Toledo, Ohio - Toledo women's track and field team will be traveling to Kent, Ohio for the Mid-American Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships on Friday, Feb. 22 and Saturday, Feb. 23. This year's indoor championships will be hosted by Kent State. 
 
In sprints, Shanice Williams will be defending her title in the 60-meter event and will be joined by fellow seniors Nautica Hill and Christina Johnson. Williams and Hill will also be competing in the 200-meter event. This season, Williams posted a personal-best 24.60 in the 200 meters to take third at the Doug Raymond National Qualifier. Hill posted a 7.72 personal best in the 60 meters in January's GVSU Open and a personal best in the 200 meters (24.87) at the Meyo Invitational.
 
In the mid-distance events, senior Janelle Noe leads the Rockets in the 800-meter event, posting a personal-best and UT school record of 2:09.20 at the Meyo Invitational. Fellow senior Petronela Simiuc leads UT in the mile, having clocked a personal-best 4:42.92 at Boston University's David Hemery Valentine Invitational. Simiuc's PR in the mile moves her to No. 3 all-time at Toledo for the mile run.
 
Junior Athena Welsh leads the Rockets in both the 3000 meters and 5000 meters with times of 9:32.81 and 16:24.28, respectively. Joining Welsh in the 3000 meters and 5000 meters will be senior Jennifer Lichter and freshman Claire Steigerwald. Lichter was within three seconds of her personal bests in both the 3000-meter and  5000-meter events this season, posting a 9:55.41 in the 3000 meters and 16:54.30 in the 5000 meters. Steigerwald opened the season with a PR at the Wolverine Invitational, posting a time of 9:51.41 in the 3000 meters. Later in the season, Steigerwald posted a PR in the 5000-meter event with a time of 16:54.63.
 
The Rockets will be competing in the distance medley relay as well as the 4x400m relay. Earlier this season, the 4x400m team Christina Johnson, Hill, Rayna Horner, and Yana Khabina clocked a time of 3:48.84, the second fastest time in UT History.
 
Junior Atalia Lima and freshman Julia Smith will be competing in the high jump. Lima's best mark this season was 1.63m, and Smith hit a PR of 1.63m at the BGSU Dual meet. Sophomore Janell Rowe and senior Deja Martin will be competing in the long jump and triple jump. Rowe leaped a distance of 12.04m in the triple jump at the Doug Raymond National Qualifier, surpassing her previous record of 11.88m. Rowe also PR'ed in the long jump with a leap of 5.55m at the BGSU Dual. Martin tied her long jump personal-best of 5.38 in this season's Doug Raymond National Qualifier. Martin also leaped a season-best 10.89m in the triple jump at the Wolverine Invitational.
 
In throws, senior Katie Dewey took the helm, leading UT in both the shot put and weight throw. Dewey recorded a personal-best heave of 17.70m at the BGSU Dual and came within 0.06m of her shot put PR with a throw of 15.19m.
 
Junior Yana Khabina, Lima, and freshman Holly Nation will compete in the pentathlon, which is comprised of the 60-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump, and 800-meter run.   
 
At last season's MAC Indoor Championships, Toledo placed fifth with 55 points behind Eastern Michigan, Akron, Bowling Green and Kent State. Williams posted a personal-best and clinched the title for the 60m dash with a time of 7.41. UT had a total of 13 top-10 finishes over the weekend including second-place finishes by junior Atalia Lima in the high jump (1.72m) and Karoline Steppin in the triple jump (12.66).  Noe, Simiuc, and senior Olivia Chinn placed fourth (4:56.06), sixth (5:00.43) and ninth (5:01.29) in the mile, respectively.  Welsh also took third in the 3000m event (9:34.28) and fifth in the 5000m (16:50.55). 
 
Toledo Competitors
Friday, Feb. 22 Events
 
11:00 a.m. - Pentathlon
Yana Khabina, Atalia Lima, Holly Nation
 
11:00 a.m. - Weight Throw
Katie Dewey
 
2:45 p.m. - Long Jump
Janell Rowe, Deja Martin
 
4:10 p.m. - 60m Trials
Shanice Williams, Nautica Hill, Christina Johnson 
 
4:50 p.m. - 800m Trials
Janelle Noe, Petronela Simiuc, Olivia Chinn
 
5:25 p.m. - 200m Trials
Shanice Williams, Nautica Hill
 
6:10 p.m. - 5000m Finals
Athena Welsh, Jennifer Lichter, Claire Steigerwald
 
6:55 p.m. - Distance Medley Relay
 
Saturday, Feb. 23 Events
 
12:00 p.m. - Shot Put
Katie Dewey, Chloee Kleespies, Sally Frank
 
12:00 p.m. - Triple Jump
Janell Rowe, Deja Martin
 
1:30 p.m. - Mile Finals
Petronela Simiuc, Athena Welsh, Janelle Noe
 
2:30 p.m. - High Jump Finals
Atalia Lima, Julia Smith
 
2:55 p.m. - 60m Finals
 
3:15 p.m. - 800m Finals
 
3:35 p.m. - 200m Finals
 
4:00 p.m. - 3000m Finals
Athena Welsh, Jennifer Lichter, Claire Steigerwald
 
4:40 p.m. - 4x400m Relay
 
Schedule of Events - Toledo Events In BOLD
Day 1: Friday, February 22
Heptathlon
10:45am - M 60m
11:25am - Long Jump (Outside Pits)
To Follow LJ - Shot Put
To Follow SP - High Jump
 
Pentathlon
11:00am - W 60m Hurdles
11:45am - High Jump (2 Pits)
To Follow HJ - Shot Put
To Follow SP - Long Jump (Outside Pits)
To Follow LJ - 800m Final
 
Field Events
11:00am - W 20lb Weight Throw Final
2:45pm - W Long Jump (Raised Runway)
1:15pm - M 35lb Weight Throw Final
4:00pm - W Pole Vault Final 5:30pm M Long Jump Final (Raised Runway)
 
Running Events
1:20pm - National Anthem
3:00pm - M 60m Hurdles Trials
3:10pm - W 60m Hurdles Trials
3:25pm - M 400m Trials
3:40pm - W 400m Trials
4:00pm - M 60m Trials
4:10pm - W 60m Trials
4:35pm - M 800m Trials
4:50pm - W 800m Trials
5:10pm - M 200m Trials
5:25pm - W 200m Trials
5:50pm - M 5,000m Final
6:10pm - W 5,000m Final
6:35pm - M Distance Medley Relay Final
6:55pm - W Distance Medley Relay Final
 
Day 2: Saturday, February 23
Heptathlon
11:00am - M 60m Hurdles
11:45am - M Pole Vault
To Follow PV - M 1,000m
 
Field Events
12:00pm - W Triple Jump Final
12:00pm - W Shot Put Final
12:00pm - M High Jump Final
2:30pm - W High Jump Final
2:30pm - M Pole Vault Final
2:45pm - M Triple Jump Final
2:45pm - M Shot Put Final
 
Running Events – All Finals
12:50pm - National Anthem
1:15pm - M Mile
1:30pm - W Mile
1:55pm - M 60m Hurdles
2:05pm - W 60m Hurdles
2:15pm - M 400m
2:30pm - W 400m
2:45pm - M 60m
2:55pm - W 60m
3:05pm - M 800m
3:15pm - W 800m
3:25pm - M 200m
3:35pm - W 200m
3:45pm - M 3,000m
4:00pm - W 3,000m
4:30pm - M 4x400m Relay
4:40pm - W 4x400m Relay
5:00pm - Awards Ceremony