Akron Set to Open Outdoor Campaign at Bob Davidson Team Challenge

Friday, March 20

High Point, N.C.

10:30 AM

University of Akron

Bob Davidson Team Challenge

Akron Set to Open Outdoor Campaign at Bob Davidson Team Challenge

March 19 | Track & Field

AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron men's and women's track and field team open its outdoor campaign this weekend traveling to High Point, N.C. for the Bob Davidson Team Challenge hosted by High Point on Friday and Saturday (March 20-21).

UP NEXT: The Zips will compete at the Bob Davidson Team Challenge on Friday and Saturday (March 20-21)

The 41-event meet will commence with the women's hammer at 10:30 a.m. on Friday and conclude with the men's 4x400 relay at 4:25 p.m. on Saturday.

Live stats from the Bob Davidson Team Challenge will be available at GoZips.com.

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

Outdoor

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:
The Akron men's track and field team captured its second straight Mid-American Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship and fourth straight overall league title on Feb. 28 in Mount Pleasant, Mich., while the women's team earned a second-place team finish.

The Zips bested rival Kent State by 28 points to win the men's team title, while Akron fell three points shy of the Golden Flashes in its pursuit of the program's eighth indoor championship.

Akron head coach Kendra Reimer-Gonzales was tabbed as the MAC Men's Coach of the Year.

Individually, redshirt senior Brook Boes (Tiffin, Ohio) was named the MAC Women's Track and Field Most Valuable Performer, while freshman Jackline Nanjala (Kitale, Kenya) was honored as the league's Freshman Track Performer of the Year.

On the men's side, junior Andrew Styles (Freeport, Bahamas) was selected as the MAC Men's Track and Field Most Valuable Performer, while freshman Noah Nyageo (Kitale, Kenya) pulled in MAC Freshman Track Performer of the Year accolades.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
• Boes became only the second Zip to sweep the throwing events at the MAC Indoor Championships besting the field in the women's shot put with a mark of 49-11.25 (15.22m).
• Styles won his fourth and fifth career MAC titles besting the field in the 200 meters (21.67) and 400 meters (47.99).
• Redshirt senior Owen Wendl (Medina, Ohio) garnered his fifth overall league title with a throw of 59-7.75 (18.18m) to triumph in the men's shot put.
• Junior Megan Hipple (Warren, Ohio) won her first career league championship crossing the line first in the women's 3,000 meters in a time of 9:18.79.
• Nanjala triumphed in the women's 400 meters in a time of 54.30 for her first career conference title.
• Sophomore Isaac Baltic (Medina, Ohio) won his first career league title eclipsing a career-best 17-4.50 (5.30m) in the men's pole vault.
• Junior Mason Birch (Strongsville, Ohio) captured his second conference crown in the men's high jump surpassing a career-high mark of 6-9.75 (2.08m).
• The men's 4x400 relay team juniors Braylyn Farrington (Alabaster, Ala.) and AJ Jordan (Columbus, Ohio), freshman Tayven Crump and Styles crossed the line first in a time of 3:16.25.
• The women's 4x400 relay of senior Vanessa Horn (Ludwigsfelde, Germany), sophomore Mariyah Moore (Cleveland, Ohio), senior McKenzie McNitt (Cleveland, Ohio) and Nanjala won Akron's second consecutive title in the event.
• Collecting Second-Team All-MAC accolades with runner-up finishes in the men's 400 meters (48.56), 3,000 meters (8:08.66) and pole vault (17-0.75/5.20m) was Farrington, Nyageo and sophomore Kaden Rambatt (Sharon, Wis.).
• On the women's side, Horn earned Second-Team All-MAC honors with a runner-up finish in the 400 meters (54.67).

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 garnered recognition for their efforts during the 2025 indoor season as the Zips rated among the Top 30 in the Event Squad rankings for six events released on March 10, 2026, as part of the United States Track and Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field National Rating Index.

Akron rated ninth nationally in the men's shot put, 13th in women's weight throw, 14th in the men's pole vault, 16th in the women's shot put, 20th in the men's weight throw and 23rd in the women's pole vault.

ZIPS RANKED AMONG NATION'S BEST IN 2026 TFRRS RANKINGS: Akron had three individual student-athletes ranked in the Top 50 nationally by the Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS) for the 2026 indoor campaign as Brook Boes was 27th in the women's weight throw (68-4.50/20.84m)

Additionally, Cassidy Allen was 28th in the women's pole vault (14-2/4.32m) and Owen Wendl was 40th in the men's shot put (60-8/18.49m).

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