Mid-American Conference

Men’s Track Athlete of the Week
 
Willy Fink, R-Junior, Eastern Michigan
Willy Fink ran away with the 3000m steeplechase title at the Jesse Owens Classic last weekend, April 22-23. The redshirt junior finished with a time of 8:51.98 to lead the field by nearly eight seconds. Additionally, Fink’s time sits at No. 29 nationally so far this season.
 
Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
 
Liz Weiler, Senior, Toledo
Senior Liz Weiler ran the 3000m steeplechase at the Virginia Open. Weiler finished fifth with a time of 10:10.89. The mark was her fastest of the season, and currently is the fastest in the Mid-American Conference. Weiler also currently sits in ninth in the NCAA East region.
 
Men’s Field Athlete of the Week
 
Phil Jagers, Junior, Akron
Jagers turned in a strong performance at the Jesse Owens Track and Field Classic on Friday, April 22, capturing top honors in the discus with a mark of 190-11.
 
Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
 
Claudia Garcia Jou, Senior, Akron
Senior Claudia Garcia Jou bested the field at the LSU Alumni Invitational on Saturday, April 23, in the women's high jump with a mark of 6-1.50 (1.87m).
 

 
Other Nominees
 
Women’s Track
 
Dara Perry, Freshman, Akron
Perry turned in a strong showing at the LSU Alumni Invitational on Saturday, April 23, recording the third-best time in program history in the 100-meter hurdles (13.76). Additionally, she turned in a time of 25.18 in the 200 meters.
 
Malayah White, Senior, Buffalo
Malayah White smashed her UB school record in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.59. She finished third in the event overall. Her time currently ranks her 47th in the East Region and second in the MAC.
 
Samantha Cuneo, Freshman, Central Michigan
Freshman, Samantha Cuneo, finished atop the women Chips this past weekend. Her time of 54.78s was good enough to give her both a second in the meet and in the MAC, for the 400.
 
Alsu Bogdanova, Junior, Eastern Michigan
Alsu Bogdanova led the charge for the Eagles in the 1500m run at the Jesse Owens Classic, April 22-23. Pacing a big contingent of Green and White runners in the event, Bogdanova took home the silver medal after crossing the finish line in 4:21.22. Her time was also the fifth-quickest all time in EMU history, and is currently the No. 61 time in the nation.
 
Alesha Vovk, Sophomore, Miami
Alesha Vovk took second in the 3000m Steeplechase at the Jesse Owens Classic crossing the line in 10:33.64. The sophomore from Lakewood, Ohio moved in to the number two spot on the Miami all-time top-10 list behind school record holder Andrea Kremer. Vovk ranks third in the MAC standings and 36th in the NCAA Division I East Region.
 
Cheyenne Hoerr, Junior, Northern Illinois
Cheyenne Hoerr broke the NIU school record in the 400-meter hurdles for the second consecutive week, lowering her time to 1:00.59 and taking fifth place against some of the nation’s elite at Baylor’s Michael Johnson Invitational on Saturday. Hoerr also raced on the NIU 4x100 meter relay team that took fourth place – behind only Texas A&M, Baylor and Texas Tech – with a MAC-leading outdoor time of 45.42 seconds.
 
Ayiana Gaines, Sophomore, Western Michigan
Gaines took second place in her first time running the 400-meter hurdles in her career, finishing with a time of 1:02.36. She also took sixth in her first-ever 100-meter dash with a time of 12.27 seconds. Combined she scored 12 points for WMU, who finished in fourth place at the Illinois Twilight. She also contributed to 4x100-meter relay team running the third-fastest time in the MAC at 46.18, taking third at the meet.
 
Women’s Field
 
Regan Lewis, Freshman, Ball State
Freshman Regan Lewis recorded a Mid-American Conference automatic qualifying mark in the high jump to lead the Ball State track & field team to a solid all-around showing Saturday on the final day of the Jesse Owens Track & Field Classic held at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium … Paced by Lewis’ career-best effort of 1.68m (5'-6") in the high jump, the Cardinals turned in five top 10 finishes, four individual career best performances and a pair of season-bests in the relays to cap the non-scored, two-day event.
 
