CINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati track and field team heads to Wichita, Kansas, this weekend for the 2019 American Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships, set to be contested inside Cessna Stadium at Wichita State University from May 10-12, 2019.
The women's team will look to win their third team title in the last three years while the men's squad looks for their first title since joining the American in 2014. UC won the women's championship in 2016 and 2017 before finishing third a year ago.
UC returns four individual champions including two from 2018, Aaron Bienenfeld (10,000m) and Brooke Catherine (pole vault), two from 2017, Annette Echikunwoke (shot put & hammer throw) and Naomi Urbano (heptathlon) and one from 2016 as Echikunwoke won her first hammer throw title that season.
ECHIKUNWOKE LOOKS FOR ANOTHER LEAGUE TITLE
Senior All-America thrower Annette Echikunwoke returns as one of the favorites in both the hammer throw and shot put. Winning The American's Field Athlete of the Week honors twice this year, the Pickerington, Ohio, native is a three-time American outdoor champion, winning the hammer throw in 2016 and 2017 and the shot put in 2017. Once again, Echikunwoke has made a splash on The American's performance list with Top-25 distances in the nation in both the hammer and shot put to lead the conference this year.
BIENENFELD GOING THE DISTANCE
Junior Aaron Bienenfeld has made a statement in distance events. An event dominated by Tulsa for the three years prior, Bienenfeld took the crown in the 10,000-meter run at his home stadium in 2018 with his time of 30:50.31. He leads the field in the 5,000-meter run heading into this week's race with a conference-leading time of 13:57.81 and ranks third on the conference's performance list in the 10,000-meter run.
A YOUNGSTER TO WATCH FOR
Caisja Chandler, the AAC's top female freshman at the indoor championships, has continued her impressive campaign during the outdoor season, posting the second-best time on the 200m performance list, a 23.18 from the Tennessee Relays. In her most recent outing at the Lenny Lyles/Clark Wood Invitational on April 27, 2019, she raced in the final of the 100m dash and turned in a season and personal-best time of 11.53, which broke her own UC freshman record (11.63) while tying her for second all-time in program history with both Kenya Woodall (2016) and Natasha Burse (2011). She is now just off the school record of Tiona Lattimore, who ran 11.52 last year. Finally, Chandler raced in the 200m dash and won with a time of 23.26.
CHART TOPPERS
Several Bearcats rank among the Top-3 on the American's performance charts entering the league meet this weekeding.
MEN'S TEAM
WOMEN'S TEAM
FOLLOW ALONG
RETURNING AAC CHAMPIONS
WOMEN
2018: Third
2017: Champions
2016: Champions
2015: Third
2014: Ninth
MEN
2018: Sixth
2017: Sixth
2016: Seventh
2015: Fourth
2014: Seventh
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
FRIDAY, MAY 10
Decathlon
12:00 p.m. 100m Dash
12:40 p.m. (est.) Long Jump
1:40 p.m. (est.) Shot Put
2:45 p.m. (est.) High Jump
4:00 p.m. (est.) 400m Dash
Heptathlon
12:30 p.m. 100m Hurdles
1:10 p.m. (est.) High Jump
3:00 p.m. (est.) Shot Put
4:00 p.m. (est.) 200m Dash
Field Events
12:00 p.m. Hammer Throw – W Trials & FINAL
2:30 p.m. Hammer Throw – M Trials & FINAL
4:30 p.m. Javelin – W Trials & FINAL
6:30 p.m. Javelin – M Trials & FINAL
Track Events
6:30 p.m. 800m Run – W Trials
6:45 p.m. 800m Run – M Trials
7:00 p.m. 200m Dash – W Trials
7:15 p.m. 200m Dash – M Trials
7:30 p.m. 400 Hurdles – W Trials
7:40 p.m. 400 Hurdles – M Trials
7:55 p.m. 10,000m Run – W FINAL
8:35 p.m. 10,000m Run – M FINAL
SATURDAY, MAY 11
Decathlon
10:30 a.m. 110m Hurdles
11:20 a.m. (est.) Discus Throw
12:30 p.m. (est.) Pole Vault
3:30 p.m. (est.) Javelin
5:00 p.m. (est.) 1500m Run
Heptathlon
11:00 a.m. Long Jump
1:00 p.m. (est.) Javelin
2:30 p.m. (est.) 800m Run
Field Events
3:00 p.m. Long Jump – W Trials & FINAL
3:30 p.m. Shot Put – W Trials & FINAL
4:30 p.m. Pole Vault – W Trials & FINAL
5:00 p.m. Long Jump – M Trials & FINAL
5:30 p.m. Shot Put – M Trials & FINAL
Track Events
5:30 p.m. 100m Hurdles – W Trials
5:45 p.m. 110m Hurdles – M Trials
6:00 p.m. 1500m Run – W Trials
6:15 p.m. 1500m Run – M Trials
6:30 p.m. 400m Dash – W Trials
6:45 p.m. 400m Dash – M Trials
7:00 p.m. 100m Dash – W Trials
7:15 p.m. 100m Dash – M Trials
7:30 p.m. 3,000m Steeplechase – W FINAL
