Quartet of Weekend Meets on Tap for Akron Track and Field

Thursday, April 2

High Point, N.C.

All Day

University of Akron

VertKlasse Meeting

Quartet of Weekend Meets on Tap for Akron Track and Field

April 01 | Track & Field

AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron men's and women's track and field team will compete in a quartet of weekend meets as the Zips will participate in the VertKlasse Meeting (hosted by High Point), Florida Relays, Oliver Nikoloff Open (hosted by Cincinnati) and the Wooster Invitational.

UP NEXT: The Zips will compete at the VertKlasse Meeting on Thursday and Friday (April 2-3), the Florida Relays on Friday and Saturday (April 3-4) and the Oliver Nikoloff Open and Wooster Invitational on Saturday (April 4).

Live stats from all four meets will be available at GoZips.com.

TOP TIMES IN THE MAC: The Zips have posted 18 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
Mariyah Moore	Women's 200M	No. 1 – 24.14
Jackline Nanjala	Women's 400M	No. 1 – 53.34
Andrew Styles	Men's 400M	No. 1 – 46.87
Rennie Gittens, Jr. AJ Jordan Garrett Tiller Andrew Styles	Men's 4x100 Relay	No. 1 – 40.02
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 – 3:08.94
Vanessa Horn McKenzie McNitt Mariyah Moore Jackline Nanjala	Women's 4x400 Relay	No. 1 – 3:39.14
Mason Birch	Men's High Jump	No. 1 – 6-6.75 (2.00m)
Kaden Rambatt	Men's Pole Vault	No. 1 – 16-7.25 (5.06m)
Isaac Baltic	Men's Pole Vault	No. 1 – 16-7.25 (5.06m)
Garett Boe	Men's Pole Vault	No. 1 – 16-7.25 (5.06m)
Owen Wendl	Men's Shot Put	No. 1 – 61-9 (18.82m)
Brook Boes	Women's Shot Put	No. 1 – 50-4.50 (15.35m)
Owen Wendl	Men's Discus	No. 1 – 180-10 (55.11m)
Brook Boes	Women's Discus	No. 1 – 165-4 (50.40m)
Lane Graham	Men's Hammer	No. 1 – 212-6 (64.76m)
Gabrielle Griffith	Women's Hammer	No. 1 – 190-2 (57.96m)

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 redshirt senior Owen Wendl (Medina, Ohio) won the men's shot put with a school-record throw of 61-9 (18.82m) to lead the efforts of the Zips at the Don McGarey Invitational hosted by Kennesaw State on March 28. Junior Megan Hipple (Warren, Ohio) outlasted a weather delay to run a school-record time of 16:10.45 in the women's 5,000 meters at the Raleigh Relays to headline the efforts for Akron on March 27 at a pair of meets.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
• Wendl's effort in the shot put bested the school-record mark of 60-8.75 (18.51m) set by Auston Papay on May 11, 2007. Wendl also won the men's discus with a mark of 180-10 (55.11m).
• Redshirt senior Brook Boes (Tiffin, Ohio) bested the field in the women's shot put with a mark of 49-4.50 (15.05m).
• Hipple's performance betters the school-record performance of 16:28.90 set by Michelle Rizzo on April 27, 2000.
• Redshirt senior Lane Graham (Killbuck, Ohio) posted the No. 2 mark in outdoor program history with a career-best mark of 212-6 (64.74m) in the men's hammer.
• Redshirt senior Gabrielle Griffiths (Fort Worth, Texas) registered a career-best mark of 156-4 (47.66m), the No. 5 effort in outdoor program history, to win the women's javelin. She also placed second in the women's hammer with a throw of 190-2 (57.96m).
• Boes bested the field in the women's discus with a mark of 165-4 (50.40m), while sophomore Sloane Sypolt (Louisville, Ohio) placed second with a throw of 146-5 (44.63m).
• Freshman Noah Nyageo (Kitale, Kenya) recorded the No. 4 mark in outdoor program history in the men's 5,000 meters crossing the line in 14:04.68 at the Raleigh Relays on Thursday (March 26).

GRIFFITHS AND WENDL EARN MAC WEEKLY AWARDS: Gabrielle Griffiths and Owen Wendl were recognized by the Mid-American Conference as its Track and Field Athletes of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday (March 31).

Wendl and Griffiths were selected as the men's and women's Field Athletes of the Week.

Wendl was a double winner at the Don McGarey Invitational, highlighted by a school-record shot put mark of 61-9 (18.82m). He also captured the discus title with a league-leading throw of 180-10 (55.11m). His shot put performance leads the MAC and ranks No. 8 in the NCAA this season.

Griffiths delivered a standout performance at the Don McGarey Invitational, winning the javelin with a career-best throw of 156-4 (47.66m). She also placed second in the hammer throw with a season-best and MAC-leading mark of 190-2 (57.96m).

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).

Junior Andrew Styles (Freeport, Bahamas) 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 2026 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 eighth nationally in the men's shot put, 12th in the men's pole vault, 13th in women's weight throw and women's shot put, 19th in the men's weight throw and 21st in the women's pole vault and.

ZIPS RANKED AMONG NATION'S BEST IN 2026 TFRRS RANKINGS: Akron have 12 individual student-athletes and four relay squads are ranked in the Top 50 nationally by the Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS) for the 2026 outdoor campaign as redshirt senior Owen Wendl (Medina, Ohio) is eighth in the men's shot put (61-9/18.82m) and 38th in the men's discus (180-10/55.11m).

Additionally, Megan Hipple is 22nd in the women's 5,000 meters (16:10.45), Lane Graham is 24th in the men's hammer (212-6/64.76m), AJ Jordan is 25th in the men's 200 meters (20.77), Jackline Nanjala is 35th in the women's 400 meters (53.34), Noah Nyageo is 37th in the men's 5,000 meters (14:04.68), Brook Boes is 42nd in the women's shot put (50-4.50/15.35m), sophomore Isaac Baltic (Medina, Ohio) is 48th in the men's pole vault (16-7.25/5.06m), sophomore Garett Boe (Chesapeake, Va.) is 48th in the men's pole vault (16-7.25/5.06m), sophomore Kaden Rambatt (Sharon, Wis.) is 48th in the men's pole vault (16-7.25/5.06m), Andrew Styles is 49th in the men's 400 meters (46.87) and Gabrielle Griffiths is 49th in the women's hammer (190-2/57.96m).

Additionally, the men's 4x100 relay is 16th (40.02), women's 4x400 relay is 21st (3:39.14), the men's 4x400 relay is 29th (3:08.94) and the women's 4x100 relay is 29th (44.68).

CRACKING THE ALL-TIME TOP FIVE PERFORMANCES: The Zips have added 12 overall top five performances and a pair of school records 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)

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