The University of Akron Athletics
Friday, April 5
Akron, Ohio
11:00 AM
University of Akron
vs
Northeast Ohio Open
Akron to Host Northeast Ohio Open
April 04 | Track & Field
NORTHEAST OHIO OPEN: MEET INFORMATION (PDF) | LIVE STATS
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron men's and women's track and field team is set to host the Northeast Ohio Open this Friday and Saturday, April 5-6, at the Lee R. Jackson Track and Field Complex.
UP NEXT: The University of Akron men's and women's track and field teams return to competition this weekend hosting the Northeast Ohio Open.
Akron will welcome competitors from Akron, Cedarville, Kent State, Miami, Mount Union, Tiffin and Youngstown State. The first of 35 events get underway with the women's hammer at 1 p.m. on Friday. The women's long jump and shot put and men's discus commences action on Saturday at 12 p.m. before the meet concludes with the men's and women's 4x400 relays at 4:55 p.m.
Live stats of the Northeast Ohio Open will be available at GoZips.com.
A WEEK AGO: Akron competed in five meets a week ago as the Zips participated in the Florida Relays (Gainesville, Fla.), Oliver Nikoloff Invitational (Cincinnati, Ohio), Raleigh Relays (Raleigh, N.C.), Texas Relays (Austin, Texas) and Tiffleberg Open (Tiffin, Ohio).
• Redshirt junior Hunter Garretson (Newcomerstown, Ohio) eclipsed a career-best and NCAA-leading mark of 19-1.50 (5.83m) to capture the men's pole vault invitational title on the final day of the Texas Relays on March 30.
• Junior Joy Nwokike (Benin City, Nigeria) ran a school-record time of 54.00 to win the women's 400 meters at the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational on March 30, while junior Adaeze Nwokike (Benin City, Nigeria) won the women's 400-meter hurdles crossing the line in 62.46.
• Redshirt senior Robert Artrip (Independence, Ohio) won the men's pole vault at the Tiffleberg Open on March 30 with a clearance of 16-4.75 (5.00m), while redshirt junior Davis Hedrick (Norwalk, Ohio) captured the men's discus with a mark of 165-10 (50.56m).
• Freshman Sharon Chepchirchir (Kapsabet, Kenya) crossed the line in the women's 10,000 meters at the Raleigh Relays on March 29 in a career-best time of 35:05.70, the second-fastest performance in outdoor program history.
• Sophomore Brian Masai (Kitale, Kenya) opened his outdoor campaign breaking his own school record in the men's 5,000 meters at the Raleigh Relays on March 28 crossing the line in 13:34.26 to place fourth.
• Junior Lane Graham (Killbuck, Ohio) placed second in the men's hammer at the Tiffleberg Open on March 30 with the No. 5 mark in outdoor program history with a throw of 206-5 (62.92m).
NATIONAL RANKINGS: The University of Akron track and field teams have garnered recognition for their efforts during the 2024 outdoor season as the Zips are rated among the top-30 in the Event Squad rankings released on April 1, 2024, 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 10th nationally in the men's hammer and 27th in the men's discus.
ZIPS RANK AMONG NATION'S BEST IN 2024 TFRRS RANKINGS: Akron had one student-athlete ranked in the top-50 nationally by the Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS) for the 2024 outdoor campaign, including, Hunter Garretson, who is first in the nation in the men's pole vault (19-1.50/5.83m).
Additionally, Brian Masai is ranked fourth in the men's 5,000 meters (13:34.26) and Joy Nwokike is 50th in the women's 400 meters (54.00).
GARRETSON AND MASAI NAMED MAC TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES OF THE WEEK: Hunter Garretson and Brian Masai were honored by the Mid-American Conference as its Track and Field Athletes of the Week, the league announced on Wednesday (April 3).
GARRETSON NAMED ELITE 90 WINNER: Hunter Garretson was the recipient of the Elite 90 award for the 2024 NCAA Division Men's Track and Field Indoor Championship.
Garretson, who is majoring in mathematics, boasts a perfect 4.0 GPA, was presented with the award during a presentation on March 8.
Winning the honor for the second consecutive season, Garretson became only the third multiple-time recipient of the award in Division I men's track and field joining Cincinnati's Adrian Valles (2017-Indoor | 2018-Indoor) and Nebraska's John Welk (2013-Outdoor | 2014-Outdoor).
