Football

Conventional wisdom has no importance when discussing the offensive line at Akron.

In 2005, a bunch of newcomers was expected to get first-year quarterback Luke Getsy killed. They gelled quickly and protected him well, along with allowing running back Brett Biggs to have a tremendous senior season.

Last season's line was full of experience — and full of holes apparently. They couldn't pass block, run block or really do much of anything without getting flagged for a false start or holding penalty. And that's odd because two linemen earned postseason accolades: sophomore tackle Chris Kemme (All-MAC Second Team) and senior guard Andy Alleman (third-round NFL draft pick).

See what I mean about conventional wisdom?

Except for Kemme, who will start at left tackle, this year's line is almost completely new. The other tackle is Keith Huebner, whom GoZips.com says has "tremendous upside." I recall J.D. Brookhart praising the sophomore's progress over the spring, too.

At the guard are senior Mike Schepp and freshman Mike Ward. The latter won the job from Garrett Brewster over the spring. Brookhart also spoke highly of Ward, who began spring as the backup center. Schepp, meanwhile, spent last season as the backup left tackle.

Big Jim Holley will start his first season at center as a senior. The 6-foot-3, 300-pounder was Homecoming King in high school. I don't know much else about him.

I do know, however, that shotgun snaps were a pesky problem during spring. About one in three was errant — not so faulty that it would have led to a turnover, but just bad enough to throw the quarterback out of his rhythm and cost the offense a split second.

Brookhart spent most of the spring emphasizing run blocking. By the end of the 15 practices, I'd say the Zips were pretty proficient at it. The challenge will be to glue these five guys together so they can protect a freshman or sophomore quarterback. My guess is that most early season passing plays will feature two tight ends or two backs to help with pass blocking. That's where depth at running back and tight end really helps the rest of the offense.

Although it would be nice to be optimistic about the inexperienced line, it's way too hard to say with certainty it will be good. Recent history has shown that.

Track

The Akron Beacon Journal previewed the Zips' bid for national championships this week.

Three athletes — Natalie Sako, Auston Papay and Stevi Large – will shoot for All-American status (at least) in Sacramento.

Track

In a regional meet that saw near misses, weird rulings and injuries, one bright point is that high jumper Natalie Sako earned an at-large invitation to nationals.

With Stevi Large (hammer throw) and Auston Papay (shot put and discus), that makes three athletes representing Akron in four events in the NCAA Championships — the team's smallest group of national qualifiers since 2002.

"Even though we had our largest contingency ever and one of the larger groups in the region, unfortunately we came away with our worse showings ever at this meet," head coach Dennis Mitchell said.

There were some odd happenings that prevented Akron from having more national qualifiers. Crystal Goldsmith, for example, sat in a three-way tie for fourth after the pole vault finals. She injured herself, however, and the Zips coaches tried to stall a little to let her recouperate. No one complained — not the official or the other coaches. A meet referee, however, stepped in an disqualified Goldsmith.

"That event was crazy," said Mitchell, who protested the call and tried to have it overturned.

The Zips performed well in the 4×400 relay, but were disqualified for a lane violation. It was a violation that officials announced along with the event's results, so the coaching staff had no chance to protest.

Further, Cadeau Kelley had a great leap in the long jump, but it was called a fault, despite video evidence to the contrary.

"That was a tough one to swallow," Mitchell said. "It was one of those types of meets."

Mitchell said he still is confident Akron will have a strong performance at nationals, despite the smaller contingency.

"The three we have going to nationals should do a great job," he said. "They are all veterans of the meet."

Golf

Tom Gaffney wrote a season synopsis of the Zips' rise to prominence.

If you haven't kept up on the team, you should read it.

Track

Taking 23 athletes to regionals is impressive.

Having two advance to nationals is not.

Stevi Large (hammer throw) will compete for a national championship in two weeks. Shetook third. Crystal Goldsmith took fourth in the pole vault, but missed an automatic bid in the jump-off.

Large joins Auston Papay, Akron's lone male representative for the meet in Sacramento. Ryan Jones finished just one spot away from qualifying for the high jump. Jones and Natalie Sako, who both took sixth, have an outside chance at earning an at-large bid. Sako, with her high national ranking in the high jump, probably has the better shot.

If you're into team rankings, the men came in 23rd with nine points. The women were 21st with three.

The NCAA Championships begin June 6. Last year, Akron sent six athletes to nationals, and it very easily could have been more.

This is a pretty young team, so it's not really a complete letdown. Just as we're seeing in the NBA playoffs, experience is invaluable when the competition matters most. But in that vein, Papay has been to nationals before. He did not qualify for finals, however.

Track

With a third place finish in the discus, junior Auston Papay will make his second trip to nationals in two weeks.

Natalie Sako finished sixth in the high jump, just one spot away from qualifying. She still might, however, earn an at-large berth.

Baseball

Kurt Davidson and Doug McNulty will return for their senior seasons as All-MAC First Team players.

With these two guys in the middle of the order, Akron's offense should be a powerhouse. Like I wrote earlier, the Zips will need some young pitchers to step up in order for the team to be a conference contender.

Track

The Midwest Regional begins today Friday.

Twenty-three Zips will attempt to finish in the top five in order to advance to the NCAA Championships.

You can follow the action online at this link.

