Akron Set to Host MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships

Friday, February 28

AKRON, OHIO

University of Akron

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Akron Set to Host MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships

February 27 | Track & Field

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MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS - MEET INFORMATION | MEET SCHEDULE (PDF) | ACCEPTED ENTRIES (PRELIMINARY) (PDF) | LIVE STATS | FRIDAY ESPN3 (3-7 PM) | ZDN LIVE VIDEO (FRIDAY AM) | ZDN LIVE VIDEO (FRIDAY PM) | SATURDAY ESPN3 (1-6 PM) | ZDN LIVE VIDEO (SATURDAY AM) | ZDN LIVE VIDEO (SATURDAY PM) | PREVIEW

AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron men's and women's track and field team will join the rest of their Mid-American Conference members this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 28-29, to compete at the league's Indoor Championships, as the Zips host the two-day event at the Stile Athletics Field House.

UP NEXT: The University of Akron men's and women's track and field team will join the rest of their MAC members this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 28-29, to compete at the league's Indoor Championships, as the Zips host the two-day event at the Stile Athletics Field House.

In all, the championship meet will feature men's teams from Akron, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Kent State, while all 12 league members will be chasing the title on the women's side.

Single-session tickets are available at the door for $15 (cash only) for adults and $10 for youth (ages 3-14). All-session passes are $20 for adults and $15 for youth. Akron and other MAC institution students with valid ID will be admitted for $5 per session. All fans should enter through the Akron student recreation center main entrance.

Live stats and a free video stream of the MAC Championships will be available at GoZips.com.

**PLEASE NOTE** Field events will be streamed on the Zips Digital Network (click here) on both days of the competition. During the ESPN3 broadcast window on Friday (3-7 p.m.) and Saturday (1-6 p.m.), only those fans in the MAC's digital footprint (States of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, New York and Ohio) will be able to watch events on the Zips Digital Network. Prior to the ESPN3 broadcast window, events will not be restricted to those in the MAC's digital footprint. Field events are expected to be highlighted in the ESPN3 broadcasts.**

The Zips' men squad has won four of the last five indoor team titles and seven of the last 10 MAC championships overall and will be looking to capture back-to-back-to-back titles for the second time in program history.

On the women's side, the Zips are seeking their league-leading seventh indoor championship and first since 2017.

Akron under the leadership of 25th-year head coach Dennis Mitchell figures to be in the running for team titles on both the men's and women's sides again this year.

In addition to a pair of MAC Championships on the line, the Zips will be competing against Kent State in the final standings for two points in the Crystal Clinic Wagon Wheel Challenge. Kent State leads 4.0-2.5 in the current standings.

MAC MEET SCHEDULE: The MAC Championships begins at 10 a.m. at the Stile Athletics Field House on Friday, Feb. 28, with the start of the men's heptathlon, followed by the commencement of the women's pentathlon and men's long jump at 11:20 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., respectively. The running events will begin at 3:05 p.m. with the preliminary round of the women's 60-meter hurdles and conclude with the men's distance medley relay at 6:55 p.m.

The final day of the championship kicks off with the conclusion of the men's heptathlon at 10 a.m. and the men's shot put, men's triple jump and women's high jump at 1 p.m. The first running event is slated to begin at 1:25 p.m. with the women's mile before the meet wraps up with the men's 4x400 relay at 4:45 p.m. For a complete schedule of events, log on to MAC-Sports.com (PDF). Live results (click here) will be available throughout the meet as well as live video (click here).

Scoring in the meet will be on a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for individual events and relays for the women and 10-8-6-4-2-1 for the men.

THIS WEEK IN AKRON TRACK AND FIELD WITH HEAD COACH DENNIS MITCHELL:

DEFENDING THEIR TITLES: The Zips have three student-athletes seeking to repeat as individual conference champions this season.

Senior Lucy Bryan (Bristol, England) is seeking her fourth consecutive MAC title after taking home the title in the women's pole vault with a meet-record mark 14-6.25 (4.43m) at the 2019 MAC Indoor Championships.

Redshirt junior Patrick Kimball (Pittsburgh, Pa.) goes in search of his third league hurdle crown after capturing his first career MAC title a season ago in the men's 60-meter hurdles (7.97).

