BEARCATS ON THE RISE AARON BIENENFELD 2019 AAC XC & 2020 AAC Indoor 5,000m Champion 2019 Euro XC U23 Competitor For Germany CAISJA CHANDLER DAMIEN BERTHENET 2020 USTFCCCA Indoor All-American (200m) CHRIS BORZOR 2020 USTFCCCA Indoor All-American (HEP) 2020 AAC Runner-Up (60m & 200m) 2020 USTFCCCA Indoor All-American (200m) 2020 AAC Indoor Heptathlon Champion 2020 AAC Indoor 200m Champion Cincinnati Track & Field/Cross Country COMPETITIVE SUCCESS SINCE 2006 UC Track and Field/Cross Country has…. • EARNED 46 USTFCCCA ALL-AMERICA CERTIFICATES • WON 89 INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCE TITLES • WON 7 RELAY TITLES • WON 21 MOST OUSTANDING PERFORMER AWARDS • WON 3 CONFERENCE TEAM TITLES • TEAM PLACED IN THE AAC’S TOP 2 TEN (10) TIMES Arthur Greenlee IV capture the 60m Hurdles title at the 2020 AAC Indoor Championships as the men captured four individual crowns over two days in Birmingham, Ala. 2020 American Athletic Conference Indoor Runners-up Bearcats Women: 12th IN THE NATION At the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships in College Station, Texas, Echikunwoke placed second in the weight throw to score 8 team points one day beFore Blaut was the runner-up in the high jump aFter she tied For the title and settled For second aFter a seven-round jump-oFF to break the national title tie. With 16 points, the women placed 12th nationally, marking the First time UC has placed in the Top 15 nationally and just the second Top 25 placement (21st in 2017) in program history. The 10 points scored at the 2017 meet had stood as the most in program history as well. Looking Back at 2020, Another GOLDEN YEAR Aaron Bienefeld won titles in cross country and the indoor 5,000m run for the Bearcats. Chris Borzor ran 20.84 to win the 200m dash, earn an NCAA berth and take home the AAC Most Valuable Performer Award at the 2020 indoor meet. CONFERENCE GOLD Including cross country and indoor track & field (outdoor was cancelled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic), the Bearcats captured five conference titles, all on the men’s side: MEN (5) • Berthenet, Damien • Heptathlon (indoor) • Bienenfeld, Aaron • Cross Country & 5,000m Run (indoor) • Borzor, Chris • 200m Dash (indoor) • Greenlee IV, Arthur • 60m Hurdles (indoor) The 2020 NCAA Indoor Championships also were canceled because of the pandemic. Three Bearcats qualified to compete in the meet, including Berthenet (heptathlon) and Borzor (200m) for the men and Caisja Chandler (200m) for the women. Each were named USTFCCCA Indoor All-Americans (5/26/20). Arthur Greenlee IV captured the 60m hurdles crown at the 2020 indoor championships. Nationally Known ALL-AMERICANS Annette Echikunwoke earned All-America honors in the shot put in her final collegiate meet, placing ninth in Austin in 2019. RECENT USTFCCCA ALL-AMERICANS - WOMEN 2020 Indoor (1): • Chandler, Caisja • 200m (no teams*) 2019 Outdoor (1): • Echikunwoke, Annette • Hammer – 9th (2nd) RECENT USTFCCCA ALL-AMERICANS - MEN 2020 Indoor (2): • Berthenet, Damien • Heptathlon (no teams*) • Borzor, Chris • 200m (no teams*) 2019 Outdoor: None * NOTE: the 2020 NCAA Indoor and NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships were canceled because of the COVID- 19 global pandemic. It was determined (May 26, 2020) FIRST TEAM that all qualifiers to the indoor meet would be named All- In her final collegiate season, Loretta Blaut finished third at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships Americans (no 1st/2nd teams) to become the most decorated woman in team history with her sixth USTFCCCA All-America honor. A Historical Look at ALL-AMERICAN HISTORY - MEN • 16 individuals with 29 honors • Since 2012: 7 men with 13 honors ALL-AMERICANS • Al Lanier and Adrian Valles are the most decorated men with each having earned six career All- America honors… both men also have Finished as a national runner-up, the highest Finish For a man in program history ALL-AMERICAN HISTORY - WOMEN • 15 individuals with 30 honors • Since 2012: 13 women with 27 honors • Echikunwoke won the program’s First national title in 2017 (indoor weight) • Loretta Blaut’s six career USTFCCCA All-America honors makes her the most decorated woman in UC history ALL-AMERICAN HISTORY - TOTAL • 31 different Bearcats have combined to earn 59 All-America awards in program history AMONG THE BEST Loretta Blaut not only earned All-America With his fifth-place showing at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships, Adrian Valles earned his sixth honors but did so with high Finishes as she career USTFCCCA All-America honor in the pole vault, tying him with Al Lanier (1972-73) for the placed second (indoor), second (outdoor) and most All-America honors in UC track & field history. third (indoor) in her Final three NCAA meets. The Program’s First