The University of Akron Athletics
Saturday, January 25
Ypsilanti, Mich.
All Day
University of Akron
vs
Bob Parks Memorial
Akron Track and Field Set to Compete in Trio of Weekend Meets
January 24 | Track & Field
BOB PARKS MEMORIAL: MEET INFORMATION (PDF) | LIVE RESULTS
HOKIE INVITATIONAL: MEET INFORMATION (PDF) | LIVE RESULTS
NOTRE DAME INVITATIONAL: MEET INFORMATION (PDF) | LIVE RESULTS
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron track and field team is set to compete in a trio of meets this weekend as the Zips will participate in the Bob Parks Memorial hosted by Eastern Michigan, Hokie Invitational hosted by Virginia Tech and the Notre Dame Invitational hosted by Notre Dame on Saturday (Jan. 25).
UP NEXT: The bulk of Akron's squad will travel to Ypsilanti, Mich., to participate in the Bob Parks Memorial at Eastern Michigan, who is the host of next month's Mid-American Conference Track and Field Championships (Feb. 28-March 1).
Redshirt senior Hunter Garretson (Newcomerstown, Ohio) and senior Cassidy Allen (Lakewood, N.Y.) are amongst the field in the pole vault at the Hokie Invitational on Saturday (Jan. 25).
The Zips will send a distant contingent of sophomore Majid Abuaun (Rocky River, Ohio), redshirt senior Heriberto Alvarez (Oswego, Ill.), freshman Taye Gonzalez (Lewis Center, Ohio), senior Grace Henderson (Rostraver Township, Pa.), redshirt senior. Danielle Honaker (Ashland, Ohio), sophomore Megan Hipple (Warren, Ohio), freshmen Bismack Kipchirchir (Eldama Ravine, Kenya) and Moses Lekokei (Kilgoris, Kenya) and sophomores Mary Munga (Nyandarua, Kenya) and Titus Kirui (Eldoret, Kenya) to the Notre Dame Invitational on Saturday (Jan. 25).
Live stats will be available at GoZips.com.
NWOKIKE NAMED MAC WOMEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Senior Joy Nwokike (Benin City, Nigeria) was recognized by the Mid-American Conference as its Women's Track Athlete of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday (Jan. 21).
Nwokike collected Women's Track Athlete of the Week accolades for the second consecutive week.
Nwokike established a school-record time of 23.79 en route to winning the women's 200 meters at the Al Campbell Invitational on Jan. 17. Her effort stands as the No. 31 time in the NCAA this season and the top performance in the MAC this spring.
Nwokike also tallied the third-fastest time in indoor program history in the women's 400 meters winning the race in a career-best time of 54.46. Her effort is the top time in the league this spring and No. 33 time in the NCAA this season.
Additionally, she ran the anchor leg on the winning 4x400 relay team in a time of 3:49.37.
GARRETSON HONORED AS MAC MEN'S SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Hunter Garretson was honored as the Mid-American Conference Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Week the league announced on Wednesday (Jan. 22).
Garretson equaled the top mark in the elite men's pole vault competition at the National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nev., on Jan. 17 eclipsing a career-best indoor clearance of 18-10.50 (5.75m). The third-best mark in indoor program history represents the top effort by a collegian in 2025 and the No. 3 mark in the world. He finished third overall in the competition based on jumps.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: The University of Akron track and field teams garnered recognition for their efforts during the 2024 outdoor season as the Zips were rated among the top-30 in the Event Squad rankings released on May 14, 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 was rated 19th nationally in the men's hammer and shot put, No. 23 in the men's 200 meters and No. 24 in the men's discus.
Additionally, the Zips were rated No. 1 in the Great Lakes Region in men's 200 meters, No.2 in men's discus, No. 3 in men's hammer and No. 4 in men's shot put.
ZIPS RANK AMONG NATION'S BEST IN 2024 TFRRS RANKINGS: Akron have four individual student-athletes ranked in the top-50 nationally by the Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS) for the 2025 indoor campaign, including, Hunter Garretson, who is 10th in the nation in the men's pole vault (18-0.50/5.50m).
Additionally, Joy Nwokike is 31st in women's 200 meters (23.79) and 33rd in women's 400 meters (23.94), junior Vanessa Horn (Ludwigsfelde, Germany) is 21st in the women's 400 meters (54.46) and redshirt senior Brook Boes (Tiffin, Ohio) is 36th in the women's weight throw (64-7/19.68m).
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 was 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.
CRACKING THE ALL-TIME TOP-FIVE PERFORMANCES: The Zips have added 11 overall top-five performances and one school record in program history to the record book during the 2025 indoor campaign.
TOP MARKS:
Akron Men
Click Here
Akron Women
Click Here
HOKIE INVITATIONAL: MEET INFORMATION (PDF) | LIVE RESULTS
NOTRE DAME INVITATIONAL: MEET INFORMATION (PDF) | LIVE RESULTS
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron track and field team is set to compete in a trio of meets this weekend as the Zips will participate in the Bob Parks Memorial hosted by Eastern Michigan, Hokie Invitational hosted by Virginia Tech and the Notre Dame Invitational hosted by Notre Dame on Saturday (Jan. 25).
