Cross Country Ready for MAC Championships

Saturday, October 29

Kent, OH

11:00 a.m.

University of Toledo

MAC Championships

Sophomore Jennifer Lichter will be on of the Rockets competing in the MAC Championships

10/26/2016 10:35:00 AM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country

Toledo, OH – The Toledo men's and women's cross country teams will compete in the Mid-American Conference Championships on Saturday, Oct. 29 in Kent.

The women's program has claimed the championship in four of the last seven years with its most recent title coming in 2014. The men's team has yet to win a title in its program history. Coach Linh Nguyen was at the helm of the 2014 champion team as he enters his third conference meet.

The men's team opened the season with a victory over arch-rival Bowling Green (Sept. 2) then earned a 10^th-place finish at the Greater Louisville Classic (Oct. 1) and a 14^th-place finish at the Adidas Pre-National Invitational (Oct. 15) in between a few non-scoring races. Toledo has faced multiple nationally-ranked teams throughout the season and performed well weekly.

Representing the men's team this weekend are senior Thomas Gibbons, juniors Alberto Chelimo, Titus Koech and Stalline Kurgat, sophomores Louis Guardiola, Caleb Morehart, Jacob Wistinghausen and Josh Oeters and freshman Dismas Koech.

Chelimo has led the charge on the men's side throughout the regular season. He has finished first on the team in all but one race, including two first-place overall finishes. His season-high 8k time of 25:01.78 was run at the Greater Louisville Classic (Oct. 1.) and resulted in a 32^nd-overall finish.

The women's team started the season with a dominant win over Bowling Green (Sept. 2). The Midnight Blue and Gold was able to secure 11 of the Top-15 finishes in the victory. They were then able to claim an impressive fifth-place finish at the Greater Louisville Classic (Oct. 1) and a 34^th-place finish at the adidas Pre-National Invitational (Oct. 15) against several teams that are currently ranked within the Top-15 in the nation.

Representing the women's team this weekend are senior Theresa Warsecke, juniors Joan Jepkirui, Caroline Lambert, Petronela Simiuc, Stephanie Barlow and Maja Pacaric, sophomores Jennifer Lichter and Nina Bendixen and freshmen Athena Welsh.

The women's team has a core of runners who have interchangeably led the squad throughout the season. This core includes veterans Lichter and Pacaric and newcomers Welsh, Jepkirui and Lambert. Each has consistently finished at the top for the Rockets and is great at building off of each other's successes.

The Rockets will return to action at the NCAA Regionals on Friday, Nov. 11.