MAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships on the Line for Akron

Thursday, May 12

Kalamazoo, Mich.

University of Akron

Mid-American Conference Championships

MAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships on the Line for Akron

May 11 | Track & Field

MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS - MEET INFORMATION | MEET SCHEDULE (PDF) | LIVE STATS | PREVIEW

AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron men's and women's track and field team will join the rest of their MAC members this Thursday through Saturday, May 12-14, to compete at the league's Outdoor Championships, as Western Michigan hosts the three-day event at the Kanley Track and Field Complex.

UP NEXT: The Zips will compete at the league's Outdoor Championships, as Western Michigan hosts the three-day event at the Kanley Track and Field Complex on Thursday-Saturday, May 12-14.

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

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

The Zips' men squad will be looking to capture its ninth outdoor league championship, having won eight of the last 13 league titles overall.

On the women's side, the Zips are seeking their 10th overall outdoor championship after capturing the crown in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Akron under the leadership of 27th-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 Orthopaedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge. The Golden Flashes lead the series 7.0-5.0 in the current standings.

MAC MEET SCHEDULE: The MAC Championships will begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 12 at the Kanley Track and Field Complex with the start of the men's hammer. The multis commence with the 100-meter hurdles in the women's heptathlon and the 100 meters as part of the men's decathlon at 11:30 a.m. and noon, respectively. Running events kicks off with the women's 1,500 meters at 4:50 p.m., before the women's 10,000 meters culminate the opening day at 7:00 p.m. Second-day actions begins with the conclusion of the men's decathlon at 11 a.m. and the women's heptathlon at noon. Field events start with the men's shot put at 12:30 p.m., while running events will be bookended by the men's 100 meters at 3:10 p.m. and the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase at 6:05 p.m. The final day of the championship kicks off with men's discus at 10 a.m. The first running event is slated to begin at 1 p.m. with the men's 4x100 relay, before the meet wraps up with the women's 4x400 relay at 5 p.m. For a complete schedule of events, log on to MAC-Sports.com. Live results (click here) will be available throughout the meet.

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.

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

Junior Amya Clarke (Christ Church, St. Kitts and Nevis) triumphed in the women's 100 meters in 2021 in a time of 11.68.

Sophomore William Gross (Newfane, N.Y.) won the men's hammer with a mark of 219-9 (66.98m).

Freshman Jimmy Harkelroad (Huron, Ohio) bested the field in the men's 400-meters crossing the line in 51.87 and was named the MAC Freshman Track Performer of the Year.

Sophomore Dimitrije Novakovic (Belgrade, Serbia) claimed the title in the men's long jump with a mark of 24-4.50 (7.43m).

Redshirt sophomore Charles Sanders (Cincinnati, Ohio) earned the championship crossing the line first in the men's 400 meters in a time of 47.09.

NATIONAL RANKINGS: The University of Akron track and field teams have garnered recognition for their efforts during the 2022 outdoor season as the Zips are rated in the Event Squad rankings released on May 9, 2022, as part of the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field National Rating Index.

Akron is ranked ninth nationally in the men's long jump as well as rating among the top 30 in four different events.

The Zips also rate 10th in the men's hammer, 24th in the women's long jump and 26th in the women's 400-meter hurdles.

The Akron men and women are ranked ninth and 10th, respectively, in the latest Great Lakes Regional polls.

ZIPS RANK AMONG NATION'S BEST IN 2022 TFRRS RANKINGS: Akron has three student-athletes currently ranked in the top-30 nationally by the Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS) during the 2022 outdoor campaign, led by freshman Hunter Garretson (Newcomerstown, Ohio), who is fifth in the nation in the men's pole vault (18-4.75/5.61m).

Additionally, junior Jacqueline Pokuaah (Kumasi, Ghana), who is 10th in the nation in the women's triple jump (44-4.75/13.53m) and freshman Fegor Clifford (Delta State, Nigeria) is 16th in the women's 400-meter hurdles (57.41).

CRACKING THE ALL-TIME TOP-FIVE PERFORMANCES: The Zips have posted 23 marks that rank among the top-five performances in program history this season.

NAME	EVENT/DATE	RANK – MARK
Jacqueline Pokuaah	Women's Triple Jump – March 25	No. 1 – 44-4.75 (13.53m)
Alyssa Thomas	Women's 5,000 Meters – March 24	No. 3 – 16:45.37
Hunter Garretson	Men's Pole Vault – March 24	No. 4 – 17-6.50 (5.35m)
Jacob Ondash	Men's 1,500 Meters – March 24	No. 5 – 3:47.83
Zarik Brown	Men's 400 Meters – April 2	No. 5 – 46.85
Fegor Clifford	Women's 400M Hurdles – April 16	No. 1 – 57.41
Jimmy Harkelroad	Men's 400M Hurdles – April 16	No. 1 – 51.14
Alyssa Thomas	Women's 5,000 Meters – April 14	No. 2 – 16:28.99
Blake Lucius	Men's 800 Meters – April 14	No. 3 – 1:48.69
Jacob Ondash	Men's 1,500 Meters – April 15	No. 3 – 3:45.72
Caleb Mabins	Men's Triple Jump – April 16	No. 4 – 50-0 (15.24m)
Jacqueline Pokuaah	Women's Long Jump – April 15	No. 4 – 20-3.75 (6.19m)
Kyra Keurentjes	Women's 800 Meters – April 14	No. 5 – 2:07.50
Milton Wilson	Men's Hammer – April 14	No. 5 – 202-07 (61.76m)
Alyssa Thomas	Women's 10,000 Meters – April 22	No. 2 – 35:48.21
Jacob Ondash	Men's 1,500 Meters – April 22	No. 3 – 3:44.94
Fegor Clifford	Women's 400 Meters – April 23	No. 4 – 54.70
Hunter Garretson	Men's Pole Vault – April 23	No. 4 – 17-11.25 (5.47m)
Laurel Bristow	Women's Javelin - April 30	No. 2 – 164-1 (50.02m)
Jabari Neal-Jackson	Men's Hammer - April 29	No. 2 – 208-4 (63.49m)
Hunter Garretson	Men's Pole Vault - April 30	No. 3 – 18-4.75 (5.61m)
Dimitrije Novakovic	Men's Triple Jump - April 30	No. 3 – 51-0.25 (15.55m)
Adaeze Nwokike	Women's 100M Hurdles - April 30	No. 4 – 13.71

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.

