DEKALB, IL - The 2024 MAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be hosted at the NIU Track and Field Complex on the campus of Northern University. The meet will be held on May 9-11, with the competition starting at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Tickets must be purchased for entry. The pricing is as follows:
All-Session Pass (valid both days): $27 for Adults, can be purchased
HERE.
Thursday Pass: $12 for Adults, can be purchased
HERE.
Friday Pass: $12 for Adults, can be purchased
HERE.
Saturday Pass: $15 for Adults, can be purchased
HERE.
All championship information can be located here:
2024 Outdoor Track and Field Championship Central
Athletes who make NCAA qualifying marks will compete on May 22-24 at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Reginonal Championships. Athletes who perform well at regionals will then move onto the National Championship meet in Eugene, Oregon June 5-8.
Akron
The Zips will compete at the league's Outdoor Championships, as Northern Illinois hosts the three-day event at the NIU Track and Field Complex in DeKalb, Ill.
In all, the championship meet will feature men's teams from Akron, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Kent State and Miami, while all 12 league members will be chasing the title on the women's side.
The Zips' men squad will be looking to capture its 10th outdoor league championship, having won nine of the last 16 league titles overall, after triumphing a year ago.
On the women's side, the Zips are seeking their 11th overall outdoor championship after capturing the crown in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022.
Akron under the leadership of second-year head coach
Kendra Reimer-Gonzales , the 2023 MAC Men's Coach of the Year, will battle for team titles on both the men's and women's sides again this year.
Redshirt junior
Hunter Garretson (Newcomerstown, Ohio) eclipsed 17-5.50 (5.32m) to take the crown in the men's pole vault, while junior
Brynn Rychlik(Marysville, Ohio) won the women's pole vault with a mark of 13-8 (3.86m).
Redshirt junior
Jimmy Harkelroad (Huron, Ohio) crossed the line first in the men's 400-meter hurdles in a career-best time of 50.47.
Redshirt senior
Charles Sanders (Cincinnati, Ohio) won the men's 400 meters in a time of 46.62.
Sophomore
Brian Masai (Kitale, Kenya) triumphed in both the men's 5,000 meters (14:06.16) and 10,000 meters (30:00.61).
Redshirt senior
Makenna Heimlich (Shelby, Ohio) bested the field in the women's 800 meters with a then career-best time of 2:10.00.
Ball State
Ball State track and field traveled to Dekalb, Illinois Wednesday afternoon for the Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships.
The Cardinals have had a promising outdoor season thus far, having multiple athletes ranked among the top of the MAC. Jenelle Rogers currently leads the conference in the heptathlon with her score of 5825 from the Texas Relays (Mar. 27). Makayla Sumrallis also a MAC leader, holding the fastest 100m time with her 11.44 finish at the Outdoor Music City Challenge (Apr. 26).
Other Cardinals to watch for include Alana Springer who is ranked third in 200m dash (23.93) and fourth in the 100m (11.70), and the 4x100m relay team of Sumrall, Springer, Moriah Johnson, and Jenna Oriani who currently lead the MAC with a time of 45.10 achieved at the Bulls Alumni Invitational (Mar. 15).
Last year, the Cardinals won the Outdoor MAC Championship title after collecting 108 points. The team is looking to repeat their success heading into this weekend's meet.
Bowling Green
The Bowling Green State University track and field team will head to Northern Illinois this weekend for the 2024 MAC Outdoor Championships. The three day event will take place at the NIU Soccer and Track & Field complex from May 9-11. Thursday (May 9) is set to begin at 10:00 a.m. with the heptathlon and decathlon, field, and running events to follow. Friday (May 10) is set for 11:00 a.m. with the decathlon, heptathlon, field, and running events to follow. The final day will take place on Saturday (May 11) at 12:30 with field events and running events to follow.
Buffalo
The University at Buffalo Track & Field team is traveling to DeKalb, Illinois to compete in the 2024 Outdoor Mid-American Conference Championships. The conference championships begin on Thursday, May 9th and conclude on Saturday, May 11th.
The Bulls enter the weekend of competition in search of their first conference championship. The Buffalo men most recently finished fourth at the indoor championships in February, with the women finishing 10th.
Similar to the indoor season, the Bulls set numerous personal and school records in the outdoor season. Between the men's and women's teams, Buffalo had 12 personal best performances that were etched into the all-time outdoor ranks.
The Bulls most notably rewrote the record books in the men's and women's 5,000 meter run, setting new school records in both. Following an indoor season in which he set a new 5,000 meter record, Ryan Buzby doubled back to achieve the same feat outdoors. The fifth year's time of 13:52.63 at the Raleigh Relays broke his previous school record by over ten seconds. Buzby's time ranks second in the conference headed into outdoor championships. The fifth-year also joined the all-time leaderboard in the 1,500 meter, finishing in 3:48.96, taking the fourth spot in outdoor school history.
