Akron Track and Field Set for Pair of Weekend Competitions

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Action Photo - Akron Track and Field - 4-22-26

Akron Track and Field Set for Pair of Weekend Competitions

April 22 | Track & Field

AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron men's and women's track and field team will compete in a pair of weekend meets as the Zips will participate in the Penn Relays in Philadelphia along with the Ashland Alumni Open in Ashland, Ohio.

UP NEXT: The Zips will compete at the Penn Relays hosted by Penn on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (April 23-25), while also participating in the Ashland Alumni Open hosted by Ashland on Saturday.

Live stats will be available at GoZips.com.

ALLEN AND WENDL EARN MAC TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK HONORS: Akron redshirt seniors Cassidy Allen (Lakewood, N.Y.) and Owen Wendl (Medina, Ohio) were honored by the Mid-American Conference as its Track and Field Athletes of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday (April 21).

Wendl and Allen were tabbed the men's and women's Field Athletes of the Week.

Allen won the pole vault at the Sparky Adams Invitational with a career-best clearance of 4.18m (13-8.50). Her mark leads the MAC this season and ranks 44th in the NCAA.

Wendl won both the shot put and discus at the John Papa Invitational. He extended his own school record in the shot put with a mark of 62-1 (18.92m), which leads the MAC and ranks No. 20 in the NCAA, while also finishing first in the discus with a throw of 175-7 (53.52m).

TOP TIMES IN THE MAC: The Zips currently own 14 overall performances that lead the Mid-American Conference during the outdoor campaign.

Outdoor

NAME	EVENT/DATE	RANK – MARK
AJ Jordan	Men's 200M	No. 1 – 20.77
Jackline Nanjala	Women's 400M	No. 1 – 52.87
Megan Hipple	Women's 10,00M	No. 1 – 33:25.83
Amari Pratt Te'Aira Branham-Patrick Vanessa Horn Mariyah Moore	Women's 4x100 Relay	No. 1 – 44.68
Braylyn Farrington AJ Jordan Jalen McCoy Andrew Styles	Men's 4x400 Relay	No. 1 – 3:08.29
Vanessa Horn McKenzie McNitt Mariyah Moore Jackline Nanjala	Women's 4x400 Relay	No. 1 – 3:37.05
Kaden Rambatt	Men's Pole Vault	No. 1 – 16-9.25 (5.11m)
Cassidy Allen	Women's Pole Vault	No. 1 – 13-8.50 (4.18m)
Jeffrey Usman	Men's Long Jump	No. 1 – 24-1.50 (7.35m)
Owen Wendl	Men's Shot Put	No. 1 – 62-0.50 (18.91m)
Brook Boes	Women's Shot Put	No. 1 – 50-4.50 (15.35m)
Owen Wendl	Men's Discus	No. 1 – 184-0 (56.09m)
Lane Graham	Men's Hammer	No. 1 – 219-11 (67.03m)
Gabrielle Griffith	Women's Hammer	No. 1 – 194-9 (59.36m)

TOP TIMES IN THE MAC: The Zips registered 10 overall top performances in the Mid-American Conference during the indoor campaign.

Indoor

NAME	EVENT/DATE	RANK – MARK
Cassidy Allen	Women's Pole Vault	No. 1 – 14-2 (4.32m)
Isaac Baltic	Men's Pole Vault	No. 1 – 17-4.50 (5.30m)
Brook Boes	Women's Shot Put	No. 1 – 52-2.75 (15.92m)
Brook Boes	Women's Weight Throw	No. 1 –67-4.25 (20.53m)
Lane Graham	Men's Weight Throw	No. 1 – 67-4 (20.52m)
Megan Hipple	Women's 5,000 Meters	No. 1 – 15:53.23
AJ Jordan	Men's 200 Meters	No. 1 – 21.12
Jackline Nanjala	Women's 400 Meters	No. 1 – 53.92
Owen Wendl	Men's Shot Put	No. 1 – 60-8 (18.49m)
4x400 Relay (W)	Women's 4x400 Relay	No. 1 – 3:41.04