Redshirt junior Hesham Eldesouky (Nasr City, Egypt) won the men's triple jump a year ago on the strength of a school-record mark of 52-6 (16.00m).

Additionally, seniors Iman Batiste (Dublin, Ohio) and Victoria Stachowski (Waterford, Mich.), along with junior Lindsey Scarton (Berea, Ohio) return from the victorious women's distance medley relay squad that posted a school-record time of 11:37.61.

HONORING OUR SENIORS: Throughout the Al Campbell Invitational on Feb. 21, Akron honored the following Zips who competed in their final home meet, that list included: Maike Anstett (Karlsruhe, Germany), Iman Batiste, Lucy Bryan, Tanea Cousins (Chillicothe, Ohio), Jeremiah Fitzgerald (Mantua, Ohio), Shawnn Foster (Cheektowa, N.Y.), Tyler Fraker (Delta, Ohio), Marcques Gibbs (Darby, Pa.), Dylan Hochbein (Sarver, Pa.), Haley Hess (Curtice, Ohio), Malik Hudson (Cleveland, Ohio), Matt Keim (Bollivar, Ohio), Bailey Lack (Brunswick, Ohio), Victoria Stachowski (Waterford, Mich.), Nick Stricklen (Lexington, Ohio) and Alyssa Thomas (Uniontown, Ohio).

NATIONAL RANKINGS: The University of Akron track and field teams have garnered recognition for their efforts during the indoor season as the Zips are rated in the Event Squad rankings released on Feb. 24 as part of the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field National Rating Index.

Akron is ranked third nationally in the men's triple jump and among the top 20 in five different events.

The Zips are also rated seventh in the men's 400 meters, 11th in the men's long jump, 18th in the men's pole vault and 20th in the men's 200 meters.

The Akron men and women also ranked fourth and ninth, respectively, in the Great Lakes Regional polls.

ZIPS RANK AMONG NATION'S BEST IN 2020 TFRRS RANKINGS: Akron has four student-athletes ranked in the top-25 nationally by the Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS) during the indoor campaign, including Lucy Bryan, who is third in the nation in the women's pole vault (14-9.50/4.51m).

Also rated among the top-25 is redshirt sophomore Noah Williams (Rochester, N.Y.) (10th in men's 400 meters – 46.20), Hesham Eldesouky (21st in the men's triple jump – 52-2/15.90m) and redshirt junior Abby Helminiak (Toledo, Ohio) (21st in the women's pole vault – 13-9.75/4.21m).

CRACKING THE ALL-TIME TOP-FIVE PERFORMANCES: The Zips garnered a trio of individual top-five program marks last weekend at the Al Campbell Invitational.

Noah Williams registered a school-record time of 46.20 to win the men's 400 meters, while freshman Zarik Brown (Cincinnati, Ohio) crossed the line second in a career-best time of 47.24, the fifth-fastest effort in indoor program history.

Shawnn Foster garnered a career-best mark of 61-3 (18.68m), the No. 5 mark in indoor program history, to triumph in the women's weight throw.

LUDWIG EARNS AMERICAN INDOOR TITLE: Former University of Akron NCAA champion and seven-time All-American Matt Ludwig captured the men's pole national title at the 2020 USA Track and Field Indoor Nationals on Feb. 14, on the strength of a career-best mark of 19-2.25 (5.85m).

Ludwig cleared bars at 17-8.50 (5.40m), 18-2.50 (5.55m), 18-6.50 (5.65m), 18-8.25 (5.70m) and 18-10.25 (5.75m) on his opening attempts at each mark.

He then needed all three runs at 19-0.25 (5.80m) to eclipse the mark and remain one of three vaulters to continue in the competition.

After Stephen F. Austin's Branson Ellis and Kyle Pater from Air Force were both unsuccessful in clearing 19-2.25 (5.85m) on their initial two attempts, Ludwig established a career-best mark with a second-attempt clearance.

Both Ellis and Pater passed on their final attempts at the mark and were unable to surpass the bar at 19-4.25 (5.90m) securing the title for Ludwig.

Additionally, former Zip Jordan Latimer placed 11th in the men's long jump with a mark of 24-0.75 (7.33m).

USA TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS RECAP: Noah Williams clocked a then school-record time of 46.50 in the men's 400 meters finals to lead the performances of the Zips at the USA Track and Field Indoor Championships on Feb. 15 in Albuquerque, N.M.

