TOLEDO, OH - The University of Toledo track and field team races back into competition this weekend as the Rockets travel to Kalamazoo, MI for a dual meet against Western Michigan at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
   
The Rockets have received balanced performances across the board in the team's first two meets of the season. In the distance events, junior Ari Fisher (Lebanon, OH) still leads the nation by over 12 seconds with her time in the 5000 meters. She cruised to the victory by nearly 22 seconds at the Golden Flash Gala in that event.
   
Newcomers in junior transfer Alex Afloari (Deva, Romania) and freshmen Kiah Douglas (Saginaw, MI), Yuhong Fu (Beijing, China) and Huijun Jing (Beijing, China) have sparked the jumps team, as has the return of redshirt senior Michelle Sutherland (Maumee, OH). Afloari has picked up victories in the triple jump in both meets, while Douglas won the long jump at the Oiler Opener.
   
Fu had a runner-up effort in the triple jump at the Oiler Opener and Jing took fourth in the high jump at the Golden Flash Gala. Sutherland, in her first action back, took second in the high jump at the Oiler Opener.
   
Junior Amanda Kaverman (Sylvania, OH) has guided the sprinters with several top finishes this season, including a first-place effort in the 300 meters in the Oiler Opener and a third-place performance in the 200 at Kent State.
   
Western Michigan will be competing for the first time this season. The Broncos finished third at last year's MAC Outdoor Championships with 103 points and fifth in the MAC Indoor Championships with 62 points.
   
This is the fifth time in six years that the teams will square off in an indoor dual. In 2008, Kaverman took third in the 400 meters and Danielle Jacoby (Carey, OH) placed fourth in the 800 meters to finish as the top Toledo performers who returned this year.

Contact: Scott Miles
scott.miles@utoledo.edu