminary Round meet begins at 8:45 a.m. at the University of South Florida Track and Field Stadium in Tampa. Fla., on Thursday, May 24, with the start of the men's hammer. Running events kick off with the 400-meter hurdle preliminaries at 12:30 p.m., and conclude with the running of the women's 10,000 meters at 9:40 p.m.
The second day opens with the men's discus at 8:45 a.m. Running events begin with the preliminary round of the men's 110-meter hurdles at 12:30 p.m. The women's 3,000-meter steeplechase closes out the day's action at 8:40 p.m.
The final day of the championship kicks off with the women's hammer at 8:45 a.m. The first running event is slated to begin at 12:30 p.m. with the men's 4x100 relay. For a complete schedule of events, log on to GoUSFBulls.com. Live results will be available throughout the meet and posted here.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: The University of Akron women's and men's track and field teams are ranked 37th and 39th, respectively, in the 2018 United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I Outdoor Track and Field National Team Computer Rankings released on May 21.
The Zips are the highest-rated team in the Mid-American Conference in both polls, while the women are the No. 5 squad in the latest Great Lakes Regional poll and the men seventh.
In the Event Squad rankings released on May 14, Akron is ranked second nationally in the women's pole vault and among the top 15 in five different events.
Akron is rated second in women's pole vault, fifth in men's long jump, sixth in men's pole vault, eighth in women's 400-meter hurdles and 11th in women's discus.
Akron posted 42 career- and 51 season-best marks at the Mid-American Conference Championships last week.
NCAA PREDICTIONS: In the fifth edition of NCAA men's and women's form charts unveiled by Track and Field News on May 17 in advance of this week's NCAA East and West Preliminary Track and Field rounds, a quartet of Zips were predicted to score points for Akron at the NCAA Track and Field Championships, June 6-9, in Eugene, Ore.
In the women's field, Track and Field News projects junior Lucy Bryan fourth in the women's pole vault and senior Jackie Siefring eighth in the women's heptathlon.
In the men's race, junior Matt Ludwig and senior Terrell McClain are predicted to finish second and fifth, respectively, in the men's pole vault and men's long jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
ZIPS AMONG NATION'S BEST IN LATEST TFRRS RANKINGS: Akron currently has 11 student-athletes ranked in the top-25 nationally by the Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS), including Matt Ludwig, who owns the No. 3 mark nationally in the men's pole vault (18-8.75/5.71m).
Also rated among the top-25 is, Terrell McClain (fifth in men's long jump – 26-10/8.18m), Jackie Siefring (ninth in the women's heptathlon – 5,872), Lucy Bryan (10th in women's pole vault – 14-3.25/4.35m), Patricia Ortega (13th in the women's heptathlon – 5,782), junior Abigale Wilson (15th in women's discus – 185-9/56.62m), junior Eboni Hall (16th in women's pole vault – 14-0.00/4.27m), redshirt junior Jordan Latimer (17th in the men's long jump – 26-0.75/7.94m), redshirt sophomore Ian Behm (18th in the men's javelin – 231-7/70.59m), freshman Jenna Frantz (19th in women's pole vault – 13-11.25/4.25m) and junior Dara Perry (24th in women's 100-meter hurdles – 13.10).
NCAA PEDIGREE: By virtue of its performances at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, which included a trio of first-team All-America honorees, Akron extended its streak as one of only 10 programs nationally to have scored in both the men's and women's team competitions at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships since 2014. The Zips are the lone non Power-5 Conference institution included on that list.
Akron joined Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana State and Texas A&M from the Southeastern Conference, Oregon and Southern California from the Pac-12 Conference and Texas from the Big 12 Conference. Not represented on the list are schools from the Atlantic Coast and Big Ten Conferences.
MAC LEADERS: The following Zips own conference-leading marks entering the NCAA East Preliminary Round, May 24-26: Ian Behm (men's javelin – 231-7/70.59m), Lucy Bryan (women's pole vault – 14-3.25/4.35m), Daziah Green (women's 100 meters – 11.51 and 200 meters – 23.22), Matt Ludwig (men's pole vault – 18-8.75/5.71m), Terrell McClain (men's long jump – 261-0/8.18m), Dara Perry (women's 100-meter hurdles – 13.10), Curtis Richardson (men's high jump – 7-0.50/2.15m), Jackie Siefring (women's 400-meter hurdles – 58.89, long jump – 20-3.50/6.18m and women's heptathlon – 5,872) and Abigale Wilson (women's discus – 185-9/56.62m).
A YEAR AGO: Six Zips garnered qualifying marks for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on the strength of their performances at the NCAA East Preliminary Round, hosted by the University of Kentucky, on May 25-27, 2017.