Graduate student Alex Hislop joined the 5,000 meter outdoor leaderboards with Buzby, ranking seventh with a time of 14:25.86 at the Raleigh Relays. Hislop's personal best in the event is fifth among the conference headed into outdoor championships.
Aleksandra Szulska was the second Bull to rise atop the 5,000 meter leaderboards and also join the 1,500 meter outdoor rankings this outdoor season. Szulska broke the women's 5,000 meter school record by nearly ten seconds at the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic. The freshman completed the event in 16:34.52, a time that ranks eighth in the MAC this season. Szulska entered the 1,500 meter all-time rankings at the East Coast Relays, taking the seventh spot on the list with a time of 4:30.20. The freshman's time is 18th among the conference.
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Central Michigan
Preview coming soon...
Eastern Michigan
The Eastern Michigan University track and field programs will pursue respective Mid-American Conference (MAC) outdoor championships as the Eagles are set to begin post season competition at the 2024 MAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by Northern Illinois University at the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex Thursday-Saturday, May 9-11, in DeKalb, Ill.
EMU will face teams from the University of Akron (M/W), Ball State University (W), Bowling Green State University (W), the University at Buffalo (M/W), Central Michigan University (W), Kent State University (M/W), Miami University (M/W), Northern Illinois University (W), Ohio University (W), the University of Toledo (W), and Western Michigan University (W).
EMU Men at MAC Outdoor Championships
The EMU men aim to secure their 25th MAC outdoor championship and their first since the 2018 campaign. That season, Eastern dominated its competition as they scored 184.50 points, nearly 20 points more than the second-place finisher, Akron (166). At the meet that year, former Eagle Hlynur Andresson was named Most Valuable Performer after capturing individual titles in the 5,000m run, 3,000m steeplechase, and 10,000m run.
Legendary Men's Head Coach John Goodridge was tabbed Coach of the Year for the seventh and final time of his EMU tenure, and the Eagles earned five All-MAC First Team honors, two second team selections, and captured the Men's Track Freshman of the Year award with then-freshman Tyler Johnson securing the accolade.
EMU Women at MAC Outdoor Championships
The Eastern women are seeking their 13th MAC Outdoor Championship and their first sweep of both the indoor and outdoor championships since the 2016 season.
That year at the outdoor championships, they secured the win with 152 points on their way to landing seven student-athletes on the All-MAC First Team, two on the second team, while Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Sue Parks was named Coach of the Year and then-freshman Jessica Harris was named Track Freshman of the Year.
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Kent State
The Kent State Golden Flashes head to Dekalb, Ill. this weekend, May 9-11 for the Mid-American Conference Championships. The meet is hosted by Northern Illinois University. The Kent men are looking to defend their indoor conference title and claim their sixth outdoor title and eighth overall MAC crown. They are ranked first in this week's USTFCCCA
Conference Track and Field Rating Index, just ahead of Eastern Michigan. The meet is set to begin tomorrow with the heptathlon and decathlon, sprinting prelims, and the finals of the 10,000-meter run.
The Golden Flashes have 29 athletes entered in the meet. Jaheim Jones and Sean Callahan Jr. enter with the top times in the 100-meter dash. Jones is also seeded second in the 200. The duo is joined by Logan Doyle and Dejon Manning on the 4x100-meter relay team that enters with the top mark. Quintin Cooks enters with the third-fastest time in the 800-meter run as he looks to defend his indoor title. Alex Shields and Ayden Bath enter with the second and third fastest times in the 110-meter hurdles. Zamen Siyoumowns the third-best time in the 400-meter hurdles. The 4x400-meter relay team of Callahan Jr., Jones, Cooks, and Manning also holds the third-best time.
In the field events, Liam Vinskovich is set to defend his indoor title in the high jump as he owns the top mark in the conference. Kristian Kneffler and Layne Studer have the second and third-best marks in the pole vault. Del'Mario Hairston enters with the top mark in the long jump and Ayden Bath has the third-best jump. Alexandre Malanda will look for his 4th consecutive MAC triple jump title as he also enters with the top mark. In the throws, Nolan Landis has the third furthest discus throw while Scott Benco and Aaron Schmook have the top two throws in the javelin. Ayden Bath will compete in the decathlon where he own the top performance.
The Kent women are looking to improve on their indoor conference finish of second and claim their ninth outdoor title and 13th overall MAC crown. They are ranked first in this week's USTFCCCA Conference Track and Field Rating Index, just behind Eastern Michigan.
