MAC Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week
Bismack Kipchirchir, Akron, Fr., Eldama Ravine
Event: Raleigh Relays
Results: 3,000M Steeplechase-4th | 8:37.85 | 1/3
Akron freshman Bismack Kipchirchir ran a school-record time of 8:37.85 in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Raleigh Relays on Thursday (March 28). Kipchirchir’s performance in the 3,000-meter steeplechase represents the fastest time by a Mid-American Conference runner since TFRRS records began in 2013 and is just shy of the MAC record set in 2004.
MAC Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week
Alexandre Malanda, Kent State, Senior, Paris, France
Event: Texas Relays
Results: Triple Jump/5th | 15.95m (52’-4”) | 1st/8th
Alexandre Malanda holds a No. 8 national ranking in the triple jump following an outstanding performance at the Texas Relays. Malanda recorded a new outdoor PR of 15.95m (52’-4”), which puts him at No. 5 on Kent State’s all-time outdoor performance list.
Other Track Athlete of the Week Nominees
Luke Stoeffler, Buffalo, Junior, Tolland, CT/Tolland High School
Event: Raleigh Relays
Results: 3k SC, 9:02.16, 40th | 9:02.16 | #3 MAC, #29, NCAA East Region
Luke Stoeffler broke the school record in the 3kSC running 9:01.16. His mark eclipses is previous best by over 8 seconds.
Gabe Singh, Eastern Michigan, Senior, Toledo, Ohio/Sylvania Northview
Event: Texas Relays
Results: 400mH Prelims: 8th | 400mH Finals: 7th" | 400mH Prelims: 51.35 | 400mH Finals: 52.16 400mH Prelims: MAC: 1st | NCAA: 19th
Eastern Michigan senior sprinter/hurdler Gabe Singh qualified for the 400m hurdles finals with an eighth place finish out of 41 competitors in a MAC-best 51.35 seconds at the Texas Relays, hosted by the University of Texas at Austin, March 27-29. Singh’s 51.35 ranks inside the NCAA Division I top-20 at No.19, stands as the seventh-best time in EMU program history, and marks a personal best for the Toledo native. Additionally, his time is nearly three seconds faster than the second-fastest time (54.19) in the MAC. Singh went on to place seventh in the finals, improving his prelims finish by one spot in 52.16 seconds, a time that would also serve as the best in the MAC and rank inside the NCAA Division I top 50 if it were not for his 51.35 run the day prior.
Jaheim Jones, Kent State, Graduate Student, Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes
Event: Texas Relays
Results: 100m/6th; 200m/10th | 10.22; 20.72 | 1st/8th; 1st/9th
Jaheim Jones owns top-10 national rankings in 2 events following his opening weekend of the outdoor season at the Texas Relays. Jones clocked a 10.22 to finish sixth in the 100m dash and a 20.72 to finish 10th in the 200m dash. He ranks eighth in the country in the 100m and ninth in the 200m.
Patrick Wills, Miami, Junior, Waukesha, Wis./,Waukesha North
Event: Raleigh Relays
Results: 10000-meter run/53rd | 29:02.97 | 1st/47th
Patrick Wills led the way for the RedHawk men on the track this weekend as he placed seventh in his section and 53rd overall in the men's 10000-meter run. Wills finished with a personal-best time of 29:02.97, and with this performance, he is now in second place in RedHawk history for the event. Wills beat his previous PR by more than a minute, and he ranks first in the MAC and 47th in the NCAA for the event.
Other Field Athlete of the Week Nominees
Owen Wendl, Akron, Jr. (R), Medina, Ohio
Event: Don McGarey Invitational | Discus-1st | 180-2 (54.91m) | 1/41
Akron redshirt junior Owen Wendl won the men’s discus at the Don McGarey Invitational with a mark of 180-2 (54.91m). His effort is the top-rated mark in the MAC this season and No. 41 in the NCAA.
Kevin Gabalski, Buffalo, Grad, Webster, NY/Webster Thomas HS
Event: Texas Relays
Results: Decathlon, 16th place, 6697 points | #1 MAC, #4 NCAA East
Kevin set a new Personal best in the decathlon at Texas Relays with his score of 6697. He set personal best marks in the 100m (10.97), 400m (50.68), 110HH (14.72), and Javelin (44.04m).
Formula Thompson, Eastern Michigan, Senior, St. Catherine, Jamaica/Jamaica College
Event: Bobcat Invitational | LJ Section A: 8th | TJ Section A: 22nd | LJ: 7.34m (24-01.00) | TJ: 13.84m (45-05.00) | LJ: MAC: 1st/NCAA:n/a | TJ: MAC: 4th/NCAA: n/a
Eastern Michigan senior jumper Formula Thompson jumped a MAC-best 7.34m (24-01.00) long jump, placing eighth out of 28 student-athletes at the Bobcat Invitational, hosted by Texas State University, March 27-29. Thompson’s mark ranks 27th in the NCAA East Region. He also posted a 13.84m (45-05.00) triple jump, a mark that ranks as the fourth best in the conference and was the third-best mark in the MAC last weekend.
Ben Riegel , Miami, Senior, Centerburg, Oh/Centerburg
Event: Raleigh Relays
Results: Hammer Throw/18th; Shot Put/12th; Discus Throw/23rd | HT=57.17 meters/ SP=16.13 meters/DT=45.54 meters | HT= 4th/132nd; SP= 5th/170th; DT=8th/281st
Ben Riegel led the way for Miami on the field this weekend as he was the highest-placing RedHawk in three different field events. Riegel won his flight and finished 18th overall in the men's hammer throw, achieving a personal-best mark of 57.17 meters. With this performance, Riegel beat his previous PR by nearly 3 meters, and he moves into eighth all time in RedHawk history for the event. He is ranked fourth in the MAC and 132nd in the country for the hammer throw. Riegel also finished third in his flight and 12th overall in the men's shot put throw, achieving a season-best mark of 16.13 meters. He is now ranked fifth in the MAC and 170th in the country for the shot put throw. Finally, Riegel also finished eighth in his flight and 23rd overall in the men's discus throw, achieving a personal-best mark of 45.54 meters. He beat the PR that he set last week at the Blizzard Buster by six hundredths of a meter, and he is ranked eighth in the MAC and 281st in the country for the discus throw.
