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Results | Hurd Interview|Akerstrom Interview
A pair of individual champions paced the University of Cincinnati track & field programs at the American Indoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday. Both the men's and women's team finished fourth in the team standings.
// BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPION
Junior Erika Hurd successfully defended her American Indoor high jump title by clearing 5' 8.75" to defeat USF's Lauren Lubarski in a jump off. UC has now garnered four women's indoor high jump titles with Hurd taking the half. Her competition weekend continues tomorrow since she will be jumping at the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships in Boston, Massachusetts.
//THROWING IT AROUND
In the women's shot put, the Bearcats raked in 17 points with Frida Akerstrom winning the event, Mekayla Breland taking fifth and Leah Heckaman finishing sixth. Akerstrom won the event with a toss of 52' 6", which is a new conference meet record. She is also the first UC athlete to garner the conference crown in the women's shot put.
//BREAKING RECORDS
The women's 4x400-meter relay broke the UC school record with a time of 3:43.35. The foursome of Kenya Woodall, Javette Lee, Jalisa Jarrett and Jada Grant topped the previous school record of 3:43.70, which was set by Woodall, Lee, Grant and Shanay Portis in 2013.
Two Bearcats also re-broke their own school record with Woodall clocking a 53.73 in the 400-meter dash and Rebecka Abrahamsson jumping 41' 6" in the triple jump.
//PAINTING THE PODIUM RED & BLACK
Day One
1. Adrian Valles, Men's Pole Vault
2. Sergio Acera Villanueva, Men's Long Jump
3. Toby Loveridge, Men's 5,000m
3. Tariq Sanders, Men's Long Jump
3. Annette Echikunwoke, Women's Weight Throw
Day Two
1. Frida Akerstrom - Women's Shot Put
1. Erika Hurd - Women's High Jump
2. Bryan Cain - Men's 60m Hurdles
3. Kenya Woodall - Women's 400m
3. Je'Rica Sanders - Women's 60m Hurdles
3. 4x400m Relay - Kenya Woodall/Javette Lee/Jalisa Jarrett/Jada Grant
//MOVING UP THE BEARCATS' ALL-TIME RECORDS LIST
Women's 400m - 1. Kenya Woodall, 53.73
Men's 5,000m - 2. Toby Loveridge, 8:15.61
Women's 4x400m - 1. Kenya Woodall/Javette Lee/Jalisa Jarrett/Jada Grant, 3:43.
Women's Triple Jump - 1. Rebecka Abrahamsson, 41' 6"
Women's Shot Put - 1. Frida Akerstrom, 52' 6"
Men's Heptathlon - 5. Alex Bloom, 4,793 points
//TEAM SCORES
Men
1. Houston, 135
2. Tulsa, 134
3. UConn, 131
4. Cincinnati, 76.5
5. Memphis, 71
6. USF, 59.5
7. East Carolina, 49
Women
1. UConn, 108
2. UCF, 86.5
3. SMU, 83
4. Cincinnati, 71.5
5. Memphis, 61.5
6. Tulane, 56.5
t7. Tulsa, 49
t7. Houston, 49
9. East Carolina, 45
10. USF, 27
11. Temple, 26
//TOP UC POINT GETTERS
Men
Adrian Valles, 10 points
Toby Loveridge, 10 points
Bryan Cain, 8 points
Sergio Acera Villanueva, 8 points
Alex Bloom, 7 points
Women
Frida Akerstrom, 14 points
Erika Hurd, 10 points
Kenya Woodall, 7.5 points
Je'Rica Sanders, 6 points
Annette Echikunwoke, 6 points
//NEXT UP
For most of the Bearcats, the conference meet completed their indoor season, and they will now start gearing up for their first outdoor meet, which is the UCF Black & Golf Challenge on Mar. 21 in Orlando, Florida. The indoor season will continue for Hurd tomorrow at the USATF Indoor Championships and the NCAA Championships on Mar. 13-14. Valles may join her at the NCAA Championships if his pole vault mark stands through this weekend's various conference meets.