RedHawks Win Three Titles on Final Day at MACs

5/12/2018 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country

May 12, 2018

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Miami's men's team finished fifth at the Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships for the second consecutive year, while the women's squad ended their weekend in Buffalo in a three-way tie for seventh. The men tallied 111 points to the women's 58.

"I was very proud of the way these athletes showed up to compete this weekend," said Director of Track & Field Cross Country Tom Chorny. "This program has really changed in the three years that I've been here. We came in with the idea that we can become very competitive in this conference, and while the scores don't show it yet, we are definitely on our way."

The RedHawks' biggest event of the day came from the distance crew in the men's 800m, where three runners counted 22 points for the Red & White. Sean Torpy crossed first to win the title with a time of 1:51.82, and he was followed immediately by brother Christopher Torpy and his 1:52.14. Jonathan Fee, the third Miami runner who qualified for the finals after Friday's preliminaries, earned the final four points with a fifth-place 1:54.80. The Torpy twins (Sean in 3:51.55; Christopher in 3:52.01) went 1-2 in reverse order while a sixth-place finish by Mitchell Towne (3:57.63) gave the men 21 more points in the 1500m. The Torpy brothers earned First-Team All-MAC honors for their finishes - Christopher in the 1500m and Sean in the 800m.

Those winning smiles! @notseantorpy & @notchristorpy run again in the 800m at 2!#RiseUpRedHawks | #MACtion pic.twitter.com/RKXlQHKFVj
- Miami Track & Field and XC (@MiamiOH_XCTF) May 12, 2018

Also scoring in distance were seniors Jake Brumfield and Ryan Pitner along with sophomore Bradley Davis. Brumfield crossed in 14:38.30 for second place and eight points, Davis added four with his fifth-place time of 14:45.30 and Pitner gained two points with his seventh-place time of 14:50.41.

The distance team's huge weekend - during which they accounted for 74 of the men's 111 points - resulted in conference recognition among the coaching staff. De'Sean Turner, in his first year as a distance assistant coach, was named the MAC Men's Assistant Coach of the Year.

"This award is one that should be attributed to the hard work of our entire staff," Turner said. "Throughout my first year, they've helped me figure things out at the college level."

"With the 74 points that our men's distance team scored, Coach Turner was very deserving of his Assistant Coach of the Year award," Chorny said.

De'Sean Turner has been named the MAC Assistant Coach of the Year after a huge weekend by the distance squad!

"This award is one that should be attributed to the hard work of our entire staff. Throughout my first year, they've helped me figure things out at the college level." pic.twitter.com/eyVGa2en3J
- Miami Track & Field and XC (@MiamiOH_XCTF) May 12, 2018

On the women's distance side, Maria Scavuzzo, two nights removed from breaking the MAC record in the 10,000m and winning the title, ran a 16:16.26 to place fifth and gain Miami four points. At the end of the meet, she was named the Most Outstanding Women's Track Performer to go along with her First-Team All-MAC selection.

Congratulations to Maria Scavuzzo, who has been named the MAC Most Outstanding Women's Track Performer!#RiseUpRedHawks pic.twitter.com/HizOLkJyKb
- Miami Track & Field and XC (@MiamiOH_XCTF) May 12, 2018

On the short end of the track, Miami had solid performances from its young sprints squad. The RedHawks tallied seven points - five from the men and two from the women - in the 4x100m. The men's group, which finished fourth in 41.41 seconds, was comprised of Jeremiah Hunter, Udak Etuk, Aaron Muresan, and Jake Owens. Hunter and Muresan would go on to score in other events, too; Hunter in the 100m (one point) and Muresan in the 400m hurdles (eight points). Muresan was honored as a Second-Team All-MAC selection. In the 4x400m, Muresan and Owens teamed with Josh Prell and Ivan Dye to finish third with a 3:14.00 and earn three points for Miami.

The women's 4x100m squad, which placed seventh, included Arissa Freemn, Olivia Bechtel, Kalliopi Kountouri, and Gabby Maslowski. They combined to run a 46.66. Shortly after, Bechtel, along with fellow sprinter Emily Hooker, grabbed 10 points in the women's 400m. Bechtel's 54.05 was good for six, while Hooker and her 55.50 counted for four. In the men's 400m, Ivan Dye recorded three points for Miami with a 48.83 that gained him sixth place.

The real relay action came when a combination of the above consisting of Kountouri, Maslowski, Hooker, and Bechtel teamed up to bring home a MAC title in the 4x400m. They ran a 3:41.16 to earn First-Team All-MAC for the performance.

The RedHawks will have a week off before the NCAA East Region Preliminary in Tampa, Fla.