The University of Cincinnati track and field program opened the 2018 season Friday afternoon at the Hoosier Open with three school records falling and several other superlatives attained as the Bearcats lifted the lid on the indoor campaign inside the Gladstein Fieldhouse on the Indiana campus. Annette Echikunwoke broke a pair of school records in the throws while sprinter Tiona Lattimore took down the top mark in the 300m dash to help lead the way for UC.
// ECHIKUNWOKE SMASHING
Much as she has done the past two years, Echikunwoke wasted little time breaking records, this time smashing both throwing event records on the first day of the season. The senior defending NCAA weight throw champion got straight to work in her signature event as she chucked the 20-pound ball out to 23.15m (75-11.50) to better her previous record by 1’ 6” (0.46m) and mark the 12th time in the last three seasons that she has either tied or broken the school record in the event. In fact, her winning throw tonight marked the first time since the 2013 season that a woman has thrown 23m in a season when Felicia Johnson (Indiana State) had an NCAA-leading mark of 23.06m. Echikunwoke’s toss also is the longest in the NCAA since 2012 when Jeneva McCall (Southern Illinois) led the nation with a best of 23.76m.
But, Echikunwoke was not done there. She also entered the shot put and took second with a best of 16.72m (54-10.25), a mark that broke the previous school record by 2’ 4.25”. The previous best was 16.00m (52-06.00) set in 2015 by Frida Akerstrom with Echikunwoke entering the season in second place with a best of 15.99m (52-05.50). All told on the day, Echikunwoke improved her personal-best marks in both events by a combined total of 3’ 10.75”.
// LATTIMORE TAKES OFF
The third school record that fell came from sophomore Lattimore as the returning 4x400m relay All-American ran 38.43 to finish sixth overall in the race. Her time is just the second in program history to break 39 seconds as she bettered Kenya Woodall’s previous school record of 38.60 that Woodall ran in 2015.
// EIGHT MORE MARKS TO THE TOP 10
The Bearcats also recorded eight other marks on the day that now rank among the Top 10 in program history with the women grabbing three more and the men five. On the women’s side, Bryana Robinson raced to a time of 1:11.45 in the 500m dash to move in second all-time while fellow sprinter Haisha Bisiolu moved to #4 in the 300m dash with a best of 39.07. Meg Westerheide improved her #4 time in the 1,000m run, lowering her PR to 2:57.99 in the race.
On the men’s side, Austin Edwards led the way with two marks, including the #5 long jump distance with his best of 7.45m (24-05.50). Edwards also ran 6.88 in the preliminary races of the 60m dash to qualify for the final and post the #7 time in school history. Jimmy Brooks now ranks #5 in the 500m dash with his time of 1:04.40 to round out the running marks. In the field, true freshman Sam Meece posted a toss of 16.75m (54-11.50) in the weigh throw to move into a tie for #9 in program history following his first collegiate competition while Marcus Abraham, a transfer into the program, hit a mark of 15.89m (52-01.75) in the shot put for the #10 throw in UC history.
// HIGHLY RANKED
Following the meet, four marks turned in by the Bearcats currently rank among the Top 10 on the early season descending order lists. Echikunwoke holds two marks that rank her among the best in the NCAA as she is currently ranked #1 in the weight throw and #2 in the shot put. On the men’s side, Adrian Valles, who cleared 5.30m (17-04.50), ranks #2 in the pole vault while Edwards’s long jump mark is #6.
// AND THE WINNER IS…
Cincinnati athletes won four events on the day, including three by the women and one for the men. Along with Echikunwoke’s victory in the weight throw, other winners included Robinson in the 500m dash and Loretta Blaut in the high jump, who won a jump-off by clearing 1.77m after tying for the win at 1.74m (5-08.50). Valles’ victory in the pole vault was the lone win for the UC men.
// ON DECK
The Bearcats will be back in action in January 2018 following the holiday break. First up for UC will be a trip down to Lexington, Ky., to compete in the UK Invitational January 12-13 inside the Nutter Field House on the Kentucky campus.
2017 Hoosier Open
December 8 • Gladstein Fieldhouse • Bloomington, Ind.
