TOLEDO, OH - With momentum built up after several weeks of improving performances, Toledo's track and field team heads to Buffalo for the MAC Championships this week with high expectations.

Action from UB Stadium kicks off at 10 a.m. Thursday with the women's hammer and concludes at 4:40 p.m. Saturday with the men's 4x400 meter relay.

The Rockets enter the week after recording several sparkling efforts of late. Ari Fisher set an NCAA qualifying time in the 5000-meter run two weeks ago and has recorded the best efforts in the conference in that event and the 3000 as well. Fisher won the 5000 at the MAC Indoor Championships in February.

Amanda Kaverman has continued her development as one of the top sprinters in the league after setting an NCAA qualifying time of her own in the 100 last weekend (11.57). Her mark also tied a school record, was the second-best in the MAC and third-fastest in the region this spring. The 2010 MAC Indoor champion in the 200 currently holds the third-quickest time in that event this spring as well.

A pair of distance runners also find themselves ranked in the conference's top-five, as Dagna Sztykiel sits third in the steeplechase (10:47.86) and Audra Brown ranks fourth in the 10,000-meter run this spring (36:18.89). Sztykiel won the 1500 at the Toledo Tune-Up last Friday (4:38.07).

Toledo has balanced its efforts on the track with noteworthy performances in the jumps. Michelle Sutherland (5-08.00) and Julie Snyder (5-07.25) rank two-three in the high jump this spring. Sutherland took second at the MAC Indoor meet.

Kiah Douglas, meanwhile, is second in the long jump (19-08.00), which is also sixth in the region, and Alexandra Afloari is fifth in the triple jump (40-06.00).

Other noteworthy performances from the Toledo Tune-Up include Yuhong Fu's victory in the triple jump (38-10.50) and Sutherland's win the high jump (5-05.00).

Contact: Scott Miles
scott.miles@utoledo.edu