This event has been canceled due to concerns about the coronavirus.
University of Toledo senior Petronela Simiuc has punched her ticket to the 2020 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships this week hosted by the University of New Mexico at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
The Bacau, Romania, native will compete in the mile event. The women’s mile preliminary round will be held Friday, March 13, at 7:35 p.m. Eastern Time.
The UToledo distance medley relay team, from left, Rayna Horner, Petronela Simiuc, Semra Karaslan and Meltem Yasar, captured gold at the Mid-American Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships in Akron, Ohio. Simiuc will compete in the mile at the 2020 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships this week.
Over the course of the indoor season, Simiuc broke Toledo’s record in the mile and 800 meters twice each. On Jan. 24, Simiuc clocked a time of 4:38.40 in the mile at the John Thomas Terrier Classic in Boston, smashing the previous record of 4:39.81 set by Megan Wright in 2014. She later broke her own record with a time of 4:34.59 to place fifth at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational Feb. 14 also in Boston.
Simiuc closed out the regular season by breaking Toledo’s 800-meter record at Michigan’s Silverston Invitational Feb. 21 with a time of 2:08.23, surpassing the previous record of 2:09.20, held by Janelle Noe. At the Mid-American Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships in Akron, Ohio, Simiuc rebroke the 800m record, posting a time of 2:07.46 in the final to place first.
Also at the MAC Indoor Championships, Simiuc clinched gold in the 800m (2:07.46), mile (4:46.93), and distance medley relay (11:38.11). She also was named First Team All-MAC for her performances in all three of her events, helping the Rockets to a sixth-place team finish with 60.5 points.
The NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships will be broadcast on ESPN3 starting at 7:15 p.m. Eastern Time Friday, March 13, and 6 p.m. Eastern Time Saturday, March 14. A re-airing of the championships is scheduled for Monday, March 16, at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPNU.
