Akron Set to host Campbell/Wright Invitational

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CAMPBELL/WRIGHT INVITATIONAL: SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (PDF) | PERFORMANCE LIST | LIVE STATS (SATURDAY ONLY) | VIDEO (SATURDAY ONLY)

AKRON, Ohio - In its final tune-up before the upcoming Mid-American Conference Championships, the University of Akron track and field team is set to host the Campbell/Wright Invitational this Friday and Saturday, May 5-6, at the Lee R. Jackson Track and Field Complex.

UP NEXT: The two-day meet will commence at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, May 5 with the women's and men's hammer competition. The meet will conclude on Saturday, May 6, with the women's javelin getting action underway at 11 a.m. before running events are scheduled to start at 2 p.m. with the women's 5,000 meters.

Scheduled to compete at the Campbell/Wright Invitational will be student-athletes from Akron, Kent State, Ohio, Pittsburgh and Point Park. 

HONORING OUR SENIORS: Over the course of the competition on Saturday, the Zips will honor seniors Zach Alexander (Tiffin, Ohio), Miles Baldwin (Cincinnati, Ohio), Samia Bell (Cincinnati, Ohio), Alexandra Blair (Akron, Ohio), Weronika Gaudyn (Kracow, Poland), Demetris Hazly-Ward (Akron, Ohio), Daniella Johnson (Gahanna, Ohio), Hakeem Lawrence (Miami, Fla.), Ana Martin-Sacristan (Valencia, Spain), Joe Oduho (Erie, Pa.), Mike Ohiembor (Dayton, Ohio), Sean Poholski (Barberton, Ohio), Matt Rowland (Bellevue, Ohio), Becky Szabo (North Olmsted, Ohio), Jailyn Twitty (Amherst, N.Y.), Keith Yohman (Brunswick, Ohio), Anthony Young (Medina, Ohio), Martin Zegarelli (Erie, Pa.), Natalie Zidd (Hinckley, Ohio) and Dan Zupan (Berea, Ohio).

QUOTING HEAD COACH DENNIS MITCHELL: "This meet is a great chance to recognize so many of our successful seniors. These seniors have been a part of up to eight championship teams. There are a lot of stars in this group."

"This meet is our last tune-up before MAC and it will give us a chance to pick our final team for the championships. It will also give some of our athletes that last little performances to prepare them to do well at MAC."

NATIONAL RANKINGS: The University of Akron men's track and field team maintained its standing in the national rankings this week as the Zips checked in at No. 32 in the latest United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I Outdoor Track and Field National Team Rankings released on Monday, May 1.

Akron is the highest-rated team in the Mid-American Conference and is the No. 2 squad in the latest Great Lakes Regional poll. Additionally, the Zips' women's squad is ranked fourth in the most recent regional tally. 

The Akron men's and women's teams are ranked 14th and 20th, respectively, in the final men's and women's collegiate dual meet rankings of the 2017 outdoor campaign, as compiled by Jesse Squire for Track and Field News.

EVENT SQUAD RANKINGS: Akron continued its success in the latest USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Event Squad rankings released on Monday, May 1, as the Zips are ranked among the top five nationally in three events and amongst the top 10 in six different events. Akron is rated third, third, fourth, sixth, ninth and ninth, respectively, in the men's high jump, men's long jump, men's pole vault, women's 400-meter hurdles, women's triple jump and women's high jump. 

