Zips Set to Compete in Pair of Weekend Meets

Friday, May 3

University Park, Pa.

All Day

University of Akron

Jim Thorpe Invitational

May 02 | Track & Field

JIM THORPE INVITATIONAL: MEET INFORMATION (PDF) | LIVE STATS
WVU LAST CHANCE MEET: MEET INFORMATION (PDF) | LIVE STATS

AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron men's and women's track and field team will culminate its preparations for the upcoming Mid-American Conference Championships (May 9-11) traveling to the Jim Thorpe Invitational hosted by Penn State on Friday (May 3) before participating at the West Virginia Last Chance meet on Saturday (May 4).

UP NEXT: Akron is sending competitors to the Jim Thorpe Invitational in University Park, Pa., as well as the WVU Last Chance meet in Morgantown, W.Va.

Live stats will be available at GoZips.com.

A WEEK AGO: The University of Akron track and field team garnered 15 victories as part of 34 overall top-three performances at the Len Paddock Invitational and the Grand Valley State Extra Weekend meet a week ago.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Freshman Timothy Chesondin (Eldoret, Kenya) won the men's 10,000 meters in a career-best time of 29:30.20. His effort stands as the No. 2 mark in outdoor program history.
• Sophomore Brian Masai (Kitale, Kenya) crossed the line in a career-best time of 3:44.26 in the men's 1,500 meters to garner a second-place finish. His effort represents the No. 3 time in outdoor program history.
• Sophomore Tysean Baronette (Middletown, Dela.) captured the men's 200 meters in a career-best time of 20.46, the third-fastest time in outdoor program history.
• Sophomore Vanessa Horn (Ludwigsfelde, Germany) bested the field in a career-best time of 54.98.
• Redshirt junior Jimmy Harkelroad (Huron, Ohio) won the men's 400-meter hurdles crossing the line in 52.55.
• Junior Joy Nwokike (Benin City, Nigeria) triumphed in the women's 200 meters in a career-best time of 23.11.
• Redshirt junior Hunter Garretson (Newcomerstown) eclipsed 18-0.50 (5.50m) to win the men's pole vault.
• Junior Adaeze Nwokike (Benin City, Nigeria) crossed the line first in the women's 400-meter hurdles in a time of 61.62.
• Senior Dimitrije Novakovic (Belgrade, Serbia) finished first in the men's triple jump with a mark of 48-10 (14.88m).
• Freshman Megan Hipple (Warren, Ohio) won the women's 1,500 meters in a time of 4:37.22.
• Freshman Braylyn Farrington (Alabaster, Ala.) triumphed in the men's 400 meters in 48.84.
• Redshirt sophomore Gabrielle Griffiths (Fort Worth, Ohio) edged the field in the women's hammer with a career-best mark of 175-7 (53.53m).
• Freshman Mason Birch (Strongsville, Ohio) cleared 6-1.25 (1.86m) to take the men's high jump.
• The women's 4x100 relay team of freshman Ayanna Stafford (Columbus, Ohio), junior Jamari Davis (Ontario, Calif.), sophomore Tai'Yanna Cage (West Palm Beach, Fla.) and Joy Nwokike finished first in 45.84.
• The men's 4x400 relay team of Baronette, freshmen Logan Thompson (Boardman, Ohio) and Majid Abuaun (Rocky River, Ohio) and sophomore Caden Dawson (Chardon, Ohio) crossed the line first in 3:21.19.
• The women's 4x400 relay squad of Davis, redshirt junior Maddie Heimlich (Shelby, Ohio), freshman Sade Lewis (Macedonia, Ohio) and redshirt senior Makenna Heimlich (Shelby, Ohio) won in a time of 3:57.43.

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 30, 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 17th nationally in the men's hammer as well as 19th in the men's shot put and men's 200 meters and 21st in the men's discus.

ZIPS RANK AMONG NATION'S BEST IN 2024 TFRRS RANKINGS: Akron has a trio of student-athletes 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 17th in the men's 5,000 meters (13:34.26), Tysean Baronette is 23rd in the men's 200 meters (20.46) and Jimmy Harkelroad is rated 34th in the men's 400-meter hurdles (51.12).

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 12 overall top-five performance in program history to the record book during the 2024 outdoor campaign, including a trio 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
Joy Nwokike	Women's 400M – April 20	No. 1 – 53.53
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
Timothy Chesondin	Men's 10,000M – April 11	No. 2 – 29:40.36
Timothy Chesondin	Men's 10,000M – April 25	No. 2 – 29:30.20
Sharon Chepchirchir	Women's 5,000M – April 12	No. 3 – 16:34.80
Joy Nwokike	Women's 200M – April 20	No. 3 – 23.44
Tysean Baronette	Men's 200M – April 27	No. 3 – 20.46
Brian Masai	Men's 1,500M – April 25	No. 3 – 3:44.26
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