Baby Birds No More: Veteran Falcons Open Indoor Track Season Friday

Friday, December 4

Allendale, Mich.

3:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

GVSU Holiday Open

Baby Birds No More: Veteran Falcons Open Indoor Track Season Friday

December 03, 2015 | Women's Track and Field

By: by Jason Knavel, Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Communications

Allendale, Mich. – The Bowling Green State University indoor track and field team opens the 2015-16 season Friday at the GVSU Holiday Open, hosted by Grand Valley State. The Falcons will send sprints, jumps, hurdles and field competitors to the event, while the distance team will continue to prepare outside of a competition setting for the remainder of the schedule. A veteran squad that returns 20-of-26 competitors from the MAC Championships a year ago kicks off the season at 3 pm Friday. In total, the team is scheduled to compete at Grand Valley State three times during the indoor season.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
The BGSU track and field team can be followed all winter/spring long through a number of ways. Social media links are listed below and live results and live video (as available) can be found on BGSUFalcons.com as meets provide those opportunities.

Twitter - @BGAthletics and @BGXCTrack
Instagram – BGFalcons and bg_xctrackandfield
Facebook – BGSU Athletics
YouTube – FalconAthletics

ABOUT THE GVSU HOLIDAY OPEN
The GVSU Holiday Open will be held at Kelly Family Sports Center (1 Campus Drive, Allendale, Mich.), beginning at 3 pm Friday afternoon. It is a 300m track and admission is $7 for all spectators. BGSU's tentative schedule of competitors is listed below.

Field Events
3 pm – Weight throw / Women first (Kori Reiser, Aliyah Gustafson)
3 pm – Shot put / Men first, followed by women (Aliyah Gustafson, Makenzie Wheat)
3 pm – Long jump (Raven Porter, Alicia Arnold, Jade Nolan)
3 pm – Triple jump / Following long jump (Jade Nolan, Kyla Paster, Tiera Parker)
3 pm – High jump / Men first, followed by women (Raven Porter)

Running Events (Rolling Start at 3 pm)
60 hurdles (prelims) – Sydnee Matthew, Demetra Taylor
60 (prelims) – Dorresha Green, Brianna Johnson, Kera Lamotte, Cortisha Short
5000
Mile
400 – Paichence Carter, Cheyenne Oswald
60 hurdles (semifinals or finals)
60 (semifinals or finals)
600 – Natalee Cole, Colleen Reynolds
300 – Gabrielle Edwards
1000
60 hurdles (finals if necessary)
60 (finals if necessary)
800
200 – Brianna Johnson, Kera Lamotte, Cortisha Short
3000
1600 relay – Two entries

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
"We have most of the team coming back from last year. We added a few new pieces and I think we're primed to have our best year since maybe the late 90's." – BGSU Head Coach Lou Snelling

NEWCOMERS SET TO MAKE THEIR MARK
Five freshmen are set to make their college debut on Friday, beginning with Jade Nolan (Milwaukee, Wisc.) in the long jump and triple jump. Paichence Carter (Columbus, Ohio) and Cheyenne Oswald (Langhorne, Pa.) will be run the 400, while Natalee Cole (Powell, Ohio) and Colleen Reynolds (Gibsonburg, Ohio) will compete in the 600.

A VETERAN PRESENCE
A year ago, the Falcons had 26 entrants in individual events at the MAC Championships. Student-athletes who represent 20 of those entries return for the 2015-16 season, as well as three of four runners from the 1600 relay team at the MAC Championships. Returning point scorers include Alicia Arnold (3^rd/200; 5^th/Long jump; 6^th/60), Dorresha Green (5^th/60), Raven Porter (7^th/High jump), Demetra Taylor (7^th/60 hurdles), Kayla Velasquez (7^th/Weight throw) and Makenzie Wheat (6^th/Shot put).