KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Toledo track & field team closed out the Mid-American Conference Championship with 63 points to take sixth place in the meet.

"I'm very proud of the way the team fought this weekend," said Toledo head coach Linh Nguyen. "We had a balanced team this weekend and had contributions from all event groups."

The Rockets continued to have scoring performances by their distance runners. Joan Jepkirui and Athena Welsh each ran tough doubles on the weekend and finished second and seventh in the 5,000-meter run, respectively. Petronela Simiuc ran to a sixth-place finish in the 1,500-meters to score three points.

Dandaduea da Silva and Yana Khabina locked in fourth and eighth place, respectively, in the 400m hurdles. Da Silva's time of 59.69 is a possible NCAA qualifying mark. She currently sits in 50th place in the East Region.

The sprinters took the stage in the 200-meter dash as Nautica Hill scored five points for a strong fourth-place finish. Christina Johnson took sixth place for three more points in the event. The sprint relays were also solid for the Midnight Blue & Gold. The 4x400m relay team placed seventh while the 4x100m team took eighth.

The field events were led by discus throwers Anna Bellman and Katie Dewey. Bellman earned four points for a personal record throw of 48.06m, while Dewey took sixth in the event.

"Today was a series of people stepping up when we needed it," continued Nguyen. "Going into the relay we were only one point up on Bowling Green. We did a great job to end the meet on a high note and secure sixth place."

Alexa Jarrett scored a fifth-place finish in the pole vault and the 3,000-meter steeplechase duo of Athena Welsh and Stephanie Barlow took sixth and eighth, respectively, to lead the Rockets on Friday.

Alexa Jarrett cleared a height of 3.88 meters en route to her fifth-place spot. Jarrett tied with Kent State's Maria Horrigan for the top five position. The two split the fifth and sixth place points to earn three and a half points each.

Welsh and Barlow combined to tally 4.0 points for the Midnight Blue & Gold. Welsh's sixth place finish in a time of 10:33.74 netted the freshman three points and Barlow claimed the final point of the event with an eighth-place time of 10:51.83.

Madison Pierce rounded out the day two scoring for the Rockets with a seventh-place mark in the long jump. The Siena Heights transfer flew 5.98 meters to earn two points for the Rockets.

Joan Jepkirui finished third and Jennifer Lichter took fourth in the women's 10,000-meter run to net 11 points for the Rockets on the opening day of the meet on Thursday.

Jepkirui crossed the finish line in a time of 34:53.53 to earn six points for the Midnight Blue & Gold. Lichter completed the race about 15 seconds later, earning five points for a time of 35:18.20.

"We are only graduating five points from today's events," said Nguyen. "I think we've made a very good step toward being a well-rounded program and toward competing for a title."


MAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Final Standings
1. Akron - 128 pts
2. Eastern Michigan - 124 pts.
3. Kent State - 118.50 pts.
4. Northern Illinois - 84.50 pts.
5. Miami - 74 pts.
6. Toledo - 63 pts.
7. Bowling Green - 60 pts.
8. Western Michigan - 53 pts.
9. Buffalo - 48 pts.
10. Central Michigan - 26 pts.
11. Ball State - 25 pts..
12. Ohio - 14 pts.

Results
200m
4. Nautica Hill - 24.02 (5 pts.)
6. Christina Johnson - 24.30 (3 pts.)

1,500m
6. Petronela Simiuc - 4:32.38 (3 pts.)
11. Janelle Noe - 4:47.35

5,000m
2. Joan Jepkirui - 16:53.21 (8 pts.)
7. Athena Welsh - 17:16.15 (2 pts.)
12. Caroline Lambert - 17:49.62

400m Hurdles
4. Dandadeua da Silva - 59.69 (5 pts.)
8. Yana Khabina - 2:13.92 - (1 pt.)

4x100m Relay
8. Collins, Hill, Johnson, Thompson - 46.27 (1 pt.)

4x400m Relay
7. Da Silva, Collins, Johnson, Hill - 3:47.23 (2 pts.)

High Jump
7. Madeline Pacella - 1.66m (1.5 pts.)
-- Ty'Shai Freeman - NH

Triple Jump
5. Ty'Shai Freeman - 12.19m (4 pts.)
16. Deja Martin - 11.45m

Discus
5. Anna Bellman - 48.06m (4 pts.)
6. Katie Dewey - 47.14m (3 pts.)

3,000m Steeplechase
6. Athena Welsh - 10:33.74 (3 pts.)
8. Stephanie Barlow - 10:51.83 (1 pt.)
14. Zita Molnar - 11:26.47

Pole Vault
5. Alexa Jarrett - 3.88m (3.5 pts.)
12. Maddie Jarrett - 3.58m
-- Alissa Jenkins - NH

Long Jump
7. Madison Pierce - 5.98m (2 pts.)
18. Deja Martin - 5.53m

Shot Put
9. Katie Dewey - 14.61m
18. Sally Frank - 12.51m
19. Kallie Strauss - 12.33m

10,000m
3. Joan Jepkirui - 34:53.53 (6 pts.)
4. Jennifer Lichter - 35:18.20 (5 pts.)
10. Delainey Phelps - 36:38.35

Javelin
10. Anna Bellman - 37.46m