athletes of the week

Athlete of the Week honors are given out to deserving athletes who demonstrate positive impressionable performances or acts which best represents the ideals of the University of Akron Track and Field/Cross Country program.



4-16-02 
Erin Frye and Greg Miller

At the All-Ohio Championships (Columbus, Oh) Erin Frye started the meet off right for the Zips winning the 10,000 meter run by over 20 seconds. This is Erin's first major collegiate title. She led the Zips right to an overall second place finish at the meet.

Greg Miller had been fighting for the past year for a personal record. At all-Ohio, while everyone else was complaining about the wind, Miller came up with an outdoor personal record and an overall record going 15-9.25.

4-10-02

Greg Corbitt and Bobbie Hardbarger


At the Texas Relays the Zips came up with two new school records. Greg Corbitt regained the school record in the hammer he lost the week earlier. At Texas he threw 193-3.

Bobbie Hardbarger battling traffic in the Invite 1500 in front of 20,000 fans came up with a school record running 4:28.72.

4-3-02
Dustin Shaffer
Takeithia Jordan
Jason Flowers
Bobbie Hardbarger


After returning from a spring trip of ten days and two meets four Athletes emerged as Track Athletes of the Week. At the UNC Classic two athletes used the meet to start them on a tear, through spring break, of personal records in several events.
For the men, Dustin Shaffer had personal records in the shot put, discus, and hammer. His best event, the hammer he went 178 feet, 10 feet better than his previous personal record. He took his improved ways to Florida Relays going 189-6 in the Hammer for a new school record.
The spring trip also allowed Takeithia Jordan to make improvements in three events. In Carolina she improved to 18-9 in the long jump. She was victorious in the high jump with a collegiate best of 5-7. She too continued her improvements at the Florida Relays with a personal best of 37-11.25 in the triple jump.


The standouts for the Zips at the Florida Relays were Bobbie Hardbarger (sr) and Jason Flowers (sr) who both had great perfromaces, not only in their individual events, but in the relays.
Hardbarger led the Zip women to a new school record in the Sprint Medley Relay with a blazing split in the anchor 800 leg going 2:09. She did this after winning her section in the 1500 by 4.5 seconds running 3:30.
Flowers also put in a impressive split in the 800 anchor portion of the sprint medley relay running 1:51. In the 4 x400 relay he ran a hot 46.8 anchor split. He did all this after winning his section of the 800 running 1:53.88.

2-26-02
Renata Smith and LeShaunte Edwards

5th year seniors Renata Smitha and LeShaunte Edwards were named "Track Athletes of the Week" after their performances at the MAC Indoor Championships. After going from 38' in high school and much adversity Smith managed to pull off an upset in the shot put with a winning throw of 48'4".

LeShaunte Edwards through all the hype defended his title in the 200 meter dash and added his first ever in the 60 meter dash. He also ran lead off on the men's third place 4 x 400 meter relay team.

2-12-02
Nick Hill (sr) and Jackie Coe (sr)

At the All-Ohio Championships in Bowling Green the Zip throwers had a big day breaking 3 school records and countless personal records. Jackie Coe, Wadsworth HA, set off the first round of long range artillery throwing a school record in the women's weight throw. Her throw of 53-7 was almost five feet further than her old personal record. After a tough couple of years of injuries including knee surgery in December this was a big day for Coe. Her ability to battle adversity, her dedication and her great performance is what the "Track Athlete of the Week" honor is all about.

Nick Hill also had an impressive performance and was also a great representative of the "Track Athlete of the Week" honor. He smashed his personal record in the 35 lb weight throw and the shot put. He threw 57-3.75 and 49-10 respectively. Nick Hill has made the biggest improvements out of all the throwers. However, the biggest impact he had on the meet was not just his distances but his ability to motivate all the other Zips throwers. He authored a letter given to the group that "fired" all of them up. For example, team mate Greg Corbitt threw school records in the weight and shot put. His mark in the weight throw was a provisional NCAA mark. Every Akron thrower at the meet achieved personal records. His ability to hang in there when it looked tough for him, his performances at All-Ohio, and his ability to motivate make him one of the most worthy "Akron Track Athletes of Week" of all time.

2-5-02
Mary Varga

After a tough week of training and a full day of events Mary Varga (Sr) Walsh Jesuit HA managed to win the State Farm Games' high jump and hit an NCAA provisional mark. At University of West Virginia, where the meet was located, 8 hours of competing in other events on a hard floor had gone by before she was able to attempt high bars. She managed 5'11.75" and had very close attempts at 6'.

1-29-02
Seniors
Jason Flowers and Jaime Alton

After their performances at Central Collegiate Championships Jason Flowers (Sr) Solon HA and Jaime Alton (Sr) Mentor HA. were named "Track Athletes of the Week". Jason Flowers has been battling injuries all of his career but has always hung in there tough to find a way to come back. He epitomizes the saying "Success is never in falling but rising every time you fall". At Central Collegiate Champs he rose again. In his first return to competition for the season he ran 1:55.68 for the 800 and most impressively he ran a 47.5 split in the 4 x 400.

Jaime Alton, who was the women's cross country team captain, battled back from an injury at Central Collegiate Championships to run a personal record in the 3000. Questionable on whether she could run she answered with a 9 second improvement on her time running 10:30.19. Alton has a great attitude and is a great example of how a person should train to be great.


1-22-02
Jennie Castle and Devin Booker

From performances at the BGSU Meet January 19 freshman Jennie Castle and sophomore Devin Booker were named this week's " Athletes of the Week". At BGSU Castle won the 400 in her first track meet as a Zip. After the cross country season she had suffered a stress fracture which kept her out of the first two meets of the season. She took took advantage of, and was dedicated to, the creative cross training methods developed by Coach Scott Jones. This enabled her to keep in shape while she had a chance to heal. Even though she was successful in the 400, the 800 is her main event which she will compete at Kent, January 26.

Devin Booker has made tremendous strides this indoor season pushing his personal record down in the each week in the high hurdles. At BGSU Booker won his first ever individual title, as a Zip, in the high hurdles. He also brought his personal record down to 8.28. A week earlier at Kent he was victorious in the 300 hurdles. His first all time college win. All of this success came after not being able to compete in the first meet of the season because of an injury. He trained hard over the break overcoming his injury and tuning up his technique. Now he is improving week by week.

 

1-16-02
Greg Corbitt and Kira Sims

For the start of the indoor season Greg Corbitt(Jr) and Kira Sims (So) were named Zip "Track Athletes of the Week". Kira Sims earned this honor after her performance at the December 9, Kent Golden Flash Gala. She vaulted a new school record 12' 5". Kira has demonstrated tremendous dedication this year. During the Winter break she stayed in Akron, volunteering, at her own expense to train. She went back home to Woodbridge, Virginia, just for a few days for Christmas, then hurried right back to Akron to keep up her workouts.

Greg Corbitt, one of the men's captains, also showed the same training dedication over the break as Sims did, volunteering to stay in Akron to train most of the break. His efforts paid off January 11, at the Kent, Black Squirrel Open. He broke his own school record in the 35lb weight throw going 60'8". He also upped his shot put personal record breaking the 50' barrier for the first time throwing 51'8". His performance also earned him Akron Athletics "Athlete of the Week" honors.