Friday, September 11
East Lansing, Mich.
9:00 a.m.
University of Toledo
at
Spartan Invitational
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Men's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Men's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Men's Cross Country
Distance
/ Men's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Toledo opened its season with a second-place finish at Michigan State's Spartan Invitational.
Photo by: Ellen Holton
Toledo Women Open Season with Second-Place Finish at Spartan Invitational
9/11/2026 12:03:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
Freshman Purity Chepkirui leads Rockets with fifth-place finish
EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Toledo women's cross country team opened its season on Friday morning with a strong performance and registering a second-place finish at Michigan State's Spartan Invitational. The No. 25-ranked Rockets finished with 42 points, just two points behind the host Spartans who are ranked third in the Great Lakes Region. Michigan finished third with 81 points and was followed by Ohio (111), Butler (162) and Ohio State (165).
"Today was all about composure and discipline," Head Coach Andrea Grove-McDonough said. "We came here solely to gather intel on the regionals course that we will race on in November. Our top 7-8 women were instructed to not race full out and ran a very controlled effort. You can only light the match so many times in a season and since we have such a tight turn around for a big race next weekend we will save that effort for that race in eight days."
Freshman Purity Chepkirui paced the women in the 6k race in her first race as a Rocket, finishing fifth with a time of 21:13.7. Junior Melody Jebiwot (6th/21:13.8), senior Dorcas Kiptanui (7th/21:14.5), junior Bella Earl (8th/21:20.9), senior Karina James (16th/21:28.2), sophomore Laura Acuna (17th/21:30.5), senior Lianna Surtz (21:36.7) and junior Lauren Zanotelli (19th/21:37.9) each placed within the Top 20 individually.
The men had four athletes run in the men's 8k, with freshman Joshua Carlin leading the way with a 77th-place finish (26:28.3). Freshmen Sage Edgerly-Bork (105th/26:54.2), Edison Lopeman (123rd/27:07.7), and Brennan LaRusso (190th/28:05.5) also made their collegiate debuts.
The Rockets will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 19 where both squads will race at the John McNichols Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind.
SPARTAN INVITATIONAL
WOMEN'S TEAM STANDINGS
1. Michigan State (40 pts.)
2. TOLEDO (42 PTS.)
3. Michigan (81 pts.)
4. Ohio (111 pts.)
5. Butler (162 pts.)
6. Ohio St. (165 pts.)
7. Southern Indiana (230 pts.)
8. Hope (255 pts.)
9. John Carroll (294 pts.)
10. Calvin (308 pts.)
"Today was all about composure and discipline," Head Coach Andrea Grove-McDonough said. "We came here solely to gather intel on the regionals course that we will race on in November. Our top 7-8 women were instructed to not race full out and ran a very controlled effort. You can only light the match so many times in a season and since we have such a tight turn around for a big race next weekend we will save that effort for that race in eight days."
Freshman Purity Chepkirui paced the women in the 6k race in her first race as a Rocket, finishing fifth with a time of 21:13.7. Junior Melody Jebiwot (6th/21:13.8), senior Dorcas Kiptanui (7th/21:14.5), junior Bella Earl (8th/21:20.9), senior Karina James (16th/21:28.2), sophomore Laura Acuna (17th/21:30.5), senior Lianna Surtz (21:36.7) and junior Lauren Zanotelli (19th/21:37.9) each placed within the Top 20 individually.
The men had four athletes run in the men's 8k, with freshman Joshua Carlin leading the way with a 77th-place finish (26:28.3). Freshmen Sage Edgerly-Bork (105th/26:54.2), Edison Lopeman (123rd/27:07.7), and Brennan LaRusso (190th/28:05.5) also made their collegiate debuts.
The Rockets will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 19 where both squads will race at the John McNichols Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind.
SPARTAN INVITATIONAL
WOMEN'S TEAM STANDINGS
1. Michigan State (40 pts.)
2. TOLEDO (42 PTS.)
3. Michigan (81 pts.)
4. Ohio (111 pts.)
5. Butler (162 pts.)
6. Ohio St. (165 pts.)
7. Southern Indiana (230 pts.)
8. Hope (255 pts.)
9. John Carroll (294 pts.)
10. Calvin (308 pts.)
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