Bustling Week Ahead for Akron Track and Field

Wednesday, April 16

Azusa, Calif.

All Day

University of Akron

Bryan Clay Invitational

April 15 | Track & Field

BEACH INVITATIONAL: MEET INFORMATION | LIVE STATS
BRYAN CLAY INVITATIONAL: MEET INFORMATION | LIVE STATS
MT. SAC RELAYS: MEET INFORMATION | LIVE STATS
PACIFIC COAST INVITATIONAL: MEET INFORMATION | LIVE STATS
TIFFIN CARNIVAL: MEET INFORMATION | LIVE STATS
VIRGINIA CHALLENGE: MEET INFORMATION | LIVE STATS

AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron track and field team will compete six meets across three states and a pair of time zones this week.

UP NEXT: Akron will travel to Azusa, Calif., Long Beach, Calif., Charlottesville, Va., Walnut, Calif., and Tiffin, Ohio, to compete at the Bryan Clay Invitational (Wednesday-Friday), Pacific Coast Intercollegiate (Thursday), Beach Invitational (Friday-Saturday), Virginia Challenge (Friday-Saturday), Mt. Sac Relays (Saturday) and Tiffin Carnival (Saturday).

Live stats will be available at GoZips.com.

NATIONAL RANKINGS: The University of Akron track and field teams have garnered recognition for their efforts during the 2025 outdoor season as the Zips are rated among the Top 30 in the Event Squad rankings for six events released on April 15, 2025, 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 eighth nationally in the men's shot put, 12th in the men's pole vault, 14th in the women's hammer, 15th in the men's hammer and 20th in the men's and women's discus.

ZIPS RANK AMONG NATION'S BEST IN 2025 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 2025 outdoor campaign as freshman Bismack Kipchirchir (Eldama Ravine, Kenya) is rated ninth in the nation in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:37.85).

Additionally, redshirt senior Hunter Garretson (Newcomerstown, Ohio) is fifth in the nation in the men's pole vault (17-10.50/5.45m) and senior Joy Nwokike (Benin City, Nigeria) is 32nd in the women's 400 meters (52.90).

A WEEK AGO:
Akron posted 13 victories as part of 33 overall top three performances at the John Homon open this past weekend.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
• Redshirt junior Owen Wendl (Medina, Ohio) registered a career-best mark of 182-9 (55.72m) to take the men's discus, while also winning the men's shot with a career-best throw of 57-2.25 (17.43m).
• Redshirt senior Brook Boes (Tiffin, Ohio) won the women's discus with a mark of 157-9 (48.10m).
• Senior Cassidy Allen (Lakewood, N.Y.) won the women's pole vault with a clearance of 12-11.75 (3.96m).
• Senior Lane Graham (Killbuck, Ohio) captured the men's hammer with a mark of 196-5 (59.87m).
• Freshman Isaac Baltic (Medina, Ohio) eclipsed a career-best 16-4.75 (5.00m) to win the men's pole vault.
• Freshman Mariyah Moore (Cleveland, Ohio) triumphed in the women's 200 meters in career-best time of 25.03.
• Sophomore Mason Birch (Strongsville, Ohio) won the men's high jump with a mark of 6-8.75 (2.05m).
• Freshman Shania Thomas (Bridgetown, Barbados) soared 37-7.25 (11.46m) to win the women's triple jump.
• Sophomore Kayla Sucharski (Galena, Ohio) won the women's 10,000 meters in a career-best time of 37:28.69, while senior Justin Zapotoczny (Navarre, Ohio) bested the field in the men's 10,000 meters in a career-best time of 34:09.03.
• Freshman Taye Gonzalez (Lewis Center, Ohio) posted a career-best time of 15:01.27 to win the men's 5,000 meters.
• Senior Ruth Webb (Akron, Ohio) bested the field in the women's high jump with a mark of 5-3.75 (1.62m).

USTFCCCA HONORS GARRETSON AS GREAT LAKES REGIONAL FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR:
Hunter Garretson was honored by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as the Great Lakes Region Men's Field Athlete of the Year, the USTFCCCA announced on March 20.

Garretson becomes the fourth Zip to collect All-Regional honors since 2007 joining Olympians Clayton Murphy (2016-Track) and Shawn Barber (2015-Field) and Cadeau Kelley (2008-Field). He previously captured the honor during the 2023 outdoor campaign.

GARRETSON EARNS FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICA ACCOLADES:
Hunter Garretson captured First-Team All-America accolades on the strength of a third-place performance at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 14 in Virginia Beach, Va.

A five-time All-America honoree, Garretson captured First-Team laurels for the third time in his decorated career eclipsing 18-6.75 (5.66m).

After passing at the opening height of 17-7 (5.36m), Garretson cleared the next two bars of 17-11 (5.46m) and 18-3 (5.56m) on his initial runs at the heights.

He needed two attempts to clear 18-4.75 (5.61m) before besting the bar at 18-6.75 (5.66m) on his final attempt.

After missing his initial attempt at 18-8.34 (5.71m), Garretson passed his next two jumps. He was unable to clear the bar at 18-10.75 (5.76m) on each of his attempts and finished with a third-place effort.

GARRETSON NAMED ELITE 90 WINNER: Hunter Garretson was the recipient of the Elite 90 award for the 2025 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 14.

Winning the honor for the third consecutive season, Garretson became the first three-time recipient of the award in Division I track and field and ninth overall three-time honoree across all sports in Division I.

The honor was the fourth 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.

AKRON GARNERS TRIO OF MAC INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD SPECIALTY AWARDS:
Hunter Garretson and Bismack Kipchirchir were honored by the Mid-American Conference as its 2025 Indoor Track and Field Men's Most Outstanding Track and Field Performers of the Year, the league unveiled on March 7.