7:45 p.m. 3,000m Steeplechase – M FINAL
SUNDAY, MAY 12
Field Events
2:30 p.m. High Jump – M Trials & FINAL
2:30 p.m. Triple Jump – W Trials & FINAL
2:30 p.m. Discus – W Trials & FINAL
3:30 p.m. Pole Vault – M Trials & FINAL
4:30 p.m. High Jump – W Trials & FINAL
4:30 p.m. Triple Jump – M Trials & FINAL
4:30 p.m. Discus – M Trials & FINAL
Track Events
4:30 p.m. 400m Relay – W FINAL
4:40 p.m. 400m Relay – M FINAL
4:50 p.m. 1500m Run – W FINAL
5:00 p.m. 1500m Run – M FINAL
5:10 p.m. 100m Hurdles – W FINAL
5:20 p.m. 110m Hurdles – M FINAL
5:30 p.m. 400m Dash – W FINAL
5:35 p.m. 400m Dash – M FINAL
5:45 p.m. 100m Dash – W FINAL
5:50 p.m. 100m Dash – M FINAL
6:00 p.m. 800m Run – W FINAL
6:05 p.m. 800m Run – M FINAL
6:15 p.m. 400m Hurdles – W FINAL
6:20 p.m. 400m Hurdles – M FINAL
6:30 p.m. 200m Dash – W FINAL
6:35 p.m. 200m Dash – M FINAL
6:40 p.m. 5,000m Run – W (unseeded) FINAL
7:05 p.m. 5,000m Run – W (seeded) FINAL
7:25 p.m. 5,000m Run – M FINAL
7:45 p.m. 1600m Relay – W FINAL
7:55 p.m. 1600m Relay – M FINAL
8:10 p.m. AWARDS CEREMONY
All times central
The women's team will look to win their third team title in the last three years while the men's squad looks for their first title since joining the American in 2014. UC won the women's championship in 2016 and 2017 before finishing third a year ago.
UC returns four individual champions including two from 2018, Aaron Bienenfeld (10,000m) and Brooke Catherine (pole vault), two from 2017, Annette Echikunwoke (shot put & hammer throw) and Naomi Urbano (heptathlon) and one from 2016 as Echikunwoke won her first hammer throw title that season.
ECHIKUNWOKE LOOKS FOR ANOTHER LEAGUE TITLE
Senior All-America thrower Annette Echikunwoke returns as one of the favorites in both the hammer throw and shot put. Winning The American's Field Athlete of the Week honors twice this year, the Pickerington, Ohio, native is a three-time American outdoor champion, winning the hammer throw in 2016 and 2017 and the shot put in 2017. Once again, Echikunwoke has made a splash on The American's performance list with Top-25 distances in the nation in both the hammer and shot put to lead the conference this year.
BIENENFELD GOING THE DISTANCE
Junior Aaron Bienenfeld has made a statement in distance events. An event dominated by Tulsa for the three years prior, Bienenfeld took the crown in the 10,000-meter run at his home stadium in 2018 with his time of 30:50.31. He leads the field in the 5,000-meter run heading into this week's race with a conference-leading time of 13:57.81 and ranks third on the conference's performance list in the 10,000-meter run.
A YOUNGSTER TO WATCH FOR
Caisja Chandler, the AAC's top female freshman at the indoor championships, has continued her impressive campaign during the outdoor season, posting the second-best time on the 200m performance list, a 23.18 from the Tennessee Relays. In her most recent outing at the Lenny Lyles/Clark Wood Invitational on April 27, 2019, she raced in the final of the 100m dash and turned in a season and personal-best time of 11.53, which broke her own UC freshman record (11.63) while tying her for second all-time in program history with both Kenya Woodall (2016) and Natasha Burse (2011). She is now just off the school record of Tiona Lattimore, who ran 11.52 last year. Finally, Chandler raced in the 200m dash and won with a time of 23.26.
CHART TOPPERS
Several Bearcats rank among the Top-3 on the American's performance charts entering the league meet this weekeding.
MEN'S TEAM
- Andrew Schille clocked 3:47.98 in the 800m at the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational, one of the Top-3 times 800 of the season on the men's side.
- Bienenfeld (13:57.81) leads the field in the 5k and is third in the 10k (29:41.12).
- Andre Wright's season-best leap of 15.24m in the triple jump is the second-best posting in the AAC this season.
- Marcus Abraham threw 17.84m in the shot put earlier this year to ascend to No. 2 on the shot put performance chart.
- Sam Meece ranks No. 2 in the discus throw (56.14m) and No. 3 in the hammer throw (58.05m).
- Nicholas Lauria is No. 3 in the javelin throw with a season-best mark of 61.43m.
WOMEN'S TEAM
- Haisha Bisiolu ran 53.75 in the 400m at the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational, the second-best effort among AAC runners this year.
- Brooke Catherine, the defending conference champion in the pole vault, ranks in the Top-3 entering the weekend (3.06m).
