Pair of League Titles Highlight Day One of MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships

Friday, February 28

Ypsilanti, Mich.

10:00 AM

University of Akron

Mid-American Conference Indoor Championships

Pair of League Titles Highlight Day One of MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships

February 28 | Track & Field

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MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS: FRIDAY RESULTS (PDF) | FRIDAY PHOTO GALLERY | MEET INFORMATION | SCHEDULE OF EVENTS | LIVE RESULTS

YPSILANTI, Mich. – The University of Akron men's and women's track and field team turned in strong performances and a pair of league titles on the opening day of the Mid-American Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships hosted by Eastern Michigan on Friday (Feb. 28) at Bowen Field House.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
• Senior Cassidy Allen (Lakewood, N.Y.) successfully defended her women's pole vault crown eclipsing a personal-best 13-10 (4.22m), the fifth-best mark in indoor program history. Sophomore Jessica Mason (Holland, Ohio) added team points with a seventh- place showing with a mark of 12-0.75 (3.68m).
• Freshman Moses Lekokei (Kilgoris, Kenya) captured his first MAC title winning the men's 5,000 meters in 14:29.44, while freshman Bismack Kipchirchir (Eldame Ravine, Kenya) earned second-team All-MAC honors crossing the line second in 14:29.74. Redshirt senior Heriberto Alvarez (Oswego, Ill.) contributed team points placing fifth in 15:02.03.
• Redshirt senior Brook Boes (Tiffin, Ohio) earned Second-Team All-MAC accolades with a runner-up finish in the women's weight throw with a mark of 64-0.50 (19.52m). Adding team points placing fourth and sixth, respectively, with marks of 57-7.75 (17.57m) and 57-5.75 (17.52m) was redshirt junior Gabrielle Griffiths (Fort Worth, Texas) and sophomore Victoria Kuol (Centerville, Ohio).
• Redshirt senior Keegan Digby (Bowling Green, Ohio) and sophomore Christopher Vance (Parma, Ohio) finished third and fourth, respectively, in the men's weight throw with marks of 57-7.50 (17.56m) and 56-6.75 (17.24m).
• The men's distance medley relay team of freshmen Quinn Hopkins (Akron, Ohio), Jalen McCoy (Rochester, N.Y.), Jared Newenhisen (Barberton, Ohio) and Emil Stanford (Sunbury, Ohio) placed fourth in 10:40.49.
• Freshman Mercy Jebitok (Kapsabet, Kenya) crossed the line in the women's 5,000 meters in 16:53.47 to net team points with a seventh-placing performance.

ADVANCING TO FINALS:
• Junior Joy Nwokike (Benin City, Nigeria) in the women's 60-meters with a school- and meet-record time of 7.34 and in the women's 200 meters in 24.31.
• Redshirt senior Jimmy Harkelroad (Huron, Ohio) and sophomores Andrew Styles (Freeport, Bahamas) and Braylyn Farrington (Alabaster, Ala.) in the men's 400 meters in 48.93, 49.39 and 49.52, respectively.
• Junior Vanessa Horn (Ludwigsfelde, Germany) in the women's 400 meters in 55.02 as well as in the women's 200 meters in 24.61.
• Freshman Rukia Omulisia (Nairobi, Kenya) in the women's 60-meter hurdles in 8.61.
• Sophomore Rennie Gittens, Jr. (Miami, Fla.), sophomore AJ Jordan (Columbus, Ohio) and junior Tysean Baronette (Middletown, Del.) in the men's 60 meters in 6.73, 6.83 and 6.84.
• Advancing to the finals in the men's 200 meters crossing the line in 21.68, 21.75 and 21.81, respectively, was Harkelroad, Baronette and Jordan.
• Sophomore Mary Munga (Nyandarua, Kenya) in the women's 800 meters in a time of 2:13.01.

UP NEXT
Akron concludes the MAC Championships on Saturday (March 1) starting at 10 a.m.

MEN'S TEAM STANDINGS: 1) Akron (34 points), 2) Kent State (33), 3) Eastern Michigan (29), 4) Buffalo (25)

WOMEN'S TEAM STANDINGS: 1) Miami (32 points), 2) Akron (30 points), 3) Bowling Green (28), 4) Ohio (23), 5) Kent State (21), 6) Central Michigan (20), Eastern Michigan (20), 8) Ball State (18), 9) Toledo (13), 10) Buffalo (11), 11) Western Michigan (9), 12) Northern Illinois (8)

FRIDAY MEN'S FINAL RESULTS:
5,000 Meters: Moses Lekokei (1st-14:29.44), Bismack Kipchirchir (2nd-14:29.74), Heriberto Alvarez (5th-15:02.03); Distance Medley Relay: Quinn Hopkins, Jalen McCoy, Jared Newenhisen, Emil Stanford (4th-10:40.49); Long Jump: Benjamin Hudak (7th-22-6.50/6.87m*), Jacob Glavickas (8th-22-4.25/6.81m), El Hadji Abdourahmane Mbodji (10th-21-6.25/6.56m); Weight Throw: Keegan Digby (3rd-57-7.50/17.56m), Christopher Vance (4th-56-6.75/17.24m), Josiah Cox (7th-53-9.25/16.39m)

FRIDAY WOMEN'S FINAL RESULTS:
5,000 Meters: Mercy Jebitok (7th-16:53.47), Danielle Honaker (14th-17:19.99*), Megan Hipple (16th-17:33.20); Distance Medley Relay: Grace Henderson, Mariyah Moore, Jadyn Towns, Kayla Sucharski (9th-12:23.44); Weight Throw: Brook Boes (2nd-64-0.50/19.52m), Gabrielle Griffiths (4th-57-7.75/17.57m), Victoria Kuol (6th-57-5.75/17.52m), Nighyah Carthen (18th-49-7.75/15.13m); Pole Vault: Cassidy Allen (1st-13-10/4.22m*), Jessica Mason (7th-12-0.75/3.68m), Ava Fleetwood (12th-11-7/3.53m*)

FRIDAY MEN'S PRELIMINARY RESULTS:
60-Meter Hurdles: Kyle Brown (9th-8.68); 400 Meters: Jimmy Harkelroad (3rd-48.93q), Andrew Styles (4th-49.39q), Braylyn Farrington (5th-49.52q); 60 Meters: Rennie Gittens, Jr. (1st-6.73Q*), AJ Jordan (4th-6.83Q), Tysean Baronette (5th-6.84q*); 200 Meters: Jimmy Harkelroad (2nd-21.68q), Tysean Baronette (3rd-21.75q), AJ Jordan (4th-21.81q)

FRIDAY WOMEN'S PRELIMINARY RESULTS
Mile: Grace Henderson (11th-5:05.42*); 60-Meter Hurdles: Rukia Omulisia (3rd-8.61Q); 400 Meters: Vanessa Horn (2nd-55.02q); 60 Meters: Joy Nwokike (1st-7.34Q*), Ayanna Stafford (14th-7.68), Rukia Omulisia (15th-7.69*), Mariyah Moore (20th-7.77); 800 Meters: Mary Munga (6th-2:13.01Q); 200 Meters: Joy Nwokike (2nd-24.31q), Vanessa Horn (7th-24.61q)

* denotes career-best mark | Q denotes auto qualifier | q denotes qualifier