MAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week
Noah Williams, Akron, 200/400
R-Sophomore – Rochester, New York/McQuaid Jesuit
(adjusted times listed times) University of Akron redshirt sophomore Noah Williams turned in a stellar weekend for the Zips in the 200 and 400 meters, respectively, at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational and USATF Indoor Nationals this past weekend. He turned in the third-fastest time in Akron indoor program history in the finals of the men's 200 meters with an effort of 21.16 (21.09) en route to placing third at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational on Thursday. He then clocked a school-record time of 46.61 (46.50) in the finals of the men's 400 meters at the USA Track and Field Indoor Championships on Saturday to place fifth. He earlier ran a time of 46.88 in Friday's semifinal. Williams in the process rewrote the oldest record in the Akron indoor program record book supplanting Paul Donatelli's school-record time of 46.87 set in 1997.
MAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
Petronela Simiuc, Toledo, Mile
Senior – Bacau, Romania/Sports
Senior Petronela Simiuc broke Toledo's all-time record in the mile for a second time this season, stopping the clock at 4:34.59 to place fifth at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston, Mass. on Friday. Simiuc's time is a new Mid-American Conference record and a four second improvement on Toledo's previous record of 4:38.40, which she set on Jan. 24, at the John Thomas Terrier Classic in Boston, Mass. Simiuc is ranked first in the MAC and eighth in the NCAA in the mile event.
MAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week
Shevaughn Allen, Buffalo, Triple Jump/Long Jump
Sophomore – Cheektowaga, New York
Shevaughn Allen established a new school record as he broke his own triple jump record at the Doug Raymond National Qualifier. Allen stayed undefeated on the season as he won the triple jump with the distance of 16.09m/52-09.50. This distance ranks first in the MAC and eighth in the NCAA. He also went on to a first-place finish in the long jump with a personal-best mark of 7.35m/24-01.50, ranking seventh in the conference while earning a MAC automatic qualifying mark.
MAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
Kaila Butler, Bowling Green, Weight Throw
Senior – Port Coquitlam, British Columbia/Terry Fox Secondary
Senior Kaila Butler set a new personal best in the weight throw at Grand Valley State's Big Meet Friday night, earning a mark of 67-feet-4 (20.52m). She leads the Mid-American Conference by more than two feet and ranks among the top 25 nationally in the event.
Other Nominees
Olivia Bechtel, Miami, 200m
Senior -Bay Village, Ohio/Bay
Miami senior Olivia Bechtel broke a pair of school records on Friday at Boston University's Valentine Invitational. In the 400, she ran a time of 53.44 for third place in a field of more than 300 athletes. This broke her own program-best mark that she set last season, and also goes down as the 26th best time in the nation; additionally, the time leads the MAC by over a full second. Bechtel also set Miami's 200 record with a time of 23.95. This is another MAC-leading mark and is 89th in the nation.
Khalil Bedoui, Eastern Michigan, Weight Throw
Freshman – Doha, Qatar/Aspire Academy
Eastern Michigan freshman Khalil Bedoui set a new personal-best and MAC Auto Qualifying mark in the weight throw at the GVSU Big Meet on Friday, Feb. 14. Bedoui claimed first prize in the men's weight throw invite with a distance of 21.05 meters, which is currently the No. 2 ranking in the Mid-American Conference. The throw is also the farthest by any Eagle this season, and the longest by anyone in program history since Anthony Jones surpassed the 21-meter mark four times during the 2015-16 indoor campaign.
Jackson Blanchard, Central Michigan, 60m Hurdles
Sophomore – Houghton Lake, Michigan/Houghton Lake
Central Michigan sophomore Jackson Blanchard placed sixth in the men's 60-meter hurdles at the Grand Valley State Big Meet in Allendale, Mich. Blanchard's time, 8.10 seconds, is a personal record and the fourth-fastest in the event by a MAC hurdler this season.
Wijitra “Earnie” Burapan, Buffalo, Pole Vault
Junior – Hilton, New York/Hilton Central
Wijitra “Earnie” Burapan vaulted to a personal-best and second place performance at the Doug Raymond National Qualifier with a height of 3.82m/12-06.25. She now ranks sixth in the conference.
