Bowling Green State University Athletics
Pleger Sets MAC Championship Record In Hammer Throw
May 09, 2013 | Women's Track and Field
MAC Championship Day One Results (.pdf)
Photo Gallery 1
Photo Gallery 2
Akron, Ohio – Redshirt sophomore Brooke Pleger won the hammer throw on the first day of the Mid-American Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, breaking the meet record in the process. With her result, the Bowling Green track and field team finished the opening day in eighth place at the event, already scoring more team points than in two of the past three seasons.
Pleger entered the MAC Championships ranked fifth in the country in the hammer throw but Akron's Brittany Funk was right behind in seventh in the country. Pleger's first throw of the day broke the MAC Championship record and went 216-feet-3. Funk, though, stayed close by throwing 214-6 on her opening toss.
No other competitor would reach even 195 feet on the day and the championship came down to Pleger and Funk. Neither athlete was able to improve their opening mark over the course of the next two throws. Sitting in the same position with just two throws remaining, Funk had a strong mark that looked like it might push her into first place but it came up short. When she finally fouled on her sixth and final throw, it clinched the championship for Pleger.
Pleger became the program's first MAC champion in any event at the outdoor championships since Kerri McClung won the shot put in 2005. She is the third MAC hammer throw champion from BGSU, joining Lisa Keegan (1999) and Heather Nordgren (1996). Her throw of 216-3 surpassed the meet record of 213-10 set by Akron's Stevi Large in 2009. Large would go on to win the National Championship that season.
Only six Falcons competed on the first day of the MAC Championships, but there were other impressive results as well. Shana Flanary placed 12th in the hammer with a distance of 168-2, just shy of her personal best. Kayla Velasquez set a PR in the hammer and placed 13th with a throw of 166-2.
Abby Koch and Kendra Kezur both competed in the 10,000 for the first times in their careers. Koch finished 15th with a time of 38:11.33 and Kezur was 17th in 39:17.50. As well, Krystin Reiser completed the first four events of the heptathlon with 2,387 points. She will finish the event Friday.
The Falcons have a full day ahead Friday with the preliminaries in running events. Reiser will begin things off with the conclusion of the heptathlon at 12:15 pm followed by Maria Meredith in the 1500 at 2 pm. The Falcons are slated to compete in seven other events throughout the day and finals qualifiers will compete Saturday beginning at 12:05 pm.
Mid-American Conference
Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Team standings: Akron 30, Kent State 29, Buffalo 21.5, Miami 19, Toledo 17, Eastern Michigan 14.5, Central Michigan 12, Bowling Green 10, Ohio 3
BGSU Results
Hammer throw – 1. Brooke Pleger 216-3 (MAC Championship record), 12. Shana Flanary 168-2, 13. Kayla Velasquez 166-2
10000 – 15. Abby Koch 38:11.33, 17. Kendra Kezur 39:17.50
Heptathlon (through four events) – 12. Krystin Reiser 2,387 points
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