Akron Sweeps Field Athlete of the Week Honors
Men’s Track Athlete of the Week
Aaron Muresan, Miami, 110m Hurdles
Senior – Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome
Senior Aaron Muresan posted his first of four event wins in the 110m Hurdles Saturday at Miami's Blizzard Buster to open the outdoor season, running a 14.39. Muresan also took home first place in the 400m Hurdles and was part of a Miami relay team that won the 4x400 and 4x100 relays.
Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
Bryeana Byrdsong, Ball State, 100/200
Junior – Indianapolis, Indiana/Warren Central
Junior sprinter Bryeana Byrdsong turned in a tremendous effort at the Vanderbilt Black & Gold Invitational, earning Mid-American Conference automatic qualifying marks in both the 100m (11.79) and 200m (23.88). Not only do the times lock up her spot in the MAC Outdoor Championships in both events, they are also currently the top times in the MAC in each event. In addition to her strong individual runs, Byrdsong ran the second leg for the 4x100m relay which put up the second-best time in program history at 45.30, which leads the MAC this season. It was .02 shy of the school record in which Byrdsong was a part of last season. Byrdsong closed the meet by running the third leg of the 4x400m relay which clocked in at 3:50.88, which is the third-fastest time in the MAC so far, this outdoor season.
Men’s Field Athlete of the Week
Jordan Latimer, Akron, Long Jump
Senior – Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne
Akron senior Jordan Latimer won the men's long jump at the Roadrunner Invitational on Saturday, March 23, with the second-longest mark in the NCAA this spring soaring 25-10.25 (7.88m). He bettered the field and bested the runner-up by over a foot.
Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
Lucy Bryan, Akron, Pole Vault
Senior – Bristol, England/Clifton
Akron senior Lucy Bryan eclipsed 14-1.25 (4.30m) to win the women's pole vault at the Roadrunner Invitational on Saturday, March 23 with the second-rated mark in the NCAA this spring.
Other Nominees:
Olivia Bechtel, Miami, 200
Junior – Bay Village, Ohio/Bay
Bechtel had a dominating day on the track at Miami's Blizzard Buster on Saturday, including a victory in the 200m where she posted a 24.35. Bechtel also took first place in the 100m and was a part of Miami's relay teams that took home the crown in the 4x400m and 4x100m.
Kristine Bourg, Eastern Michigan, Javelin
Junior – Shorewood, Illinois/Joliet West
Eastern Michigan junior Kristine Bourg made her 2019 Outdoor Track and Field debut by earning the Eagles' top finish at the Black and Gold Invitational, Saturday, March 23. Bourg marked a Javelin Throw effort of 39.47m, good for sixth place. The Shorewood, Ill. native's throw is the second-best effort by a Mid-American Conference athlete in the 2019 campaign.
Brandon Burke, Buffalo, High Jump
Sophomore – Churchville, New York/Byron-Bergen
Brandon Burke had a great day in the High Jump event, winning the event with a jump of 2.06m, and just missing clearing the 2.11 bar (6’11). Burke hit the automatic qualifying standard for the MAC Championships in his jump, exceeding the mark by 2cm.
Kaila Butler, Bowling Green, Hammer Throw
R-Sophomore – Port Coquitlam, British Columbia/Terry Fox Secondary
Kaila Butler threw a personal best 204-feet-6 in the hammer throw to open the 2019 outdoor season. In her first time competing in outdoor since 2017 (redshirting in 2018), she shattered her previous PR of 189-8.25. The distance places her second in school history, behind only three-time All-American Brooke Pleger. It ranks first in the MAC and 17th nationally.
Danielle Collier, Miami, Javelin
R-Junior – Hermitage, PA/Hickory
In her first javelin toss of the 2019 season, Collier unleashed a massive 53.31m throw to capture first place in the event, besting second place by more than 20 meters. The mark is good for fourth in the entire nation so far in the outdoor season as Collier looks to get back to the NCAA Championships after competing in the national meet in 2017.