The honor is the third time a Zip has garnered the distinguished honor joining Tyler Sanda, who won the award as a member of the Akron men's soccer team in 2015.
GARRETSON AND MASAI NAMED MAC MOST OUTSTANDING PERFORMERS: Hunter Garretson and Brian Masai were honored by the Mid-American Conference as its 2024 Indoor Track and Field Men's Most Outstanding Track and Field Performers of the Year, the league unveiled on Feb. 28.
Garretson captured his sixth career MAC title besting the field in the men's pole vault with a mark of 18-2 (5.53m). He owns the No. 2 mark in the NCAA this season in the pole vault with a mark of 18-9.25 (5.72m) set at the Al Campbell Invitational on Feb. 16.
Masai claimed a pair of league titles winning the men's mile and 3,000 meters in times of 4:07.77 and 8:12.57, respectively, while running the anchor leg of the fourth-place distance medley relay squad. He set a school-record time of 8:02.50 in the 3,000 meters at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational on Feb. 10.
CRACKING THE ALL-TIME TOP-FIVE PERFORMANCES: The Zips have added five overall top-five performance in program history to the record book during the 2024 outdoor campaign, including a pair of school-record efforts. Additionally, Akron posted 10 top-five marks during the indoor season.
Outdoor
Indoor
TOP MARKS:
Akron Men
Click Here
Akron Women
Click Here
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron men's and women's track and field team is set to host the Northeast Ohio Open this Friday and Saturday, April 5-6, at the Lee R. Jackson Track and Field Complex.
UP NEXT: The University of Akron men's and women's track and field teams return to competition this weekend hosting the Northeast Ohio Open.
Akron will welcome competitors from Akron, Cedarville, Kent State, Miami, Mount Union, Tiffin and Youngstown State. The first of 35 events get underway with the women's hammer at 1 p.m. on Friday. The women's long jump and shot put and men's discus commences action on Saturday at 12 p.m. before the meet concludes with the men's and women's 4x400 relays at 4:55 p.m.
Live stats of the Northeast Ohio Open will be available at GoZips.com.
A WEEK AGO: Akron competed in five meets a week ago as the Zips participated in the Florida Relays (Gainesville, Fla.), Oliver Nikoloff Invitational (Cincinnati, Ohio), Raleigh Relays (Raleigh, N.C.), Texas Relays (Austin, Texas) and Tiffleberg Open (Tiffin, Ohio).
• Redshirt junior Hunter Garretson (Newcomerstown, Ohio) eclipsed a career-best and NCAA-leading mark of 19-1.50 (5.83m) to capture the men's pole vault invitational title on the final day of the Texas Relays on March 30.
• Junior Joy Nwokike (Benin City, Nigeria) ran a school-record time of 54.00 to win the women's 400 meters at the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational on March 30, while junior Adaeze Nwokike (Benin City, Nigeria) won the women's 400-meter hurdles crossing the line in 62.46.
• Redshirt senior Robert Artrip (Independence, Ohio) won the men's pole vault at the Tiffleberg Open on March 30 with a clearance of 16-4.75 (5.00m), while redshirt junior Davis Hedrick (Norwalk, Ohio) captured the men's discus with a mark of 165-10 (50.56m).
• Freshman Sharon Chepchirchir (Kapsabet, Kenya) crossed the line in the women's 10,000 meters at the Raleigh Relays on March 29 in a career-best time of 35:05.70, the second-fastest performance in outdoor program history.
• Sophomore Brian Masai (Kitale, Kenya) opened his outdoor campaign breaking his own school record in the men's 5,000 meters at the Raleigh Relays on March 28 crossing the line in 13:34.26 to place fourth.
• Junior Lane Graham (Killbuck, Ohio) placed second in the men's hammer at the Tiffleberg Open on March 30 with the No. 5 mark in outdoor program history with a throw of 206-5 (62.92m).
NATIONAL RANKINGS: The University of Akron track and field teams have garnered recognition for their efforts during the 2024 outdoor season as the Zips are rated among the top-30 in the Event Squad rankings released on April 1, 2024, 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 10th nationally in the men's hammer and 27th in the men's discus.
ZIPS RANK AMONG NATION'S BEST IN 2024 TFRRS RANKINGS: Akron had one student-athlete ranked in the top-50 nationally by the Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS) for the 2024 outdoor campaign, including, Hunter Garretson, who is first in the nation in the men's pole vault (19-1.50/5.83m).
