Mid-American Conference

Men’s Track Athlete of the Week
Hlynur Andresson, Eastern Michigan, 3000m
R-Senior - Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland/Mountain Ridge
Redshirt senior Hlynur Andresson posted a career mark in the 3000m Saturday, Feb. 3 in the Meyo Invitational in South Bend, Ind. The Iceland-native finished atop the strong pool of competitors with a time of 8:02.08, which launched him up to sixth all-time in the EMU indoor record books. Additionally, Andresson's time now ranks first in the MAC and 29th in the nation, as he now holds the top time in the conference for both the 3000m and 5000m, as well as the fourth best time in the mile.
 
Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
Natalie Cizmas, Eastern Michigan, Mile
Senior – Clinton Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley
Senior Natalie Cizmas had another career-day in the second day of the Meyo Invitational Saturday, Feb. 3, in South Bend, Ind. Cizmas ran strong to a finish of 4:39.98 in the mile, which nearly missed the EMU all-time mark of 4:39.84, while topping her old personal-best that she set in last week's GVSU Lints Alumni Open, Jan. 27. Additionally, the Clinton Twp., Mich. native’s time now ranks first in the event for the MAC, and 13th in the nation.
 
Men’s Field Athlete of the Week
Jordan Latimer, Akron, LJ
R-Junior – Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne
Turning in the second-longest jump in indoor program history in the men's long jump at the Akron Invitational on Saturday was redshirt junior Jordan Latimer (Huber Heights, Ohio), who soared 25-7.50 (7.81m) in his first competition of the season to place second. The mark stands as the eighth-best effort in the NCAA in 2018.
 
Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
Jackie Siefring, Akron, Pentathlon
Senior – Covington, Ohio/Covington
University of Akron senior Jackie Siefring (Covington, Ohio) established a school and facility record in the women's pentathlon en route to capturing the title with a five-event cumulative score of 4,308 at the Akron Invitational on Friday at the Stile Athletics Field House. The title marked the third consecutive year in which Siefring has won the event at the Akron Invitational. In the process, she posted the second-highest score in the country this season. Siefring and senior Patricia Ortega (Logrono, Spain) finished first and second, respectively, in the women's pentathlon, recording cumulative five-event scores of 4,308 and 4,008, the top-two marks in the Mid-American Conference this season. Siefring opened her evening turning in career-best time of 8.55 in the 60-meter hurdles before jumping 5-5.75 (1.67m) in the high jump. Siefring captured the shot put with a winning throw of 40-5 (12.32m) before soaring a career indoor-best 20-3.50 (6.18m) to take the long jump. In the finale of the event, Siefring won the 800 meters with a time of 2:14.70. Additionally, on the final day of the Akron Invitational, Siefring ran the second leg of the Zips’ second-place effort in the women’s 4x400 relay in an Akron season-best time of 3:49.93. Nationally, she is ranked second in the pentathlon and 14th in the long jump.

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Other Nominees:
 
Men’s Track
Erick Huertas, Central Michigan, 400m
Senior – Grafton, Wis./Grafton
Huertas came into the men's Gold Division 400m as the top seed at the Akron Invitational and was the best out of a field of eight runners with a time of 48.87 seconds. Huertas' time is his best this season and is seventh-best in the MAC.
 
Patrick Kimball, Akron, 60m
R-Freshman – Pittsburgh, PA/Mount Lebanon
In the men's 60-meter hurdles at the Akron Invitational, redshirt freshman Patrick Kimball (Pittsburgh, Pa.) garnered a career-best time of 8.14 to earn a second-place showing.
 
Riak Reese, Kent State, 60m/200m
R-Senior – Gahanna, Ohio/Gahanna Lincoln
Riak Reese sprinted his way to a pair of victories in Gold Division competition Saturday at the Akron Invitational. Reese shaved 0.04 off her personal-best to win the 200m in 21.07, a time that ranks 18th in the country this season and is 4th in Kent State's record book. He also ran a personal-best in the 60m, winning with a time of 6.70. His MAC-leading time ranks 31st in the nation and moves him up to 4th in Kent State history.
 