LAST TIME OUT:
Akron turned in a weekend full of strong performances at a trio of meets.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
• Junior Megan Hipple (Warren, Ohio) posted a school-record time of 33:25.83 in the women's 10,000 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational.
• Redshirt senior Owen Wendl (Medina, Ohio) captured the men's shot put extending his own school-record mark with a throw of 62-1 (18.92m), while also finishing first in the men's discus with a mark of 175-7 (53.52m).
• Redshirt senior Brook Boes (Tiffin, Ohio) was a double-winner besting the field in the women's discus (168-6/51.37m) and shot put (48-7.75/14.83m).
• Redshirt senior Gabrielle Griffiths (Fort Worth, Texas) won the women's hammer with a mark of 193-8 (59.03m).
• Redshirt senior Cassidy Allen (Lakewood, N.Y.) eclipsed a career-best 13-8.50 (4.18m) to take the title in the women's pole vault, while junior Jessica Mason (Holland, Ohio) finished second with a mark of 12-8.75 (3.88m).
• Junior AJ Jordan (Columbus, Ohio) won the 100 meters in a career-best time of 10.45, while junior Andrew Styles (Freeport, Bahamas) placed second in 10.49.
• Senior Vanessa Horn (Ludwigsfelde, Germany) crossed the line first in the women's 400 meters in 55.72.
• Junior Bram de Raedt (Houthalen-Helchteren, Belgium) finished first in the men's 400-meter hurdles in a time of 54.12.
• Freshman Te'Aira Branham-Patrick (Dayton, Ohio) won the women's 100 meters in 11.89.
• Sophomore Kaden Rambatt (Sharon, Wis.) recorded a career-best mark of 17-1 (5.21m) to best the field in the men's pole vault.
• Redshirt sophomore Jeffrey Usman (Warri, Nigeria) jumped 24-9.75 (7.56m) to win the men's long jump.
• The men's 4x100 relay team of junior Rennie Gittens, Jr. (Miami, Fla.), Jordan, sophomore Garrett Tiller (Streetsboro, Ohio) and Styles bested the field in a time of 40.77.
• Redshirt senior Ruth Webb (Akron, Ohio) jumped 5-7 (1.70m) to win the women's high jump.
• Sophomore Shania Thomas (Bridgetown, Barbados) won the women's triple jump with a career-best mark of 39-7.75 (12.08m), while junior Augustine Davis (Lewis Center, Ohio) placed second with a mark of 36-9.75 (11.22m).
• Freshman Keahra Rodriguez (Syracuse, N.Y.) finished second in the women's long jump with a career-best mark of 17-0 (5.18m).

AKRON GARNERS MAC POSTSEASON HONORS: Akron assistant coach Randy Overby was tabbed the Mid-American Conference Men's Assistant Coach of the Year after Akron captured back-to-back indoor team titles and its fourth consecutive overall league crown.

Brook Boes was selected as the MAC Women's Most Outstanding Field Performer of the Meet, after sweeping the throwing events winning the women's shot put (49-11.25/15.22m) and weight throw (68-4.50/20.84m).

Andrew Styles was honored as the MAC Men's Most Outstanding Track Performer of the Meet after winning the 200M (21.67) and 400m (47.99) and anchoring the winning 4x400 relay (3:16.25).

Megan Hipple was tabbed the MAC Women's Most Outstanding Track Performer of the Meet after a pair of All-MAC performances winning the women's 3K (9:18.79) and placing second in the 5K (16.03.86).

NATIONAL RANKINGS: The University of Akron track and field teams have garnered recognition for their efforts during the 2026 outdoor season as the Zips are rated among the Top 30 in the Event Squad rankings for eight events released on April 21, 2026, 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 rated 10th nationally in the men's hammer and the men's shot put, 12th in the women's hammer, 14th in the men's discus, 16th in the women's discus, 17th in the women's pole vault, 26th in the women's shot put and 28th in the women's triple jump.

ZIPS RANKED AMONG NATION'S BEST IN 2026 TFRRS RANKINGS: Akron have three individual student-athletes ranked in the Top 50 nationally by the Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS) for the 2026 outdoor campaign as Owen Wendl is 20th in the men's shot put (62-1/18.92m) and 49th in the men's discus (184-0/56.09m).

Additionally, Lane Graham is 24th in the men's hammer (219-11/67.03m) and Cassidy Allen is 44th in the women's pole vault (13-8.50/4.18m).

CRACKING THE ALL-TIME TOP FIVE PERFORMANCES: The Zips have added 20 overall top five performances and six school-record marks in program history to the record book during the 2026 outdoor campaign.