Phil Jagers and junior Cody Stine (Shelby, Ohio) made return trips to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships after posting qualifying marks in the men's discus and high jump.
Jagers placed fifth in the qualifying round with a throw of 198-7 (60.53m). He earned his mark on the second of three attempts in the competition.
Stine finished eighth in the men's high jump with a mark of 6-10.75 (2.10m) clearing bars of 6-6.75 (2.00m), 6-8.75 (2.05m) and 6-10.75 (2.10m), respectively, on each of his opening attempts. Stine was unable eclipse 7-0.50 (2.15m) on any of his three runs at the height.
Curtis Richardson narrowly missed punching his ticket to nationals for a second straight year finishing 13th with a clearance of 6-10.75 (2.10m). While equaling the final qualifying mark, he fell one spot shy of advancing to Oregon based on jumps. He bettered bars of 6-6.75 (2.00m), 6-8.75 (2.05m) and 6-10.75 (2.10m), respectively, on his second attempt at each height.
Ariandna Ramos Gandia placed 29th in the women's triple jump registering a jump of 41-1 (12.52m).
Abigale Wilson finished 32nd in the women's discus with a mark of 157-1 (47.88m) and 41st in the women's shot put recording a throw of 47-5 (14.45m).
Matt Ludwig qualified in the men's pole vault finishing fourth with a mark of 17-6.50 (5.35m). Ludwig passed at the opening two heights before clearing 16-10.75 (5.15m) on his third and final attempt at the mark. He then locked in bettering bars of 17-2.75 (5.25m) and 17-6.50 (5.35m) on his opening runs at both marks.
Jackie Siefring was unable to punch her ticket to Eugene in the 400-meter hurdles placing 17th in the quarterfinal round with a time of 59.03.
Terrell McClain registered a mark of 25-5.25 (7.75m) on his third and final jump to garner one of 12 berths and earn his second consecutive berth to the NCAA Championships in the men's long jump.
Sophomore Dimitra Gnafaki (Chania, Greece) placed 45th in the 400-meter field with a time of 62.27.
After fouling on his opening attempt in the men's javlin, Rodrigo Iglesias posted marks of 175-10 (53.59m) and 190-8 (58.13m) to place 33rd.
Finishing 31st in the men's long jump with a mark of 23-3.25 (7.09m) Jordan Latimer.
TOP MARKS:
Akron Men
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Akron Women
Click Here
NCAA EAST PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE (REVISED 5-23) (PDF) | HEAD COACH DENNIS MITCHELL COMMENTS (5/23) | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO ($) | EAST PRELIMINARY ROUND MEN'S STARTING LIST | EAST PRELIMINARY ROUND WOMEN'S STARTING LIST | EAST PRELIMINARY ROUND MEN'S DECLARED ATHLETES | EAST PRELIMINARY ROUND WOMEN'S DECLARED ATHLETES | HEAD COACH DENNIS MITCHELL COMMENTS ON NCAA QUALIFIERS
TAMPA, Fla. – The University of Akron Track and Field program is primed for breakout performances at the NCAA East Preliminary Round this weekend as the Zips will be represented by 22 student-athletes at the three-day event hosted by the University of South Florida on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 24-26.
The meet, which invites the region's top 48 athletes in each event, serves as the opening round of the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The top 12 finishers in each event will advance to the NCAAs in Eugene, Ore. from June 6-9. The NCAA West prelims will be held in Sacramento, Calif., at the same time.
The Zips lead the Mid-American Conference with a league-best 26 combined men's and women's qualifiers (22 Zips across 18 events) for the NCAA East Preliminary Round and NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Akron is followed by Kent State (19 – 13 men/6 women), Eastern Michigan (15 – 8 women/7 men), Central Michigan (8 – 5 women/3 men), Miami (7 – 4 women/3 men) and Buffalo (14 – 3 men/1 woman).
UP NEXT: The Zips will be represented by 11 men and 11 women at the NCAA East Preliminary Round in Tampa this weekend.
Competing for Akron on the women's side will be; redshirt junior Mackenzie Andrews (Toowoomba, Australia) (1,500 meters), junior Lucy Bryan (Bristol, England) (pole vault), freshman Jenna Frantz (Versailles, Ohio) (pole vault), senior Daziah Green (Canton, Ohio) (100 and 200 meters), junior Eboni Hall (Pickerington, Ohio) (pole vault), redshirt freshman Abby Helminiak (Toledo, Ohio) (pole vault), senior Patricia Ortega (Logrono, Spain) (high jump), junior Dara Perry (Akron, Ohio) (100-meter hurdles), senior Ariadna Ramos Gandia (Barcelona, Spain) (triple jump), senior Jackie Siefring (Covington, Ohio) (long jump) and junior Abigale Wilson (Carrollton, Ohio) (discus and shot put).