Additionally, Akron assistant coach Randy Overby was tabbed by his peers as the Men's Assistant Coach of the Year.

Garretson earned his fifth consecutive MAC indoor pole title and eighth overall league championship besting the field at the MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 1 with a mark of 17-9 (5.41m). His five indoor conference pole vault titles and eight overall combined (indoor/outdoor) pole vault championships are the most in league history.

Kipchirchir turned in a stellar effort at the MAC Championships garnering Most Valuable Performer and Freshman of the Year accolades with runner-up finishes in the men's mile, 3,000 and 5,000 meters.

He opened his championship run crossing the line second in the men's 5,000 meters in a career-best time of 14:29.74, the fifth-fastest time in indoor program history. In final-day competition, Kipchirchir placed second in the men's mile in a time of 4:12.45 before capturing Second-Team All-MAC honors in the men's 3,000 meters in a time of 8:11.78.

The Akron's men's team under Overby's tutelage dominated the sprints and hurdles at the MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships (Feb. 28-March 1) scoring 54 points en route to securing its ninth overall indoor league title and first since 2020.

The team produced three All-MAC performances, with redshirt senior Jimmy Harkelroad (Huron, Ohio) earning First-Team honors in the 400M and 4x400 relay alongside sophomores Braylyn Farrington (Alabaster, Ala.), AJ Jordan (Columbus, Ohio) and Andrew Styles (Freeport, Bahamas), while also receiving Second-Team recognition in the 200M.

The 4x400M relay squad, consisting of Farrington, Harkelroad, Jordan, and Styles, claimed victory, as did Harkelroad in the 400M. Additionally, Jordan secured third-place finishes in the 60M and 200M, while junior Tysean Baronette (Middletown, Del.) (4th – 200M), Rennie Gittens, Jr. (4th – 60M), Farrington (4th – 400M), and Styles (5th – 400M) delivered strong performances. Under expert coaching, the team has recorded the MAC's top times this season in the 400M and 4x400 relay, along with the second-best marks in the 60M and 200M.

AKRON CROSS COUNTRY EARNS USTFCCCA ALL-ACADEMIC ACCOLADES: The Akron cross country team under the leadership of Zips' director of track and field/cross country Kendra Reimer-Gonzales and cross country head coach Evans Kiptoo garnered recognition for the squad's efforts in the classroom as the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) tabbed Akron a Division I All-Academic team for the 2024 campaign.

The Akron men's squad was honored for recording a 3.335 GPA, while the women's team garnered recognition for its work in the classroom for the 11th straight year with a 3.356 cumulative GPA.

Overall, 209 women's teams and 183 men's teams earned All-Academic team honors.

CRACKING THE ALL-TIME TOP FIVE PERFORMANCES: The Zips added seven overall top five performances and three school records in program history to the record book during the 2025 outdoor campaign.

NAME	EVENT/DATE	RANK – MARK
Bismack Kipchirchir	Men's 3,000M Steeplechase – March 27	No. 1 – 8:37.85
Joy Nwokike	Women's 400M – April 5	No. 1 – 52.90
Ayanna Stafford Joy Nwokike Rukia Omulisia Vanessa Horn	Women's 4x100 Relay – April 4	No. 1 – 45.19
Josiah Cox	Men's Shot Put – March 29	No. 4 – 58-7.25 (17.86m)
Christopher Vance	Men's Hammer – April 4	No. 4 – 206-11 (63.06m)
Titus Kirui	Men's 5,000M – March 27	No. 5 – 14:27.68
Owen Wendl	Men's Discus – April 13	No. 5 – 182-9 (55.72m)

CRACKING THE ALL-TIME TOP FIVE PERFORMANCES: The Zips added 28 overall top five performances and five school records 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)
Mary Munga	Women's Mile – Jan. 25	No. 5 – 4:50.08
Bismack Kipchirchir	Men's Mile – Jan. 31	No. 4 – 4:05.32
Hunter Garretson	Men's Pole Vault – Feb. 7	No. 3 – 18-10.75 (5.76m)
Mercy Jebitok	Women's 3,000M – Feb. 8	No. 5 – 9:45.11
Rukia Omulisia	Women's 60MH – Feb. 8	No. 4 – 8.48
Mercy Jebitok	Women's 5,000M – Feb. 15	No. 1 – 16:23.67
Braylyn Farrington Jimmy Harkelroad AJ Jordan Andrew Styles	Men's 4x400 Relay – Feb. 15	No. 4 – 3:11.12
Joy Nwokike	Women's 400M – Feb. 14	No. 1 – 53.29
Bismack Kipchirchir	Men's 3,000M – Feb. 14	No. 1 – 7:57.23
Moses Lekokei	Men's 5,000M – Feb. 14	No. 2 – 13:56.25
Vanessa Horn	Women's 400M – Feb. 14	No. 4 – 54.66
Bismack Kipchirchir	Men's 5,000M – Feb. 28	No. 5 – 14:29.74
Owen Wendl	Men's Shot Put – March 1	No. 5 – 58-9.50 (17.92m)
Joy Nwokike	Women's 60M – Feb. 28	No. 1 – 7.34
Rukia Omulisia	Women's 60MH – March 1	No. 2 – 8.38
Cassidy Allen	Women's Pole Vault – Feb. 28	No. 5 – 13.10 (4.22m)
Vanessa Horn Rukia Omulisia Eve Clark Joy Nwokike	Women's 4x400 Relay – March 1	No. 5 – 3:44.85