TicketsCINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati track and field program opened their 2016-17 indoor season Friday night in Bloomington, Ind., as the Bearcats took part in the Hoosier Open inside Indiana's Gladstein Fieldhouse. The meet, which featured athletes from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, gave the Bearcats a chance to compete before taking the holiday break to recover and prepare for the rest of the season that gets underway in January.
On the day, the Bearcats tallied a trio of victories while posting 22 marks that register as personal-bests with six of those standing among the all-time Top 10 in program history. One of the Top 10 marks also is a school record as Annette Echikunwoke returned to her ways of last indoor season by breaking the school's weight throw record for the sixth time in her carer.
// WOMEN'S RESULTS
- Much like she did last year, Echikunwoke got right back into the record breaking business as she not only won the weight throw with a toss of 21.76m (71-04.75), but did so with another school-record performance. In fact, in the third round, she hit a toss of 21.63m, which also broke her previous best of 21.57m from last year, a mark that broke the school record for the sixth time in 2016. Overall, her four marks on the day not only easily won the competition, but also stood as four of the furthest in the very early portion of the season as Week One's best was 20.73m.
- Echikunwoke was not done, however, as the junior improved her shot put mark to 15.63m (51-03.50) to finish second in the meet. With that toss, Echikunwoke ranks #2 all-time in program history in the event. Alexis Gray also competed in the shot put and hit a mark of 12.99m 942-07.50) to finish ninth overall and improve her own PR.
- Several newcomers had stellar starts to their UC careers, including Lily Bunse in the pole vault, who cleared 3.90m (12-09.50) to post the seventh-highest clearance in program history while finishing third in the meet. She led a 3-4-6 finish as Brooke Catherine (3.75m/12-03.50) and Sadie Brass (3.45m/11-03.75) finished behind the rookie.
- Angelica Lightfoot made her collegiate debut and made an immediate impact at the freshman ran 9.32 in 60m hurdles prelims to earn an eighth-place finish and qualify to the finals where she lowered her time to 8.87 to take sixth overall. Lightfoot also ran the 200m dash and turned in a PR of 27.24.
- Bryana Robinson had a big run in the 300m dash as the sprinter posted a time of 39.00 to finish fourth overall. With that PR, she moved into the #2 position on UC's all-time Top 10. In fact, with that time, she became just the second UC woman to run under 41-seconds in the event.
- Katie Straus was another debutante for the Bearcats in several events as she won a special 60m hurdles race in 9.09 before tying for sixth in the high jump with a best of 1.60m (5-03.00). That mark tied her with Maggie Loeffler, who also ran a PR in the hurdles, turning in a time of 9.42.
- Irati Mitxelena also made her debut with the Spaniard posting a mark of 5.83m (19-01.50) in the long jump to take the #7 position on UC's all-time Top 10 in her first meet.
- Naomi Urbano posted a pair of PRs on the day, including tying her best high jump clearance and bettering her long jump mark. In the high jump, she cleared 1.65m (5-05.00) before she jumped out to 5.37m (17-07.50) in the horizontal jump.
- Rebecka Abrahamsson had another strong day in the horizontal events as the junior took second place in the triple jump with a leap of 12.92m (42-04.75). She also finished fourth overall in the long jump with a best of 5.93m (19-05.50).
// MEN'S RESULTS
- The men tallied six personal bests on the day, led by Alex Bloom's performance in the pole vault. The multi-event specialist took to the runway in the open pole vault for the first time and cleared 4.75m (15-07.00), which was good enough for third place in the event and PR of over two feet as his previous indoor best was just 4.10m (13-05.25). Bloom also tied for second in the high jump at 2.07m (6-09.50), just one-half of one inch under his indoor PR.
- Adrian Valles opened his junior season with a victory as he took the title in the pole vault with a clearance of 5.15m (16-10.75). He was joined by Halen Witcher as the Bearcats' victors on the day after Witcher captured first in the 400m dash with a personal-best time of 49.04.
- Staying in the sprints, Jaashir Morris took part in the rarely run 300m dash and turned in a time of 35.09 to finish third overall. That time was not only a PR, but also ranks as the seventh-best in UC history. Teammate Kevin Konkoly ran in the same event, placing eighth in 35.60.
- Sergio Acera opened his day in the 60m dash prelims and raced to a PR of 7.01 to finish eighth overall and advance to the finals. Acera, however, did not run in the final as he was competing in the long jump, where he placed sixth overall with a leap of 6.86m (22-06.25).
