Men's Track Performer of the Week
Finley Mclear, Miami
Junior, Cullompton, England (Exeter College)
Junior distance runner Finley Mclear continued his stellar 2021 campaign claiming top honors in the 800 meters. Mclear's time of 1:46.51 is a new Miami school record and is currently the top time in the NCAA in the event.
Men's Field Performer of the Week
Baboucar Sallah-Mohammed, Eastern Michigan
Redshirt senior, Arlington, Va./Fishburne Military
Redshirt senior Baboucar Sallah-Mohammed (Arlington, Va.-Fishburne Military) was the star of the day as he recorded a program-best long jump of 7.87m. That mark crushed his previous high of 7.58m, topping former Eagle Victor Nembhard's 7.76m jump from 1999. The Virginia native's mark currently ranks first in the Mid-American Conference and is tied for tenth in the nation.
Women's Track Performer of the Week
Olivia Bechtel, Miami
Senior, Bay Village, Ohio (Bay)
Senior sprinter Olivia Bechtel got the victory in the women's 400 meter event (53.24 seconds) at Ole Miss. She also set a new Miami record in the 200 meter event, placing second with a time of 23.41, which is also a new personal best.
Women's Field Performer of the Week
Lillie Franks, Kent State
Redshirt, Freshman, London, U.K.Tennessee RelaysHigh
Lillie Franks cleared 1.73m (5'-8") to place third at the Tennessee Relays. Franks' new personal-best height ranks second in the MAC this season and puts her in a tie for ninth on Kent State's all-time outdoor performance list.
Other Nominees
Sam Wray, Buffalo
Fifth-Year, Senior, Lockport, N.Y. / Starpoint
Sam Wray won the men’s discus throw at the Geneseo Roundtable Invitational setting a new Geneseo facility record with his throw of 171’-2” (52.17-meters). Wray would win the event by over four meters. He ranks third in the MAC and is currently 46th in the NCAA East.
Hunter Garretson Akron
Fr, .Newcomerstown, Ohio
Akron freshman Hunter Garretson continued his stellar rookie campaign this past weekend triumphing in the men's pole vault at the Spec Towns Invitational eclipsing 17-6.50 (5.35m). Garretson's performance equaled a career-best clearance that stands as the top mark in the Mid-American Conference and No. 23 effort in the NCAA this season.
Kristian Kneffler, Kent State
Freshman, New Philadelphia, Ohio/New Philadelphia
Kristian Kneffler cleared 5.15m (16’-10.75”) to finish as runner-up in the pole vault at the Tennessee Relays. Kneffler’s new personal-best height ranks second in the MAC this season and moves him to fifth on Kent State’ all-time outdoor performance list.
Humphrey Banful, Buffalo
Junior, Brooklyn, N.Y. / Clara Barton HS
Humphrey Banful won the 110-meter hurdles at the Geneseo Roundtable Invitational in a personal best time of 14.74-seconds. His time ranks fourth in the MAC.
Amir Willis, Akron
Jr, Cincinnati, Ohio
Akron junior Amir Willis turned in a pair of stellar performances as he registered career-best times in the 100 and 200 meters to lead the Zips’ efforts this past week at the Spec Towns Invitational. In the 200 meters, he ran a career-best time of 20.85, the top performance in the Mid-American Conference this season and No. 41 and No. 29 efforts in the NCAA and East Region, respectively, in 2021. He placed second only to Georgia’s Elija Godwin, who recorded the No. 13 time in the NCAA this season. Willis followed with another career-best time of 10.43 in the 100 meters, the top effort in the MAC and No. 62 and No. 36 times in the NCAA and East Region, respectively, in 2021. He finished second only to Matthew Bowling of Georgia, who tallied the 30th-fastest time in the NCAA this season.
Dante Lander, Eastern Michigan
Sophomore, Dayton, Ohio/West Carrollton
Sophomore Dante Lander (Dayton, Ohio-West Carrollton (Central Michigan)) eclipsed a personal-best in the 400m hurdles in a blazing 53.49 clip for third place at the Spec Towns Invitational, April 9. The Ohio native's time tops in the Mid-American Conference in the event.
Molly McCreedy, Buffalo
Junior, Plainfield, Vt.
Molly McCreedy took home two first place finishes and season best marks at the Geneseo Roundtable Invitational. In the shot put, McCreedy threw for 47’-09.75” (14.57-meters), which ranks eighth in the MAC. Her toss was almost four feet further than the runner-up. In the discus, she broke the Geneseo facility record with a winning throw of 148’-5” (45.23-meters) and won the event by eighth feet. She is ranked 11th in the MAC.
Kadian Clarke, Eastern Michigan
Senior, Kingston, Jamaica/Immaculate Conception
Senior Kadian Clarke (Kingston, Jamaica-Immaculate Conception) had an immensely productive weekend at the Spec Towns Invitational, April 9-10. On the first day of competition in Athens, Ga., the veteran thrower produced a hammer throw of 57.18m for second place to move up to No. 3 all-time in the event in program history. The following day, the Jamaica native made history in the outdoor shot put, notching the best mark in school history with a toss of 14.83m. For Clarke, she also owns EMU’s top distance in the weight throw (19.82m) and is second in the indoor shot put (15.29m).
Jazmyn Smith, NIU
Junior, Pinecrest, Fla. / Gulliver Prep
Jazmyn Smith won the long jump competition at the Eastern Illinois Big Blue Classic. Smith’s best leap of 5.99 meters (19-08.00) came on her second attempt of the meet and is the fourth-best mark in the conference this season.
Lydia Lanski, Buffalo
Junior, Fredonia, N.Y. / Fredonia
Lydia Lanski raced to a personal best mark and a second-place finish at the Geneseo Roundtable Invitational in the 100-meter hurdles. Her time of 14.52-seconds rank 12th in the MAC.
Micah Johnston, Eastern Michigan
Redshirt senior, Toledo, Ohio/Toledo Christian
Redshirt senior Micah Johnston (Toledo, Toledo Christian) produced a 200m time of 24.21 for second place at the Spec Towns Invitational, April 9. Johnston's time puts her fourth in the event in the Mid-American Conference.
Petronela Simiuc, Toledo
Senior, Bacau, Romania
Petronela Simiuc had a strong performance in the 1500m with a time of 4:18.06 at the Joe Walker Invitational on Friday. She currently ranks first in the MAC for the outdoor season and 28th in the NCAA. She also ran in the 800m with a time of 2:08.39 ranking first in the MAC.
Kennedy Crawford, NIU
Freshman, Douglasville, Ga. / Alexander
Kennedy Crawford won the 400-meter hurdle crown at the Eastern Illinois Big Blue Classic with a time of 1:01.20. Crawford’s time, which is the fifth-fastest in the conference this season, comfortably won the event by more than a second over Molly Reighard of Loyola-Chicago (1:02.33).
Brittney Hall, Western Michigan
Senior, Macomb, Mich./Utica
Hall turned in a personal-best time of 16:55.96 to take third place in the 5,000-meter run at the Jim Duncan Invitational. Her time ranks second in the MAC and she shaved 26 seconds off of her previous 5,000 time from earlier this season. IT was also the third personal-best she has run this outdoor season, also posting new marks in the 800-meter run and the 1,500-meter run.
