Miami University
MAC Championships
Combs, Hargrove Win MAC Titles at MAC Championships
5/12/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
May 12, 2012
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Sophomore Jahquil Hargrove and freshman JaShawn Combs each won individual Mid-American Conference titles Saturday at the Outdoor MAC Track & Field Championships, held at Central Michigan's Lyle Bennett Track, while the Miami University men's track & field team finished sixth.
The RedHawks totaled 111 points, 50 back of Akron, who won the MAC Championship with 161 points. Kent State was second with 150 points while the host Chippewas took third with 137 points. Eastern Michigan placed fourth (130) while Buffalo was fifth (119). Miami's 111 points were its most at the MAC Championships since placing fourth in 2008 with 129.5 points.
Hargrove (Norristown, Pa.), who was named the men's Outstanding Track Performer at the meet, won his MAC title in the 400m dash in a school-record time of 46.62, breaking Sam Miranda's mark of 46.67 set in 1988. Sophomore Robert Balzano (Poland, Ohio) was seventh in the 400m final in 48.77 as the two totaled 12 points. Hargrove earned another six points for Miami by crossing third in the 200m dash in 21.47.
Combs (Dayton, Ohio) captured his crown in the 110m hurdles at his first MAC Championship in a personal-best 14.40, which ranks him ninth in school history. Senior Jordan Goffena (Sidney, Ohio) claimed third in 14.46 while freshman Sam Chester (Medina, Ohio) was right behind in fourth in a personal-best 14.52. The trio combined for 21 points for the `Hawks in the race.
In the 800m run, sophomore Kevin Brown (Lewis Center, Ohio) was the runner-up in 1:52.02 to nab eight points for Miami. Junior Jarrod Eick (Hartville, Ohio) crossed in third in the 1500m run in 3:51.07 to pick up six points. Senior Brian Gallagher (Westlake, Ohio) was 12th in the 1500m final in a personal-best 3:57.87 in his last race as a RedHawk.
Freshman Skyler Coburn (La Porte, Ind.) garnered another four points with a fifth-place finish in the 400m hurdles in a personal-best 53.05.
Senior Nathan Hoch (Logan, Ohio) grabbed fifth in the discus with a personal-best heave of 52.94m/173-8, which moves him into seventh in school history, while he earned four points for Miami. Junior John Cantwell (Holland, Pa.) added two points with a seventh-place showing in the triple jump with a personal-best leap of 14.31m/46-11.5.
Coburn, sophomore Wade Coffin (Willoughby, Ohio), Balzano and Hargrove combined to finish third in the 4x400m relay in 3:15.74 while the RedHawks were sixth in the 4x100m relay in 42.71 to get nine points from the relays.
By winning a MAC title, Combs and Hargrove each earned First-Team All-MAC honors after Hargrove landed on the Second Team last year. Brown and Goffena were both tabbed to the All-MAC Second Team after Brown's runner-up showing in the 800m while Goffena took second in the decathlon on Friday. Combs and Hargrove marked Miami's first individual MAC champions since 2008.
The MAC Championships is Miami's final meet as a team this year, however several individual RedHawks are in contention to earn a spot in the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds May 24-26 in Jacksonville, Fla. To qualify, an athlete must be in the top 48 in their respective event in the East Region. The field for the East Prelims will be announced Thursday, May 17.
--MURedHawks.com--
