zippy-claws Posted December 17, 2022 Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 It was a huge loss for Akron when Dennis Mitchell "retired", and his entire coaching staff left. It took until November for the new coach and the women's cross country coach, who uses his title Doctor in his resume and on-line entry, to put their staff of assistants together. A throws coach from a D2 school, although a solid training from his college years, A high school pole vault coach and another D2 sprint coach from Illinois. And looking at the new roster on GoZips, it's a little light other than Mitchell's holdovers. I think our days of dominating this sport in the MAC and sending double-digit athletes to the NCAAs may be a pipe dream, short term....We'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72 Roo Posted December 17, 2022 Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 We will see indeed. Mitchell had a record of achievement that will be incredibly hard to match. Under him we were THE collegiate pole vault center in the country. We also were top 25 in T & F and top 5 in our region. Few northern schools did that. Now coach Mitchell is the pole vault coach at Illinois making more money than he did at UA as the head coach. I wish his assistants had stayed. They were excellent. I hope the new head coach can replicate Mitchell successes. We will see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy-claws Posted February 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2023 So the verdict is in, and it is not good. I respect @Hilltopper greatly, and I hope he is right when he posted earlier that the T & F team is "rebuilding as we speak". It's going to be hard to get lower than they are right now. This past weekend we went over to BG for the Indoor MAC Championships, it was a disaster. The DEFENDING CHAMPION Akron women's team, which scored 117.5 points in 2022, finished 10th with 32.5, and only moved up from 11th because WMU dropped the baton the final event. Some positives. Amaya Clarke won the 60 dash and was 4th in the 200, but she was the only Zip in either event. 1 woman. We did have 4 entries in the 400, but only 1 qualified for the final, 2 entries in the 800 with 1 qualifier. We had zero women score in the mile and only 1 entry, who finished 20th out of 20. 1 entry in the 3,000 and she finished last. Zero entries in the 5,000. we had 1 hurdle entrant and she did not qualify for the finals. Distance Medley relay was 9th out of 11. Field events were worse. we didn't even enter a woman in the high jump. We had Cassidy Allen win a medal in pole vault, we had no women in the long jump. we had no women in the triple jump. Guess how many women we had in the shot put? NONE! But hey, we had 1 woman in the weight throw. And we did not enter a woman in the pentathlon. This is just so embarrassing from this storied program! So I really hope that @Hilltopperis correct. On the men's side we finished 3rd, out of 4 total teams. I wouldn't be surprised to see the MAC stop sponsoring men's track in the near future. We had 1 man in the 60 dash and he qualified for the finals. we had 2 men in the 200 and 1 qualified.. Jimmy Harkelroad and Sanders went 1-2 in the 400, Congrats to them! 1 qualified for the 800 out of 2 entries. we had 3 of the 10 mile entrants, and our best was 7th. If it wasn't for standout Brian Masai taking 2nd in the 3,000 and the 5,000 we probably would have been 4th in the team standings. WE DID NOT HAVE A MAN ENTERED IN THE 60 HURDLES! 3rd out of 4 for the 4 x 400. Noah Andu won the high jump, and Avalon Harper took 5th, good for them! We had 3 of the top 4 in men's pole vault, a bright spot, with Prieto winning. Haruki Saaki was 3rd in the long jump. Josiah Cox and Lane Graham went 2-3 in the shot, another bright spot, Milton Wilson and William Gross had strong performances in the weight throw. 1 Heptathlon athlete who finished last. Nowhere to go but up from here, and with us hosting he outdoor MACs we might just be embarrassed at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72 Roo Posted February 27, 2023 Report Share Posted February 27, 2023 Our performance at the MAC indoors is flat out unacceptable. The new HC was supposed to have rebuilt Sn Jose State's program but they did not have the history nor expectations of our much acclaimed program, both men and women. I hope someone on this board can offer concrete reasons why we will be back on top where we belong. At one time both men and women had broken into the top 25 ranking in the country. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy-claws Posted April 28, 2023 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2023 So, the MAC Outdoor Championships are 2 weeks away, and Akron is the host school. Our new track will be put to the test. Should be a fun three days. I've been checking the stats after the debacle of the indoor season, and there's some hope for the Zips, not Championship hopes but some positive movement, it seems. I mean it is the MAC after all, with only 5 men's teams and all 12 women's teams. On the women's side, Amya Clarke is #1 currently in the 100 dash and #4 in the 200. Janay Bass should make the qualifying standard in the 400. The Heimlich sisters are #2 and #10 in the 800 currently. We'll have zero runners in the 1500 or the 5k, but probably Danielle Honaker (8th) in the 10k. Adaeze Nwokike is #6 and #3 in the 100 hurdles/400 hurdles, and Jade Celestine should qualify for both as well. We'll have zero High Jumpers, Long Jumpers or Triple Jumpers (not good!). A couple of Mitchell's PV holdovers, Rylchick and Allen will make it, as Brinn is #1 right now. Gabby Griffiths might make the shot field, probably the hammer and Laurel Bristow, another 5th year performer is #1 in the Javelin. Not a single woman in the Heptathlon, which is interesting because the new head coach was a multi athlete. The women may place in the top 6 IMHO. On the Men's side, Quentin Woodall is currently #7 in the 100 and our best Long Jumper is #14 - sad we'd have to use him here. Charles Sanders and Woodall should both make the 200 field, with Sanders now #5. Sanders is also #2 in the 400 and Jimmy Harkelroad #5 and #1 in the 400 hurdles. Marc Carrera is #6 in the 800 and should make the field. Then there's Brian Masai, who's #12 in the 1500, but #1 in the 5000 and 10k. We have zero high hurdlers! Our 4x100 relay team is ranked 5th of 5, our 4x400 2nd. The new weight coach has done a great job and we've got 3 of the top 8 in shot with Graham Lane #2, 3 of the top 6 in Discus with Owen Wendell #2 and William Gross #2 in the hammer. #1 and #2 vaulters in Hunter Garrison and Oscar Prieto, the #1 high Jumper in Nuh Andu and Avalon Harper at #5 and Haruki Sakai (#2) and Dimiti Novakovic (#3) in the Long jump. Both in the triple jump too. And zero Decathletes, once again from a multi event coach. I'm thinking the guys could get a 3rd out of 5, with Eastern and Kent going 1-2. Our field events could get us enough for 2nd. Anyway, shouldn't be an embarrassment. I'm sure the staff is working hard to put a good event together for the MAC and I'm assuming TV of some sort. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy-claws Posted May 3, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2023 Does anybody know if the Outdoor T & F Championship meet at the new track is going to be televised anywhere? I'm going to be back in FLA and wanted to see some of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue & Gold Posted May 3, 2023 Report Share Posted May 3, 2023 2 hours ago, zippy-claws said: Does anybody know if the Outdoor T & F Championship meet at the new track is going to be televised anywhere? I'm going to be back in FLA and wanted to see some of it. I don't believe they've ever broadcast any part of the event in the past. But if I hear/see anything I'll come back here & let you know! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy-claws Posted May 5, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2023 On 5/3/2023 at 5:10 PM, Blue & Gold said: I don't believe they've ever broadcast any part of the event in the past. But if I hear/see anything I'll come back here & let you know! I do remember in 2017 and 2018 the meet was televised, or should I say live-streamed on the host school's webpage. They had the stadium PA guy's (who was horrid) feed as the sound. It wasn't great but it was passable, no commercials. I would think with the new track facility and the gorgeous view of the campus from the stadium (Info, Skeeles, First Energy, student center, etc) that the U would use this opportunity to promote the school and facilities. Misses opportunity, IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mes102 Posted May 13, 2023 Report Share Posted May 13, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy-claws Posted May 13, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2023 Too bad no one outside downtown Akron gets to watch it Charles. I'm sure all those families of Akron (and every other school) who couldn't make the trip are super excited to watch the live stats page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy-claws Posted May 13, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2023 Too bad no one outside downtown Akron gets to watch it Charles. I'm sure all those families of Akron (and every other school) who couldn't make the trip are super excited to watch the live stats page. However, Charles is correct. The performances, at least when you look at the numbers were good, but kind of expected. Garrison won the PV with just taking 1 jump. Artrip fought hard for a second. Sakai and Novakovic 1-2 in LJ. Josiah Cox scored in the shot. Masai in the 10k. The problem is we're under-represented in the running finals Saturday. That's going to be a problem getting enough points to pull off the win. But they are surprising me, nicely. The women? They put a few athletes in the finals and Brynn won the PV. See where the end up in the 12 after tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy-claws Posted May 13, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2023 Well now! I may be proven wrong, as usual. My negativity about T & F Zips has been showing, but I just saw on live stats the the men hammer throwers went 1-2-3! That’s worth 24 points. Between that, the 1-2 in PC and 1-2 in LJ the field events may have won the meet themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue & Gold Posted May 13, 2023 Report Share Posted May 13, 2023 15 minutes ago, zippy-claws said: Well now! I may be proven wrong, as usual. My negativity about T & F Zips has been showing, but I just saw on live stats the the men hammer throwers went 1-2-3! That’s worth 24 points. Between that, the 1-2 in PC and 1-2 in LJ the field events may have won the meet themselves. PC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper Posted May 13, 2023 Report Share Posted May 13, 2023 MAC Men's Champs! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper Posted May 13, 2023 Report Share Posted May 13, 2023 The women have a great group of recruits coming in for next year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper Posted May 13, 2023 Report Share Posted May 13, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy-claws Posted May 13, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2023 6 hours ago, Blue & Gold said: PC? Meant PV for Pole Vault, my little chubby fingers got in my way! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy-claws Posted May 13, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2023 Okay then! I feel like a complete traitor for doubting! The Zips men won the MAC Outdoor Championships, according to MileSplit on-line! I was way off for doubting them. and the women ended up in 6th, better than imagined. The level of improvement these athletes made from indoors to outdoors was extraordinary. Hats off to Hilltopper for calling it a few months back when he said we were "re-loading as we speak". I should not have doubted you. But what really won this was the field events and enough can't be said about the throws and jumps and their contribution to this. 44 minutes ago, Hilltopper said: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72 Roo Posted May 14, 2023 Report Share Posted May 14, 2023 6 hours ago, Hilltopper said: The women have a great group of recruits coming in for next year. Great to hear. Our T & F program under Mitchell was the envy of the MAC. We all want to see it return to the top. Go Zip T & F! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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