Christian Champen, Kent State, Pole Vault
Senior - Clayton, Ohio/Northmont
Christian Champen posted season-best marks in the pole vault and long jump this past weekend at the Doug Raymond National Qualifier. The 37th-ranked pole vaulter in the country cleared 17’-1.5” for the second week in a row Saturday morning to win his fifth title in as many competitions this season. On Friday evening, Champen took second in the long jump with a top mark of 23’-5.5” despite passing on all three finals attempts.
Kadian Clark, Eastern Michigan, Weight Throw
Junior - Kingston, Jamaica/Immaculate Conception
Eastern Michigan junior thrower Kadian Clarke broke her own program record in the weight throw at the GVSU Big Meet Friday, Feb. 14 in Allendale, Mich. The Kingston, Jamaica, native’s heave of 19.28 meters was good for fourth overall at the women's weight throw invite and is currently ranked No. 3 in the Mid-American Conference. Incidentally, her previous career-best throw of 19.06 meters also came in Allendale when the Eagles opened the indoor season at the GVSU Holiday Open on Dec. 6, 2019. Clarke also placed fourth in the shot put at last weekend’s meet with a toss of 13.16 meters.
Nate Cousino, Kent State, 800m
Sophomore – Toledo, Ohio/Whitmer
Nate Cousino won the 800-meter run for the second week in a run with a personal-best time of 1:52.33 Saturday at the Doug Raymond National Qualifier. The sophomore has established a new PR all three times he has competed in the event this season.
Alyson Davis, Eastern Michigan, 60m
Freshman – Summerfield, North Carolina/Weaver Academy for Performing and Visual Arts
Eastern Michigan freshman sprinter Alyson Davis now ranks No. 1 in the Mid-American Conference in the 60-meter dash. The Summerfield, N.C. was the runner-up in the 60-meter sprint with a personal-best and MAC Auto Qualifying time of 7.53 seconds at the GVSU Big Meet in Allendale, Mich. on Friday, Feb. 14. Davis was also second overall in the 60-meter dash preliminaries as she crossed the finish line in 7.54 seconds.
Erin Dowd, Western Michigan, 400m
Senior – Brighton, Michigan/Brighton
Erin Dowd turned in a personal-best time for the indoor 400-meter dash for the third time this season. At Friday's GVSU Big Meet she ran a time of 54.53 to take third overall in the race. Dowd has not finished below third place in any of the 400-meter dash races she has run this season. The senior shaved .04 seconds off of her previous personal-best that she set at the Akron Invitational.
Emma Fountain, Central Michigan, 800m
Freshman – Ludington, Michigan/Ludington
Central Michigan freshman Emma Fountain recorded a personal record in placing 10th at the Grand Valley State Big Meet. Fountain's time of 2:13.57 ranks 12th in the league in the event this season.
Hesham Eldesouky, Akron, Triple Jump
R-Junior – Nasr City, Egypt/El Mostakbal School
University of Akron redshirt junior Hesham Eldesouky recorded a season-best mark of 52-2 (15.90m) in the men's triple jump to lead the Zips' efforts at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational on Friday, Feb. 14. His mark came on his sixth and final jump of the competition after reaching the finals with a mark of 51-9.75 (15.79m) in the semifinals.
Abby Helminiak, Akron, Pole Vault
R-Junior – Toledo, Ohio/Springfield
Akron redshirt junior Abby Helminiak garnered a career-best clearance of 13-9.75 (4.21m) en route to earning a fifth-place finish at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational on Friday. Her effort was the second-best performance by a collegian in the meet. It is the fifth-best fifth-best mark in indoor program history.
William Hilbert, Buffalo, 5000m
Senior – Kenmore, New York/St. Joe’s
William Hilbert ran a personal-best in the 5,000-meter run in a time of 14:27.30. This mark gives Hilbert a MAC automatic qualifying time as it also ranks second in the MAC thus far in the season. He placed 28th out of 186 competitors at the Boston David Valentine Invite. His mark ranks second on Buffalo’s all-time list.
Raynesha Lewis, Toledo, Triple Jump
Senior – Cohokia, Illinois/Cahokia
Senior Raynesha Lewis posted a third-place finish in the triple jump with a personal-best mark of 11.75m at the GVSU Big Meet in Allendale, Mich. on Saturday. Lewis is ranked 11th in the MAC and 226th in the NCAA in the triple jump event.
