The University of Akron Athletics
Friday, February 17
Akron, Ohio
University of Akron
vs
Fourth Annual Al Campbell Invitational
Akron Hosts Fourth Annual Al Campbell Invitational
February 16 | Track & Field
AL CAMPBELL INVITATIONAL: MEET INFORMATION (PDF) | SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (PDF) | LIVE STATS | LIVE STREAM
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron men's and women's track and field teams will welcome a 12-team field to the Stile Athletics Field House for the Zips' final tune-up before the Mid-American Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, Feb. 24-25, as the squad hosts the Fourth Annual Al Campbell Invitational on Friday, Feb. 17.
DIGITAL TICKETING
Mobile tickets are available for $10 at www.GoZips.com/tickets and must be purchased in advance. Mobile ticketing will be utilized for all home Akron track and field meets this season. Akron students with valid ID will be admitted free of charge. All fans should enter through the Akron student recreation center main entrance. Doors will open to the public at 3:00 p.m. on Friday.
As part of our ongoing effort to enhance our fan experience and improve safety at all of our venues, we are excited to deliver a convenient way for fans to access tickets and parking passes for every Akron home event directly on their smartphone.
GoZips.com/Tickets will be the easiest and most convenient way for fans to access their Zips ticket account. To save time at the venue, fans are encouraged to save tickets and parking to their Apple Wallet or Google Pay apps prior to arrival on game day.
GoZips.com/Tickets is the easiest way for a fan to access their tickets and parking on their mobile browser and log in with their email or Zips tickets account number and password.
REMEMBERING COACH AL CAMPBELL: This marks the fourth year that Akron's final indoor meet of the regular season has been named in honor of the late Zips' track and field coach Al Campbell. Formerly the Zips Invitational, the meet was dedicated with Campbell in attendance at the 2019 Campbell/Wright Invitational.
Akron's final home outdoor meet was named in his honor in 1996 before later being billed as the Campbell/Wright Invitational in 2003.
Campbell, who passed away in December of 2019, spent over 30 years as a coach and educator at the University of Akron, while also coaching women's teams at Walsh University for nearly 20 years.
A four-year letterwinner for the Zips in track and cross country, Campbell earned his bachelor's degree in education from Akron in 1964.
A graduate of Garfield High School in Akron, Campbell first burst onto Akron sports scene as a freshman in 1960 when he garnered first-place finishes, while establishing course records, in the initial two races of his Zips' career. In 1960, Campbell won the Touchdown Club Award as the Most Valuable Runner as a freshman. It was an honor Campbell was to receive in all four years of varsity competition – an achievement reached by no other Akron runner before or since.
Campbell was a member of three undefeated track teams that captured the Ohio Conference Championships in 1961 (9-0), '62 (8-0) and '63 (8-0). The latter two seasons the Zips captured the NCAA Mideast Regional title as well. By the time Campbell concluded his career with another MVP Award in track he owned the records in the 2-mile, 3-mile and 4-mile events.
UP NEXT: The University of Akron men's and women's track and field teams return to competition this weekend hosting the Al Campbell Invitational.
Akron will welcome competitors from Buffalo, Capital, Central State, Duquesne, Kent State, Lake Erie, Malone, Pittsburgh, Walsh, Westminster (Pa.) and Youngstown State. The first of 29 events get underway with the men's high jump, long jump and weight throw along with the women's long jump, pole vault and shot put at 4 p.m. and runs through the women's 5,000 meters that is scheduled to begin at 7:35 p.m.
Live stats from the Al Campbell Invitational will be available at GoZips.com.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: The University of Akron track and field teams have garnered recognition for their efforts during the 2023 indoor season as the Zips are rated in the Event Squad rankings released on Feb. 13, 2023, as part of the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field National Rating Index.
Akron ranked 14th nationally in the men's weight throw as well as rating among the top 25 in two different events.
The Zips also rated 20th in the men's pole vault.