AKRON WOMEN'S QUALIFIERS (Qualifying Rank):
100 Meters: Daziah Green (41); 200 Meters: Daziah Green (25); 1,500 Meters: Mackenzie Andrews (21); 100-Meter Hurdles: Dara Perry (15); Long Jump: Jackie Siefring (33); High Jump: Patricia Ortega (21st); Pole Vault: Lucy Bryan (7), Eboni Hall (9), Jenna Frantz (10), Abby Helminiak (30); Triple Jump: Ariadna Ramos Gandia (44); Shot Put: Abigale Wilson (16); Discus: Abigale Wilson (5)
Taking part in the men's competition for the Zips will be; redshirt sophomore Ian Behm (Volant, Pa.) (javelin), junior Tyler Fraker (Delta, Ohio) (pole vault), senior Maurice Harris (Toledo, Ohio) (discus), junior Rodrigo Iglesias (Logrono, Spain) (javelin), redshirt junior Jordan Latimer (Huber Heights, Ohio) (long jump), junior Matt Ludwig (Chardon, Ohio) (pole vault), senior Terrell McClain (Youngstown, Ohio) (long jump), junior Curtis Richardson (Blacklick, Ohio) (high jump), senior Taron Slone (Columbus, Ohio) (200 meters), senior Kwadarrius Smith (Orlando, Fla.) (100 meters) and redshirt sophomore Cole Wigal (Belpre, Ohio) (pole vault).
AKRON MEN'S QUALIFIERS (Qualifying Rank):
100 Meters: Kwadarrius Smith (29); 200 Meters: Taron Slone (38); High Jump: Curtis Richardson (28); Pole Vault: Matt Ludwig (2), Cole Wigal (43), Tyler Fraker (45); Long Jump: Terrell McClain (2), Jordan Latimer (10); Discus: Maurice Harris (24); Javelin: Ian Behm (5), Rodrigo Iglesias (16)
For the complete list of entries, please log on to NCAA.com
Additionally, Ortega and Siefring qualified for final of the women's heptathlon to be contested in Eugene, Ore., June 6-9.
NCAA EAST PRELIMINARY ROUND MEET SCHEDULE: The NCAA East Preliminary Round meet begins at 8:45 a.m. at the University of South Florida Track and Field Stadium in Tampa. Fla., on Thursday, May 24, with the start of the men's hammer. Running events kick off with the 400-meter hurdle preliminaries at 12:30 p.m., and conclude with the running of the women's 10,000 meters at 9:40 p.m.
The second day opens with the men's discus at 8:45 a.m. Running events begin with the preliminary round of the men's 110-meter hurdles at 12:30 p.m. The women's 3,000-meter steeplechase closes out the day's action at 8:40 p.m.
The final day of the championship kicks off with the women's hammer at 8:45 a.m. The first running event is slated to begin at 12:30 p.m. with the men's 4x100 relay. For a complete schedule of events, log on to GoUSFBulls.com. Live results will be available throughout the meet and posted here.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: The University of Akron women's and men's track and field teams are ranked 37th and 39th, respectively, in the 2018 United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I Outdoor Track and Field National Team Computer Rankings released on May 21.
The Zips are the highest-rated team in the Mid-American Conference in both polls, while the women are the No. 5 squad in the latest Great Lakes Regional poll and the men seventh.
In the Event Squad rankings released on May 14, Akron is ranked second nationally in the women's pole vault and among the top 15 in five different events.
Akron is rated second in women's pole vault, fifth in men's long jump, sixth in men's pole vault, eighth in women's 400-meter hurdles and 11th in women's discus.
Akron posted 42 career- and 51 season-best marks at the Mid-American Conference Championships last week.
NCAA PREDICTIONS: In the fifth edition of NCAA men's and women's form charts unveiled by Track and Field News on May 17 in advance of this week's NCAA East and West Preliminary Track and Field rounds, a quartet of Zips were predicted to score points for Akron at the NCAA Track and Field Championships, June 6-9, in Eugene, Ore.
In the women's field, Track and Field News projects junior Lucy Bryan fourth in the women's pole vault and senior Jackie Siefring eighth in the women's heptathlon.
In the men's race, junior Matt Ludwig and senior Terrell McClain are predicted to finish second and fifth, respectively, in the men's pole vault and men's long jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
ZIPS AMONG NATION'S BEST IN LATEST TFRRS RANKINGS: Akron currently has 11 student-athletes ranked in the top-25 nationally by the Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS), including Matt Ludwig, who owns the No. 3 mark nationally in the men's pole vault (18-8.75/5.71m).
