Mid-American Conference

Men’s Track Athlete of the Week
Willy Fink, Eastern Michigan, R-Senior
Redshirt senior Willy Fink continued his strong season this past week, heading to the competitive Penn Relays. There, he took part in the 5000m run, bringing home the silver with a time of 13:54.85. He was just over a second away from finishing atop the podium. Fink’s mark also currently sits at No. 1 in the conference by nearly six seconds and holds the No. 40 spot in the nation.
 
Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
Hope Schmelzle, Northern Illinois, Senior
NIU senior Hope Schmelzle recorded her second school record in as many weeks. Her first-place finish at the Drake Relays in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Schmelzle ranks first in the MAC after the weekend in the event. She also ranks fourth in the NCAA West Region and eighth nationally.
 
Men’s Field Athlete of the Week
Reggie Jagers, Kent State, R-Senior
Reggie Jagers III shattered his career-best mark in the discus Saturday, throwing 61.64m (202’ 3”) to take first-place at the Ashland Alumni Open.  Jagers’ mark is the top throw in Kent State history and improves upon his previous career-best mark of 197’ 5”.  Jagers holds the second-best mark in the MAC and the sixth-best mark in the nation this season.    
 
Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
Danniel Thomas, Kent State, Senior
Kent State’s Danniel Thomas PRed two times in the shot put Saturday at the Ashland Alumni Open as she claimed her fifth victory to remain undefeated this season.  On her second attempt of the day, Thomas threw 18.32m (60’ 1.25”), a career-best by nearly seven inches.  Then on her sixth attempt, Thomas threw 18.49m (60’ 8”), establishing a new PR and Kent State record.  Thomas’ mark currently ranks fifth in the world and second in the nation, just three-quarters of an inch behind the nation’s top mark of 60’ 8.75”.
 

Other Nominees:

Men’s Track
Brian Crimmins, Buffalo, 5th Senior
Brian Crimmins had an outstanding performance at the Penn Relays, breaking two school records and beating regionally and nationally ranked teams. Crimmins anchored the men’s record-breaking DMR with the 1600m, running his part in 4:02.26. He helped the team clock in at 9:35.72 to beat the previous school record by nearly 18 seconds. The time also beat Georgetown, Princeton, Penn State, and Army; all regionally ranked, with Penn State being nationally ranked as well. Crimmins was also a member of the sixth place 4X800 relay team. The team clocked in at 7:23.00 to break the previous school record set back in 2014. Their time beat Michigan, Middle Tennessee, Indiana, Penn, and Houston – all ranked in the Top-Ten of their respective region.
 
Women’s Track
Peyton Stewart, Ball State, Sophomore
Ball State’s sophomore sprinter Peyton Stewart places second in the 100m dash at the Southern Miss Open with a career-fast time of 11.69. It was the fastest time recorded in the event in the MAC last week and is currently second on the league’s performance list. Stewart also placed 10th in the 200m dash at the Southern Miss Open with a time of 24.84, which ranks 20th on the league’s performance list.
 
Selina Von Jackowski, Buffalo, Sophomore
Selina Von Jackowski had an impressive performance at the UB Invitational. She placed first in one individual and two relay events. Von Jackowski’s most impressive performance came in the women’s 100HH where she finished with a new personal best. She ran just three-thousandths of a second faster than her second-place teammate, clocking in at 13.833 (13.84). This time broke the previous meet record of 14.21. Her time currently ranks sixth in the Mid-American Conference. Von Jackowski also placed first in the women’s 4X100 and 4X400 relays with times of 46.58 and 3:58.97, respectively.
 
Alsu Bogdanova, Eastern Michigan, Senior
Senior Alsu Bogdanova turned in a career race this past week at the Penn Relays. There, she competed in the 3000m steeplechase, finishing ninth in a personal-best time of 10:21.73. Her time currently stands at No. 50 in the nation, as well as No. 2 in the conference.
 
Mya Hodge, Ohio, Junior
Mya Hodge competed for the Bobcats at the Denison Big Red Invitational where she recorded a win in the 100-meter hurdles and a second-place finish in the 100-meter dash. In the hurdles, she clocked in at 14.91 seconds and clocked in at 12.86 seconds in the dash.
 
Joan Jepkirui, Toledo, Junior
Junior Joan Jepkirui finished fourth in the 5,000-meter run in the Hillsdale GINA Relays over the weekend. Jepkirui’s time was good enough for the 48th qualifying spot in the NCAA East Regional standing.
 