By the way, six Zips earned a spot on the All-MAC academic team.

Softball

Jaclyn Spirtos, the senior catcher, is also an all-conference academic performer.

Football

Jermaine Reid signed on to play with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League.

With the league's stipulation that favors Canadians, it's no wonder Reid, Jason Nedd and Jabari Arthur have long futures playing up north.

Track

Eleven Zips earned all-conference honors this season, the most of any team in the MAC.

Track

It's hard to be disappointed when a team makes history, but the men's track team came close.

The Zips held a strangle hold on the MAC Championship heading into the final event, the 4 x 400 relay.

All Akron needed was a second-place finish in the event to clinch the title. They took third, allowing Eastern Michigan sneak to the top of the podium by one point.

"The 4 x 400 was as exciting as a sporting event could go," coach Dennis Mitchell said. "We were very confident with our team. Going down the last home stretch it looked like we would at least get Kent and win the meet. However, Kent's anchor leg came alive just to edge our top 400 runner James Howell at the line."

It really wasn't a choke job by the Zips either. The top three relay teams, including Akron's, qualified for NCAA Regionals with their times in the finals. Akron even set a new school record.

"Unfortunately, it was not enough," Mitchell said. "This is an extremely hard one to swallow."

In the end, Kent State played spoiler by taking second in the 4 x 400. The top three total scores were EMU (182 points), Akron (181) and Kent State (178).

Mitchell, of course, wasn't completely dismayed. His women easily took first, their fifth MAC Championship in six track seasons (indoor and outdoor). And if you combine men's and women's scores, the Zips blew out the second-place school Kent State, 335 to 218.

"I would have wanted, for anything, to put both teams on the awards podium," Mitchell said. "It is a wild thing being a coach of both men and women at the same time. (EMU has separate men's and women's staffs). Unless you win both, you always feel like you have lost in some way."

Fellow coaches did not think Mitchell lost at all. They named him Women's Coach of the Year. His star thrower Stevi Large was Women's Field Athlete of the Year.

"It is a big roller coaster ride — three days, all day of super intensity," the coach said. "It is amazing, with the heat, people were not collapsing right and left. Instead there were great performances after great performances."

The season is not complete. Twenty-three athletes will head to NCAA Regionals at Colombia, Mo., for a combined 48 events. They are…

1. Auston Papay - discus and shot put
2. Ray Weisenbarger - discus and shot put
3. Randall Hafner - discus, shot put and hammer
4. Ryan Jones - high jump
5. Cadeau Kelley - long Jump and triple jump
6. Howard Harris - 200, 4 x 100 and 4 x 400
7. Anthony Thomas - 200 and 4 x 100
8. James Manley - 4 x 100
9. James Howell - 400, 4 x 100 and 4 x 400
10. Mike Meditz - 400 hurdles/4 x 400
11. Marcus Jones - 4 x 400
12. Stevi Large - hammer/discus/shot put
13. Jessica Miller - pole vault
14. Crystal Goldsmith - pole vault
15. Carrie Kayes - pole vault
16. Jennifer Peck - pole vault
17. Natalie Sako - high jump
18. Lisa Ravn - high jump
19. Corine Gavin-Hall - 100 and 200
20. Larisa Arcip - 800/1500
21. Rachel Zubricky - 1500
22. Jessica Bright - 100 hurdles
23. Amy Lavalley - hammer

The team will have two weeks to prepare for Regionals. The meet starts May 25. The Zips who qualify for Nationals would have another two weeks off before heading to Sacramento on June 6.

Track

If not for one measley point, Akron's men would have joined the women as MAC Champions.

Still, it was the highest finish ever for the men, and the fifth championship in the last six track seasons for the women.

Akron's Dennis Mitchell earned the Women's Coach of the Year Award. Stevi Large was the Women's Outdoor Athlete of the Year.

The women extended a two-point lead they held after day two to a 19-point trouncing of second-place Western Michigan. The men nearly completed a comeback after being in third place early in the weekend. Eastern Michigan (182 points) edged the Zips by one point in a three-team race that Kent State (178) was in, as well.

The men's title came down to the final event of the weekend — the 4×400 relay, which the Eagles won by nine-tenths of a second over Akron's foursome.

Natalie Sako helped the Zips mount their lead by winning the high jump conference championship.

I plan to have more on this tomorrow.

Track

After day two of the MAC Championships, Akron's men moved to second place while the women retained their hold on first.

Among the highlights were Cadeau Kelley taking first in the long jump and Auston Papay setting a school record in the shot put.

The men trail Kent State by 17 points. The women lead Buffalo by 15.

Football

The Sporting News mentioned J.D. Brookhart in its list of the top five coaches who are 45 and younger.

The magazine also said Brookhart is the 17th-best non-BCS coach.

Men's soccer

The MAC added Hartwick College to the conference for only this sport to take the place of the departing IPFW.

This will put the number of teams at six and retain the MAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Track

Stevi Large led the Zips women with a new MAC record in the hammer throw. They lead after the first day of the conference championships while the men sit in third.

The women also racked up major points in the pole vault, taking first, second and fourth in the specialty event of head coach Dennis Mitchell.

Kent State (47) and Central Michigan (35) pace the seven-team men's field. Akron trails with 23 points. On the women's side, the standings go Akron (35), Ohio (17) and Toledo (13).