Williams placed fifth in the final and in the process rewrote the oldest record in the Akron indoor program record book supplanting Paul Donatelli's school-record time of 46.87 set in 1997.

Demetrius Jackson registered a time of 6.80 to finish 12th in the semifinal round of the men's 60 meters.

Patrick Kimball recorded a time of 8.09 to finish 19th in qualifying-round action in the men's 60-meter hurdles.

A WEEK AGO: For the second consecutive week, Noah Williams established a school-record time in the men's 400 meters winning the race in a time of 46.20 to headline the performances of the Akron track and field team at the Al Campbell Invitational on Friday, Feb. 21, at the Stile Athletics Field House.

The Zips culminated their preparations for this weekend's MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships winning 11 events and earning 33 overall top-three finishes.

Shawnn Foster registered a career-best mark of 61-3 (18.68m) to win the women's weight throw. Her effort equals the No. 5 mark in indoor program history. She also placed second in the women's shot put with a mark of 27-10.25 (8.49m).

Lucy Bryan, Abby Helminiak and freshman Rachael Ward (Jamestown, N.Y.) took the top-three spots in the women's pole vault eclipsing 14-6 (4.42m), 13-0.25 (3.97m) and 12-6.25 (3.82m), respectively.

Senior Matt Keim (Bollivar, Ohio) and Tyler Fraker (Delta, Ohio) each cleared 16-6 (5.03m) to place first and second, based on jumps, in the men's pole vault.

Akron captured the top-five finishes in the men's long jump as freshman Haruki Sakai (Katori, Japan), junior Jayce Shaffer (Lawrenceville, Ga.), freshman Caleb Mabins (Erie, Pa.), redshirt freshman Avalonn Harper (Wooster, Ohio) and redshirt junior Brandon Hochbein (Sarver, Pa.) recorded marks of 23-1.25 (7.04m), 22-10 (6.96m), 21-11 (6.68m), 21-10.75 (6.67m) and 21-8.75 (6.62m).

Redshirt junior Olivia Weslien (Karlstad, Sweden) turned in a career-best time of 9:59.29 to win the women's 3,000 meters.

Junior Leah Recker (Findlay, Ohio) and freshman Morgan Jankowski (Brook Park, Ohio) swept the top-two finishes in the women's 800 meters in times of 2:15.83 and 2:19.36.

Sophomore Kassandra Roemer (Kaiserlautern, Germany) won the women's long jump with a mark of 18-9.75 (5.73m), while sophomore Sara Foster (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) recorded a career-best mark of 17-9 (5.41m) to place second.

Sophomore Malcom Briley (Pickerington, Ohio) won the men's 60 meters in a time of 6.90.

Redshirt sophomore Milton Wilson (Streetsboro, Ohio), freshman William Gross (Newfane, N.Y.), redshirt sophomore Jacob Hutcherson (Uniontown, Ohio) and freshman Jabari Neal-Jackson (Cincinnati, Ohio) swept the top-four spots in the men's weight throw with marks of 59-8 (18.20m), 59-4 (18.09m), 54-10 (16.72m) and 53-5 (16.30m).

Freshman Caden McGing (Mentor, Ohio) recorded a career-best mark of 6-6.75 (2.00m) to capture the men's high jump.

The women's 4x400 relay team of freshman Julia Frombach (Avon, Ohio), senior Varvara Lissichkina (Karaganda, Kazahkstan), Victoria Stachowski and freshman Makenna Heimlich (Shelby, Ohio) capped the evening efforts for the Zips winning the race in 3:54.82.

Zarik posted a career-best time of his own in the men's 400 meters crossing the line second in 47.24, the fifth-fastest effort in indoor program history.

On the strength of a career-best time of 9.18, Foster placed second in the women's 60-meter hurdles.

Maike Anstett earned a second-place effort in the women's high jump besting the bar at 5-4.25 (1.63m).

Akron finished second, third, fourth and fifth, respectively, in the women's 400 meters as Iman Batiste, Bailey Lack, Lissichkina and Stachowski posted career-best times of 56.75, 56.90, 57.30 and 57.57.

Tanea Cousins finished second in the women's triple jump with a mark of 37-5.75 (11.41m).