Also rated among the top-25 is, Terrell McClain (fifth in men's long jump – 26-10/8.18m), Jackie Siefring (ninth in the women's heptathlon – 5,872), Lucy Bryan (10th in women's pole vault – 14-3.25/4.35m), Patricia Ortega (13th in the women's heptathlon – 5,782), junior Abigale Wilson (15th in women's discus – 185-9/56.62m), junior Eboni Hall (16th in women's pole vault – 14-0.00/4.27m), redshirt junior Jordan Latimer (17th in the men's long jump – 26-0.75/7.94m), redshirt sophomore Ian Behm (18th in the men's javelin – 231-7/70.59m), freshman Jenna Frantz (19th in women's pole vault – 13-11.25/4.25m) and junior Dara Perry (24th in women's 100-meter hurdles – 13.10).
NCAA PEDIGREE: By virtue of its performances at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, which included a trio of first-team All-America honorees, Akron extended its streak as one of only 10 programs nationally to have scored in both the men's and women's team competitions at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships since 2014. The Zips are the lone non Power-5 Conference institution included on that list.
Akron joined Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana State and Texas A&M from the Southeastern Conference, Oregon and Southern California from the Pac-12 Conference and Texas from the Big 12 Conference. Not represented on the list are schools from the Atlantic Coast and Big Ten Conferences.
MAC LEADERS: The following Zips own conference-leading marks entering the NCAA East Preliminary Round, May 24-26: Ian Behm (men's javelin – 231-7/70.59m), Lucy Bryan (women's pole vault – 14-3.25/4.35m), Daziah Green (women's 100 meters – 11.51 and 200 meters – 23.22), Matt Ludwig (men's pole vault – 18-8.75/5.71m), Terrell McClain (men's long jump – 261-0/8.18m), Dara Perry (women's 100-meter hurdles – 13.10), Curtis Richardson (men's high jump – 7-0.50/2.15m), Jackie Siefring (women's 400-meter hurdles – 58.89, long jump – 20-3.50/6.18m and women's heptathlon – 5,872) and Abigale Wilson (women's discus – 185-9/56.62m).
A YEAR AGO: Six Zips garnered qualifying marks for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on the strength of their performances at the NCAA East Preliminary Round, hosted by the University of Kentucky, on May 25-27, 2017.
Phil Jagers and junior Cody Stine (Shelby, Ohio) made return trips to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships after posting qualifying marks in the men's discus and high jump.
Jagers placed fifth in the qualifying round with a throw of 198-7 (60.53m). He earned his mark on the second of three attempts in the competition.
Stine finished eighth in the men's high jump with a mark of 6-10.75 (2.10m) clearing bars of 6-6.75 (2.00m), 6-8.75 (2.05m) and 6-10.75 (2.10m), respectively, on each of his opening attempts. Stine was unable eclipse 7-0.50 (2.15m) on any of his three runs at the height.
Curtis Richardson narrowly missed punching his ticket to nationals for a second straight year finishing 13th with a clearance of 6-10.75 (2.10m). While equaling the final qualifying mark, he fell one spot shy of advancing to Oregon based on jumps. He bettered bars of 6-6.75 (2.00m), 6-8.75 (2.05m) and 6-10.75 (2.10m), respectively, on his second attempt at each height.
Ariandna Ramos Gandia placed 29th in the women's triple jump registering a jump of 41-1 (12.52m).
Abigale Wilson finished 32nd in the women's discus with a mark of 157-1 (47.88m) and 41st in the women's shot put recording a throw of 47-5 (14.45m).
Matt Ludwig qualified in the men's pole vault finishing fourth with a mark of 17-6.50 (5.35m). Ludwig passed at the opening two heights before clearing 16-10.75 (5.15m) on his third and final attempt at the mark. He then locked in bettering bars of 17-2.75 (5.25m) and 17-6.50 (5.35m) on his opening runs at both marks.
Jackie Siefring was unable to punch her ticket to Eugene in the 400-meter hurdles placing 17th in the quarterfinal round with a time of 59.03.
Terrell McClain registered a mark of 25-5.25 (7.75m) on his third and final jump to garner one of 12 berths and earn his second consecutive berth to the NCAA Championships in the men's long jump.
Sophomore Dimitra Gnafaki (Chania, Greece) placed 45th in the 400-meter field with a time of 62.27.
After fouling on his opening attempt in the men's javlin, Rodrigo Iglesias posted marks of 175-10 (53.59m) and 190-8 (58.13m) to place 33rd.
Finishing 31st in the men's long jump with a mark of 23-3.25 (7.09m) Jordan Latimer.
TOP MARKS:
Akron Men
Click Here
Akron Women
Click Here
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