Eastern Michigan Athletics
14 Eagles Named Indoor Academic All-MAC
3/21/2017 10:41:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
The Green and White continue finding success both athletically and academically
MAC Release
CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University women's track and field team had a total of 14 student-athletes earn Academic All-Mid-American Conference honors, the league office announced Monday, March 20.
The Academic All-MAC honor is for a student-athlete who has excelled in athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport.
Earning the honor for Eastern was: senior Anna Aldrich (Fremont, Ind. - Fremont), junior Danielle Bentzley (Birmingham, Mich. - Seaholm), senior Alsu Bogdanova (Kazan, Russia - Lyceum #83), junior Rebekah Branham (Circleville, Ohio - Circleville), sophomore Rebekah Carr (Celina, Ohio - Celina), junior Natalie Cizmas (Clinton Twp., Mich. - Chippewa Valley), junior Dace Dreimane (Ventspils, Latvia - Ventspils Gymnasium No. 1), sophomore Jessica Harris (Slidell, La. - Slidell), junior Jordann McDermitt (Davison, Mich. - Davison), junior Claire Mesa (Rockford, Ill. - Rockford Lutheran), sophomore Sydney Meyers (Zionsville, Ind. - Zionsville Community), senior Megan Pendleton (Lindsey, Ohio - Woodmoore), junior Lauren Pottschmidt (Granger, Ind. - Penn), and senior Natalie Uy (Kettering, Ohio - Fairmont).
Aldrich ran in the mile, along with multiple distance events, throughout the year. Her top finish came at the GVSU Tune Up, Feb. 17, where she posted a mile time of 5:01.10, which was a personal-best, to take second-place. Bentzley, another distance runner, had a strong season as well, as she posted a career-best 3000m time of 10:08.42 at the Simmons-Harvey Invite, Jan. 14.
Bogdanova, in her second year donning the Green and White, was named First Team All-MAC and the MAC Championship MVP, along with also being named MAC Track Athlete of the Week. She won both the mile and the 5000m titles at the MAC Championships, Feb. 24-25, posting times of 4:49.23 and 16:49.39, respectively, while also nabbing a career-best time of 9:15.03 in the 3000m at the Iowa State Classic, Feb. 10-11. Branham ran in mid-distance events, ultimately taking home third-place at the MAC Championships with a time of 2:11.59, which was an indoor personal-best. She also ran in the mile for the first time at the GVSU Holiday Open, Dec. 2, crossing the finish line in 5:29.52.
Carr regularly represented EMU in the pole vault, competing in six meets. Her season-best pole vault mark came at the GVSU Tune Up, where she placed second with a vault of 3.45 meters/ 11 feet 3.75-inches. Cizmas, who was named First Team All-MAC, had an excellent conference championship performance, as she finished second in the mile while also winning the 800m with a time of 2:10.16. In total, Cizmas nabbed personal-best times in the 800m, mile, 3000m, and 5000m during the indoor season.
Dreimane paced the Green and White in multiple jumps events throughout the indoor portion of the year. She finished third in the long jump at the MAC Championships with a mark of 5.91 meters/ 19 feet 4.75-inches, while also taking fourth in the triple jump. Harris finished third in the prelims of the 60m dash at the conference championships with a time of 7.59 seconds. The sophomore maintained a season-best mark of 7.58 seconds in the 60m dash, which was set at the GVSU Big Meet, Feb. 10.
McDermitt had an incredible year for Eastern, as she was named First Team All-American after taking sixth at the NCAA Championships, March 10, posting a time of 15:43.95 in the 5000m to become just the eighth Eagle to earn first team accolades. The Davison, Mich. native, who set the program record in the 5000m with a time of 15:50.16, was also named MAC Track Athlete of the Week twice, while also reeling in Second Team All-MAC honors. Mesa, who earned First Team All-MAC honors, ran a leg of the distance medley relay squad that finished atop the podium at the conference championships with a time of 11:39.65. She also set career-best marks in the 200m, 400m, and 800m throughout the season.
Meyers, who was named First Team All-MAC and MAC Outstanding Track Performer, had a stellar sophomore season donning the Green and White. She won the 3000m at the conference championships with a career-best time of 9:33.67, while also helping Eastern to a DMR victory. Additionally, Meyers set career-best times in the mile, 3000m, and 5000m throughout the season. Pendleton represented EMU in the weight throw during the indoor season. Specifically, she notched a career-best mark of 14.76 meters/ 48 feet 5.25-inches at the GVSU Big Meet.
Pottschmidt regularly ran distance events for the Eagles this past season. She notched personal-best marks of 5:12.69 in the mile, set at the GVSU Open, Jan. 20, and 10:07.27 in the 3000m, set at the EMU Triangular, Jan. 28. Finally, Uy was one of the team's primary pole vaulters. Her season-best mark of 3.97 meters/ 13 feet 0.25-inches came at the MAC Championships, which was good for sixth.