- Kelvin Williams just missed out on the finals of the 60m hurdles as he ran 8.35 to tie for ninth. He came back in the 200m dash later in the day and ran 23.41 to improve his PR and finish eighth overall. Tevin-Lloyd Thompson placed fifth in the 200m dash with a time of 22.64.
- Jordan Hardiman nearly equaled his PR in the high jump in his first meet of the year as he cleared 2.03m (6-08.00) to finish eighth overall. His PR is 2.04m.
- The team of Witcher, Ryan Greene, Morris and Konkoly combined to run 3:22.29 and finish fourth overall in the 4x400m relay.
The Bearcats will now take the next several weeks off from practice and competition for the holiday seasons before returning to campus in January. Upon their return, they will travel to the Kentucky Invitational in Lexington, Ky., on Friday and Saturday, January 13-14.
2016 Hoosier Open (12/9/16)
Women's Results
60m Dash
Prelims
14. Bryana Robinson - 7.90
15. Alanna Hendricks - 7.93
16. Juliana Puopolo - 7.99
17. Irati Mitxelena - 8.07 - PR
60m Hurdles
Prelims
8. Angelica Lightfoot - 9.32 - PR - advances to final
10. Maggie Loeffler - 9.42 - PR
Finals
6. Angelica Lightfoot - 8.87 - PR
60m Hurdles - Extra Round
1. Katie Straus - 9.09 - PR
200m Dash
8. Juliana Puopolo - 26.23
10. Alanna Hendricks - 26.68
12. Angelica Lightfoot - 27.24 - PR
-- Maggie Loeffler - DQ
300m Dash
4. Bryana Robinson - 39.00 - PR & UC #2
-- Haisha Bisiolu - DQ
-- Grace Winkowski - DQ
400m Dash
4. Deanna Gesicki - 57.95
5. Sylvana Ross - 59.26 - PR
4x400m Relay
6. Cincinnati - 3:53.43
Gesicki (57.3), Bisiolu (56.4), Strauss (58.7), Ross (60.6)
High Jump
5. Naomi Urbano - 1.65m (5-05.00) - =PR
6. Maggie Loeffler - 1.60m (5-03.00)
6. Katie Straus - 1.60m (5-03.00) - PR
Long Jump
4. Rebecka Abrahamsson - 5.93m (19-05.50)
6. Irati Mitxelena - 5.83m (19-01.50) - PR & UC #7
11. Naomi Urbano - 5.37m (17-07.50) - PR
15. Angelica Lightfoot - 5.04m (16-06.50)
Triple Jump
2. Rebecka Abrahamsson - 12.92m (42-04.75)
Pole Vault
3. Lily Bunse - 3.90m (12-09.50) - PR & UC #7
4. Brooke Catherine - 3.75m (12-03.50)
6. Sadie Brass - 3.45m (11-03.75)
Shot Put
2. Annette Echikunwoke - 15.63m (51-03.50) - PR & UC #2
9. Alexis Gray - 12.99m (42-07.50) - PR
Weight Throw
1. Annette Echikunwoke - 21.76m (71-04.75) - PR & SCHOOL RECORD
9. Nicole Breeden - 16.12m (52-10.75)
Men's Results
60m Dash
Prelims
8. Sergio Acera - 7.01 - PR - advances to final (did not run final)
-- Alex Bloom - false start
60m Hurdles
Prelims
t-9. Kelvin Williams - 8.35
200m Dash
5. Tevin-Lloyd Thompson - 22.64
8. Kelvin Williams - 23.41 - PR
300m Dash
3. Jaashir Morris - 35.09 - PR & UC #7
8. Kevin Konkoly - 35.60
400m Dash
1. Halen Witcher - 49.04 - PR
-- Ryan Greene - DQ
4x400m Relay
4. Cincinnati - 3:22.29
Witcher (49.4), Greene (49.9), Morris (51.5), Konkoly (51.3)
Long Jump
6. Sergio Acera - 6.86m (22-06.25)
High Jump
t2. Alex Bloom - 2.07m (6-09.50)
8. Jordan Hardiman - 2.03m (6-08.00)
-- Mike Wood - NH
Pole Vault
1. Adrian Valles - 5.15m (16-10.75)
3. Alex Bloom - 4.75m (15-07.00) - PR
Weight Throw
14. John Zedella - 15.89m (52-01.75)
15. Chris Province - 14.83m (48-08.00) - PR