Women’s Results
60m Dash
Prelims
12. Kellsa Mbah – 7.68
20. Alanna Hendricks – 8.02
60m Hurdles
Prelims
8. Angelica Lightfoot – 8.80q – PR
12. Maggie Loeffler – 9.35
13. Alanna Hendricks – 9.40
14. Naomi Urbano – 9.57
Final
7. Angelica Lightfoot – 8.84
300m Dash
6. Tiona Lattimore – 38.43 – UC RECORD
12. Haisha Bisiolu – 39.07 – UC #4
400m Dash
4. Sylvana Ross – 1:00.28
500m Dash
1. Bryana Robinson – 1:11.45 – PR & UC #2
1,000m Run
7. Meg Westerheide – 2:57.99 – PR & UC #4
Mile Run
7. Sam Mikula – 5:11.76 – PR
8. Hannah Markel – 5:13.59 – PR
Long Jump
4. Kellsa Mbah – 5.84m (19-02.00)
7. Angelica Lightfoot – 5.66m (18-07.00)
8. Irati Mitxelena – 5.63m (18-05.75)
— Kennedy Marable – foul
High Jump
1. Loretta Blaut – 1.74m (5-08.50) – won event in jump-off (1.77m)
7. Katie Kravitsky – 1.60m (5-03.00) – PR
8. Maggie Loeffler – 1.60m (5-03.00)
8. Naomi Urbano – 1.60m (5-03.00)
Pole Vault
3. Brooke Catherine – 3.80m (12-05.50)
t6. Rachel Coghill – 3.65m (11-11.75) – PR
10. Allie Plybon – 3.50m (11-05.75) – PR
11. Sadie Brass – 3.50m (11-05.75)
Shot Put
2. Annette Echikunwoke – 16.72m (54-10.25) – PR & UC RECORD
7. Ashley Williams – 14.75m (48-04.75)
— Alexis Gray – foul
Weight Throw
1. Annette Echikunwoke – 23.15m (75-11.50) – PR & UC RECORD
10. Alexis Gray – 16.36m (53-08.25) – PR
13. Ashley Williams – 14.71m (48-03.25)
Men’s Results
60m Dash
Prelims
5. Austin Edwards – 6.88q – PR & UC #7
8. Anthony Woods – 6.93
9. Mykel Chambers – 6.93q
14. Alex Bloom – 7.10
18. Kelvin Williams – 7.34
Final
6. Austin Edwards – 6.90
8. Mykel Chambers – 7.03
60m Hurdles
Prelims
6. Isaiah McCall – 8.30q
7. Kelvin Williams – 8.38q
Final
6. Isaiah McCall – 8.27 – PR
8. Kelvin Willaism – 8.39
300m Dash
11. Ryan Greene – 35.65 – PR
12. Halen Witcher – 36.04 – PR
13. Anthony Woods – 36.84 – PR
400m Dash
3. Mykel Chambers – 52.83 – PR
500m Dash
5. Jimmy Brooks – 1:04.40 – PR & UC #5
13. Isaiah McCall – 1:09.60 – PR
— Jaashir Morris – did not finish
Long Jump
2. Austin Edwards – 7.45m (24-05.50) – PR & UC #5
Triple Jump
3. Brandon White – 13.90m (45-07.25) – PR
High Jump
7. Albert Kalala – 2.03m (6-08.00) – PR
— Alex Bloom – no height
Pole Vault
1. Adrian Valles – 5.30m (17-04.50)
Shot Put
8. Marcus Abraham – 15.89m (52-01.75) – UC #10
9. Sam Meece – 15.13m (49-07.75) – PR
10. Aaron Deaton – 14.88m (48-10.00) – PR
Weight Throw
12. Sam Meece – 16.75m (54-11.50) – PR & UC t-#9
14. Marcus Abraham – 15.75m (51-08.25)
15. Aaron Deaton – 14.90m (48-10.75) – PR
Superlatives
Women
School Records
Annette Echikunwoke • Weight Throw • 23.15m (75-11.50)
Annette Echikunwoke • Shot Put • 16.72m (54-10.25)
Tiona Lattimore • 300m Dash • 38.43
All-Time Top 10 Marks (excluding school records)
Haisha Bisiolu • 300m Dash • 39.07 • #4
Bryana Robinson • 500m Dash • 1:11.45 • #2
Meg Westerheide • 1,000m Run • 2:57.99 • #4
Men
All-Time Top 10 Marks
Marcus Abraham • Shot Put • 15.89m (52-01.75) • #10
Jimmy Brooks • 500m Dash • 1:04.40 • #5
Austin Edwards • Long Jump • 7.45m (24-05.50) • #5
Austin Edwards • 60m Dash • 6.88 • #7
Sam Meece • Weight Throw • 16.75m (54-11.50) • tied #9
NCAA Rankings
Echikunwoke • Weight Throw (W) • #1
Echikunwoke • Shot Put (W) • #2
Edwards • Long Jump (M) • #6
Valles • Pole Vault (M) • #2