RANKING

EVENT

ATHLETE-MARK/NATIONAL RANK

No. 3

Men's High Jump

Stine – 7-1.50/2.17m)/No. 17

Richardson – 7-1 (2.16m)/No. 23

Ross – 6-11 (2.11m)/No. 54

Olewiler – 6-8.75 (2.05m)/No. 121

No. 3

Men's Long Jump

McClain – 25-6.25 (7.78m)/No. 16

Oduho – 25-1.25 (7.65m)/No. 37

Latimer – 24-11.25 (7.60m)/No. 48

Coleman – 23-8.25 (7.22m)/No. 192

No. 4

Men's Pole Vault

Ludwig – 18-4.50 (5.60m)/No. 4

Rowland – 17-7 (5.36m)/No. 20

Fraker – 16-4.75 (5.00m)/No. 106

Alexander – 15-11 (4.85m)/No. 162

No. 6

Women's 400M Hurdles

Siefring – 59.52/No. 62

Gnafaki – 59.65/No. 70

Gordon – 62.09/No. 212

Batiste – 62.98/NA

No. 9

Women's High Jump

Manson – 5-11.25 (1.81m)/No. 20

Mills – 5-9.25 (1.76m)/No. 48

Ortega – 5-5.75 (1.67m)/No. 193

Siefring – 5-4.25 (1.63m)/NA

No. 9

Women's Triple Jump

Gaudyn – 42-2.75 (12.87m)/No. 42

Ramos Gandia – 41-10 (12.75m)/No. 52

Cousins – 38-0 (11.58)/NA

Martin-Sacristan – 35-0.25 (10.67m)/NA

No. 12

Men's Triple Jump

Ohiembor – 51-11 (15.82m)/No. 25

Twitty – 49-10.50 (15.20m)/No. 85

Hazly-Ward – 47-1.50 (14.36m)/No. 228

Gibbs – 46-4.25 (14.13m)/NA

 

ZIPS AMONG NATION'S BEST IN LATEST TFRRS RANKINGS: Akron currently has eight student-athletes ranked in the top-25 nationally by the Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS), including senior Phil Jagers (Solon, Ohio), who owns the No. 4 mark nationally in the discus (203-6). 

Also rated among the top-25 is sophomore Matt Ludwig (Chardon, Ohio) (fourth in the men's pole vault – 18-4.50/5.60m), junior Jackie Siefring (Covington, Ohio) (fifth in the women's heptathlon – 5,750), junior Terrell McClain (Youngstown, Ohio) (16th in men's long jump – 25-6.25/7.78m), sophomore Cody Stine (Shelby, Ohio) (17th in the men's high jump – 7-1.50/2.17m), senior Nikki Manson (Glasgow, Scotland) (20th in the women's high jump – 5-11.25/1.81m), Rowland (20th in the men's pole vault – 17-7/5.36m) and sophomore Curtis Richardson (Blacklick, Ohio) (23rd in men's high jump – 7-1/2.16m).

CRACKING THE ALL-TIME TOP-FIVE PERFORMANCES: Sophomore Abigale Wilson (Carrollton, Ohio) posted the fourth-best mark in outdoor program history in the women's discus with a throw of 167-10 at the Ashland Alumni Open last Saturday, April 29. 

A YEAR AGO: The University of Akron captured 12 victories on the final day of the Campbell/Wright Invitational on May 7, 2016, at Lee R. Jackson Track and Field Complex.

The Zips also registered seven marks that ranked among the then top-five all-time performances in program history, including Ariadna Ramos Gandia (Barcelona, Spain) establishing a new Akron standard in the triple jump with a winning mark of 42-7.50 (12.99m). 

Jackie Siefring garnered the victory in the women's long jump leaping 20-5.25 (6.23m). Recording the fifth-longest jump in program history, 20-2.25 (6.15m), to place second was Ana Martin-Sacristan.

Dara Perry (Akron, Ohio) drove to victory in the women's 100-meter hurdles turning in the second-fastest time (13.66) in program history. 

Michalla Gordon (Wadsworth, Ohio) finished second in the 400-meter hurdles crossing the line in 61.25, the then third-best time in program history.

Kwadarrius Smith (Orlando, Fla.) and Maurice Harris (Toledo, Ohio) registered the then fourth- and fifth-best performances, respectively, in the 100 meters (10.40) and discus (178-7/54.44m). 

Claudia Garcia Jou took top honors in the women's high jump eclipsing 6-0.75 (1.85m), while Alexandra Blair claimed a victory in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 11:49.03.

Ian Behm (Volant, Pa.) recorded a throw of 207-6 (63.26m) to earn the win in the men's javelin.

The women's 4x100 relay squad of juniors Daniella Johnson and Samia Bell, Martin-Sacristan and Ramos Gandia captured the race with a time of 46.12. 

Garrett Crichlow (Twinsburg, Ohio) posted a time of 3:53.54 to earn the victory in the men's 1,500 meters, while Kiara Chatman (Reynoldsburg, Ohio) won the 400 meters in 58.05.

Trevor Norris took top honors in the men's 3,000 meters posting a time of 8:48.34, while Matt Rowland won the pole vault with a clearance of 17-2.75 (5.25m). 

Phil Jagers capped the victory total for Akron winning the men's discus with a throw of 193-8 (59.05m).

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