Freshman Blake Lucius (Crestline, Ohio) and redshirt sophomore Oliver Huffman (Augusta, Ga.) placed second and third in the men's 800 meters recording career-best times of 1:52.27 and 1:55.54.

A YEAR AGO: The University of Akron men's and women's track and field teams culminated the final day of the 2019 MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships on Feb. 23, 2019, at the Kent State Field House, as a true team effort garnered the Zips six individual league titles, while capturing the seventh league team title in indoor program history.

The Zips' men squad won its seventh team championship in the last nine years and 12th in the last 17 MAC championships overall leading to Akron head track and field coach Dennis Mitchell being named the MAC Men's Coach of the Year.

The Zips led the men's team race with 156 points to edge Eastern Michigan by 2.5 points, while the Akron women's squad finished in third place with 84 points, trailing league champion Central Michigan (114.5 points) and Eastern Michigan (91 points).

Mackenzie Andrews won her first-ever individual MAC championship in the women's mile registering a facility-record time of 4:43.42, before coming back to capture the women's 3,000 meters in a time of 9:41.03. Andrews became only the second Zip to win the women's indoor title in the 3,000 meters, joining Colleen Moran (2007).

Andrews finished the meet garnering a trio of league titles and was rewarded with her selection as the Women's Most Valuable Performer of the Meet.

Matt Ludwig won his fifth straight league crown in the men's pole vault eclipsing a meet-record mark of 19-0.75 (5.81m), bettering the record set by former Zips' All-American Shawn Barber in 2015.

By virtue of his performance, Ludwig captured Akron's 23rd consecutive overall title in the event and was tabbed as the Men's Outstanding Field Performer of the Meet.

Senior Cole Wigal (Belpre, Ohio) and Matt Keim added second- and fourth-place efforts in the men's pole vault registering marks of 16-7.25 (5.06m) and 16-1.25 (4.91m).

Curtis Richardson captured his fourth consecutive and fourth overall league title in the men's high jump besting the bar at 7-1 (2.16m). The Zips also garnered key team points with second- and third-place performances from sophomore Nuh Andu (Doha, Qatar) and Ben Olewiler, as the duo recorded marks of 6-11.50 (2.12m) and 6-6.75 (2.00m).

Following the meet, Andu was selected as the Men's Freshman Field Performer of the Meet.

Hesham Eldesouky gave the Zips a strong scoring push winning the men's triple jump with a school-record mark of 52-6 (16.00m) to earn his first-ever league title.

Taking home his first-ever MAC title in the men's 60-meter hurdles with a career-best time of 7.97 was Patrick Kimball. His performance stands as the third-fastest in indoor program history.

A day after earning the title in the men's 5,000 meters, Tevin Brown delivered a second-place finish in the men's 3,000 meters, crossing the line in 8:27.35, while Nick Stricklen placed fifth in 8:36.99.

Maike Anstett earned a second-place effort in the women's high jump with a career-best clearance of 5-6.50 (1.69m), after finishing sixth in the triple jump with a mark of 39-9.25 (12.12m). Anstett equaled the winning mark in the high jump, but placed second in a jump-off.

Dara Perry placed third in the women's 60-meter hurdles turning in a season-best time of 8.34.

Redshirt junior Marc Migliozzi (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and sophomore Andre Bollam-Godbott (Brunswick, Ohio) tallied team points in the men's mile finishing second and fourth, respectively, crossing the line in 4:13.41 and 4:14.81.

Kamar Majid registered a seven-event cumulative score of 5,157 to finish third in the men's heptathlon.

Jordan Latimer directed the Zips' efforts on the day capturing his fifth career MAC title in the men's long jump registering a winning mark of 25-4.50 (7.73m).

Lucy Bryan shined in the women's pole vault taking home her second career league title with a meet-record mark of 14-6.25 (4.43m).

Turning in arguably his greatest performance as a Zip in the men's 5,000 meters was Brown, who claimed his first career league championship crossing the line first in a career-best time of 14:35.04. His effort stands as the second-best performance in indoor program history.

The women's distance medley relay team of junior Lindsey Scarton (Berea, Ohio), Iman Batiste, Victoria Stachowski and Andrews ran a school-record time of 11:37.61 to earn Akron's second-ever title in the event, and first since 2005.

