csims0917 Posted October 30, 2023 Report Share Posted October 30, 2023 Going to make a separate chat for this because Akron has been doing very well in Track and XC the last few years. With MAC titles in indoor outdoor track and now Cross Country (In the programs first year!). Men and women have had success as well. Brand new outdoor track for the spring. I am excited to see the future of the running program in Akron. I doubt they will get Clayton Murphy to endorse us again after XC being removed the first time but I feel it should be a top goal of Guthries tenure to keep the momentum going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue & Gold Posted October 30, 2023 Report Share Posted October 30, 2023 We hosted the Big East indoor championships a few years ago. Wonder if there's any chance of us moving our T&F and CC teams to the Big East? (Or if we'd even want to, Idk?) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy-claws Posted October 31, 2023 Report Share Posted October 31, 2023 14 hours ago, Blue & Gold said: We hosted the Big East indoor championships a few years ago. Wonder if there's any chance of us moving our T&F and CC teams to the Big East? (Or if we'd even want to, Idk?) The only way we could move our programs anywhere is if the MAC stopped sponsoring that particular sport. In regards to the BigEast T & F programs, we would do well once our programs get back to the level they were when coach Mitchell was here. Don't be fooled by the men winning the outdoor track championships last May. The program would nor crack the top 5 of BigEast programs right now, and the women are nowhere close to competing in the MAC, let alone The BigEast. On the Men's side, beside Brian Masai, our best printer was 120th in the nation, our 4 x 400 relay team that won the MAC was 184th in the nation. Think about that. We had one sprinter in the top 200 in every running category, except the 400 hurdles and Harkelroad was top 25. No middle distance runners, no distance runners (Masai excepted) in the top 200 in the ocuntry. Our throws guys were top 100, our LJ/TJ top 100, but that's it. Compare that to past teams. I'm hoping for improvement, cheering fro the athletes, but don't be fooled by what the administration is trying to paint as a success. Our best HJ was 150th in the nation. When we hosted the indoor BigEast meets, there was no SPIRE or OceanFirst complexes to host such events, and Akron's 300 meter indoor track was unique at the time. Can't match the new indoor and outdoor facilities in the East or Chicago now, plus the ammenities of the cities. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy-claws Posted October 31, 2023 Report Share Posted October 31, 2023 @csims0917, my apologies, I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm for T & F. I welcome anyone who has a passion for the sport, and I feel you do by your post. I just wanted to put up a few reality checks. We have a fine bunch of athletes who are really trying to better themselves and their teams in T & F here, and since it's not a big Scholarship sport, we have a lot of ex-HS Track and Field athletes here who can still compete in the sport, and do well, and can compete eventually in the MAC. Unfortunately, I am biased by the success of past teams, including ones my daughter was a part of here at U of A. I'll try to be less critical, and welcome to another Track Junkie!🏃♀️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72 Roo Posted October 31, 2023 Report Share Posted October 31, 2023 No need to apologize for spreading the truth. The loss of Mitchell was huge to the program. He did more with less than any other coach at UA. He was especially wired in to knowledgeable ex-athletes who made great specialty assistant coaches. He had Akron consistently regarded as one of the top northern programs in the USA breaking the top 25 in both men's and women's programs. I hope the new director of can get us back to that level, but I've seen little to inspire confidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csims0917 Posted November 1, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2023 I get it! I’m not expecting to be a national powerhouse but more local school for the surrounding suburb school recruits that can constantly be a figure in the MAC and local meet against the other Midwest teams. We shall see what the new coaches do in the future years of recruiting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csims0917 Posted November 18, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2023 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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