Akron Primed for MAC Cross Country Championships

Saturday, October 29

Athens, Ohio

University of Akron

Mid-American Conference Championships

Akron Primed for MAC Cross Country Championships

October 28 | Cross Country

MEET INFORMATION | LIVE RESULTS | LIVE VIDEO

AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron women's cross country team under the direction of first-year head coach Dr. Tim Sykes will begin postseason competition on Saturday, Oct. 29, at the 2022 Mid-American Conference Championships, hosted by Ohio at the Ohio University Golf Course in Athens, Ohio.

The women's 6-kilometer race will begin at 11 a.m. with the men's 8K race to follow at 12 p.m. In addition to a MAC Championship on the line, the Zips will be competing for one point in the Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge. Kent State leads 2.5-0.5 in the current standings.

The field in the women's championship includes squads from all 12 conference schools.

The Zips have won a pair of league titles on the women's side capturing the crown in 1999 and 2005, while placing second twice (2007 and 2008).

A year ago, the Akron women garnered a third-place finish, while earning a full point for Akron in the Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge.

Sophomore Halle Sebest (Poland, Ohio) is the lone returner Zip to compete at the 2021 MAC Championships crossing the line in 22:50.5 a season ago, while sophomores Danielle Honaker (Ashland, Ohio) and Makenna Heimlich (Shelby, Ohio) culminated the performances of Akron at the 2020 MAC Championships registering times of 22:59.5 and 23:25.3, respectively.

For the third consecutive campaign and 16th time overall a Zip collected first-team All-MAC honors in 2021 as Beth Arentz pulled in all-league accolades for the first time by virtue of her sixth-place effort.

Earning second-team All-MAC honors on the strength of 12th- and 14th-place finishes was Hannah Long and Lindsey Scarton, who crossed the line in 21:24.5 and 21:31.2, respectively.

The Zips' list of runners in the race this Saturday will include; redshirt sophomore Julia Frombach (Avon, Ohio), senior Rebekah Harden (Tinley Park, Ill.), redshirt sophomore Maddie Heimlich (Shelby, Ohio), Makenna Heimlich, sophomore Grace Henderson (Rostraver Township, Pa.), Honaker, sophomores Hannah Kerr (Chillicothe, Ohio) and Emerson Rainsburg (Dover, Ohio) and Sebest

In their final tune-up before the MAC Championships, Honaker headlined the performances of the Akron cross country squad at the Falcon Invitational hosted by Bowling Green on Oct. 14 in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Honaker traversed the 6K course in a team- and career-best time of 22:38.9 (PR), to direct Akron to a ninth-place finish in the overall field as every Zip posted a personal-best time in the 6K.

Harden was next across the line for the Zips posting a time of 23:13.2 (PR).

Rounding out Akron's scoring efforts was the trio of Makenna Heimlich, Kerr and Frombach, who registered times of 23:20.7 (PR), 24:06.9 (PR) and 24:07.1 (PR), respectively.

Additionally, Rainsburg, Maddie Heimlich, Henderson and sophomore Emily Razo (Salem, Ohio) added times of 24:19.3 (PR), 24:43.9 (PR), 24:49.6 (PR) and 25:43.8 (PR).

UP NEXT
The NCAA Great Lakes Regional follows the MAC Championships on Nov. 11 in Terre Haute, Ind.

ABOUT ZIPS ATHLETICS
Founded in 1870, The University of Akron (UA) is one of Ohio's most influential public urban research universities, conducting high-quality research in focused areas of excellence, contributing to the vitality of the local economy, and providing a workforce highly trained in diverse disciplines. The University offers more than 200 degree programs, including unique, highly ranked associate, bachelor's, master's, doctoral and law degrees — with accreditations by 35 professional agencies. UA is focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, investment in community and economic growth. Akron sponsors 17 NCAA Division I sports with more than 500 student-athletes. Learn more at gozips.com.