Falcons To Send Four To NCAA Regionals

NCAA Track & Field Preliminaries Site

Indianapolis, Ind. – The Bowling Green State University outdoor track and field team will send two seniors and two sophomores to the NCAA East Region Preliminary Round, as announced by the NCAA this afternoon. The meet takes place May 28-30 on the campus of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla.

Seniors Brooke Pleger and Brittany Sinclair will advance to the regional round in the hammer throw and 400 hurdles, respectively. Sophomores Kori Reiser and Makenzie Wheat will compete in the discus and shot put, respectively. For Pleger, it is her third appearance at the NCAA regional round, while Reiser and Wheat will be making their second appearances each. For Sinclair, it will be her first trip.

"We're proud to continue to represent Bowling Green a meet of this caliber," BGSU Track & Field coach Lou Snelling said. "It is a major goal of ours every year to send as many athletes as possible. This will be a great opportunity for Makenzie and Kori to gain more experience and move up the results. Both can put themselves into a position to qualify for NCAA's in future years. Brittany will get a great opportunity to close out her career of one of the best meets in the country. With this being Brooke's third year in a row at this meet, her experience will be valuable in navigating her way to Eugene."

The top 48 declared competitors in the east region in each event advance to the NCAA regional preliminary round. The top 12 finishers in the east will advance to the NCAA National Championship, along with the top 12 finishers in the west, for a field of 24 to compete for All-American status and a national title. The National Championships will take place June 10-13 in Eugene, Ore.

The large contingent of qualifiers to the regional round continues a trend for the Bowling Green track and field program. A year ago, the team sent five competitors to the regional round. Prior to that time, only Pleger had qualified for the NCAA regional meet since 2011, when Jessie Rowland and Ashley Harris both represented Bowling Green.

Listed below is information about each BGSU qualifier and the qualifying route for each event to the NCAA National Championships:

BROOKE PLEGER (HAMMER THROW)
Pleger is the top seed in the hammer throw in the East region and the No. 1 ranked thrower in the country. Two years ago, she posted the top result in the hammer throw during the preliminary round and last year, she was second. At the NCAA National Championships, she has twice been named an All-American after finishing seventh in 2013 and third in 2014. She looks to become BGSU's first national champion since gymnast Marny Oestreng won the floor exercise in 1999. In the regional field, three of the top eight seeds hail from the Mid-American Conference and seven competitors from the conference advanced to the meet.

How To Qualify For Nationals
In the East region preliminary round, the hammer throw will be broken up into three flights of 16 competitors each. Each of the 48 student-athletes will get three throws and the top 12 will advance to the NCAA National Championships.

Pleger's NCAA Regional History
Hammer throw - 2013, first place (210-1); 2014, second place (216-2)

MAKENZIE WHEAT (SHOT PUT)
Wheat has skyrocketed up the rankings and is No. 24 in the shot put a year after earning the last of 48 spots in the east region field as a freshman. Among a strong field at the MAC Championships a week ago, Wheat placed fifth overall. Five competitors from the MAC made the regional field, including No. 2 seed Danniel Thomas of Kent State (who is also the second seed in the discus). All five are ranked in the top half of the field.

How To Qualify For Nationals
In the East region preliminary round, the shot put will be broken up into four flights of 12 competitors. Each of the 48 student-athletes will get three throws and the top 12 will advance to the NCAA National Championships.

Wheat's NCAA Regional History
Shot put - 2014, 48th place (no mark)

BRITTANY SINCLAIR (400 HURDLES)
Sinclair will make her debut at the NCAA East Region preliminary round as the No. 35 seed in the 400 hurdles. Heading into the MAC Championships, she was the top ranked competitor in the conference in the event with a time of 58.97 seconds. Between indoor and outdoor track and field, she holds six school records. There are four MAC competitors in the field and Sinclair is the second-highest seeded of the group.

How To Qualify For Nationals
The 400 hurdles will be broken up into six heats of eight competitors each for the first round. The top three finishers in each heat plus the next six best times will advance to the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals will be split into three heats and the top three finishers in each heat plus the next three best times will advance to the NCAA National Championships.

Sinclair's NCAA Regional History
Debut

KORI REISER (DISCUS)
Reiser advanced to the NCAA East Region preliminary round in the discus as the No. 45 seed. She peaked at the right time, throwing a season-best 160-feet-9 at the MAC Championships to earn a spot in the regional field and place fifth at the conference meet. A year ago, she was seeded No. 43 at the regional meet but climbed nine spots to finish 34th. Seven members of the conference qualified for the regional meet and Reiser is sixth among them. Four of the top 12 seeds come from the MAC, including No. 2 seed Danniel Thomas of Kent State (who is also the second seed in the shot put).

How To Qualify For Nationals
In the East region preliminary round, the discus will be broken up into three flights of 16 competitors each. Each of the 48 student-athletes will get three throws and the top 12 will advance to the NCAA National Championships.

Reiser's NCAA Regional History
Discus - 2014, 34th place (158-6)
Hammer throw - 2014, 31st place (182-4)

NCAA East Region Preliminary Round Schedule of Events

Thursday
3:30 pm – Shot put (Makenzie Wheat)
4:30 pm – 400 hurdles first round (Brittany Sinclair)

Friday
12 pm – Discus (Kori Reiser)
7:30 pm – 400 hurdles quarterfinals (Brittany Sinclair)

Saturday
1:30 pm – Hammer throw (Brooke Pleger)

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Brooke Pleger

Kori Reiser

Brittany Sinclair

Makenzie Wheat

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