 
Women’s Track
Mackenzie Andrews, Akron, 800m
R-Junior – Toowoomba, Australia/Fairholme College
Winning the women's 800 meters at the Akron Invitational with a career-best time of 2:08.34 was redshirt junior Mackenzie Andrews (Toowoomba, Australia). Her performance stands as the fourth-fastest time in Akron indoor program history. Additionally, she ran the third leg of Akron's second-place 4x400 relay team that posted a season-best time of 3:49.93.
 
Gabriella Beauvais, Central Michigan, 400m
Junior – Monona, Wis./Monona Grove
Beauvais ran the 400 in a career-best 55.40 seconds in her first attempt of the season at the Akron Invitational. The time broke her previous best by exactly one-half second and topped the No. 1 seed in the event‚ Kent State’s Tyler Williams’ by one-10th of a second. Beauvais now owns the third-best time in the MAC and has automatically qualified for the MAC Championships.
 
Emily Hooker, Miami, 600m
Senior - Akron, Ohio/Green
Senior Emily Hooker, one week after setting the school record in the 600m at the Indiana Relays, one-upped herself this weekend. Once again running the 600m, she recorded a blazing 1:31.26 to win the event amongst a competitive field at Notre Dame. In addition, she topped her new school record in the process.
 
Lorena Martin, NIU, 800m
Senior – Salamanca, Spain/IFS Fray Luis de Leon
NIU senior Lorena Martin ran her career fastest 800-meters for the Indoor season at the Meyo Invitational over the weekend. Her 14th-place finish was earned in 2:11.95 pushing past her previous best that she set as a freshman.
 
Jazmin Smith, Ball State, 60mH/4x4
Junior – Cincinnati, Ohio/North College Hill
Junior Jazmin Smith turned in a dominating performance at the Akron Invitational, taking second overall and first among collegiate runners in the 60m hurdles with a career-best time of 8.40. It's the second-best individual performance in program history and currently tops the MAC rankings. Smith was not done there, however, as she combined with Dejah Johnson, Amber Jones and Bryeana Byrdsong to win the 4x400m relay in 3:49.36.
 
Athena Welsh, Toledo, 5000m
Sophomore – Louisville, Ohio/St. Thomas Aquinas
Sophomore Athena Welsh finished in first place in her lone event this weekend at the Meyo Invitational. She won the 5,000-meter run with a time of 16:35.28, her first indoor 5K race of her collegiate career. Welsh now ranks third in the Mid-American Conference in that event and 36th in the NCAA. She also ranks fourth in the MAC and 27th nationally in the mile run (4:43.15). the second team All-MAC cross-country athlete has posted MAC Indoor Championship-qualifying times in the mile, 3,000-meter run, and 5,000-meter run so far this season.
 
Nicole Yeargin, Kent State, 200m
Sophomore – Bowie, MD/Bishop McNamara
Nicole Yeargin ran a personal-best 24.27 to win the 200m Gold Division title Saturday at the Akron Invitational. Yeargin's time ranks 4th in Kent State history and is the 2nd-fastest in the conference this season.
 
 
Men’s Field
Ryan Taylor, Central Michigan, TJ
Freshman – Kitchener, Ontario/Huron Heights Secondary
Ryan Taylor’s 14.62-meter (47-11 3/4) leap on his first attempt in the men’s Gold Division triple jump held up for a second-place finish and was the best of any MAC competitor at the Akron Invitational. The freshman from Kitchener, Ont. edged promising Kent State freshman and No. 1 seed Anthony Milliner by 2 inches. Taylor owns the fourth-best jump in the conference and has already qualified himself for the MAC Indoor Championships with his 14.76-meter attempt at the SVSU Jet's Pizza Invitational.
 
