Mid-American Conference

Men’s Track Athlete of the Week
Tyler Brown, Eastern Michigan, 400m
Senior – Findlay, Ohio/Findlay
Senior Tyler Brown continued his dominance in sprints Friday, Jan. 26, in the first day of the SVSU "Jets Pizza" Invitational. The Findlay, Ohio-native marked a new top time in the MAC for the 400m, crossing the finish line in 47.33 to take first place. This is his second-straight first-place finish in the event, as he finished atop the podium in the Doug Hansen Open, Jan. 20.
 
Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
Natalie Cizmas, Eastern Michigan, Mile/800m
Senior – Clinton Township, Mich./Chippewa Valley
Senior Natalie Cizmas had a career day in EMU's first team victory of the 2018 campaign Saturday, Jan. 27, in the GVSU Lints Alumni Meet. Cizmas marked an impressive new personal-best in the mile with a time of 4:40.31, which moved her up to second all-time in EMU's record book, while also currently ranking first in the MAC and ninth in the NCAA. Additionally, she just missed her career-best time in the 800m, crossing in 2:11.01, which is good for third in the conference.
 
Men’s Field Athlete of the Week
Matt Ludwig, Akron, PV
Junior – Chardon, Ohio/Lake Catholic
University of Akron junior Matt Ludwig turned in a then NCAA-leading mark eclipsing 18-6.75 (5.66m) to win the elite pole vault competition on the opening night of the Penn State National on Friday, Jan. 26. Ludwig's performance represented the 10th-best jump in the world in 2018 and stands as the second-highest mark in Akron indoor program history surpassing his own effort of 18-3.25 (5.57m) set on Jan. 13. He cleared the bar on his opening attempt at the height before making three unsuccessful attempts to surpass 19-0.24 (5.80m). At the time of his competition, his performance stood as the top jump in the NCAA this season.
 
Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
Elizabeth Iversen, Bowling Green, SP/WT
Senior – Martinsville, Ind./Martinsville
Elizabeth Iversen set a pair of personal bests at the Findlay Elite Throws meet Saturday in both the weight throw and the shot put. Iversen ranks second in the MAC in both events and improved to #15 in the country in the weight throw with a personal best distance of 20.66m (67-9.5). She also set a PR in the shot put, throwing 15.59m (51-1.75).

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Other Nominees:
 
Men’s Track
Leon Atkins, Buffalo, 800m
Sophomore – Auburn, NY/Auburn
Leon Atkins ran an indoor personal best in the men’s 800m of 1:53.76 at the Penn State National, ranking him #5 in the MAC. 
 
Emmett Smrcka, Central Michigan, 800m
R-Freshman – Pinckney, Mich./Pinckney
Emmett Smrcka ran a career-best 1:53.41 for fourth place out of 62 runners in the men's 800 meters at the SVSU Jet's Pizza Invitational. The redshirt freshman shaved more than two seconds off his previous best, 1:55.59, which was set last week at SVSU's Doug Hansen Open. Smrcka was just over two seconds behind Eastern Michigan’s Owen Day - the winner of the event who also owns the best time in the MAC. Smrcka's time is now third-best, as he inches closer to being a conference automatic qualifier.
 
 
Women’s Track
Mackenzie Andrews, Akron, Mile
R-Junior – Toowoomba, Australia/Fairholme College
University of Akron track and field redshirt junior Mackenzie Andrews turned in a record-breaking performance in the women's elite mile on the final day of the Penn State National on Saturday, Jan. 27. Andrews established a school-record time of 4:42.42 en route to finishing second in the women's elite mile. Her time shattered the previous school mark of 4:48.19 set by five-time All-American Beata Rudzinska on Feb. 21, 2004, and represented the 16th-best time in the NCAA this season.
 
Samantha Cueno, Central Michigan, 400m
Junior – Belmont, Mich./Rockford
Sam Cuneo ran the 400m in 55.60 seconds to finish second among 51 competitors at the SVSU Jet's Pizza Invitational. This was Cuneo's first attempt of the season in the event, and she is now slotted at No. 4 on the Mid-American Conference Indoor Performance List. The time also made Cuneo - last year's indoor 400m conference champion - an automatic qualifier for this year's MAC Indoor Championships. 
 
Kedisha Dallas, Northern Illinios, 60m/200m
Senior – Ocho Rios, Jamaica/GC Foster
NIU senior Kedisha Dallas qualified for the 60-meter dash finals in seventh place, but was able to take fifth in the event with a time of 7.616 to edge out an Iowa opponent by two thousandths of a second. She also had a second place finish in the 200-meter dash, running in at 24.55.
 
Emily Hooker, Miami, 200m/400m
Senior – Aurora, Ohio/Green
One week after becoming the MAC leader in the 400m, senior sprinter Emily Hooker one-upped herself by breaking a school record. Speaking on the 600m run -- which Miami would be competing in since the Relays were a Big Ten meet -- Assistant Head Coach Russ Peterson said he would not be surprised if Hooker, who normally runs the 400m and 800m, broke the record. As it turned out, Hooker crossed in a blazing 1:32.10 to upset Kathie Wollney's mark from the 2015-16 season.
 
