TOLEDO, OH - Toledo's track and field team welcomes Bowling Green and Ohio University to the newly renovated UT Varsity Track on Saturday for the fifth annual Toledo Collegiate Challenge.

Field events begin at noon with the hammer and high jump, while running events begin at 2:30 p.m. with the 5,000 meter run. The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the mid-50s.

The Varsity Track received several facelifts as part of the new Fetterman Training Center, which opened in February. Improvements include permanent seating for 1,000 spectators, press box, ticket booth, observation areas, landscaping and new black iron fencing with stone pillars.

"We are incredibly excited to have our first meet in the new stadium," Kevin Hadsell, head coach, said. "The facility is amazing and we are all incredibly proud of it and cannot wait for everyone to see it."

UT has several athletes competing who had success at last year's meet. Amanda Kaverman won the 200 and Karen Sovacool won the 3,000, while Danielle Jacoby took second in the 400 and Paulina Handzlik took second in the pole vault. Overall, the Rockets tied for second with Central Michigan, and Bowling Green won by two points.

Toledo has one outdoor competition under its belt, going to Conway, SC on its spring break trip for the Coastal Carolina Invitational. Kiah Douglas won the long jump, Michelle Sutherland (high jump) and Sarah Woodrum (400 meter) had runner-up performances, and Kaverman took third in the 200. The Rockets also had four of the top-five showings in the 10,000 meter run, led by Audra Brown (second).

"This is a good early-season meet," Hadsell said. "Being team scored gets us back into the competitive mode from all the time we've spent training. It will be a nice test of where we are right now."

Contact: Scott Miles
scott.miles@utoledo.edu