Bowling Green State University Athletics
Saturday, April 5
Athens, Ohio
All Day
Bowling Green State University
at
Ohio Cherry Blossom Invitational
Falcons Ready For More Success At Ohio This Weekend
April 04, 2014 | Women's Track and Field
| OHIO CHERRY BLOSSOM INVITATIONAL | |
| Date | April 5, 2014 |
| Time | 12 pm |
| Location | Athens, Ohio | Goldsberry Track |
| Coverage | Live Stats |
| Additional Information | Twitter | Facebook | Performance List |
Bowling Green, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University track and field team heads to its second outdoor meet of the year as the Falcons will compete in the Cherry Blossom Invitational Saturday, hosted by Ohio University. Field events are set to begin at noon and running events get underway at 2 pm.
FOLLOW THE FALCONS
The BGSU track and field team can be followed all spring through a number of ways. Follow the official team Twitter account @BGXCTrack and the official account of the Athletics Department @BGAthletics. Links for live results and live video (as available) can be found on BGSUFalcons.com as meets provide those opportunities.
ABOUT THE OHIO CHERRY BLOSSOM INVITATIONAL
The Ohio Cherry Blossom Invitational is a one-day track meet with field events beginning at noon Saturday and running events at 2 pm. The entire schedule for the day is listed below.
Field Events
12 pm – Javelin
12 pm – Long jump
1 pm – Pole vault
1:30 pm – Shot put
1:30 pm – Triple jump
2 pm – High jump
3 pm – Discus
4:30 pm – Hammer throw
Running Events
2 pm – 5000
2:45 pm – 400 relay
2:55 pm – 1500
3:25 pm – 100 hurdles
3:35 pm – 400
3:45 pm – 100
3:55 pm – 800
4:15 pm – 400 hurdles
4:35 pm – 200
4:50 pm – 3000 steeplechase
5:20 pm – 1600 relay
PRESEASON RANKINGS
The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released its outdoor track and field preseason national rankings. The Falcons are ranked No. 64 in the country, the highest preseason ranking for the team since the USTFCCCA began ranking in 2008. A year ago, Bowling Green's preseason rank was No. 207.
BGSU is third among all Mid-American Conference schools with Akron leading the way at No. 26 and Buffalo in second at No. 54. Following Bowling Green is Kent State at No. 66 and Eastern Michigan at No. 116.
MAKING A NATIONAL SPLASH
In just one week, Bowling Green has already made a splash on the national scene with seven Falcons ranked among the top 100 in the country. Listed below are each of those competitors:
200 – 27. Jeanette Pettigrew
5000 – 78. Andrea Alt
Long jump – 49. Jeanette Pettigrew, 85. Alicia Arnold
Shot put – 91. Makenzie Wheat
Hammer throw – 53. Kori Reiser, 57. Tina Perrine
THE REGIONAL SCENE
While being ranked among the top 100 in the country is a big accomplishment, finishing the year ranked in the top 48 in the region will allow a student-athlete to advance to the NCAA regionals. A year ago, only Brooke Pleger finished in the top 48 to advance. Listed below are the four student-athletes in five events currently ranked among the top 48 in the East.
200 – 8. Jeanette Pettigrew
Long jump – 34. Jeanette Pettigrew
Shot put – 42. Makenzie Wheat
Hammer throw – 22. Kori Reiser, 24. Tina Perrine
HAMMER TIME
Junior Brooke Pleger was named an NCAA Division I First Team All-American a year ago after finishing seventh in the country in the hammer throw. In the USTFCCCA preseason rankings, she is third in the country in the event. Pleger threw the hammer as far as 219-feet-9 a year ago, a mark that would rank first in the country in the early-going this year. Currently, Akron's Brittany Funk and Princeton's Julia Ratcliffe have each thrown 217-7 this year to lead the national rankings.
TEACHING PETTIGREW NEW TRICKS
Senior Jeanette Pettigrew has always been one of the Mid-American Conference's fastest sprinters. But she has added versatility this year, competing in the long jump for the first time in her career. In the first meet of the year, competing in the long jump for the first time, Pettigrew surpassed the MAC automatic qualifying mark in the event with a leap of 19-feet-4.25. She ranks third in the conference in the long jump, less than two inches shy of first.