Additionally, Brian Masai is ranked fourth in the men's 5,000 meters (13:34.26) and Joy Nwokike is 50th in the women's 400 meters (54.00).
GARRETSON AND MASAI NAMED MAC TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES OF THE WEEK: Hunter Garretson and Brian Masai were honored by the Mid-American Conference as its Track and Field Athletes of the Week, the league announced on Wednesday (April 3).
GARRETSON NAMED ELITE 90 WINNER: Hunter Garretson was the recipient of the Elite 90 award for the 2024 NCAA Division Men's Track and Field Indoor Championship.
Garretson, who is majoring in mathematics, boasts a perfect 4.0 GPA, was presented with the award during a presentation on March 8.
Winning the honor for the second consecutive season, Garretson became only the third multiple-time recipient of the award in Division I men's track and field joining Cincinnati's Adrian Valles (2017-Indoor | 2018-Indoor) and Nebraska's John Welk (2013-Outdoor | 2014-Outdoor).
The honor is the third time a Zip has garnered the distinguished honor joining Tyler Sanda, who won the award as a member of the Akron men's soccer team in 2015.
GARRETSON AND MASAI NAMED MAC MOST OUTSTANDING PERFORMERS: Hunter Garretson and Brian Masai were honored by the Mid-American Conference as its 2024 Indoor Track and Field Men's Most Outstanding Track and Field Performers of the Year, the league unveiled on Feb. 28.
Garretson captured his sixth career MAC title besting the field in the men's pole vault with a mark of 18-2 (5.53m). He owns the No. 2 mark in the NCAA this season in the pole vault with a mark of 18-9.25 (5.72m) set at the Al Campbell Invitational on Feb. 16.
Masai claimed a pair of league titles winning the men's mile and 3,000 meters in times of 4:07.77 and 8:12.57, respectively, while running the anchor leg of the fourth-place distance medley relay squad. He set a school-record time of 8:02.50 in the 3,000 meters at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational on Feb. 10.
CRACKING THE ALL-TIME TOP-FIVE PERFORMANCES: The Zips have added five overall top-five performance in program history to the record book during the 2024 outdoor campaign, including a pair of school-record efforts. Additionally, Akron posted 10 top-five marks during the indoor season.
Outdoor
| NAME | EVENT/DATE | RANK – MARK |
| Brian Masai | Men's 5,000M – March 28 | No. 1 – 13:34.26 |
| Joy Nwokike | Women's 400M – March 30 | No. 1 – 54.00 |
| Hunter Garretson | Men's Pole Vault – March 30 | No. 2 – 19-1.50 (5.83m) |
| Sharon Chepchirchir | Women's 10,000M – March 29 | No. 2 – 35:05.70 |
| Lane Graham | Men's Hammer – March 30 | No. 5 – 206-5 (62.92m) |
Indoor
| NAME | EVENT/DATE | RANK – MARK |
| Jabari Neal-Jackson | Weight Throw – Jan. 19 | No. 4 – 65-8 (20.03m) |
| Titus Kirui, Braylyn Farrington, Jean Dieuvil, Brian Masai | Men's DMR – Jan. 27 | No. 2 – 9:43.92 |
| Vanessa Horn, Jamari Davis, Jade Celestine, Adaeze Nwokike | Women's 4x400 Relay – Jan. 27 | No. 3 – 3:44.78 |
| Sharon Chepchirchir | Women's 5,000M – Jan. 27 | No. 3 – 16:57.32 |
| Hunter Garretson | Pole Vault – Feb. 16 | No. 3 – 18-9.25 (5.72m) |
| Brian Masai | Men's 3,000M – Feb. 10 | No. 1 – 4:02.50 |
| Vanessa Horn, Jamari Davis, Jade Celestine, Joy Nwokike | Women's 4x400 Relay – Feb. 10 | No. 2 – 3:42.84 |
| Charles Sanders, Andrew Styles, AJ Jordan, Jimmy Harkelroad | Men's 4x400 Relay – Feb. 10 | No. 5 – 3:11.34 |
| Sharon Chepchirchir | Women's 5,000M – Feb. 23 | No. 1 – 16:42.31 |
| Joy Nwokike | Women's 60M – Feb. 24 | No. 3 – 7.45 |
TOP MARKS:
Akron Men
Click Here
Akron Women
Click Here
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