Kinyanjui Takes 10,000M Crown, Hark Grabs Silver to Boost Rockets in Day One of MAC Championships

Thursday, May 9

DeKalb, Ill.

All Day

University of Toledo

MAC Outdoor Championships Day 1

Freshman Mercy Kinyanjui (center) finished the 10,000m in 34:29.19 to become the MAC Champion. She was joined on the podium by Morgan Hicks (far right), who finished seventh.

Kinyanjui Takes 10,000M Crown, Hark Grabs Silver to Boost Rockets in Day One of MAC Championships

5/9/2024 10:12:00 PM | Women's Track and Field

Toledo takes 20 points in first day of competition

DEKALB, Ill. – The Toledo women's track & field team started the evening with a second-place finish from Nora Hark in the javelin and capped it with a gold medal for Mercy Kinyanjui in the 10,000m in an impressive day-one performance at the Mid-American Conference Track & Field Championships at the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex on Thursday.

Toledo ranks third overall after Thursday's events with 20 points, with 12 coming from the 10,000m and the other eight from the javelin. Eastern Michigan leads the competition with 22 points.

Kinyanjui's 10,000m victory came after running the final lap in 1:06.64 to win the event by 8.81 seconds in a final time of 4:29.19. The crown was her second victory in the 10K this season, as she also won at the Wake Forest Invite on April 19. In addition to Kinyanjui's victory, junior Morgan Hicks finished in a time of 35:07.76 to finish seventh, moving up two spots in a 1:16.13 final lap.

Hark posted a throw of 40.24m on her sixth and final attempt to take the runner-up finish in the javelin. Hark's final throw moved her up from fifth to second and earned Toledo's first eight points of the meet.

"Mercy absolutely crushed her last lap, running in just 66 seconds to put the victory away," said Head Coach Andrea Grove-McDonough. "For Morgan to battle back to seventh from out of scoring position was fun to watch. Nora Hark had an epic competition, struggling through most the day but delivering a great final throw to move from fifth to second and get points we really needed. All four of our 1500m women qualified for Saturday's final to add to a great day one."

In the 1500m prelims, all four Toledo runners who competed -- senior Vilde Henriksen (3rd, 4:29.02), graduate student Laura Nicholson (4th, 4:30.73), junior Alex Bauer (8th, 4:31.55) and senior Lou Trois (10th, 4:32.45) -- qualified for Saturday's final. Toledo will represent four of the 12 spots in finals competition.

Toledo will begin competition in day two at 3:30 p.m. CT (4:30 ET) with the pole vault. The Rockets will also compete in the 100m prelims, 100m hurdles prelims, 800m prelims and 3000m steeple on Friday.

MAC Track & Field Championships
DeKalb, Ill.
NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex
May 9-11

Overall Standings
1. Eastern Michigan - 22
2. Buffalo - 21
3. Toledo - 20
4. Kent State - 19
5. Ohio - 12
6. Bowling Green - 10
7. Akron - 8
8. Miami - 5

Toledo Results - Day One

1500m Prelims
3. Vilde Henriksen – 4:29.02Q
4. Laura Nicholson – 4:30.73Q
8. Alex Bauer – 4:31.55Q
10. Lou Trois – 4:32.45Q

Javelin
2. Nora Hark – 40.24m (8 pts.)

200m Prelims
22. Khamani Jones – 25.15

10000m
1. Mercy Kinyanjui – 34.29.19 (10 pts.)
7. Morgan Hicks – 35:07.76 (2 pts.)