WHEAT IS NEAT
Freshman Makenzie Wheat ranks among the top 100 in the country in the shot put and ranks 13th among all freshmen in the event. In fact, she is tenth among true freshmen in the country with a toss of 46-feet.
STANDING ABOVE THE REST
When Brooke Pleger threw the hammer 216-feet-3 at the MAC Championships a year ago, not only did that distance clinch a MAC title. It also broke the MAC Championship record in the hammer throw, breaking a record held by 2009 National Champion Stevi Large. Considering that second-place finisher Brittany Funk also broke the MAC Championship record, Pleger needed just about every ounce of energy to win the title. Listed below are the top five distances ever thrown at the MAC Championships.
| Top Hammer Throws In MAC Championship History | ||
|---|---|---|
| Distance | Competitor (School) | Year |
| 216-3 | Brooke Pleger (Bowling Green) | 2013 |
| 214-6 | Brittany Funk (Akron) | 2013 |
| 213-10 | Stevi Large (Akron) | 2009 |
| 206-4 | Shant'e White (Buffalo) | 2011 |
| 202-7 | Stevi Large (Akron) | 2007 |
#MACtion
Bowling Green placed 10th at the Mid-American Conference Championships a year ago with 23 points, but the Falcons have reason to believe they can exceed those results this year. BGSU returns everyone who scored points in an individual event a year ago and all of those, in fact, are underclassmen this year still. That list begins with junior Brooke Pleger, who won the hammer throw. Redshirt sophomore Andrea Alt was seventh in the steeplechase, while sophomores Tiera Parker and Kayla Velasquez placed eighth in the triple jump and discus, respectively. On top of those competitors, senior Jeanette Pettigrew placed as high as third in both the 100 and 200 at the MAC Championships in 2011. Adding to the depth, senior Tina Perrine, sophomore Jasmine Redman and freshman Makenzie Wheat all scored points at the MAC Indoor Championships.
PLEGER CLOSING IN ON HISTORIC COLLEGIATE MARKS
Brooke Pleger threw the hammer a distance of 219-feet-9 a year ago, a mark that is less than two feet shy of placing her among the top 10 American collegiate hammer throwers of all time. If she is able to improve upon her distance this year, she could climb the ladder quickly. Listed below are the ten athletes she is chasing:
| Top American Collegiate Hammer Throwers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Distance | Name (School) | Date |
| 237-10 | Brittany Riley (Southern Illinois) | 4/28/07 |
| 233-1 | Amanda Bingson (UNLV) | 5/26/12 |
| 231-4 | Gwen Berry (Southern Illinois) | 4/30/11 |
| 229-10 | Chelsea Cassulo (Arizona State) | 5/23/13 |
| 229-9 | Loree Smith (Colorado State) | 11/30/99 |
| 227-8 | Jeneva McCall (Southern Illinois) | 3/24/12 |
| 224-9 | Brittany Smith (Illinois State) | 6/5/13 |
| 224-1 | Jessica Pressley (Arizona State) | 5/3/08 |
| 223-4 | Stevi Large (Akron) | 6/12/09 |
| 221-7 | Britney Henry (Oregon) | 4/15/06 |
CAPTAINS
BGSU head coach Lou Snelling has named three captains for the 2013-14 season. Redshirt sophomore Andrea Alt, redshirt junior Brooke Pleger and redshirt senior Jeanette Pettigrew will guide the Falcons.
SNELLING RECOGNIZED BY SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE
A six-time Southland Conference Coach of the Year at Stephen F. Austin, BGSU Head Coach Lou Snelling was named to the All-Time Southland Conference Honor Roll earlier this year. As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, the conference honored 65 student-athletes and eight coaches (of which Snelling was recognized) for their historic contributions to the sport.
BGSU In the Nest : Track and Field
Tuesday, June 10
Lou Snelling Post-MAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships Interview (May 17, 2025)
Wednesday, May 21
Lou Snelling Post-Meet Interview (December 7, 2024)
Wednesday, December 11
BG TF : Coach Snelling Postmen
Saturday, January 13