Sam Wray, Buffalo, WT
Sophomore – Lockport, NY/Lockport
Sam Wray won the weight throw and finished sixth in the discus at the Akron Invite over the weekend. His weight throw of 58-02.00 was nearly three feet further than second place. He finished sixth in the discus with a throw of 160-05.
 
Women’s Field
Danielle Collier, Miami, SP
Junior – Hermitage, PA/Hickory
Team-leader in the shot put and weight throw Danielle Collier marked a 40-10.25 at this weekend's Anderson University Invitational. She placed third in the event as the leader of a developing Miami throws team that continues to improve.
 
Dace Dreimane, Eastern Michigan, TJ/HJ
Senior - Ventspils, Latvia/Ventspils Gymnasium No. 1
Senior Dace Dreimane swept the event titles in both the high and triple jump Saturday, Feb. 3, in the Hillsdale Wide Track Classic in Hillsdale, Mich. Her triple jump distance of 12.32m currently ranks third in the conference, while her height of 1.67m in the high jump just missed her season-high of 1.69m, which currently ranks fourth in the conference.
 
Jess Dhaliwall, Buffalo, WT
Senior – Grand Island, NY/Grand Island
Jess Dhaliwall won the weight throw at the Akron Invite with a throw of 63-06.75.
 
Katie Dewey, Toledo, SP/WT
Junior – Jerry City, Ohio/Elmwood
Junior Katie Dewey broke the school's indoor shot-put record this weekend at the Meyo Invitational (50-0.5). Five of her six throws in the finals of that event eclipsed the previous school record. This is the second school record she has broken this season; she set the UT weight throw mark in the first meet of the season. Dewey's shot-put performance this weekend qualified her for MAC Indoor Championships and ranks fifth in the conference.
 
Aliyah Gustafson, Bowling Green, SP
R-Senior – Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa City
Aliyah Gustafson climbed to No. 4 in the country in the shot put, breaking her own school record in the event for the seventh time in her career. Gustafson threw the shot put 57-feet-2 (17.42m) to increase her school record distance by more than 15 inches. Four of her six throws at the Meyo Invitational surpassed 16.80 meters, a distance that is more than a full meter further than any other shot putter in the MAC this year. Only 10 shot putters in the country have thrown further than that 16.80-meter distance this year.
 
Regan Lewis, Ball State, HJ
Junior – Greenfield, Ind./Greenfield-Central
Junior Regan Lewis turned in another solid performance in the high jump at the Akron Invitational, successfully clearing 1.72m to place third in the event. She currently ranks 2nd in the conference and 76th nationally after clearing 1.73m at the season-opening Mastodon Opener (Dec. 2).
 
Diamond Mitchell, Western Michigan, LJ
Freshman – Avon, Ind./Avon
Mitchell jumped 19'4" to take third overall at the Meyo Invitational. It was just the second jump over 19' feet for any Bronco this season, and a season-best for the freshman. Mitchell also ran a season-best 60m dash time of 7.65 seconds to advance to the semifinals.
 
Jehvania Whyte, NIU, TJ
Junior – Kensington, Jamaica/Vere Technical
NIU junior Jehvania Whyte bettered her triple jump school record for the fourth time this past weekend at the Meyo Invitational as she took third to two professional athletes in Tori Franklin and Allison Wilder. Whyte's newest school-record was set with a distance of 12.74 meters (41' 9.75", which keeps her ranked first in the MAC and moved her up to 29th in the NCAA polls. The Jamaican native also competed in the long jump event, placing 14th with a distance of 5.53 meters.
 
Nadia Williams, Central Michigan, LJ
Sophomore – Mount Horeb, Wis./Mount Horeb
Nadia Williams jumped 6.04 meters (19 feet, 9 inches) - the second-best indoor distance of her career - to win the women’s Gold Division long jump at the Akron Invitational. The sophomore was in a class of her own in the event, beating out runners-up Emily Omahen of Windsor and No. 2 seed Cayla Carey of Kent State by 7 full inches. Williams has the second-best jump in the conference, has automatically qualified for the MAC Indoor Championships, and is ranked 27th nationally in the event.