The University of Akron track and field team sent four to the recent NCAA Outdoor Championships on Jun 11-14, earning two All-Americans.
For the men, Cadeau Kelly received All-American honors in the long jump. For the women, Stevie Large became an All-American for the second time, taking honors in the hammer.
Kelly finished his UA career placing seventh in the nation in the long jump with a distance of 25-5.35. Head coach Dennis Mitchell said Kelly had to work hard to get to where he ended up, both in the weekend’s competition and in his college career.
“I was very pleased with Cadeau. He barely made the finals. He tied for 12th,” said Mitchell. “It was a dream come true for him. He was a long way from where he was in high school.”
This past season, Kelly was named to the USTFCCA Great Lakes Region team. He was also named MAC Outdoor Male Performer of the Year and won the MAC long jump and triple jump titles in both indoor and outdoor competition, setting University of Akron outdoor records (he also owns the school’s indoor long jump and triple jump records).
With his college career over, Kelly is now trying to make the Olympic standard. He hopes to compete for his home country of Liberia.
Large placed eighth in the hammer to take her second All-American award. She qualified with a throw of 206-3, the third best of her career.
Earlier this year, Large also won All-American honors in indoor competition. She won her fourth MAC Most Outstanding Female Field Performer (twice each for indoor and outdoor competition). She was the 2008 Mideast Region Champion in the hammer and was MAC champion in the hammer and discus, setting University of Akron records in both. Large was also named the USTFCCA Great Lakes Region Indoor Female Performer of the Year.
Like Kelly, Large also hopes to compete in the Olympics.
“We are waiting to see if she makes the Olympic trials,” said Mitchell. “She’s right on the edge. If they went strictly by the numbers, she wouldn’t make it, but there are always people being scratched, so we’ll see.
Also competing for the Zips, Auston Papay, making his third appearance in national competition, placed 15th in the discus, an improvement on his placement of 26th in 2007.
Ryan Jones also competed for the University o Akron in the high jump, but did not advance past the qualifying round.