Madison Meredith, Western Michigan, 60m/200m
Sophomore – Birmingham, Mich./Groves
Madison Meredith picked up one of WMU's two event wins at the Jack Johnson Classic. The sophomore speedster ran a season-best time of 7.67 seconds to win the 60-meter dash. Her new time puts her in a tie for seventh on the MAC performance list.  Meredith also went on to take third place in the 200-meter dash with a season-best time of 25.64 seconds.
 
Janelle Noe, Toledo, Mile
Senior – Sylvania, Ohio/Northview
Won the mile run at the SPIRE Midwest Open with a time of 4:42.80, a new personal best...second-fastest indoor mile time in school history and the fastest indoor mile run by a Rocket since 2014...now ranks third in the MAC and 16th in the NCAA in the mile this season.
 
Stephanie Ward, Buffalo, 3000m
Sophomore – Honeoye, NY/Darlington
Stephanie Ward ran a personal best of 9:38.94 to place 5th at the Penn State National 3000m.  Her time is the 3rd best in Buffalo history, and ranked #5 in the MAC.
 
 
Men’s Field
Kevin Weiler, Central Michigan, SP
Junior – Swartz Creek, Mich./Swartz Creek
Kevin Weiler posted a new season-best with a 17.48-meter (57 ft. 4.25 in.) throw to win the shot put at the Saginaw Valley State Jet's Pizza Invitational. Weiler topped a field of 33 entrants in the event, and established more separation between himself and second-place David Paliscak of Kent State for the best distance in the conference. Weiler has now opened the indoor season with four straight shot-put victories.
 
Sam Wray, Buffalo, WT
Sophomore – Lockport, NY/Lockport
Sam Wray won the Spire Mid-West Invite in the Men's WT with a distance of 17.13m/56'2.5".
 
 
Women’s Field
Danielle Collier, Miami, SP
Junior – Hermitage, PA/Hickory
Danielle Collier posted a big PR in the shot put at last weekend's Indiana Relays. The junior threw a 13.05 (42-9.75) to surpass a previous best that had been in place for two years. Ranking 17th in the conference, Collier's record shows big promise for a young Miami throws team.
 
Gabby Collins, Western Michigan, LJ
R-Sophomore – Chesaning, Mich./Caro
Gabby Collins earned two top-three finishes at the Jack Johnson Classic over the weekend. She took second place in the long jump after reaching at least 19-feet for the second time this season. Collins also took third place in the 60m hurdles with her second-fastest time of the season at 8.80 seconds.
 
Katie Dewey, Toledo, SP/WT
Junior – Jerry City, Ohio/Elmwood
Posted a throw of 48-9.0 in the shot put at the Findlay Classic over the weekend, a new personal best...shot put mark nearly set a school record (48-9.5)...has already set a school record this season with a 55-0 mark in the weight throw.
 
Jordan Porter, Ohio, SP
Senior – South Point, Ohio/Chesapeake
Ohio track and field finished Marshall's Thundering Herd Invitational with a total of 39.5 points to place eighth out of 12 teams. The Bobcats racked up two wins from the throwers and nine top-10 finishes throughout the weekend. In shot put, Ohio senior Jordan Porter (South Point, Ohio) recorded a win for Ohio with a throw reaching 14.74m (48' 4.50").
 
Selina Von Jackowski, Buffalo, LJ
Junior – Pfeffingen, Switzerland/International School of Basel
Selina Von Jackowski won the Penn State National Women's long jump in a personal best mark of 6.07m/19'11".  Her mark is #3 in the MAC and #30 in the NCAA.  In addition, Selina ran a personal best in the 60HH of 8.50, ranking #3 in the MAC as well. 
 
Jehvania Whyte, Northern Illinois, TJ
Junior – Kingston, Jamaica/Vere Technical
For the third time this season, NIU track & field junior Jehvania Whyte (Kingston, Jamaica/Vere Technical) broke her own triple jump school record, bettering her previous best to 12.57 meters at the Black & Gold Premier hosted by Iowa on Saturday. Whyte originally set the school record during the 2017 season, but has since bettered it at the Blue & Gold Invitational (Dec.1), the Notre Dame Invitational (Jan. 20) and again this past weekend.
 
Nadia Williams, Central Michigan, LJ/TJ
Sophomore – Mount Horeb, Wis./Mount Horeb
Nadia Williams took home first place in the triple jump and second in the long jump at the SVSU Jet's Pizza Invitational. The sophomore's 11.62-meter (38-1 1/2) attempt was the best among 24 athletes in the triple jump and was just short of her season-best of 11.69. Her victory was decisive, topping runner-up and teammate Ja'La Taylor by 8 1/4 inches. Williams narrowly missed the top finish in the long jump with a 5.89-meter leap (19-4), but fell just 1 inch short of York (Ont.) College's Holly Pitters. Williams currently owns the second-best long jump attempt in the MAC, and is ranked 24th nationally.
 
Abigale Wilson, Akron, SP
Junior – Carrollton, Ohio/Carrollton
Akron junior Abigale Wilson placed second in the women's shot put at the Penn State National on Saturday, Jan. 27, registering the fourth-best throw in indoor program history with a career-long mark of 50-4 (15.34m).