Mid-American Conference

MAC Men's Track Athlete of the Week
Noah Williams, Akron, 400
R-Sophomore – Rochester, New York/McQuaid Jesuit
For the second consecutive week, Akron redshirt sophomore Noah Williams established a school-record time in the men's 400 meters winning the race in a time of 46.20 to headline the performances of the Akron track and field team at the Al Campbell Invitational on Friday, Feb. 21, at the Stile Athletics Field House. Williams' effort in the 400 meters represented the 10th-fastest performance in the NCAA this season and top effort in the Mid-American Conference.
 
MAC Women's Track Athlete of the Week
Olivia Bechtel, Miami, 400m
Senior - Bay Village, Ohio/Bay
Just a week after a setting two school records, Miami senior Olivia Bechtel wasted no time in breaking one of them once again as she set a new program mark in the 400 on Saturday at Notre Dame's Alex Wilson Invitational. She ran a time of 53.07, shattering last weeks' time of 53.44, to win the event. This run strengthens her place atop the MAC leaderboard for the event and gives her a top-20 time in the nation.
 
MAC Men's Field Athlete of the Week
Logan Targgart, Central Michigan, Weight Throw
Senior – Coldwater, Michigan/Coldwater
Central Michigan senior Logan Targgart broke the University of Michigan Silverston Invitational record in the weight throw with a toss measuring 71 feet, 5 ½ inches. Targgart, who is ranked No. 1 in the MAC and 10th nationally in the event, placed second behind former Michigan standout Joe Ellis, who competed unattached.
 
MAC Women's Field Athlete of the Week
Quiara Wheeler, Central Michigan, Weight Throw
Junior - Flint, Michigan/Grand Blanc
Central Michigan's Quiara Wheeler, a junior from Flint, won the weight throw with a toss of 63 feet, 9 ¾ inches at the Michigan Silverston Invitational. Wheeler's throw measured more than three feet longer than that of the runner-up.  

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Other Nominees
Lucy Bryan, Akron, Pole Vault
Senior – Bristol, England/Clifton
Akron senior Lucy Bryan won the women's pole vault at the Al Campbell Invitational on Friday, Feb. 21, eclipsing 14-6 (4.42m) to remain unbeaten against collegiate competition this season.
 
Bryeana Byrdsong, Ball State, 60m/200m
Senior – Indianapolis, Indiana/Warren Central
Ball State senior Bryeana Byrdsong won the 200m in 24.64 at the Ball State Tune-Up. Because of Ball State's track size, the time converts to 24.27 for ranking purposes and gives Byrdsong her second MAC automatic qualifying mark of the season. Byrdsong had already posted a MAC automatic qualifying mark in the 60m with a time of 7.58 at the Gene Edmonds Memorial Invite (Jan. 10), but was able to better the effort Friday with a first-place time of 7.56.
 
Taige Bryant, Eastern Michigan, Weight Throw
R-Senior – Edmond, Oklahoma/Edmond Memorial
Eastern Michigan redshirt senior Taige Bryant recorded the program's farthest weight throw of the season at the Silverston Invitational hosted by the University of Michigan on Friday, Feb. 21. His personal-best, MAC Auto Qualifying heave of 21.29 meters currently ranks second in the league and 21st in the NCAA. Bryant, who finished in third place at the Silverston Invitational, has placed fourth or better in the weight throw in all but one of the eight meets in which he has competed this season.
 
Christian Champen, Kent State, Pole Vault
Senior - Clayton, Ohio/Northmont
Christian Champen remained unbeaten in pole vault this season with a season-best height of 17'-2.5" at the Kent State Tune Up on Saturday. The 33rd-ranked pole vaulter in the country has cleared 17' in four of six meets this season, while the rest of the MAC has combined to do so just once.
 
Lillie Franks, Kent State, High Jump
Freshman – Great Britain
Lillie Franks cleared a season-best height of 5'-7" to win the high jump at the Kent State Tune Up on Saturday. The mid-year enrollee has either matched or improved upon her previous week's mark in every competition this season.
 
Frankie Grey, Eastern Michigan, 200m
Freshman – Brentwood, New York/Brentwood
Eastern Michigan freshman sprinter Frankie Grey was the runner-up in the 200-meter dash at the Silverston Invitational hosted by the University of Michigan on Friday, Feb. 21. His personal-best time of 21.95 seconds was just 0.06 seconds behind the event winner. Grey has captured two event titles in his first season with the Eagles, winning the 400-meter dash with a time of 50.23 seconds at the Jack Skoog Open on Jan. 31, and running a leg of the 4x400-meter relay that claimed first prize at the Can-Am International on Jan. 25.
 
Hanna Hearn, Eastern Michigan, 60m
Freshman - Laurel, Mississippi/Brebeuf Jesuit Prep (Ind.)
Eastern Michigan freshman sprinter Hanna Hearn recorded the MAC's fastest time of the season in the 60-meter dash at the Silverston Invitational hosted by the University of Michigan on Friday, Feb. 21. She earned her first event title as an Eagle as she set a personal-best with a MAC Auto Qualifying time of 7.46 seconds. Hearn clinched a berth in the title race after finishing second in the 60-meter dash prelims with a time of 7.62 seconds.
 
Quintella Johnson, Eastern Michigan, High Jump
Junior – Las Vegas, Nevada/Saint Mary's 
Eastern Michigan junior high jump Quintella Johnson was the runner-up in her specialty at the Silverston Invitational hosted by the University of Michigan on Friday, Feb. 21. The Las Vegas, Nev. native currently ranks second in the Mid-American Conference after setting a season-best, MAC Auto Qualifying height of 1.71 meters. Johnson previously won the high jump events at the SVSU Doug Hansen Open on Jan. 17 and the season-opening GVSU Holiday Open on Dec. 6, 2019. Prior to arriving at EMU, Johnson won the 2019 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) indoor and outdoor high jump titles while competing for Texas Southern University.
 
Ashley Kitrell, Ohio, 200m/400m
Senior – Oakland, Nebraska/Oakland Crag
Senior Ashleigh Kitrell (Oakland, Neb.) of the Ohio track & field team won the 400-meter dash with a personal best time of 56.35 to break her own school record last Friday (Feb. 21) at the Al Campbell Invitational hosted by Akron at Stile Athletics Field House. She also finished sixth in the 200-meter dash in 25.89.
 
Atalia Lima, Toledo, Long Jump
Senior – Boa Vista, Brazil/Rui Bloem
Senior Atalia Lima recorded a mark of 5.38m to place sixth in the long jump at the Silverston Invitational hosted by Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Friday. Lima is ranked 27th in the MAC in the long jump event.
 
Petronela Simiuc, Toledo, Mile
Senior – Bacau, Romania/Sports
Senior Petronela Simiuc broke Toledo's indoor 800-meter record by posting a personal-best time of 2:08.23 to place second at the Silverston Invitational hosted by Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Friday. The previous record of 2:09.20 was set by Janelle Noe at the Meyo Invitational in 2019. Simiuc ranks first in the MAC and 64th in the NCAA in the 800 meters.
 
Kelsey Walters, Ball State, Shot Put
Senior – Troy, Ohio/Troy
In a meet dominated by big performances, Ball State senior thrower Kelsey Walters stole the show by breaking the previous program record in the shot put in three of her six throws at the Ball State Tune-Up. Her longest came on her fourth attempt, when she tossed the shot 15.15m, which is also a MAC automatic qualifying mark. However, she also beat the previous program record of 14.77m in both her second (14.83m) and fifth (14.97m) attempts.