Erin Dowd, Western Michigan, 400 Hurdles
Junior – Brighton, Michigan/Brighton
Erin Dowd kicked off her outdoor season with a strong performance in the 400-meter hurdles. Dowd ran a time of 1:00.40 to take third overall at the Victor Lopez Classic. Her time places her at the top of the Mid-American Conference and also an automatic qualifier. Her time also ranks 17th on the NCAA East Regional Qualifier list. Dowd also helped the 4x400-meter relay team finish in second place, combining with her teammates for a time of 3:52.40.
Mair Edwards, Eastern Michigan, 200/400
Freshman – Basingstoke, England/The Costello School
Eastern Michigan freshman Mair Edwards started off the Eagles' weekend competition strong with a 16th-place effort in the 200m, crossing the finish line in 24.70 Friday, March 22 at the Black and Gold Invitational hosted by Vanderbilt University. Her performance marked her career-best time in the event and is the fastest effort in the 200m by a conference athlete this season. Edwards followed Friday's effort with a seventh-place finish in the 400m with a time of 56.47 Saturday, March 23. Her performance not only marked a career-best outdoor time in the event but bested tracksters from MAC-foes Ball State University and Central Michigan University. Additionally, her performance was the top finish by a freshman in the event and ranks as the third-best effort by a conference athlete this season. Additionally, her 400m effort ranks 22nd on the NCAA performance list as of Saturday, March 23 at 6:13 p.m ET.
Kenny Glenn, Miami, Long Jump
Senior – Mount Healthy, Ohio/Mount Healthy
Glenn broke his own school record on Saturday in the long jump at Miami's Blizzard Buster to open the outdoor season. The senior reached a mark of 7.69m, good enough to put him in the national top five for the event.
Crystal Henderson, Buffalo, 100 Hurdles
Senior – Middle Island, New York/Longwood
Crystal Henderson started off the day winning the 100HH in a personal best time of 14.36. She then went on to collect third place in the Triple jump from a short approach, for a jump pf 39’0.5”.
Avery Joseph, Central Michigan, Javelin
Senior – Charlotte Amaile, USVI/Charlotte Amaile
Central Michigan senior thrower Avery Joeseph got off to a solid start to the outdoor season the past weekend as he placed first in the Javelin at Vanderbilt's Commodore Classic. His mark of 57.96m is good for 3rd on the MAC outdoor list and is 94 in the NCAA.
Molly McCreedy, Buffalo, Shot Put/Discus
Freshman – Plainfield, Vermont/U-32 High
Freshman Molly McCreedy (redshirted indoor) competed in her first collegiate T&F competition, placing 2nd in the Shot put with a distance of 13.78m and taking home first in the discus throw with a toss of 44.39m in just her first collegiate meet.
Megan McElroy, Central Michigan, Javelin
Sophomore – Carthage, Illinois/Illini West
Central Michigan sophomore thrower Megan McElroy posted a solid performance this past weekend as the Chippewas opened the outdoor season at Vanderbilt's Commodore Classic. The Carthage, Ill., native finished 1st in the women's javelin with a 44.97m toss. Her mark is good for 3rd on the MAC leader board and and ranks 60th in the NCAA.
Marc Migliozzi, Akron, 1500
R-Sophomore – Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny
Akron redshirt sophomore Marc Migliozzi recorded a career-best time of 3:53.56 to win the men's 1,500 meters at the Roadrunner Invitational on Saturday, March 23.
Hailley Peters, Ball State, High Jump
Sophomore – Seymour, Indiana/Trinity Lutheran
Placed 10th in the high jump at the Vanderbilt Black & Gold Invitational with a mark of 1.61m which currently ranks sixth in the conference.
Janelle Perry, Central Michigan, Long Jump
Senior – Akron, Ohio/Firestone
Central Michigan senior jumper Janelle Perry turned in a solid start to the outdoor season as the Chippewas competed in Vanderbilt's Commodore Classic this past weekend. The Akron, Ohio native placed 1st in the women's long jump with a 6.04m leads which places her No.1 on the MAC outdoor leader board and No.29 in the NCAA.
