Track & Field 2k21: Mid American Championships

The Mid American Conference outdoor championship meet was May 7-8, in Oxford, Ohio. Here is a quick recap of some of the action!

The 800 meters finals was won by Toledo senior Petronela Simiuc at 2:05.73 which was a conference meet record and personal best. In fact Simiuc set the meet record in the prelim when she ran 2:10.72.

Below: Petronela Simiuc

The win was her first conference outdoor title, as Simiuc won the 2020 indoor 800 meters MAC final. In this year's final, six of the nine runners finished below 2:10.79, which was better than the previous conference meet record. Akron sophomore Kyra Keurentjes was the runner-up with a personal best time of 2:08.46. She won this year's 800 meters at the MAC indoor championship with a time of 2:12.08. Third place belonged to senior Sydney March of Buffalo, who completed the race at 2:09.27. It was her best conference finish of her career. March had a strong season running the 400 meters, which she didn't run at the MAC championship meet. She collected two wins in the 400 meters at the University at Buffalo Invitational and the University at Buffalo Mid-Week Invite.

Below: Sydney March

Miami senior Olivia Bechtel earned wins in the 200 and 400 meters championships. It was her third straight win in the 400 meters at the Mid American Conference championship meet and her first ever 200 meters crown. In the 200 meters Bechtel won in a meet record time of 23.41. She bested Ball State's MaQuila Norman who finished at 23.73. Bechtel and Norman went to war at last year's indoor 200 meters MAC final. Norman won the championship in that race with a time of 23.87, compared to Bechtel's 23.96. This season Bechtel led the pack at the outdoor meet that also included a third place finish by Akron's Amya Clarke's time of 23.90. Clarke was victorious in the 100 meters at 11.68.

Below: MaQuila Norman

In the 400 Bechtel three-peated at 51.65, also a MAC meet record and the 10th best time in the NCAA this season. She was the only sprinter to finish the race under 53 seconds. Kent State's Ruby Greenwood finished at 53.88 and Iyanna Ross of Bowling Green ran a time of 53.91.

Below: Olivia Bechtel

After winning the 2019 indoor in 60-meter hurdles Eastern Michigan's Alysse Wade was the hands down favorite at this year's MAC meet but she fell short and didn't even qualify for the final. Wade redeemed herself by winning this season's 100-meter hurdles championship. Wade set a meet record at 13.87. She narrowly edged out Northern Illinois Remy Amarteifio who clocked in at 13.88. Anasja Troutman of Ball State was right on their heels at 13.89. During the prelim Wade had the fifth best time at 14.18. Armarteifio (13.82) and Troutman (13.93) led all hurdlers going into the final. Indoor 60-meter hurdles champ Jacqueline Pokuaah finished seventh in the outdoor final at 14.36.

Below: Alysse Wade

Ball State's Karlie Zumbro captured her first ever heptathlon championship at the Mid American Conference meet. She scored 5,196 points, finishing just 45 points ahead of Miami runner-up Sarah Bruns. Zumbro only won the 800 meters portion, but was second in the javelin and 200 meters. She also placed third in the long jump, 100-meter hurdles and high jump. Zumbro avenged an indoor season setback, finishing fifth in the pentathlon to Bruns who won her first and only conference multi-event championship. In 2020, Zumbro was the runner-up in the MAC championship pentathlon competition, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the nation and shutdown the outdoor season.

Below: Karlie Zumbro