Liana Surtz, Mercy Kinyanjui Capture Second-Place Finishes on Final Day of MAC Championships

Saturday, February 24

Ypsilanti, Mich.

All Day

University of Toledo

MAC Indoor Championships Day 2

Mercy Kinyanjui (9) captured second place at the MAC Championships in the 3000m on Saturday, while teammate Vilde Henriksen (10) came in fourth.

Liana Surtz, Mercy Kinyanjui Capture Second-Place Finishes on Final Day of MAC Championships

2/24/2024 6:29:00 PM | Women's Track and Field

MAC Indoor Championship Results

Mayson Bates, Vilde Henriksen come in fourth place in their events as Toledo finishes seventh in league meet

YPSILANTI, Mich. – Distance runners Lianna Surtz and Mercy Kinyanjui both captured second-place finishes for the Toledo women's track & field team on the second and final day of the 2024 Mid-American Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships in Ypsilanti, Mich. on Saturday.

Toledo finished in seventh place as a team with 48 points. Host Eastern Michigan captured the women's title with 144.5 points.

Surtz notched her podium finish in the mile, finishing with a time of 4:53.25, narrowly beating out Central Michigan's Anya Turner for second place by .35 of a second. Toledo was hurt in the mile by the scratch of Laura Nicholson, the No. 1 seed who withdrew due to injury.

Kinyanjui, a freshman, was runner-up in the 3000m, clocking in at 9:26.44, about a second behind champion Paige Marchant of EMU. Senior Vilde Henriksen was not far behind, coming in fourth place with a time of 9:28.44.

"I'm pleased with our overall result today given all the youth we have and an untimely injury to the No.1 seed in the mile," said Head Coach Andrea Grove-McDonough. "We had to scratch Laura after a great DMR performance last night. I'm confident in the 10 points she would have put up and that would have put us right about in line with our best indoor performances of the past.

"We had a great race by sophomore Lianna Surtz to finish second in the mile and a very good day in the 3K. Mercy was in her first MAC championship coming in second and Vilde bounced back from a disappointing 5K to lead the race and set it up for a total of 13 points."

Also scoring for Toledo was junior Mayson Bates, who took fourth place in the 60m hurdles with a personal-best time of 8.66.

"We got an unexpected but welcome lift from our jumps/sprints group this weekend and the highlight today was a huge performance by Mayson Bates in the hurdles," said Grove-McDonough. "Coming into the meet as the No. 15 seed and the final time qualifier into the final, that was a big fourth place and huge PR for her."

The Rockets will begin the outdoor portion of their season on Friday, March 22 at the Blizzard Buster in Oxford, Ohio.

MAC Indoor Track & Field Championships
Ypsilanti, Mich. | Bowen Field House
Saturday, Feb. 24

Team Standings
1. Eastern Michigan – 144.5
2. Kent State – 85.5
3. Ball State – 61.5
4. Bowling Green – 59
5. Miami – 57.5
6. Western Michigan – 52
7. Toledo – 48
8. Akron – 44
9. Central Michigan – 42
10. Buffalo – 28
11. Ohio – 21
12. Northern Illinois – 19

Toledo Results From Day Two

Triple Jump (Finals)
18. Nehemiah Coleman - 10.24m (PR)

Mile (Finals)
2. Lianna Surtz - 4:53.25

60m Hurdles (Finals)
4. Mayson Bates - 8.66 (PR)

3000m
2. Mercy Kinyanjui – 9:26.44
4. Vilde Henriksen – 9:28.44
12. Madeline Vining – 9:45.78
17. Melody Jebiwot – 9:57.40

4x400 Relay
10. Toledo (Rahzia Rios-Smith, Khamani Jones, Laryah Worthy, Cadence Christie) – 3:55.95