UP NEXT: The bulk of Akron's squad will travel to Ypsilanti, Mich., to participate in the Bob Parks Memorial at Eastern Michigan, who is the host of next month's Mid-American Conference Track and Field Championships (Feb. 28-March 1).
Redshirt senior Hunter Garretson (Newcomerstown, Ohio) and senior Cassidy Allen (Lakewood, N.Y.) are amongst the field in the pole vault at the Hokie Invitational on Saturday (Jan. 25).
The Zips will send a distant contingent of sophomore Majid Abuaun (Rocky River, Ohio), redshirt senior Heriberto Alvarez (Oswego, Ill.), freshman Taye Gonzalez (Lewis Center, Ohio), senior Grace Henderson (Rostraver Township, Pa.), redshirt senior. Danielle Honaker (Ashland, Ohio), sophomore Megan Hipple (Warren, Ohio), freshmen Bismack Kipchirchir (Eldama Ravine, Kenya) and Moses Lekokei (Kilgoris, Kenya) and sophomores Mary Munga (Nyandarua, Kenya) and Titus Kirui (Eldoret, Kenya) to the Notre Dame Invitational on Saturday (Jan. 25).
Live stats will be available at GoZips.com.
NWOKIKE NAMED MAC WOMEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Senior Joy Nwokike (Benin City, Nigeria) was recognized by the Mid-American Conference as its Women's Track Athlete of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday (Jan. 21).
Nwokike collected Women's Track Athlete of the Week accolades for the second consecutive week.
Nwokike established a school-record time of 23.79 en route to winning the women's 200 meters at the Al Campbell Invitational on Jan. 17. Her effort stands as the No. 31 time in the NCAA this season and the top performance in the MAC this spring.
Nwokike also tallied the third-fastest time in indoor program history in the women's 400 meters winning the race in a career-best time of 54.46. Her effort is the top time in the league this spring and No. 33 time in the NCAA this season.
Additionally, she ran the anchor leg on the winning 4x400 relay team in a time of 3:49.37.
GARRETSON HONORED AS MAC MEN'S SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Hunter Garretson was honored as the Mid-American Conference Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Week the league announced on Wednesday (Jan. 22).
Garretson equaled the top mark in the elite men's pole vault competition at the National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nev., on Jan. 17 eclipsing a career-best indoor clearance of 18-10.50 (5.75m). The third-best mark in indoor program history represents the top effort by a collegian in 2025 and the No. 3 mark in the world. He finished third overall in the competition based on jumps.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: The University of Akron track and field teams garnered recognition for their efforts during the 2024 outdoor season as the Zips were rated among the top-30 in the Event Squad rankings released on May 14, 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 was rated 19th nationally in the men's hammer and shot put, No. 23 in the men's 200 meters and No. 24 in the men's discus.
Additionally, the Zips were rated No. 1 in the Great Lakes Region in men's 200 meters, No.2 in men's discus, No. 3 in men's hammer and No. 4 in men's shot put.
ZIPS RANK AMONG NATION'S BEST IN 2024 TFRRS RANKINGS: Akron have four individual student-athletes ranked in the top-50 nationally by the Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS) for the 2025 indoor campaign, including, Hunter Garretson, who is 10th in the nation in the men's pole vault (18-0.50/5.50m).
Additionally, Joy Nwokike is 31st in women's 200 meters (23.79) and 33rd in women's 400 meters (23.94), junior Vanessa Horn (Ludwigsfelde, Germany) is 21st in the women's 400 meters (54.46) and redshirt senior Brook Boes (Tiffin, Ohio) is 36th in the women's weight throw (64-7/19.68m).
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 was 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.
CRACKING THE ALL-TIME TOP-FIVE PERFORMANCES: The Zips have added 11 overall top-five performances and one school record in program history to the record book during the 2025 indoor campaign.
| NAME | EVENT/DATE | RANK – MARK |
| Keegan Digby | Shot Put – Dec. 6 | No. 5 – 57-6.25 (17.53m) |
| Brook Boes | Weight Throw – Dec. 6 | No. 5 – 64-7 (19.68m) |
| Joy Nwokike | Women's 400M – Dec. 6 | No. 3 – 54.97 |
| Joy Nwokike | Women's 200M – Dec. 6 | No. 4 – 24.09 |
| Joy Nwokike | Women's 200M – Jan. 10 | No. 2 – 23.94 |
| Joy Nwokike | Women's 400M – Jan. 11 | No. 3 – 54.56 |
| Joy Nwokike | Women's 200M – Jan. 17 | No. 1 – 23.79 |
| Joy Nwokike | Women's 400M – Jan. 17 | No. 3 – 54.46 |
| Bismack Kipchirchir | Men's 3,000M – Jan. 17 | No. 4 – 8:08.57 |
| Hunter Garretson | Men's Pole Vault – Jan. 17 | No. 3 – 18-10.50 (5.75m) |
| Keegan Digby | Men's Shot Put – Jan. 17 | No. 5 – 58-3.25 (17.76m) |
TOP MARKS:
Akron Men
Click Here
Akron Women
Click Here
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