University of Toledo senior distance runner Petronela Simiuc was on the track in Albuquerque going through a warmup workout for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
In peak form after the best indoor season of her career, Simiuc was preparing to participate in the mile run with no spectators due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But about 20 hours before her scheduled race, Simiuc was told that the indoor championships were canceled.
“I'm not a very emotional person, but in that moment I started crying right away,” Simiuc said. “I could visualize my race and I knew it wasn't going to happen anymore.