Bowling Green State University Athletics
Young Falcons Prepare For Cross Country Season
August 16, 2012 | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio. – The Bowling Green State University men's and women's cross country teams are loaded with young talent. Of the 16 athletes on the women's side, 11 of them are freshmen, combined with two sophomores for a total of 13 underclassmen. The men's squad is comprised of a little more experience, but still boasts four freshmen and one sophomore on a 13-man roster.
Both the men and women struggled last year, finishing ninth and twelfth, respectively, at the Mid-American Cross Country Championships in October. The bright side of last year's results is that two of the Falcon's top finishers on the men's side are returning, including senior Josh Franek. A native of Hiram, Ohio, Franek set personal bests last year in both the 5K (16:44) and the 8K (26:05). Franek knows that as an upperclassman, he can help the young athletes in more ways than one.
“I think that during your freshman year, there is a big step from the high school level to the college level,” said Franek. “The programs in high school can range dramatically. When you get to college, everyone works and trains hard. Each year that you're here you gain a lot more experience, so when you're an upperclassmen you have a lot of experience with meets and training.”
Joe Van Bolderon, a junior from Medina, Ohio, returns to the men's team for a third season after struggling at the MAC Championships, despite setting personal records earlier in the year. Van Bolderon also knows that he has to set an example for the younger athletes, while also setting personal goals for himself.
“I just stayed focused on the goal of running faster,” said Van Bolderon, when asked about this past offseason. “I definitely don't want to run as slow as I did last year. It's worth training hard. Staying focused is the key; if you drop your mileage you are somewhat behind. I just stayed at a higher mileage (in the offseason) consistently and it's helped out a lot.”
The Bowling Green women return just one participant from the MAC Championships (Taylor Stichter) last season, marking a clean slate for head coach Lou Snelling and the team to work with.
“It's a big honor to wear (the uniform) now,” said redshirt freshman Andrea Alt. “I feel like I have earned it, and put in my time after running unattached last season. It was fun and a good experience, but I'm really excited to finally represent Bowling Green.”
Alt, a native of nearby Perrysburg, Ohio, enrolled at Bowling Green after earning four varsity letters in cross-country and track at Perrysburg High School. One of the key members of the youth movement, Alt believes that the future is bright for the program.
“I think this year we can take a huge step compared to last year,” said Alt. “Everyone is on the team now, and because we are so young we can continue to bring in more athletes who reinforce the values and work ethic that we all have. We can definitely be a threat in the MAC by the end of my four years here.”
Abby Koch, a red shirt junior from Stow, Ohio, is also coming off of a redshirt season. Koch returns to the track after successful freshman and sophomore seasons, highlighted by a first-place finish at the Mel Brodt Invitational in 2010.
“We have a lot of experience,” said Koch, when asked about the upperclassmen on the roster. “We can let the younger athletes know how the competition will stack up, and how it has stacked up in the past. I feel the underclassmen can bring a lot to the table, and that we can be very strong this year.”
The Falcons will see their first action of the season at the Mel Brodt Collegiate Opener, a home meet set for Aug. 31.
Both the men and women struggled last year, finishing ninth and twelfth, respectively, at the Mid-American Cross Country Championships in October. The bright side of last year's results is that two of the Falcon's top finishers on the men's side are returning, including senior Josh Franek. A native of Hiram, Ohio, Franek set personal bests last year in both the 5K (16:44) and the 8K (26:05). Franek knows that as an upperclassman, he can help the young athletes in more ways than one.
“I think that during your freshman year, there is a big step from the high school level to the college level,” said Franek. “The programs in high school can range dramatically. When you get to college, everyone works and trains hard. Each year that you're here you gain a lot more experience, so when you're an upperclassmen you have a lot of experience with meets and training.”
Joe Van Bolderon, a junior from Medina, Ohio, returns to the men's team for a third season after struggling at the MAC Championships, despite setting personal records earlier in the year. Van Bolderon also knows that he has to set an example for the younger athletes, while also setting personal goals for himself.
“I just stayed focused on the goal of running faster,” said Van Bolderon, when asked about this past offseason. “I definitely don't want to run as slow as I did last year. It's worth training hard. Staying focused is the key; if you drop your mileage you are somewhat behind. I just stayed at a higher mileage (in the offseason) consistently and it's helped out a lot.”
The Bowling Green women return just one participant from the MAC Championships (Taylor Stichter) last season, marking a clean slate for head coach Lou Snelling and the team to work with.
“It's a big honor to wear (the uniform) now,” said redshirt freshman Andrea Alt. “I feel like I have earned it, and put in my time after running unattached last season. It was fun and a good experience, but I'm really excited to finally represent Bowling Green.”
Alt, a native of nearby Perrysburg, Ohio, enrolled at Bowling Green after earning four varsity letters in cross-country and track at Perrysburg High School. One of the key members of the youth movement, Alt believes that the future is bright for the program.
“I think this year we can take a huge step compared to last year,” said Alt. “Everyone is on the team now, and because we are so young we can continue to bring in more athletes who reinforce the values and work ethic that we all have. We can definitely be a threat in the MAC by the end of my four years here.”
Abby Koch, a red shirt junior from Stow, Ohio, is also coming off of a redshirt season. Koch returns to the track after successful freshman and sophomore seasons, highlighted by a first-place finish at the Mel Brodt Invitational in 2010.
“We have a lot of experience,” said Koch, when asked about the upperclassmen on the roster. “We can let the younger athletes know how the competition will stack up, and how it has stacked up in the past. I feel the underclassmen can bring a lot to the table, and that we can be very strong this year.”
The Falcons will see their first action of the season at the Mel Brodt Collegiate Opener, a home meet set for Aug. 31.
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time/Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Mel Brodt Collegiate Opener | Bowling Green, Ohio | 6:30 P.M. | |
|
|
Buffalo Stampede Invitational | Buffalo, N.Y. | 12:00 P.M. | |
|
|
All-Ohio Championships | Cedarville, Ohio | 2:00 P.M. | |
|
|
Bradley Classic | Peoria, Ill. | 4:25 P.M. | |
|
|
MAC Championships | Buffalo, N.Y. | 11:00 A.M. | |
|
|
NCAA Great Lakes Regional | Madison, Wis. | TBA | |
|
|
NCAA Championships | Louisville, Ky. | TBA |
XC: Falcon Invitational - Rachel Rhynard (Oct. 17, 2025)
Saturday, October 18
Lou Snelling Post-NCAA Great Lakes Regional Interview (November 15, 2024)
Friday, November 15
Lou Snelling Post-MAC Championships Interview (November 2, 2024)
Friday, November 15
Candace Archer Post-Meet Interview (October 18, 2024)
Monday, October 21