NCAA CHAMPION Heading into the Final toss of the weight throw at the 2017 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in College Station, Texas, on March 11, 2017, the announcement rang out: “Now entering the ring, your 2017 national champion, Annette Echikunwoke of Cincinnati!” With her previous five throws, along with all the massive marks she had recorded throughout the season, the Final throw of the day for Echikunwoke was just a formality as Echikunwoke had already secured her gold medal and the first national title in program history. In the early 1970’s, Al Lanier had come the closest as he was the national runner-up in the long jump Four times in his career. But now, UC had its first champion in track and field and just the fifth individual title in UC history. Echikunwoke’s first-round toss of 21.87m (71’ 9”) was all she needed on the day, but she improved that to 21.81m (71’ 6.75”) beFore closing out the meet with her best mark of the day: a toss of 22.42m (73’ 6.75”), her seventh 22m A FIRST throw of the year (the rest of the nation combined for five). Echikunwoke won the program’s first national title at the 2017 “It is amazing for me to get the victory,” Echikunwoke said. “But it also means a lot to me to put UC on the map more and more. I just wanted to compete and NCAA Indoor Championships do the best I could do and the best I could do was win. It is a great Feeling!” A Dynamic Conference Covering 10 States: AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE The American began competition in the 2013-14 academic year and consists of 11 institutions covering 9 different states (12 and 10 when including football affiliate Navy). The teams that make up the American Athletic Conference for the 2020-21 are: Cincinnati Bearcats East Carolina Pirates Houston Cougars Memphis Tigers SMU Mustangs Temple Owls Tulane Green Wave Tulsa Golden Hurricane UCF Golden Knights USF Bulls Wichita State Shockers UConn departed the AAC following the 2019-20 season to rejoin the Big East U.S. National Events Following the 2016 outdoor season, five with ties OLYMPIC TRIALS to the Bearcats program competed at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field in Eugene, Ore. In Eugene, kenya Woodall competed in the 200m and 400m events with Loretta Blaut and Erika Hurd in the high jump and Macklin Tudor in the men’s discus. Former Bearcat and Olympic Silver Medalist David Payne David Payne was also in the meet, racing in the 110m hurdles. Cincinnati’s 110m Hurdles Record Holder & Olympic Silver Medalist for Team USA kenya Woodall Caisja Chandler helped the Team USA 4x100m Relay Erika Hurd Loretta Blaut (third leg) to gold at the 2019 Pan-American U-20 Games International Success BEARCATS OLYMPIANS MARY WINEBERG A pair of Bearcats greats not only represented the United States at the Olympic Games, but also captured medals as Mary (Danner) Wineberg was part of the gold-medal winning 4x400m relay team and David Payne earned the silver medal in the 110m hurdles. Both former Bearcats represented the Americans at the 2008 Beijing Games. DAVID PAYNE What They Are Saying about UC WHY CINCINNATI? “I chose UC for the culture. It is a different feel than I could have ever imagined. We are together as one here at Cincinnati and I feel that makes us exceptional compared to other teams. I always felt at home and that helped me excel to a very high level in both academics and athletics. The coaching and support staff around us made sure we would achieve at the highest level in the country and I feel that makes the University of Cincinnati one of a kind.” Alex Bloom ~ Combined Events & High Jump ~ 2018 UC Graduate / USTFCCCA All-America Second Team (indoor heptathlon) “I chose UC because we are FAMILY! The love and ‘One Team’ spirit we have is unmatched. Everyone you encounter is genuinely for you and the advancement of not only your athletic, but academic career. UC has molded me into the compassionate, driven, hard-working person I am today. This is because of the limitless resources, encouragement, and support I received during my four years. The most amazing part about my experience at UC is the relationships I made here are ones that will last forever.” Kellsa Mbah ~ Sprints, Relays & Jumps ~ 2018 UC Graduate / School Long Jump Record Holder / AAC Long Jump Champion Student-Athlete Support Services (S.A.S.S.) BEARCATS ACADEMICS Throughout the year, S.A.S.S. assists student-athletes in preparing to be a successFul total person. Along with leadership and community service, S.A.S.S. continues to work with Bearcats academically, an area that continues to see great improvements as 56-percent oF all student-athletes (a UC Athletics record) made the Dean’s List in Spring 2020 (3.4+ GPA) and the department averaged an overall GPA oF 3.396, also a UC Athletics record.