Athletes of the Week January-February

February 29 2000

Greg Corbitt (fr) came into the MAC Indoor Championships ranked 17th in the 35lb weight throw with a best of 52-7.5. At the meet on Friday Corbit not only placed 7th but threw a big personal best by 5 feet at 57-7.5. This broke the old school record by over 2.5 feet. Corbitt was the only true freshman in the MAC to score in the event and to reach the finals of the competition. A week earlier Corbitt was struggling with the event where he threw over 10 feet shorter than he did at the MAC Championships. For Corbitt's "big time" improvement at the Championships and for overcoming tough couple of week's of throwing he was named this week's male"Athlete of the Week".

At the MAC Indoor Championships Renata Smith(jr) found herself in a groove and exhibited a competitive attitude in the shot put. On almost every throw she made she improved on her personal record. Each of her throws increased a couple of inches at a time until on her last throw she threw her best throw of the competition at 44'10.25. This placed her 6th in the competition after coming into the meet with the 11th best throw in the conference. With an injury to her knee during the Fall and getting sick when she returned with strength in her knee in January, Smith has had a tough go of it this year. However, at the championships she was able to put that all behind her and hit several personal records in the competition and become this week's female "Athlete of the Week".

February 22 2000

Jessie Sheeran shocked MAC throwing when on her first throw in the Kent "Al Schoterman Weight Triathlon/ Sam Bair Open" shot put she threw 51'1/4". This throw was a provisional qualifying mark which at the time placed her 16th in the country. Her throw was almost three and a half feet farther than her previous school record made one week earlier at 47'8 1/2". In the competition, she outdistanced the MAC leader in the event by two inches. In the overall triathlon competition Sheeran took third. She threw 147' in the discus and 50'7 1/4 in the 20lb weight throw to add to her 51 foot shot put throw. For Sheeran breaking the 50 foot barrier was not a surprise since she had done it on several occasions in practice, warmups and on some fouled throws. However, it was a big improvement, none the less, for the junior from Fostoria, Ohio who had only thrown 41-4 1/2 in high school.

 

Jim Ingersol this week's "Male Athlete of the Week "proved Friday at the Kent Al Schoterman Weight Triathlon that he can be a shot putter. Mostly tagged as a discus, hammer/weight thrower Jim only threw the 12 lb shot in high school 49'. Friday he putted 52'8 3/4 inches. This is almost a 9' improvement over his first throw of the 99/2000 season. Last week he had a big PR at All-Ohio when he threw 50'10 3/4" . With his improvements, the junior from Green, Ohio now looks to be a factor in the scoring at MAC Indoor Championships.

 

February 15 2000

At All-Ohio Championships February 12, going into the pole vault, the Zip women found themselves trailing by several points to Kent State. The pole vault is an event where Akron is strong, but one where Kent, with their talent in the event, could easily come out on top. Zip vaulter Jeanine Thomas (pictured above) was coming off last week's meet where she had no heighted. The way she was warming up and after missing on her first two attempts at her opening bar it looked like she could again come up with zero points. However, the sophomore from Newark Ohio dug down and not only cleared her opening height, but she went on to win the event with a NCAA provisional mark, a MAC and School Record Height of 12-3. Most important she led the Zips to a 1-2-3 sweep of the event and a team lead in the meet they would hold onto the rest of the day. For her heroics, an outstanding performance in the face of tough times, Jeanine Thomas is this week's "Female Track Athlete of the Week".

Greg Miller, of Brunswick Ohio, has been close every week to finally getting past the 15 foot barrier in the pole vault. Each week it seemed as if he is up enough to clear the bar, but has found a way to barely brush the higher heights and make them fall. At All-Ohio things were different for the freshman. Not only did he go higher than 15 feet he made two personal records going 15-3 and then 15-7 in the meet to take third. For his persistence, his determination to improve, and his ability to come through in a big meet Greg Miller is this week's "Male Track Athlete of the Week".

February 8 2000

Jennifer Moore

Jennifer Moore (so) of Girard, Ohio ran her way into the record books and to Athlete of the Week honors at the USTCA Quad at Central Michigan February 4th. She finished first in the 800 in a school record of 2:14.35. Later Jennifer ran on the third leg of the winning 4 x 400 relay. The Zips went on to win the meet - 1. Akron: 182 2.Central: 160 3.Toldeo: 99 4.Michigan State: 63. Jennifer's mark currently puts her number 2 on the MAC 800 list.

Fogle Over 15-3

Shaun Fogle (so) of Stow, Ohio has been struggling of late with some technical problems in the pole vault. This last week at the Golden Flash Open, February 5, Shaun hit a major milestone and improved on his personal record going 15' 3". Shaun is one of the most dedicated athletes in the program who has continued through tough times. Now he is being rewarded for his efforts and is expected to raise the bar to much higher heights.

 

 

February 1 2000

Karen Beasley on her approach to 5-10.

Karen Beasley (sr) of Edon HS, Blakeslee, Ohio reached a major milestone, at the Penn State National Open Meet January 28-29, going 5'10" in the high jump which is a provisional national qualifying mark. Her jump is currently leading the MAC. Karen leaped this height after pole vaulting, earlier in the meet, an indoor personal best of 11'-.25". Karen is a highly dedicated, motivated athlete who has done more than enough to earn these marks and who richly deserves this week's "Female Athlete of the Week" honors.

Picture from mactrack.net

Freshman Greg Corbitt, of Ayersville HS, Defiance, Ohio, would drive 3 hours plus to and from Akron , several times during Christmas break to volunteer to put in extra throwing practices. His dedication has paid off this season as he currently sits as the leading freshman in the MAC in the 35lb weight throw. Last weekend, in the Central Collegiate Championships at Central Michigan, He improved on his personal best in the 35lb weight throw going 51'4.5". The weight throw is a difficult event to pick up as a freshman. Anything over 50' is a significant throw for a first year competitor. Corbitt is poised this season to improve dramatically on that distance. With Corbitt's steady improvement in the 35lb weight throw, and his exceptional dedication, he was named this week's "Male Athlete of the Week".

 

January 25 2000

This week's "Athlete of the Week" honors go to both, for the second time this season, LeShaunte Edwards (jr) for men and Latresee Taylor (sr) for women. Edwards was victorious in two events at the Bowling Green Open January 22 winning both the 55 meter dash in 6.27 and gaining another school record in the 200 running 21.56 on a 200 meter track.

Taylor, for the third straight time this season improved on her 55 meter school record time sprinting 6.91. This time puts her 6th in the country and closer to an opportunity to go to the NCAA Indoor Championships in Arkansas.

Edwards Winning the 200 at BGSU

Taylor winning 55 at BGSU

January 18 2000

 Jasmine Reynolds (sr) Brookhaven HS

Reynolds broke three personal records at the Kent Winter Open on January 15. She ran 6.95 in the 55m(60yds) and 24.67 in the 200m. She also helped lift the Zips to a school record in the 4 x 400 meter relay with a winning time of 3:48.92. Reynolds stayed in Akron over the whole holiday, break, voluntarily, at her own expense to train. She was rewarded on the track for her efforts.

LeShaunte Edwards(jr) Rhodes HS.

Edwards broke two school records and provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships over the weekend, January 15, at the Kent Winter Open. He ran qualifying time of 6.23 in the 55 meters and 21.33 in the 200 meters. Edwards also ran on the 4 x 400 relay team. Edwards, at his own expense stayed in Akron over the break to get extra training. His hard work paid off with improved his performances.