ZIPS RANK AMONG NATION'S BEST IN 2023 TFRRS RANKINGS: Akron have five student-athletes ranked in the top-50 nationally by the Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS) during the 2023 indoor campaign, including, Hunter Garretson, who is 20th in the nation in the men's pole vault (17-10.50/5.45m).
Also rated among the top-50 is the men's distance medley relay squad of redshirt senior Oliver Huffman (Augusta, Ga.) and freshmen Silas Bush (Springfield, Ohio), Zayd Elkurd (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) and Brian Masai (Kitale, Kenya) (36th in the men's DMR – 9:55.98).
CRACKING THE ALL-TIME TOP-FIVE PERFORMANCES: The Zips have added one school record as part of six overall top-five performances in program history to the record book during the 2023 indoor campaign.
A WEEK AGO: The University of Akron track and field team's Brian Masai registered a school-record time of 13:46.76 in the men's 5,000 meters at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational hosted by Boston University on Saturday, Feb. 11.
Earlier in the day, Akron posted four victories as part of 16 overall top-five finishes at the Spire Indoor Games at the Spire Institute.
Additionally, the Zips capped their efforts at the Don Kirby Invitational hosted by New Mexico on Feb. 11 with sophomore Brynn Rychlik (Marysville, Ohio) capturing the women's pole vault.
Hunter Garretson also eclipsed 17-6.25 (5.34m) in the men's pole vault to headline the Zips' efforts on the opening day of the Don Kirby Invitational on Friday, Jan. 10
For David Hemery Valentine Invitational recap (click here)
For Don Kirby Day One recap (click here)
For Don Kirby Day Two recap (click here)
For Spire Indoor Games recap (click here)
TOP MARKS:
Akron Men
Click Here
Akron Women
Click Here
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron men's and women's track and field teams will welcome a 12-team field to the Stile Athletics Field House for the Zips' final tune-up before the Mid-American Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, Feb. 24-25, as the squad hosts the Fourth Annual Al Campbell Invitational on Friday, Feb. 17.
DIGITAL TICKETING
Mobile tickets are available for $10 at www.GoZips.com/tickets and must be purchased in advance. Mobile ticketing will be utilized for all home Akron track and field meets this season. Akron students with valid ID will be admitted free of charge. All fans should enter through the Akron student recreation center main entrance. Doors will open to the public at 3:00 p.m. on Friday.
As part of our ongoing effort to enhance our fan experience and improve safety at all of our venues, we are excited to deliver a convenient way for fans to access tickets and parking passes for every Akron home event directly on their smartphone.
GoZips.com/Tickets will be the easiest and most convenient way for fans to access their Zips ticket account. To save time at the venue, fans are encouraged to save tickets and parking to their Apple Wallet or Google Pay apps prior to arrival on game day.
GoZips.com/Tickets is the easiest way for a fan to access their tickets and parking on their mobile browser and log in with their email or Zips tickets account number and password.
REMEMBERING COACH AL CAMPBELL: This marks the fourth year that Akron's final indoor meet of the regular season has been named in honor of the late Zips' track and field coach Al Campbell. Formerly the Zips Invitational, the meet was dedicated with Campbell in attendance at the 2019 Campbell/Wright Invitational.
Akron's final home outdoor meet was named in his honor in 1996 before later being billed as the Campbell/Wright Invitational in 2003.
Campbell, who passed away in December of 2019, spent over 30 years as a coach and educator at the University of Akron, while also coaching women's teams at Walsh University for nearly 20 years.
A four-year letterwinner for the Zips in track and cross country, Campbell earned his bachelor's degree in education from Akron in 1964.
A graduate of Garfield High School in Akron, Campbell first burst onto Akron sports scene as a freshman in 1960 when he garnered first-place finishes, while establishing course records, in the initial two races of his Zips' career. In 1960, Campbell won the Touchdown Club Award as the Most Valuable Runner as a freshman. It was an honor Campbell was to receive in all four years of varsity competition – an achievement reached by no other Akron runner before or since.
