California, Tennessee track meets for the Raiders

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Middle Tennessee track & field teams are slated to compete in two separate meets this weekend, with the distance runners going to Walnut, California for the Mt. SAC Relays, while the remaining Blue Raiders are slated to compete in Clarksville, Tennessee at the APSU Invitational.

Event: Mt. SAC Relays & APSU Invitational
Date: Friday, April 15 - Saturday, April 16
Site: Walnut, Calif. (Mt. SAC Relays) | Clarksville, Tenn. (APSU Invitational)
APSU Invitational Start Times: 5 p.m. (Friday)| 10 a.m. (Saturday)
Mt. SAC Start Times: 8 p.m. (Thursday) | 12:30 p.m. (Friday) | 11:45 a.m. (Saturday)

Trio Earns C-USA Weekly Awards
Agnes Abu, Sampson Laari and Atsu Nyamadi each earned Conference USA Weekly awards .

Abu was named C-USA Female Track Athlete of the Week after winning the 800 meter with a personal-best time of 2:05.77 at the Tiger Track Classic. Her time ranks as the 14th best in the NCAA, while the Kumasi, Ghana native also helped the Blue Raiders capture first in the 4x400-meter relay.

Laari received C-USA Male Track Athelte of the Week for accomplishing nearly the same feat as Abu.

Laari captured first in the 800 meter with a personal-best time of 1:48.01, earning him the 13th fastest time in the NCAA. Laari also aided the 4x400 meter to a fifth place finish at Auburn, which ranks second best in C-USA.

Nyamadi was the lone Blue Raider to earn Conference USA accolades that did not compete at Auburn. The Ghana native and multi-event specialist competed in the Bulldog Decathlon, finishing third with a Middle Tennessee record 7,800 points.

Nyamadi's point total ranks first in Conference USA and sixth in the NCAA.

Distance Runners go to Mt. SAC Relays
Agnes, Susan Aneno, Gladys David, Hannah Maina, Josphine Kiptebeny, Laari, Geoffry Cheruiyot, Amos Cheruiyot, Hillary Rono, Eliud Rutto and Shadrack Matelong are all slated to compete at the Mt. SAC Relays in California.

Agnes and Aneno are slated to compete in the women's 800 meter Friday, while David and Maina are scheduled to race in the 5,000 meter. Kiptebeny will compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

On Thursday, G. Cheruiyot and Matelong are slated to compete in the 3,000 steeplechase, while Amos Cheruiyot is scheduled to race in the 10K.

Laari, who aims to continue his hot streak on the track for MT, is scheduled to compete in the 5K Friday with Hillary Rono.

Rutto, a 2016 NCAA Indoor All-American, is slated to race in the 800 meter Saturday.

In the Rankings
The Middle Tennessee men's team, aided by the projected point totals of Laari and Nyamadi are ranked No. 22 in the NCAA, while the women's team vaulted 17 spots to 127 with the aid of Abu's performance.

National Rankings (Top 48)
Men's Rankings
800 Meter
13. Sampson Laari (1:48.01)

High Jump
13. Jacob Patten (2.18m)

Long Jump
32. Atsu Nyamadi (7.51m/24-7.75)

Triple Jump
18. Phillip Smith (15.66m/51-4.5)

Javelin
3. John Ampomah (77.59m/254-7)

Decathlon
6. Atsu Nyamadi (7,800 points)

Women's Rankings (Top 48)
800 Meter
14. Agnes Abu (2:05.77)
16. Susan Aneno (2:05.94)

3,000-Meter Steeplechase
40. Josphine Kiptebeny (10:30.39)

Long Jump
19. Elizabeth Dadzie (6.21m/20-4.5)

Heptathlon
15. Elizabeth Dadzie (5,475)

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Agnes Abu

Susan Aneno

Amos Cheruiyot

Elizabeth Dadzie

Josphine Kiptebeny

Sampson Laari

Hannah Maina

Shadrack Matelong

Atsu Nyamadi

Jacob Patten

Hillary Rono

Eliud Rutto

Phillip Smith

Middle Tennesee State University Athletics