Ayiana Gaines, Western Michigan, Junior
Ayiana Gaines was a key part of three high finishes for WMU at the Penn Relays over the weekend. Gaines helped the 4x100 team to the second-fastest time in program history, twice. The first time was the preliminaries and the following day in the finals she helped the team run the MAC’s fastest time of 45.47 seconds to take third. The time also ranks 29th on the NCAA East Qualifying list. In the 4x400 she helped the squad run the MAC’s fastest time of 3:37.74. Gaines ran a 51.8 second split in the race and the squad now ranks 17th on the NCAA East Qualifying list. She helped WMU to a third-place finish in the shuttle hurdle relay and a time of 56.53 seconds. Gaines had never run a 100-meter hurdle race in her career until the relay on Friday. Gaines also ran the third leg of the sprint medley relay, helping the team to a time of 3:56.76.
 
Men’s Field
Sam Wray, Buffalo, Freshman
Sam Wray had an outstanding performance in the throws at the UB Invitational, as he walked away with a first place finish in the discus and a fourth place finish in the hammer. Wray’s distance of 51.31m/168’4” in the discus placed him first and set a new personal best for the freshman. It set a new freshman school record, and currently ranks eighth in the Mid-American Conference. Wray’s distance of 42.08m/138’ 1” in the hammer left him with a fourth place finish overall.
 
Jake Peister, Central Michigan, Sophomore
Peister posted the highest finish of any Chippewa at the Penn Relays, placing second among 34 entrants in the open triple jump on Saturday. His mark of 49 feet, 7 ¼ inches came on his sixth and final jump. It is the second-best jump of Peister’s outdoor career, just 7 inches short of his career best that he set at the 2016 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships. This jump also made him an automatic qualifier for the 2017 MAC Championships and ranks as the fourth-best triple jump in the conference so far.
 
Cameron Hart, Eastern Michigan, Sophomore
Sophomore Cameron Hart made the trip east and competed at the Penn Relays this past week. There, the Columbus, Ohio native took part in the high jump championships, finishing fifth with an outdoor career-best jump of 2.08 meters/ 6 feet 9.75-inches. That mark currently sits at No. 88 in the country and No. 4 in the conference.
 
Andrew Vollet, Miami, Senior
Senior Andrew Vollet had a career day at Saturday’s RedHawk Invitational by doubling the amount of his previous career wins. He earned first-place finishes in both shot put and discus. The senior recorded a 53-8.25 in shot put and 157-2 in discus. 
 
Women’s Field
Abigale Wilson, Akron, Sophomore
Earning the triumph in the women's discus invitational at the Ashland Alumni Open on Saturday, April 29, with a career-best mark of 167-10 (51.17m) was sophomore Abigale Wilson (Carrollton, Ohio). The throw represented the fourth-best mark in program history. The throw is the 28th-best in the NCAA East Regional and No. 61 nationally.
 
Regan Lewis, Ball State, Sophomore
Sophomore high jumper Regan Lewis won the high jump competition at the Southern Miss Open by successfully clearing the bar at 1.70m … It’s the fourth time this season Lewis as bettered the MAC automatic qualifying mark in the high jump.
 
Miranda Daucher, Buffalo, Senior
Miranda Daucher had a stellar performance at the UB Invitational this past weekend. The senior from Alden, NY threw to two first place finishes. In the discus, Daucher threw to a mark of 49.95m/163’ 10” to beat second place by 6.5m. In the hammer throw, Daucher set a new personal best mark with a throw of 54.84m/176’ 11” to take first place. Daucher currently ranks second in the Mid-American Conference in the discus, and eighth in the hammer.
 
Kylee Doddelaere, Central Michigan, Senior
Dobbelaere continued her streak of impressive finishes on Thursday in the women’s hammer throw open with a heave of 192-6. Her third-place effort in the field of 34 competitors comes one week after her school-record performance at the Ohio State Jesse Owens Classic. The field also featured competition from Big Ten, Big XII, Pac-12, and SEC programs. Dobbelaere has been a model of consistency, posting top-five finishes in each of the last five weeks, including three victories. She currently holds the number three spot in the MAC for the women’s hammer throw.
 
Natalie Uy, Eastern Michigan, Senior
Senior Natalie Uy took part in the pole vault championships this past week at the Gina Relays in Hillsdale, Mich. There, Uy turned in a fourth-place finish, posting a season-best mark of 3.97 meters/ 13 feet 0.25-inches. She currently sits at No. 5 in the conference and No. 89 in the nation.
 
Martha Szekely, Miami, Senior
Competing at the nation’s oldest and largest track meet in the Penn Relays, Martha Szekely was determined to catapult her way into the MAC lead for hammer. She did that by placing fifth with a 198-6 that shattered a personal and school record. This throw was the strongest of her career by far, surpassing the previous PR by more than five meters.
 
Chennel Palmer, Northern Illinois, Senior
NIU senior Chennel Palmer recorded the Huskies’ school record in the high jump after a 1.83-meter clearance at the Drake Relays this past weekend. Palmer’s jump over six feet high ranks her first in the MAC in the event as well as seventh in the NCAA West region and 10th in the nation.