Friday, January 29
Findlay, Ohio
4:30 PM
Bowling Green State University
vs
Findlay Classic
Photo by: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing and Communications
Falcons On The Move This Weekend For Two Meets
January 28, 2016 | Women's Track and Field
SPIRE MIDWEST OPEN
| MEET INFORMATION | Friday, Jan. 29 - 7:45 pm Saturday, Jan. 30 - 4:50 pm |
| LOCATION | Geneva, Ohio (SPIRE Institute) |
| LIVE STATS | Lightning Timing |
| PERFORMANCE LIST | BGSUFalcons.com |
FINDLAY CLASSIC
| MEET INFORMATION | Friday, Jan. 29 - 4:30 pm Saturday, Jan. 30 - 10:30 am |
| LOCATION | Findlay, Ohio (Malcolm Athletic Center) |
| LIVE STATS | TBA |
| PERFORMANCE LIST | BGSUFalcons.com |
Geneva, Ohio – Bowling Green's distance team heads east to compete in the SPIRE Midwest Open at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. The meet takes place Friday and Saturday with the 5,000 Friday night at 7:45 pm and the 3,000 Saturday at 4:50 pm. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students, seniors and retired military. Active military and children under six years of age are free.
The Falcon throwers and sprinters will compete at the Findlay Classic Friday and Saturday with events starting at 4:30 pm Friday and 10:30 am Saturday.
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 @BG_XCTrack
Instagram – BGFalcons and BG_XCTrack
Facebook – BGSU Athletics
YouTube – FalconAthletics
Snapchat – BG_XCTrack
ABOUT THE SPIRE MIDWEST OPEN
The SPIRE Midwest Open features schools from the NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA and Junior College levels and is held at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. Both men and women will compete at the event. The schedule of events in which BGSU is scheduled to compete is listed below.
Friday
7:45 pm – 5,000 (Andrea Alt, Mackenzie McMillin, Becca Rae)
Saturday
4:50 pm – 3,000 (Andrea Alt, Mackenzie McMillin, Becca Rae, Elena Lancioni, Rebecca Schott, Allison Francis)
ABOUT THE FINDLAY CLASSIC
The Findlay Classic takes place Friday and Saturday at the University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio. Both men and women will compete at the event. The schedule of events in which BGSU is scheduled to compete is listed below.
Friday
4:30 pm – Weight throw (Allie Farmer, Kayla Velasquez)
Saturday
10:30 am – Shot put (Aliyah Gustafson, Makenzie Wheat, Sydnee Matthew)
10:30 am – Long jump (Alicia Arnold, Jade Nolan, Africa Strodes)
10:30 am – High jump (Sydnee Matthew)
12:20 pm – 60 prelims (Jade Nolan, Africa Strodes)
12:50 pm – 60 hurdles prelims (Sydnee Matthew)
1:55 pm – 60 hurdles finals
2:05 pm – 400 (Camerone Bryant, Natalee Cole, Gabrielle Edwards, Cheyenne Oswald)
3:05 pm – 60 finals
4:05 pm – 200 (Natalee Cole, Cheyenne Oswald, Camerone Bryant)
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
"We feel good about where we are but the reality is, what happens over the next three weeks, will determine a lot. We're in a great spot right now, but can we continue to progress? We have to take steps over the next three weekends heading into the MAC Championships." – BGSU Head Coach Lou Snelling
LAST WEEK AT THE TOM WRIGHT OPEN
BGSU scored 88 points to win its second consecutive Tom Wright Open. Dayton was second with 30 points and Toledo had 29. The Falcons added to Mid-American Conference automatic qualifying marks, with Kayla Velasquez throwing 57-feet-7 in the weight throw and Alicia Arnold running 24.94 seconds in the 200. In all, BGSU won nine events to run away with the meet title.
THAT'S SO RAVEN
Bowling Green junior Raven Porter set a new personal best in the high jump at the BG Opener and was named MAC Field Athlete of the Week for the performance. She leaped 5-feet-8.75, a mark that ranks 45th nationally and is more than two inches higher than her previous best. She currently ranks third in the MAC in the event.
MAC RANKINGS
BGSU freshman Jade Nolan ranks first in the MAC in the long jump, but the Falcons also rank highly in the other jumping events. Tiera Parker is currently second in the triple jump and Raven Porter is third in the high jump. In fact, the Falcons have earned six MAC auto marks in the jumps and have three of the top seven long jumpers in the league. In total, BGSU has 14 marks among the top 10 in the conference and another seven among the top 20. Listed below are all student-athletes ranked in the top 20 in the conference in an event.
