Men's Track Athlete of the Week
Finley Mclear, Miami
Junior, Cullompton, England/Exeter College
Finley Mclear had a career day at Grand Valley State, winning the 800m and ran 1:47.47 for a Miami school record, it’s currently #1 in the MAC and #4 in the NCAA.
Men's Field Athlete of the Week
Hesham Eldesouky, Akron
Senior, Nasr City, Egypt
Akron senior Hesham Eldesouky bested the field in the men's triple jump at the Doug Raymond Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 13, with a league-leading mark of 51-8.50 (15.76m). The top-three marks in the Mid-American Conference in the triple jump occurred at the meet with Eldesouky's effort nearly three feet better than his closest competitors. His jump stands as the No. 17 effort in the NCAA this season.
Women's Track Athlete of the Week
Ashley Tutt, NIU
Junior, Channahon, Ill./Minooka
NIU junior Ashley Tutt set a new school record in the 5,000 meters at the Iowa State Classic on Friday (Feb. 12) with a time of 16:01.20, breaking her own school record of 16:20.13, set last season at the Iowa State Classic (Feb. 14, 2020). The Huskie junior finished fourth, third among collegians, in a talented 16-runner field. Tutt’s time is the fastest in the MAC this season by over a minute (17:05.81, Elka Machan, Ball State) and 13th fastest nationally in 2021.
Women's Field Athlete of the Week
Leah Pasqualetti, Kent State
Freshman, Buffalo, N.Y./Orchard Park
Leah Pasqualetti cleared 4.13m (13’-6.5”) to win the pole vault in her first competition inside of the Kent State Field House at the Doug Raymond National Qualifier on Saturday. Pasqualetti’s MAC-leading height is the third highest in Golden Flashes history and ranks 30th nationally.
Other Men's Nominees
Gavin Schoeneman, Kent State
Freshman, Canton, Ohio/East Canton
Gavin Schoeneman leaped into a tie for eighth in the Kent State record book with by clearing 2.11m (6’-11”) in the high jump Saturday at the Doug Raymond National Qualifier. Schoeneman is now tied for 26th on the national performance and ranks fifth among freshmen.
Alexander Shields, ?Kent State
Freshman, Orlando, Fla./The First Academy
Alexander Shields clocked a PR of 8.00 seconds to win the 60-meter hurdles at the Doug Raymond National Qualifier on Saturday. Shields’ time, which ranks fourth in Kent State history, is .07 faster than any other MAC competitor this season and No. 48 on the national performance list.
Baldvin Magnusson, Eastern Michigan
Junior, Akureyri, Iceland/Hull University
After a huge performance last weekend, junior Baldvin Magnusson (Akureyri, Iceland-Hull University) upped his game once more, this time winning the mile run in a career-best 4:04.48 time at the GVSU Big Meet. For Magnusson, his time is the fastest in the Mid-American Conference.
Zarik Brown, Akron
Sophomore, Dayton, Ohio
Akron sophomore Zarik Brown captured the men's 400 meters in a conference-leading time of 46.92 at the Doug Raymond Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 13. His effort stands as the No. 28 time in the NCAA this season. Brown now owns two of the three fastest times in the event in the Mid-American Conference in the 400 meters over the past two indoor campaigns.
Other Women's Nominees
Jessie Hartman, Ohio
Redshirt Junior, Lebanon, Ohio/Lebanon High School
Redshirt junior Jessie Hartman (Lebanon, Ohio) won the mile run for the Ohio track & field team at the Marshall Invitational last Saturday (February 13) at Jeff Small Track at The Chris Cline Athletic Complex. The mile run saw five Bobcats finish in the top-six places, including a sweep of first, second and third.
Sarinity Bracey, Western Michigan
Freshman, Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood
Bracey turned in a personal-best time of 8.82 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles at Friday's GSVU Big Meet. After running a time of 8.89 in the prelims she cut .07 off the time in the finals to take fifth overall. The time also boosted her spot on the MAC Indoor Performance list, jumping up to fifth.
Mi’Angel Daniels, Kent State
Redshirt Senior, Columbus, Ohio/Gahanna
Mi’Angel Daniels sprinted to victory Saturday at the Doug Raymond National Qualifier, winning the 60-meter hurdles in a season-best time of 8.75 seconds.
Emily Akin, Miami
Junior, Hudson, Ohio/Hudson
Emily Akin also had a good day at GVSU, winning the mile, with a time of 4:47.82, which is #2 in the MAC currently.
Beth Arentz, Akron
Freshman, Cronulla, Australia
Akron freshman Beth Arentz won the women's 3,000 meters at the Doug Raymond Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 13, crossing the line in 9:43.75. Her effort stands as the fourth-fastest time in indoor program history.
Kailee Perry, Bowling Green
Sophomore, West Liberty, Ky. / Morgan County
Kailee Perry broke the school record in the 3000, a mark which had stood for 35 years, by more than four seconds as she ran 9:35.88 Friday evening at Grand Valley State's Big Meet. Just a sophomore, Perry's time is third in the MAC and less than one second shy of the No. 2 spot.
Elka Machan, Ball State
Freshman, Coldwater, Mich
For a few hours, BSU's Elka Machan owned the best 5K time in the MAC. She clocked 17:05.81 at the GVSU Big Meet, placing 12th of 70 runners. Machan, a freshman, also owns the MAC's 7th-best 3K time (9:51.91).
Abby Moore, Ohio
Senior, Rootstown, Ohio/Rootstown
Senior Abby Moore (Rootstown, Ohio) claimed a pair of first-place finishes for the Ohio track & field team at the Marshall Invitational last Saturday (February 13) at Jeff Small Track at The Chris Cline Athletic Complex. Moore won the shot put with a mark of 13.67 meters, then took the top spot in the weight throw with a toss of 17.79 meters.
Taylor Eaton, Western Michigan
Senior, Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion
For the second straight week Taylor Eaton turned in a big PR in the weight throw. On Friday up at Grand Valley State she threw a new personal-best distance of 60' 6.75" (18.46m), taking seventh place. She crushed her previous PR of 57' 11.25" that she set back on Feb. 5 at the Akron Invitational. Eaton's performance at GVSU moved her up to sixth place on the MAC Indoor Performance list.
Kadian Clarke, Eastern Michigan
Senior, Kingston, Jamaica/Immaculate Conception
For the Eagles, it was senior thrower Kadian Clarke (Kingston, Jamaica-Immaculate Conception) who had a career day at the GVSU Big Meet. In the weight throw, Clarke registered an EMU record toss of 19.82m, nearly .5m further than her previous best (19.37m) that she set at the MAC Indoor Championships last year, Feb. 28, 2020. While she placed second in the weight throw, the Jamaica native also finished third in the shot put with a 14.60m heave. For Clarke, she ranks second in the conference in the weight throw and 35th in all of Division I.
Kassandra Roemer, Akron
Junior, Kaiserlautern, Germany
Akron junior Kassandra Roemer won the women's long jump at the Doug Raymond Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 13, registering a league-leading and career-best mark of 20-1.50 (6.13m). Her performance ranks as the No. 4 mark in indoor program history and the No. 32 mark in the NCAA this season.
Jazmyn Smith, NIU
Junior, Pinecrest, Fla./Gulliver Prep
Jazmyn Smith led a Huskie one-two in the long jump at the GVSU Big Meet as she recorded a mark of 5.89 meters (19-04.00) to take the top spot. The junior from Pinecrest, Fla., posted her best mark on her first jump of the meet and nearly matched it on her final jump when she measured 5.88m. Smith’s meet-winning leap is the fourth-best in the MAC this season.