- Irati Mitxelena is third on the performance chart in the triple jump with a best leap of 12.92m.
- Katie Straus holds the heptathlon's top qualifying mark in this season with 4,996 points scored at the Tennessee Relays.
- Echikunwoke holds the top marks in both the shot put (16.55m) and hammer throw (64.88m).
FOLLOW ALONG
- Championship Central
- Download the AAC Championship Program
- View Live Results
- Watch Live Video
RETURNING AAC CHAMPIONS
- Aaron Bienenfeld (2018 – 10,000m)
- Brooke Catherine (2018 – Pole Vault)
- Annette Echikunwoke (2017 – Shot Put, Hammer Throw; 2016 – Hammer Throw)
- Naomi Urbano (2017 – Heptathlon)
WOMEN
2018: Third
2017: Champions
2016: Champions
2015: Third
2014: Ninth
MEN
2018: Sixth
2017: Sixth
2016: Seventh
2015: Fourth
2014: Seventh
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
FRIDAY, MAY 10
Decathlon
12:00 p.m. 100m Dash
12:40 p.m. (est.) Long Jump
1:40 p.m. (est.) Shot Put
2:45 p.m. (est.) High Jump
4:00 p.m. (est.) 400m Dash
Heptathlon
12:30 p.m. 100m Hurdles
1:10 p.m. (est.) High Jump
3:00 p.m. (est.) Shot Put
4:00 p.m. (est.) 200m Dash
Field Events
12:00 p.m. Hammer Throw – W Trials & FINAL
2:30 p.m. Hammer Throw – M Trials & FINAL
4:30 p.m. Javelin – W Trials & FINAL
6:30 p.m. Javelin – M Trials & FINAL
Track Events
6:30 p.m. 800m Run – W Trials
6:45 p.m. 800m Run – M Trials
7:00 p.m. 200m Dash – W Trials
7:15 p.m. 200m Dash – M Trials
7:30 p.m. 400 Hurdles – W Trials
7:40 p.m. 400 Hurdles – M Trials
7:55 p.m. 10,000m Run – W FINAL
8:35 p.m. 10,000m Run – M FINAL
SATURDAY, MAY 11
Decathlon
10:30 a.m. 110m Hurdles
11:20 a.m. (est.) Discus Throw
12:30 p.m. (est.) Pole Vault
3:30 p.m. (est.) Javelin
5:00 p.m. (est.) 1500m Run
Heptathlon
11:00 a.m. Long Jump
1:00 p.m. (est.) Javelin
2:30 p.m. (est.) 800m Run
Field Events
3:00 p.m. Long Jump – W Trials & FINAL
3:30 p.m. Shot Put – W Trials & FINAL
4:30 p.m. Pole Vault – W Trials & FINAL
5:00 p.m. Long Jump – M Trials & FINAL
5:30 p.m. Shot Put – M Trials & FINAL
Track Events
5:30 p.m. 100m Hurdles – W Trials
5:45 p.m. 110m Hurdles – M Trials
6:00 p.m. 1500m Run – W Trials
6:15 p.m. 1500m Run – M Trials
6:30 p.m. 400m Dash – W Trials
6:45 p.m. 400m Dash – M Trials
7:00 p.m. 100m Dash – W Trials
7:15 p.m. 100m Dash – M Trials
7:30 p.m. 3,000m Steeplechase – W FINAL
7:45 p.m. 3,000m Steeplechase – M FINAL
SUNDAY, MAY 12
Field Events
2:30 p.m. High Jump – M Trials & FINAL
2:30 p.m. Triple Jump – W Trials & FINAL
2:30 p.m. Discus – W Trials & FINAL
3:30 p.m. Pole Vault – M Trials & FINAL
4:30 p.m. High Jump – W Trials & FINAL
4:30 p.m. Triple Jump – M Trials & FINAL
4:30 p.m. Discus – M Trials & FINAL
Track Events
4:30 p.m. 400m Relay – W FINAL
4:40 p.m. 400m Relay – M FINAL
4:50 p.m. 1500m Run – W FINAL
5:00 p.m. 1500m Run – M FINAL
5:10 p.m. 100m Hurdles – W FINAL
5:20 p.m. 110m Hurdles – M FINAL
5:30 p.m. 400m Dash – W FINAL
5:35 p.m. 400m Dash – M FINAL
5:45 p.m. 100m Dash – W FINAL
5:50 p.m. 100m Dash – M FINAL
6:00 p.m. 800m Run – W FINAL
6:05 p.m. 800m Run – M FINAL
6:15 p.m. 400m Hurdles – W FINAL
6:20 p.m. 400m Hurdles – M FINAL
6:30 p.m. 200m Dash – W FINAL
6:35 p.m. 200m Dash – M FINAL
6:40 p.m. 5,000m Run – W (unseeded) FINAL
7:05 p.m. 5,000m Run – W (seeded) FINAL
7:25 p.m. 5,000m Run – M FINAL
7:45 p.m. 1600m Relay – W FINAL
7:55 p.m. 1600m Relay – M FINAL
8:10 p.m. AWARDS CEREMONY
All times central