Friday, November 15
Akron, Ohio
11:00 a.m.
University of Toledo
vs
NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships
Mercy Kinyanjui became the first Rocket since 2002 to win the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship, helping Toledo place third overall.
Photo by: Bree Bee
Mercy Kinyanjui Takes Individual Crown, Toledo Places Third Overall in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship
11/15/2024 3:05:00 PM | Women's Cross Country
Kinyanjui is the first Rocket to win the individual regional championship in 22 years
NORTON, Ohio – Mercy Kinyanjui captured first place to lead the Toledo women's cross country team to a third-place finish at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Individual Championship in Norton, Ohio on Friday.
Kinyanjui's time of 19:29.7 is her personal best. A redshirt freshman, Kinyanjui is just the second-ever Toledo women's cross country runner to take the regional title, and the first since Rocket Hall of Famer Briana Shook won in 2002.
Toledo placed third overall with 100 points, just three points behind No. 14 Wisconsin. No. 6 Notre Dame won the race with 51 points. The third-place finish ties the Rockets' highest team finish ever, and is the fourth time in program history that the Rockets have landed in third place.
Toledo was the highest finishing Mid-American Conference program and place ahead of five Big Ten schools -- No. 29 Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana and Purdue.
Senior Laura Nicholson followed behind Kinyanjui, grabbing a sixth-place finish with a time of 19:44.5. Senior Lou Trois took 18th overall with a mark of 20:01.4 while sophomore Lianna Surtz (27th/20:21.0) and Melody Jebiwot (48th/20:40.6) rounded out the scoring. Morgan Hicks (57th/20:48.0) and Emily Vining (102nd/21:30.4) also had strong performances.
Kinyanjui, Nicholson and Trois each earned All-Region honors for finishing in the top 25, the first All-Region honors for all three runners.
Following the women's race, Toledo's men came in 11th place, with Dominic Serem becoming the first Rocket to individually qualify for the NCAA Men's National Championship.
"Today we had ourselves a day," said Head Coach Andrea Grove-McDonough. "This season we continue to rewrite the history books on both the men's and women's side. Our first individual men's NCAA qualifier in program history and our highest-ever women's finish. I am immensely proud of how we raced today. The women ran probably the best race we've put together in my time at Toledo. To come within three points of Wisconsin and the automatic bid to the National Championship was outstanding. Our third-place finish matches our highest ever and the best since 2014!"
UP NEXT
The Rockets wait to see if they received an at-large bid to the National Championship on Saturday, Nov. 23. The NCAA Cross Country Selection Show will take place on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 5:00 p.m. live on ncaa.com.
Follow the Rockets
Twitter/X: ToledoXCTF
Instagram: Toledoxctf
Facebook: Toledo XCTF
2024 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships
Norton, Ohio | Silver Creek Metro Park
Friday, Nov. 15
Women's 6K Team Results
1. No. 6 Notre Dame – 51
2. No. 14 Wisconsin – 97
3. No. 34 Toledo – 100
4. No. 29 Michigan State – 111
5. Ohio State – 156
6. Michigan – 202
7. Ohio – 205
8. Indiana State – 244
9. Indiana – 282
10. Eastern Michigan – 311
11. Bowling Green – 318
12. Purdue – 326
13. Central Michigan – 346
14. Butler – 381
15. Cincinnati – 469
16. Oakland – 485
17. Ball State – 489
18. Western Michigan – 508
19. Akron – 520
20. Youngstown State – 583
21. Purdue Fort Wayne – 591
22. Miami – 630
23. Xavier – 634
24. Dayton – 653
25. Milwaukee – 665
26. IU Indianapolis – 797
27. Marquette – 814
28. Detroit Mercy – 840
29. Cleveland State – 845
30. Wright State – 908
31. Green Bay – 919
32. Kent State - 920
Top-5 Individual Runners
1. Mercy Kinyanjui (Toledo) – 19:29.7
2. Rachel Forsyth (Michigan State) – 19:31.7
3. Siona Chisholm (Notre Dame) – 19:35.1
4. Emily Paupore (Central Michigan) – 19:36.9
5. Erin Strzelecki (Notre Dame) – 19:37.8
Toledo Individual Results
1. Mercy Kinyanjui – 19:29.7
6. Laura Nicholson – 19:44.5
18. Lou Trois – 20:01.4
27. Lianna Surtz – 20:21.0
48. Melody Jebiwot – 20:40.6
57. Morgan Hicks – 20:48.0
102. Emily Vining – 21:30.4
Kinyanjui's time of 19:29.7 is her personal best. A redshirt freshman, Kinyanjui is just the second-ever Toledo women's cross country runner to take the regional title, and the first since Rocket Hall of Famer Briana Shook won in 2002.
