Central Michigan University Athletics
Mach Wins Third Straight 800m MAC Title
5/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | MTF
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- Abraham Mach won the Mid-American Conference outdoor 800m title for the third straight season while helping Central Michigan to a fifth place team finish at the MAC Championships on Saturday.
Akron (183) won the team championship followed by Eastern Michigan (182), Kent State (153), Miami (129.5), CMU (85.5) and Buffalo (79). Bowling Green hosted the event at Whittaker Track.
Mach flew to a preliminary time of 1:50.57 on Friday but windy conditions during Saturday's final slowed him down to the title-winning time of 1:54.21. With his victory, Mach qualified for the NCAA Regional Championships, May 30-31 at Arkansas.
"Abe certainly is a thoroughbred," coach Jim Knapp said. "He's been hurt this year and he made a run at a qualifying time yesterday but today's goal was to win the race. He's looking good right now. He really ran away the last 300m yesterday."
Mach will be back for one more season to make a run at a career sweep and so will most of the athletes who scored in the championships. CMU only loses two seniors who posted points on the weekend, Matt Loiselle and Joe Hasler.
"We got everything we could out of these guys this weekend," Knapp said. "I'm very proud. We are so young, yet we had 12 PRs in the meet even with the wind blowing like it was. This bodes well for the future of our program. Next year starts right now. We will certainly be a different team next year."
CMU picked up two second place finishes in the finals on Saturday. Jacob Korir added a second in the 5000m (14:57.51) on the final day after his runner-up showing in the 10,000 on Thursday.
Oz Lifshitz also was second in the triple jump with a distance of 50-01.75.
"People forget that Jacob is just a freshman and Oz looked great as well for another freshman," Knapp said.
In addition to Mach's 10 points in the 800m, CMU also picked up another nine points in the event with a pair of freshmen placers. Matt Erdmans was fourth (1:56.29) and Nicholas Agosi fifth (1:56.86) as both clocked PRs.
Central's two seniors both placed in two events. Loiselle added a fourth in the 5000m on Saturday after placing third in the steeplechase (9:14.74) on Thursday. Hasler was fifth in the javelin (186-4) with a 32-foot PR and sixth in the pole vault (15-7).
"Joe not only competed this weekend, he excelled," Knapp said. "For him to recover from two injuries that would be career-ending for most and then tie a personal best in the pole vault and throw a big PR in the javelin is a brilliant way to end a career."
Akron's Dennis Mitchell was named the MAC Coach of the Year while Eastern Michigan's Eric Alejandro was the Most Valuable Performer. EMU's Clint Allen took the Most Outstanding Track Performance while Akron's Cadeau Kelley had the Most Outstanding Field Performance.
A complete list of CMU's scorers follows:
1st Abraham Mach, 800m (1:54.21)
2nd Jacob Korir, 5000m (14:57.51)
2nd Jacob Korir, 10,000m (30:09.89)
2nd Oz Lifshitz, Triple jump (50-1.75)
3rd Matt Loiselle, Steeplechase (9:14.74)
4th Matt Erdmans, 800m (1:56.29)
4th Matt Loiselle, 5000m (15:05.35)
4th Mike McGregor, Pole vault (16-0.75)
5th Nicholas Agosti, 800m (1:56.86)
5th Joe Hasler, Javelin (186-4)
6th Sammy Kiprotich, 10,000m (31:03.16)
6th 4x400m relay McGregor, Pankow, Erdmans, Agosti (3:31.24)
6th 4x100m relay Adomako, McGregor, Post, Maxwell (42.41)
6th Joe Hasler, Pole Vault (15-7)
t-6th Joe Mielke, High jump (6-6.75)
7th Branden Post, 400m hurdles (55.46)
7th Oz Liftshitz, Long jump (22-2.25)
7th Joe Mielke, Triple jump (45-1.75)
8th Marcell Maxwell, 100m (10.72)
8th Chris Pankow, 1500m (4:08.14)