The men's distance medley relay team of redshirt junior Jacob Ondash (Hiram, Ohio), junior Andrew Wahl (Northfield, Ohio), Jake Wickert and Stricklen registered a second-place performance crossing the line in 10:06.82.

Earning a third-place finish in the men's long jump with a career-long mark of 24-6.50 (7.48m) was Eldesouky.

Abby Helminiak eclipsed 13-0.75 (3.98m) to finish third in the women's pole vault.

Sara Foster finished the pentathlon with a career-best five-event cumulative score of 3,440 to place fourth in the competition.

WILLIAMS EARNS MAC ATHLETE OF THE WEEK HONORS: Noah Williams was recognized by the Mid-American Conference as its Men's Track Athlete of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday, Feb. 25.

ALL-MAC PERFORMERS (First-Team All-MAC/Second-Team All-MAC): Below is a listed on first- and second-place performances at the Mid-American Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the current members of the Zips' squad.

Noah Williams (4/1) - Indoor: 400 Meters - 2018 (2nd-47.77); 4x400 Relay - 2018 (2nd-3:18.13); Outdoor: 400 Meters - 2019 (1st-45.72), 4x100 Relay - 2019 (1st-40.39), 4x400 Relay - 2019 (1st-3:12.00); Lucy Bryan (3/1) - Indoor: Pole Vault - 2017 (2nd-13-8/4.17m), 2019 (1st-14-6.25/4.43m); Outdoor: Pole Vault - 2018 (1st-14-2/4.32m), 2019 (1st-13-9.25/4.20m); Patrick Kimball (2/0) - Indoor: 60-Meter Hurdles - 2019 (1st-7.97); Outdoor: 110-Meter Hurdles - 2019 (1st-13.96); Cole Wigal (1/2) - Indoor: Pole Vault - 2019 (2nd-16-7.25/5.06m); Outdoor: Pole Vault - 2018 (2nd-16-7.50/5.07m), 2019 (1st-17-0.75/5.20m); Malik Hudson (1/1) - Indoor: 4x400 Relay - 2018 (2nd-3:18.13) Outdoor: Decathlon - 2018 (2nd-6,723); Demetrius Jackson (1/1) - Outdoor: 4x100 Relay - 2019 (1st-40.39), 100 Meters - 2019 (2nd-10.49); Iman Batiste (1/0) - Indoor: DMR - 2019 (1st-11:37.61); Malcom Briley (1/0) - Outdoor: 4x100 Relay - 2019 (1st-40.39); Hesham Eldesouky (1/0) - Indoor: Triple Jump - 2019 (1st-52-6/16.00m); Sara Foster (1/0) - Outdoor: Heptathlon - 2019 (1st-4,808); Lindsey Scarton (1/0) - Indoor: DMR - 2019 (1st-11:37.61); Victoria Stachowski (1/0) - Indoor: DMR - 2019 (1st-11:37.61); Garrett White (1/0) - Outdoor: 4x400 Relay - 2019 (1st-3:12.00); Amir Willis (1/0) - Outdoor: 4x100 Relay - 2019 (1st-40.39); Marc Migliozzi (0/2) - Indoor: Mile - 2019 (2nd-4:13.41); Outdoor: 1,500 Meters - 2019 (2nd- 3:55.20); Nuh Andu (0/1) - Indoor: High Jump - 2019 (2nd-6-11.50/2.12m); Maike Anstett (0/1) - Indoor: High Jump - 2019 (5-6.50/1.69m); Abby Helminiak (0/1) - Outdoor: Pole Vault - 2019 (2nd- 12-8.25/3.87m); Haley Hess (0/1) - Outdoor: 3,000-Meter Steeplechase - 2019 (2nd- 10:31.05); Brandon Hochbein (0/1) - Outdoor: Decathlon - 2019 (2nd-6,771); Bailey Lack (0/1) - Indoor: DMR - 2017 (2nd-11:42.83); Jacob Ondash (0/1) - Indoor: DMR - 2019 (2nd-10:06.82); Nick Stricklen (0/1) - Indoor: DMR - 2019 (2nd-10:06.82); Andrew Wahl (0/1) - Indoor: DMR - 2019 (2nd-10:06.82)

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