Toledo placed third overall with 100 points, just three points behind No. 14 Wisconsin. No. 6 Notre Dame won the race with 51 points. The third-place finish ties the Rockets' highest team finish ever, and is the fourth time in program history that the Rockets have landed in third place.
Toledo was the highest finishing Mid-American Conference program and place ahead of five Big Ten schools -- No. 29 Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana and Purdue.
Senior Laura Nicholson followed behind Kinyanjui, grabbing a sixth-place finish with a time of 19:44.5. Senior Lou Trois took 18th overall with a mark of 20:01.4 while sophomore Lianna Surtz (27th/20:21.0) and Melody Jebiwot (48th/20:40.6) rounded out the scoring. Morgan Hicks (57th/20:48.0) and Emily Vining (102nd/21:30.4) also had strong performances.
Kinyanjui, Nicholson and Trois each earned All-Region honors for finishing in the top 25, the first All-Region honors for all three runners.
Following the women's race, Toledo's men came in 11th place, with Dominic Serem becoming the first Rocket to individually qualify for the NCAA Men's National Championship.
"Today we had ourselves a day," said Head Coach Andrea Grove-McDonough. "This season we continue to rewrite the history books on both the men's and women's side. Our first individual men's NCAA qualifier in program history and our highest-ever women's finish. I am immensely proud of how we raced today. The women ran probably the best race we've put together in my time at Toledo. To come within three points of Wisconsin and the automatic bid to the National Championship was outstanding. Our third-place finish matches our highest ever and the best since 2014!"
UP NEXT
The Rockets wait to see if they received an at-large bid to the National Championship on Saturday, Nov. 23. The NCAA Cross Country Selection Show will take place on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 5:00 p.m. live on ncaa.com.
Follow the Rockets
Twitter/X: ToledoXCTF
Instagram: Toledoxctf
Facebook: Toledo XCTF
2024 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships
Norton, Ohio | Silver Creek Metro Park
Friday, Nov. 15
Women's 6K Team Results
1. No. 6 Notre Dame – 51
2. No. 14 Wisconsin – 97
3. No. 34 Toledo – 100
4. No. 29 Michigan State – 111
5. Ohio State – 156
6. Michigan – 202
7. Ohio – 205
8. Indiana State – 244
9. Indiana – 282
10. Eastern Michigan – 311
11. Bowling Green – 318
12. Purdue – 326
13. Central Michigan – 346
14. Butler – 381
15. Cincinnati – 469
16. Oakland – 485
17. Ball State – 489
18. Western Michigan – 508
19. Akron – 520
20. Youngstown State – 583
21. Purdue Fort Wayne – 591
22. Miami – 630
23. Xavier – 634
24. Dayton – 653
25. Milwaukee – 665
26. IU Indianapolis – 797
27. Marquette – 814
28. Detroit Mercy – 840
29. Cleveland State – 845
30. Wright State – 908
31. Green Bay – 919
32. Kent State - 920
Top-5 Individual Runners
1. Mercy Kinyanjui (Toledo) – 19:29.7
2. Rachel Forsyth (Michigan State) – 19:31.7
3. Siona Chisholm (Notre Dame) – 19:35.1
4. Emily Paupore (Central Michigan) – 19:36.9
5. Erin Strzelecki (Notre Dame) – 19:37.8
Toledo Individual Results
1. Mercy Kinyanjui – 19:29.7
6. Laura Nicholson – 19:44.5
18. Lou Trois – 20:01.4
27. Lianna Surtz – 20:21.0
48. Melody Jebiwot – 20:40.6
57. Morgan Hicks – 20:48.0
102. Emily Vining – 21:30.4
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
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