Campbell was a member of three undefeated track teams that captured the Ohio Conference Championships in 1961 (9-0), '62 (8-0) and '63 (8-0). The latter two seasons the Zips captured the NCAA Mideast Regional title as well. By the time Campbell concluded his career with another MVP Award in track he owned the records in the 2-mile, 3-mile and 4-mile events.
UP NEXT: The University of Akron men's and women's track and field teams return to competition this weekend hosting the Al Campbell Invitational.
Akron will welcome competitors from Buffalo, Capital, Central State, Duquesne, Kent State, Lake Erie, Malone, Pittsburgh, Walsh, Westminster (Pa.) and Youngstown State. The first of 29 events get underway with the men's high jump, long jump and weight throw along with the women's long jump, pole vault and shot put at 4 p.m. and runs through the women's 5,000 meters that is scheduled to begin at 7:35 p.m.
Live stats from the Al Campbell Invitational will be available at GoZips.com.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: The University of Akron track and field teams have garnered recognition for their efforts during the 2023 indoor season as the Zips are rated in the Event Squad rankings released on Feb. 13, 2023, as part of the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field National Rating Index.
Akron ranked 14th nationally in the men's weight throw as well as rating among the top 25 in two different events.
The Zips also rated 20th in the men's pole vault.
ZIPS RANK AMONG NATION'S BEST IN 2023 TFRRS RANKINGS: Akron have five student-athletes ranked in the top-50 nationally by the Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS) during the 2023 indoor campaign, including, Hunter Garretson, who is 20th in the nation in the men's pole vault (17-10.50/5.45m).
Also rated among the top-50 is the men's distance medley relay squad of redshirt senior Oliver Huffman (Augusta, Ga.) and freshmen Silas Bush (Springfield, Ohio), Zayd Elkurd (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) and Brian Masai (Kitale, Kenya) (36th in the men's DMR – 9:55.98).
CRACKING THE ALL-TIME TOP-FIVE PERFORMANCES: The Zips have added one school record as part of six overall top-five performances in program history to the record book during the 2023 indoor campaign.
| NAME | EVENT/DATE | RANK – MARK |
| Brian Masai | Men's 3,000M – Jan. 20 | No. 3 – 8:10.74 |
| Brian Masai | Men's Mile – Jan. 27 | No. 2 – 4:03.21 |
| Hunter Garretson | Men's Pole Vault – Jan. 27 | No. 4 – 17-10.50 (5.45m) |
| Vanessa Horn | Women's 400M – Jan. 28 | No. 5 – 55.24 |
| Oliver Huffman, Silas Bush, Zayd Elkurd, Brian Masai | Men's DMR – Jan. 28 | No. 5 – 9:55.98 |
| Brian Masai | Men's 5,000M – Feb. 11 | No. 1 – 13:46.76 |
A WEEK AGO: The University of Akron track and field team's Brian Masai registered a school-record time of 13:46.76 in the men's 5,000 meters at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational hosted by Boston University on Saturday, Feb. 11.
Earlier in the day, Akron posted four victories as part of 16 overall top-five finishes at the Spire Indoor Games at the Spire Institute.
Additionally, the Zips capped their efforts at the Don Kirby Invitational hosted by New Mexico on Feb. 11 with sophomore Brynn Rychlik (Marysville, Ohio) capturing the women's pole vault.
Hunter Garretson also eclipsed 17-6.25 (5.34m) in the men's pole vault to headline the Zips' efforts on the opening day of the Don Kirby Invitational on Friday, Jan. 10
For David Hemery Valentine Invitational recap (click here)
For Don Kirby Day One recap (click here)
For Don Kirby Day Two recap (click here)
For Spire Indoor Games recap (click here)
TOP MARKS:
Akron Men
Click Here
Akron Women
Click Here
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Track & Field
Multis
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
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