60 – 2. Alicia Arnold 7.57 (AQ), 10. Tiera Parker 7.68, 12. Dorresha Green 7.70
200 – 5. Alicia Arnold 24.56#, 15. Kera Lamotte 25.16#
400 – 11. Taylor Rambo 57.59#
1600 relay – 10. Bowling Green 3:56.53#
High jump – 3. Raven Porter 5-8.75 (AQ)
Long jump – 1. Jade Nolan 19-6 (AQ), 3. Alicia Arnold 19-3.25 (AQ), 7. Tiera Parker 18-11.25 (AQ), 11. Kyla Paster 18-8.5
Triple jump – 2. Tiera Parker 39-10 (AQ), 5. Kyla Paster 38-7.5 (AQ), 12. Jade Nolan 37-10.75, 13. Africa Strodes 37-1.75
Shot put – 2. Aliyah Gustafson 51-5 (AQ), 6. Makenzie Wheat 49-5.5 (AQ)
Weight throw – 8. Kori Reiser 58-8.5 (AQ), 10. Kayla Velasquez 57-7, 11. Aliyah Gustafson 56-9.25
AQ – Surpassed MAC automatic qualifying mark
# - Converted time
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Aliyah Gustafson vaulted into the top 30 in the country in the shot put by her throw of 51-feet-5 at the Tom Wright Open. As well, Jade Nolan (long jump), Raven Porter (high jump) and Makenzie Wheat (shot put) all rank in the top 50 nationally. Listed below are all eight Falcons ranked among the top 100 nationally in an event.
High jump – 45. Raven Porter 5-8.75
Long jump – 44. Jade Nolan 19-6, 63. Alicia Arnold 19-3.25, 97. Tiera Parker 18-11.25
Triple jump – 65. Tiera Parker 39-10
Shot put – 28. Aliyah Gustafson 51-5, 45. Makenzie Wheat 49-5.5
Weight throw – 88. Kori Reiser 58-8.5
JUMP AROUND
Across the Mid-American Conference, 23 student-athletes have earned MAC automatic qualifying marks in either the triple jump, long jump or high jump. Six of those marks are held by BGSU student-athletes. The Falcons have three of the top seven long jumpers in the conference (all of which have earned MAC auto marks) and two of the top five triple jumpers. As well, Raven Porter ranks third in the MAC in the high jump. A year ago, the Falcons earned just two top eight finishes at the MAC Championships in the jumping events.
BACK ON TRACK
Aliyah Gustafson was poised to have a breakout year in 2015 before a knee injury early in the indoor season sidelined her. However, she has returned to form in 2016 and has already unleashed the second-longest shot put in program history. Her throw of 51-feet-5 at the Tom Wright Open ranks 28th nationally and second in the MAC. She also ranks 11th in the conference in the weight throw.
BID CLINCHED
Bowling Green earned six Mid-American Conference automatic qualifying marks in the season opener at Grand Valley State and then added four more at the BG Opener. BGSU then moved the total to a dozen with two more automatic marks at the Tom Wright Open. A year ago, the Falcons did not hit a MAC auto mark in its December meet and had just seven at this same point in the season. In fact, the Falcons hit just 11 MAC auto marks for the entire indoor season in 2015. BGSU already has MAC automatic qualifying marks from three student-athletes in the long jump and two in each of the following events – triple jump, shot put and weight throw.
AGILE AND VERSATILE
Senior Alicia Arnold has proven to be a significant point-scorer at MAC Championship meets, finishing with runner-up finishes in the 200 and 400 relay and a third place finish in the 100 during the 2015 MAC Outdoor Championships. She has potential to pull off a similar feat at the MAC Indoor Championships this year and has already qualified automatically for three events – the long jump, 60 and 200. She ranks among the top five in the conference in all three events.
JADE IS A GEM
While a jade is a gemstone, freshman Jade Nolan has proven to be one of the freshmen gems in the Mid-American Conference in the early-going. Nolan has already met the MAC automatic qualifying standard in the long jump and is close in the triple jump. She ranks first in the MAC and 44th nationally in the long jump. She is sixth among all freshmen nationally in the event.
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 (3rd/200; 5th/Long jump; 6th/60), Dorresha Green (5th/60), Raven Porter (7th/High jump), Demetra Taylor (7th/60 hurdles), Kayla Velasquez (7th/Weight throw) and Makenzie Wheat (6th/Shot put).
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints/Relays
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Combined
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints/Relays
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints/Relays/Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints/Relays
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
/ Women's Track and FieldBGSU 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