NAME	EVENT/DATE	RANK – MARK
Lane Graham	Men's Hammer – March 20	No. 4 – 210-0 (64.02m)
Jackline Nanjala	Women's 400M – March 21	No. 2 – 53.34
Brook Boes	Women's Shot Put – March 21	No. 5 – 50-4.50 (15.35m)
Vanessa Horn McKenzie McNitt Mariyah Moore Jackline Nanjala	Women's 4x400 Relay – March 21	No. 2 – 3:39.14
Amari Pratt Te'Aira Branham-Patrick Vanessa Horn Mariyah Moore	Women's 4x100 Relay – March 21	No. 3 – 44.68
Braylyn Farrington AJ Jordan Jalen McCoy Andrew Styles	Men's 4x400 Relay – March 21	No. 3 – 3:08.94
Rennie Gittens, Jr. AJ Jordan Garrett Tiller Andrew Styles	Men's 4x100 Relay – March 21	No. 4 – 40.02
Noah Nyageo	Men's 5,000M – March 26	No. 4 – 14:04.68
Owen Wendl	Men's Shot Put – March 28	No. 1 – 61-9 (18.82m)
Lane Graham	Men's Hammer – March 27	No. 2 – 212-6 (64.76m)
Megan Hipple	Women's 5,000M – March 27	No. 1 – 16:10.45
Gabrielle Griffiths	Women's Hammer – March 27	No. 5 – 156-4 (47.66m)
Owen Wendl	Men's Shot Put – April 3	No. 1 – 62-0.50 (18.91m)
Lane Graham	Men's Hammer – April 3	No. 2 – 219-11 (67.03m)
Jackline Nanjala	Women's 400M – April 4	No. 2 – 52.87
Gabrielle Griffiths	Women's Hammer – April 3	No. 5 – 194-3 (59.21m)
Vanessa Horn McKenzie McNitt Mariyah Moore Jackline Nanjala	Women's 4x400 Relay – April 4	No. 1 – 3:37.05
Braylyn Farrington AJ Jordan Jalen McCoy Andrew Styles	Men's 4x400 Relay – April 4	No. 3 – 3:08.29
Gabrielle Griffiths	Women's Hammer – April 9	No. 5 – 194-9 (59.36m)
Mercy Jebitok	Women's 1,500M – April 10	No. 4 – 4:22.33
Owen Wendl	Men's Shot Put – April 16	No. 1 – 62-1 (18.92m)
Megan Hipple	Women's 10,000M – April 16	No. 1 – 33:25.83

CRACKING THE ALL-TIME TOP FIVE PERFORMANCES: The Zips added 25 overall top five performances and a trio of school records in program history to the record book during the 2026 indoor campaign.

NAME	EVENT/DATE	RANK – MARK
AJ Jordan	Men's 200M – Dec. 12	No. 4 – 21.12
Vanessa Horn	Women's 400M – Dec. 12	No. 2 – 54.31
Megan Hipple	Women's 5,000M – Dec. 6	No. 1 – 16:15.66
Cassidy Allen	Women's Pole Vault – Dec. 12	No. 4 – 14-1.75 (4.30m)
Brook Boes	Women's Shot Put – Dec. 12	No. 4 – 52-2.75 (15.92m)
Brook Boes	Women's Weight Throw – Dec. 12	No. 5 – 65-0.75 (19.83m)
Cassidy Allen	Women's Pole Vault – Jan. 16	No. 4 – 14-1.75 (4.31m)
Owen Wendl	Men's Shot Put – Jan. 23	No. 3 – 59-4.25 (18.09m)
Megan Hipple	Women's 5,000M – Jan. 30	No. 1 – 15:53.23
Noah Nyageo	Men's 5,000M – Jan. 30	No. 3 – 14:12.62
Vanessa Horn Mariyah Moore McKenzie McNitt Jackline Nanjala	Women's 4x400 Relay – Jan. 31	No. 1 – 3:41.04
Megan Hipple	Women's 3,000M – Feb. 7	No. 1 – 9:17.94
Noah Nyageo	Men's 3,000M – Feb. 7	No. 5 – 8:07.98
Lane Graham	Men's Weight Throw – Feb. 6	No. 4 – 66-3.25 (20.20m)
Abigael Kiplagat	Women's 5,000M – Feb. 6	No. 3 – 16:35.76
Cassidy Allen	Women's Pole Vault – Feb. 13	No. 4 – 14-2 (4.32m)
Owen Wendl	Men's Shot Put – Feb. 20	No. 2 – 60-8 (18.49m)
Lane Graham	Men's Weight Throw – Feb. 20	No. 2 – 67-4 (20.52m)
Te'Aira Branham-Patrick	Women's 60M – Feb. 20	No. 2 – 7.48
Jackline Nanjala	Women's 400M – Feb. 20	No. 2 – 53.92
Brook Boes	Women's Weight Throw – Feb. 20	No. 5 – 67-4.25 (20.53m)
Lane Graham	Men's Weight Throw – Feb. 27	No. 2 – 68-3.25 (20.81m)
Abigael Kiplaget	Women's 5,000M – Feb. 27	No. 3 – 16:30.74
Brook Boes	Women's Weight Throw – Feb. 27	No. 4 – 68-4.50 (20.84m)
Titus Kirui	Men's 5,000M – Feb. 27	No. 5 – 14:20.81