Aliyah Gustafson, R-Sophomore, Bowling Green
Redshirt sophomore Aliyah Gustafson had the top shot put performance in the Mid-American Conference this year, throwing the apparatus 51-feet-11 to finish third at the Jesse Owens Track and Field Classic Saturday. Gustafson’s throw came on the last of her six-throw series after twice surpassing 50-feet earlier in the competition. Gustafson’s mark of 51-11 is the second-best performance in school history and ranks 15th in the East Region.
 
Deven Brown, Senior, Central Michigan
Senior, Devene Brown, finished with a pair of top ten finished in the meet. She placed fourth in the shot put as well as fifth in discus with a throw of 149-0.
 
Janina Pollatz, Junior, Eastern Michigan
The Eagles found plenty of success in the pole vault this past weekend at the Jesse Owens Classic, April 22-23. Janina Pollatz turned in the best vault of her career, bringing home the gold with a mark of 4.10 meters/ 13 feet 5.25-inches. Not only was her mark a personal-best by five inches, but it also moved her to fourth in program history. Additionally, Pollatz currently sits in the No. 43 spot nationally.
 
Dior Delophont, Senior, Kent State
At the Jesse Owens Classic this past weekend, Kent State senior Dior Delophont captured the triple jump title with a season-best mark of 12.59m (41’ 3.75”).  Currently, Delophont’s mark ranks second in the MAC.  Delophont also came away with a fifth place finish in the high jump at a height of 1.73m (5’ 8”), which is tied for fifth in the MAC so far this season. 
 
Hope Turner, Junior, Miami
Hope Turner posted a season best performance in the pole vault at the Jesse Owens Classic clearing 11-11.75 to finish ninth. The junior from Naperville advances to ninth in the Mid-American Conference standings with this clearance.
 
Kyesha Neal, Senior, Toledo
Neal picked up two victories for the Rockets. Neal threw a huge personal best in the discus with a toss of 49.55m. The throw bested the MAC Championships qualifying mark by 2.78m and she now sits second in the conference. Neal also currently holds the best toss in school history and sits with the 29th best throw in the NCAA East Region. Neal also won the open division of the Jesse Owens Classic with a 14.72m toss.
 
Men’s Track
 
Clayton Murphy, Junior, Akron
Junior Clayton Murphy remained unbeaten for the Zips on the spring campaign capturing the 1,500 meters at the LSU Alumni Invitational on Saturday, April 23, in 3:44.21.
 
Mitchell Moore, Sophomore, Buffalo
Mitchell Moore finished fifth in the 400m hurdles at the Jesse Owens Classic with a personal-best time of 53.29.
 
Ziemowit Dutkiewicz, Junior, Central Michigan
Junior, Ziemowit Dutkiewicz, and the rest of the 4x400 team placed well enough to give them the third best time in the MAC. Dutkiewicz, also placed fourth in the 400 hurdles with a time of 52.44.
 
Joe Stewart, Senior, Miami
Joe Stewart posted a time of 14:04.40 to finish eighth in the 5000m at the Stanford Twilight on Friday. Stewart’s time ranks second in the Mid-American Conference and pushes him in to eighth on Miami’s top-10 list. Nationally the senior from Napierville ranks 39th in the NCAA Division I East Region and 76th across all of Division I.
 
Men’s Field
 
Cole Walderzak, Senior, Central Michigan
Senior, Cole Walderzak, placed sixth in the championship college/open division. His throw of 212-4 was also good enough to place him atop of the MAC for the hammer throw.
 
Keith Williams, R-Senior, Eastern Michigan
Keith Williams turned in another solid performance in the hammer throw this past weekend at the Jesse Owens Classic, April 22-23. Williams paced the Eagles, finishing fourth with a mark of 61.62 meters/ 202 feet 2-inches. His mark was just short of his personal-best, set two weeks ago at the Beach Pacific Coast Invite, April 14.
 
Reggie Jagers III, R-Junior, Kent State
With a personal-record throw of 63.27m (207’ 7”), Kent State’s Reggie Jagers III secured the hammer throw title amongst seven other competitors from the MAC at the Jesse Owens Classic this past weekend.  Jagers’ mark currently ranks second in the MAC and 43rd in the country.  Jagers also collected a second place finish in the discus, posting a mark of 56.28m (184’ 8”).
 
Andrew Vollet, Junior, Miami
Andrew Vollet marked a collegiate best 55-0.75 (16.78m) in the shot put at the Jesse Owens Classic to finish second. Vollet’s mark pushes him to sixth in the conference and gives him an automatic qualification to the MAC Championships.