Kent has 33 athletes entered in the meet. Azsah Bradley and Jericha Petrellalead the sprints crew, Bradley holds the second-best time in the 100-meter dash while Petrella is third in the 400. Petrella is joined by Amryne Chilton, Taylor Korytkowski, and Ruby Greenwood on the second-seeded 4x400 relay team. The Flashes will look to score the bulk of their points in the field events where they find five of their eight top-three entries. Svenia DeConinck enters with the top mark in the high jump. The duo of Aliesha Shaw and Gabby Bailey are ranked in the top three of both the shot put and discus. Shaw is ranked second in both events while Bailey is third in shot and owns the top mark in the discus. In the heptathlon, Matilde Carboncini holds the second spot.
Miami
Preview coming soon...
Northern Illinois
The Northern Illinois University women's track and field team will host the 2024 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships this Thursday through Saturday, May 9-11, at the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex.
Fans attending the track and field championships are asked to park in lot PS, directly north of the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex. All Convocation Center parking lots, including lot C3, directly west of the complex, will be in use for NIU Commencement Ceremonies.
"We are extremely excited to be hosting the 2024 Outdoor MAC Championships," said NIU Director of Track and Field Connie Teaberry. "Our team is thrilled, and it is nice to be at home where our administrators, family and friends can watch us compete at this high level."
Among the Huskies to watch, Arianna Calloway (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs) enters the weekend ranked fourth in the conference in the high jump with a top mark of 1.74 meters (5-08.50) this season. During the indoor season, Calloway broke the NIU indoor high jump record by clearing 1.80 meters (5-10.75). Kamiya Dendy (Anderson, S.C./Auburn) is seventh in the MAC in the high jump this spring, having cleared 1.71 meters (5-07.25).
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Ohio
The Ohio women's track and field team is set to compete at the 2024 MAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by Northern Illinois in Dekalb, Ill., from Thursday, May 9 to Saturday, May 11.
Toledo
The Toledo women's track & field team will head to the 2024 Mid-American Conference Championships this week, competing across three days at the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex on the campus of Northern Illinois University Thursday-Saturday May 9-11.
The Toledo 1500m squad enters the championship with six of the top eight times in the conference – Laura Nicholson (1st, 4:11.65), Vilde Henriksen (3rd, 4:18.75), the 2022 MAC Champion Trois (4th, 4:18.79), Lianna Surtz(5th, 4:21.86, Alex Bauer (7th, 4:23.18) and Krystal Clark (8th, 4:24.77). Toledo is 12th in the USTFCCCA #EventSquad rankings in the 1500m with a team average of 4:17.76.
Additionally, Nicholson also holds the top 800m time entering the meet at 2:08.00 set at the Bison Outdoor Classic on April 13. Hark's 42.20m javelin throw at Michigan is the second-best in the conference.
As a team, Toledo has taken nine individual first-place finishes and three relay finishes this season. Three of the individual victories have come from Hark in the javelin.
Two Rockets medaled last year's outdoor championships in Akron last year, with Madeline Vining crossing the finish line 36:15.33 to take silver in the 10K and Alex Bauer taking bronze in the 1500m with a 4:28.22 time.
Western Michigan
After producing some great results during the outdoor regular season, the Western Michigan track and field team will now compete at the MAC Championships at Northern Illinois from May 9-11. WMU enters the championship event having 15 student-athletes ranked in the conference's top-10 in their respective events.
The Broncos have been great in a variety of events this season, but the discus and 3K steeplechase groups have risen to the top. As a unit, the steeplechase group of Kayla Schiera, Annalise James, Madison Zarembski and Delaney Knoll ranks No. 11 in the nation and first in the MAC. Schiera holds the school record in the event, James is second in program history and Zarembski is seventh. Knoll sits just outside the top-10 in program history.
The discus group of Tess Van Dyk, Bri'Yanna Robinson, Lane Hagens and Mariah Sackett is sitting at No. 24 in the nation and first in the MAC. Van Dyk has the No. 10 mark in program history, while Bri'Yanna Robinson is just outside the school's top-10 list. However, Robinson is the school-record holder in the shot put.
Graduate student Kayla Schiera has been impressive over her last three appearances, as she's posted a pair of school records and one other top-10 time in program history. She started her dominant run with a school-record 3K steeplechase time of 10:03.93 at the Raleigh Relays back in March. Her time currently sits at No. 2 in the MAC and No. 22 in the nation.
She then went on to grab the second-best time in program history in the 1,500-meter run at the Jesse Owens Classic in mid-April. However, she would break that mark the following week, posting the 1,500-meter run school record at the GVSU Extra Weekend on April 25. She finished the race in a time of 4:22.10, which currently sits as the sixth best time in the conference.