Varvara Lissichkina, Akron, 800m
Senior – Karaganda, Kazakhstan/Karaganda Secondary #85
Akron senior Varvara Lissichkina directed the efforts of the Zips' track and field team at the Grand Valley State Big Friday Meet on Friday, Feb. 14, running a personal-best time of 2:09.09 to place third in the women's 800 meters. Her effort stands as the No. 5 time in indoor program history and the top effort in the Mid-American Conference this season.
Alyssa Matheny, Kent State, High Jump
Junior – Akron, Ohio/Manchester
Alyssa Matheny cleared a MAC-best height of 5’-8.5” to win the high jump at the Doug Raymond National Qualifier on Saturday.
Abby Moore, Ohio, Weight Throw
Junior – Rootstown, Ohio/Rootstown
Junior Abby Moore (Rootstown, Ohio) of the Ohio track & field team won the weight throw last Friday (Feb. 14) at the Doug Raymond National Qualifier hosted by Kent State at the Kent State Field House, recording a toss of 18.27 meters to win the event. She has now won the weight throw five times during the 2019-20 indoor season. The next day, Moore placed eighth in the shot put with a toss of 13.57 meters.
Madison Ochs, Western Michigan, Shot Put
Sophomore – Chesterton, Indiana/Chesterton
Madison Ochs set a new personal-best in the shot put at Friday's GVSU Big Meet. Ochs threw a distance of 45' 10' (13.97) to take second overall in the event. It was the first time she had eclipsed 45 feet in her career. Her new mark also puts her ninth on the MAC performance list.
Owen Richardson, Eastern Michigan, 200m
Junior – Basingstoke, England/The Costello School
Eastern Michigan junior sprinter Owen Richardson claimed first prize in the 200-meter dash with a MAC Auto Qualifying time of 21.37 seconds at the GVSU Big Meet in Allendale, Mich. on Friday, Feb. 14. The Basingstoke, England, native also set a personal-best in the 60-meter dash, finishing fifth overall with a time of 6.88 seconds. In all, Richardson has captured the 200-meter dash title four times this season, having previously won the event at the Can-Am International, Jan. 25, the SVSU Doug Hansen Open, Jan. 17, and the Wolverine Invitational, Jan. 11.
Martiza Rodriguez, Ball State, 5000m
Senior – Indianapolis, Indiana/Ben Davis
Senior Maritza Rodriguez turned in a strong showing in the 5,000m at the Music City Challenge, placing 18th overall in a career-fast 17:01.46. Her effort was less than 10 seconds shy of the Mid-American Conference Indoor Championship automatic qualifying time of 16:52.00 and is currently the third-fastest time in the league so far this season.
Kasey Staley, Central Michigan, Pole Vault
Junior – Farwell, Michigan/Clare
Central Michigan junior Kasey Staley placed fourth in the pole vault at the Grand Valley State Big Meet in Allendale, Mich. Staley's vault of 12 feet, 6 3/4 inches is a personal record and the fifth best this season among MAC vaulters.
Ashley Tutt, Northern Illinois, 5000
R-Sophomore – Channahon, Illinois/Minooka
Ashley Tutt set the new school record in the 5,000 meters at the Iowa State Classic with a time of 16:20.13, also the best in the Mid-American Conference this season, breaking the previous NIU school record of 16:39.83 set by Kelsey Hildreth at the Meyo Invitational in 2015. Tutt's time, which was good for eighth in an extremely fast field at Iowa State, is the fastest in the MAC this season by nearly nine seconds.
Christina Wende, Buffalo, 60m Hurdles
Sophomore – Kenmore, New York/Kenmore West
Christina Wende placed eighth overall and ran a personal-best time of 8.83 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles at the Doug Raymond National Qualifier at Kent State. She ranks 12th in the MAC in the event. She also jumped a personal-best in the long jump of 5.60m/18-04.50 where she ranks 11th in the conference.
Jehvania Whyte, Northern Illinois, Triple Jump/Long Jump
R-Senior – Kingston, Jamaica/Vere Technical
Jehvania Whyte won a pair of events at the GVSU Big Meet, taking the title in the long jump invitational as well as the triple jump invitational. In the triple jump, the NIU All-American posted the best mark in the MAC this season with a leap of 12.86m (42-02.25), setting new meet and facility records as she easily surpassed second-place Kyra Arendt of Milwaukee (12.29m). In the long jump invitational, Whyte posted the third best mark in the MAC this season at 5.93m (19-05.50) while taking the crown just ahead of Western Illinois' Bo Brasseur (5.92m).