The Eagles begin the outdoor season in two weeks, as Eastern will compete at the WMU Dual, March 31, and the Stanford Invitational, March 31-April 1.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University women's track and field team had a total of 14 student-athletes earn Academic All-Mid-American Conference honors, the league office announced Monday, March 20.
The Academic All-MAC honor is for a student-athlete who has excelled in athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport.
Earning the honor for Eastern was: senior Anna Aldrich (Fremont, Ind. - Fremont), junior Danielle Bentzley (Birmingham, Mich. - Seaholm), senior Alsu Bogdanova (Kazan, Russia - Lyceum #83), junior Rebekah Branham (Circleville, Ohio - Circleville), sophomore Rebekah Carr (Celina, Ohio - Celina), junior Natalie Cizmas (Clinton Twp., Mich. - Chippewa Valley), junior Dace Dreimane (Ventspils, Latvia - Ventspils Gymnasium No. 1), sophomore Jessica Harris (Slidell, La. - Slidell), junior Jordann McDermitt (Davison, Mich. - Davison), junior Claire Mesa (Rockford, Ill. - Rockford Lutheran), sophomore Sydney Meyers (Zionsville, Ind. - Zionsville Community), senior Megan Pendleton (Lindsey, Ohio - Woodmoore), junior Lauren Pottschmidt (Granger, Ind. - Penn), and senior Natalie Uy (Kettering, Ohio - Fairmont).
Aldrich ran in the mile, along with multiple distance events, throughout the year. Her top finish came at the GVSU Tune Up, Feb. 17, where she posted a mile time of 5:01.10, which was a personal-best, to take second-place. Bentzley, another distance runner, had a strong season as well, as she posted a career-best 3000m time of 10:08.42 at the Simmons-Harvey Invite, Jan. 14.
Bogdanova, in her second year donning the Green and White, was named First Team All-MAC and the MAC Championship MVP, along with also being named MAC Track Athlete of the Week. She won both the mile and the 5000m titles at the MAC Championships, Feb. 24-25, posting times of 4:49.23 and 16:49.39, respectively, while also nabbing a career-best time of 9:15.03 in the 3000m at the Iowa State Classic, Feb. 10-11. Branham ran in mid-distance events, ultimately taking home third-place at the MAC Championships with a time of 2:11.59, which was an indoor personal-best. She also ran in the mile for the first time at the GVSU Holiday Open, Dec. 2, crossing the finish line in 5:29.52.
Carr regularly represented EMU in the pole vault, competing in six meets. Her season-best pole vault mark came at the GVSU Tune Up, where she placed second with a vault of 3.45 meters/ 11 feet 3.75-inches. Cizmas, who was named First Team All-MAC, had an excellent conference championship performance, as she finished second in the mile while also winning the 800m with a time of 2:10.16. In total, Cizmas nabbed personal-best times in the 800m, mile, 3000m, and 5000m during the indoor season.
Dreimane paced the Green and White in multiple jumps events throughout the indoor portion of the year. She finished third in the long jump at the MAC Championships with a mark of 5.91 meters/ 19 feet 4.75-inches, while also taking fourth in the triple jump. Harris finished third in the prelims of the 60m dash at the conference championships with a time of 7.59 seconds. The sophomore maintained a season-best mark of 7.58 seconds in the 60m dash, which was set at the GVSU Big Meet, Feb. 10.
McDermitt had an incredible year for Eastern, as she was named First Team All-American after taking sixth at the NCAA Championships, March 10, posting a time of 15:43.95 in the 5000m to become just the eighth Eagle to earn first team accolades. The Davison, Mich. native, who set the program record in the 5000m with a time of 15:50.16, was also named MAC Track Athlete of the Week twice, while also reeling in Second Team All-MAC honors. Mesa, who earned First Team All-MAC honors, ran a leg of the distance medley relay squad that finished atop the podium at the conference championships with a time of 11:39.65. She also set career-best marks in the 200m, 400m, and 800m throughout the season.
Meyers, who was named First Team All-MAC and MAC Outstanding Track Performer, had a stellar sophomore season donning the Green and White. She won the 3000m at the conference championships with a career-best time of 9:33.67, while also helping Eastern to a DMR victory. Additionally, Meyers set career-best times in the mile, 3000m, and 5000m throughout the season. Pendleton represented EMU in the weight throw during the indoor season. Specifically, she notched a career-best mark of 14.76 meters/ 48 feet 5.25-inches at the GVSU Big Meet.
Pottschmidt regularly ran distance events for the Eagles this past season. She notched personal-best marks of 5:12.69 in the mile, set at the GVSU Open, Jan. 20, and 10:07.27 in the 3000m, set at the EMU Triangular, Jan. 28. Finally, Uy was one of the team's primary pole vaulters. Her season-best mark of 3.97 meters/ 13 feet 0.25-inches came at the MAC Championships, which was good for sixth.
The Eagles begin the outdoor season in two weeks, as Eastern will compete at the WMU Dual, March 31, and the Stanford Invitational, March 31-April 1.
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Multis/Pole Vault
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Multis/Pole Vault
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