Zarik Brown (5/1) - Indoor: 4x400 Relay - 2022 (1st-3:12.17), 2021 (1st-3:18.19), 2020 (1st-3:07.89); 60 Meters - 2022 (1st-6.72); Outdoor: 400 meters - 2021 (1st-47.71), 2020 (2nd-46.86); Hesham Eldesouky (5/0) - Indoor: Triple Jump - 2022 (1st-52-6/16.00m), 2021 (1st-51-10.50/15.81m), 2019 (1st-52-6/16.00m); Long Jump - 2022 (1st-24-9.25/7.55m), 2021 (1st-24-1.50/7.35m); Charles Sanders (4/1) - Indoor: 4x400 Relay - 2022 (1st-3:12.17), 2021 (1st-3:18.19); 400 Meters - 2022 (1st-47.01); Outdoor: 400 Meters - 2021 (1st-47.09); 4x100 Relay - 2021 (2nd-40.74); Blake Lucius (4/0) - Indoor: 4x400 Relay - 2022 (1st-3:12.17); 800 Meters - 2022 (1st-1:50.94), 2021 (1st-1:53.75), DMR - 2022 (1st-9:48.59); Jacqueline Pokuaah (3/1) - Indoor: 60-Meter Hurdles - 2021 (1st-8.59); Triple Jump - 2021 (1st-40-9/12.42m); Long Jump: 2021 (1st-19-11/6.07m); Outdoor: Triple Jump - 2021 (2nd-41-0.50/12.51m); Amya Clarke (3/0) - Indoor: 60 Meters - 2022 (1st-7.34); 200 Meters - 2022 (1st-24.09); Outdoor: 100 Meters - 2021 (11.68); Sara Foster (2/1) - Indoor: Pentathlon - 2021 (2nd-3,540), 2020 (1st-3,645); Outdoor: Heptathlon - 2019 (1st-4,808); Jimmy Harkelroad (2/1) - Indoor: 4x400 Relay - 2022 (1st-3:12.17); 400 Meters - (2nd-47.44); Outdoor: 400-Meter Hurdles - (1st-51.87); Hunter Garretson (2/0) - Indoor: Pole Vault - 2022 (1st-17-4.50/5.30m), 2021 (1st-17-9.75/5.43m); Nuh Andu (1/4) - Indoor: High Jump - 2022 (6-10.25/2.09m), 2021 (2nd- 7-2.25/2.19m), 2020 (1st-6-11/2.11m), 2019 (2nd-6-11.50/2.12m); Outdoor: High Jump - 2021 (2nd-6-10.75/2.10m); Fegor Clifford (1/2) - Indoor: Triple Jump - 2022 (1st-41-11.25/12.78m); 400 Meters - 2022 (2nd-55.02); Outdoor: 400-Meter Hurdles - 2021 (2nd-58.90); Kyra Keurentjes (1/1) - Indoor: 800 Meters - 2021 (1st-2:12.08); Outdoor: 800 Meters - 2021 (2nd-2:08.46); Varvara Lissichkina (1/1) - Indoor: 800 Meters - 2022 (1st-2:10.24), 2020 (2nd-2:08.66); Dimitrije Novakovic (1/1) - Indoor: Long Jump - 2021 (2nd-23-9/7.24m); Outdoor: Long Jump - 2021 - (1st-24-4.50/7.43m); Jacob Ondash (1/1) - Indoor: DMR - 2022 (1st-9:48.59), 2019 (2nd-10:06.82); Jean Dieuvil (1/0) - Indoor: DMR - 2022 (1st-9:48.59); William Gross (1/0) - Outdoor: Hammer - 2021 (1st-219-9/66.98m); Oliver Huffman (1/0) - Indoor: DMR - 2022 (1st-9:48.59); Lindsey Scarton (1/0) - Indoor: DMR - 2019 (1st-11:37.61); Jace Roundtree (0/2) - Indoor: 60-Meter Hurdles - 2020 (2nd-8.06); Outdoor: 4x100 Relay - (2nd-40.74); Beth Arentz (0/1) - Indoor: Mile - 2022 (2nd-4:51.98); Robert Artrip (0/1) - Outdoor: Pole Vault - 2021 (2nd-16-7.25/5.06m); Mackenna Heimlich (0/1) - Indoor: 800 Meters - 2022 (2nd-2:10.57); Jayce Shaffer (0/1) - Outdoor: 4x100 Relay - (2nd-40.74); Taylor Shriver (0/1) - Indoor: Pole Vault - 2022 (2nd-13-4.25/4.07m)

2021 MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS (MAY 7-8, 2021 | OXFORD, OHIO):
On the strength of Akron's performances, the Zips finished in second place in the men's team race at the 2021 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Oxford, Ohio, with 150.50 points, 10.5 points behind league champion Miami. The Akron women's squad placed fourth with 83.50 points to place fourth behind league champion Kent State (102), Eastern Michigan (90) and Miami (89).

For full recap click here

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Akron Women
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