Falcons Send Four To Final Regular Season Weekend Meet

Friday, February 19

Columbus, Ohio

4:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Buckeye Tune-Up

Photo by: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing and Communications

February 18, 2016 | Women's Track and Field

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

BUCKEYE TUNE-UP

MEET INFORMATION	Friday, Feb. 19 - 4 pm
LOCATION	Columbus, Ohio (French Field House)
PERFORMANCE LIST	BGSUFalcons.com
LIVE RESULTS	OhioStateBuckeyes.com

Bowling Green, Ohio – In the final weekend of preparation for the MAC Championship, the BGSU Track and Field team will send four student-athletes to the Buckeye Tune-Up, hosted by Ohio State, beginning at 4 pm. Kori Reiser, Aliyah Gustafson and Allie Farmer will compete in the weight throw, while Natalee Cole will run the 800.

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 BUCKEYE TUNE-UP
The Buckeye Tune-Up takes place at French Field House in Columbus beginning at 4 pm Friday. There is no admission fee for the meet. The schedule of events including BGSU competitors follows:

Friday
4 pm – Weight throw (Kori Reiser, Aliyah Gustafson, Allie Farmer)
7:10 pm – 800 (Natalee Cole)

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
"As we look ahead to the MAC Championships, the competition Friday is important to the women competing for a variety of reasons. For our younger student-athletes, it's one more opportunity to qualify in an event that is newer to them. It will also help us to stay sharp, while setting these women up for success at our biggest meet of the season." – BGSU Throws Coach Matt Conly

LAST WEEK'S MEET
Kyla Paster and Mackenzie McMillin each earned Mid-American Conference automatic qualifying marks, bringing the Falcons' total to a program-record 14 this year. Paster jumped 18-feet-10.75 to win the long jump and hit a MAC auto mark. McMillin's qualification came in the 5,000 as she ran 17:13.37.

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 63rd nationally and is more than two inches higher than her previous best. She currently ranks fourth in the MAC in the event.

MAC RANKINGS
BGSU ranks among the top four in the MAC in six different events this year, led by Alicia Arnold's second-place ranking in the 200. Arnold is also third in the 60, while Jade Nolan is third in the long jump. Triple jumper Tiera Parker and shot putter Aliyah Gustafson are also third in the MAC currently. In total, BGSU has 14 marks among the top 10 in the conference and another 10 among the top 20. Listed below are all student-athletes ranked in the top 20 in the conference in an event.

60 – 3. Alicia Arnold 7.53 (AQ), 13. Tiera Parker 7.68, 15. Dorresha Green 7.70
200 – 2. Alicia Arnold 24.28 (AQ), 15. Kera Lamotte 24.93
400 – 18. Taylor Rambo 56.81
5,000 – 13. Mackenzie McMillin (AQ) 17:13.37, 20. Rebecca Schott 17:28.57
1600 relay – 12. Bowling Green 3:56.53#
High jump – 4. Raven Porter 5-8.75 (AQ)
Long jump – 3. Jade Nolan 19-6 (AQ), 7. Alicia Arnold 19-3.25 (AQ), 10. Tiera Parker 18-11.25 (AQ), 11. Kyla Paster 18-10.75 (AQ)
Triple jump – 4. Tiera Parker 39-10 (AQ), 6. Kyla Paster 38-8.75 (AQ), 15. Jade Nolan 37-10.75, 19. Africa Strodes 37-1.75
Shot put – 3. Aliyah Gustafson 51-5 (AQ), 5. Makenzie Wheat 51-1.75 (AQ)
Weight throw – 7. Kori Reiser 58-8.5 (AQ), 10. Kayla Velasquez 58-2.5 (AQ), 12. Aliyah Gustafson 56-9.25, 15. Allie Farmer 54-8
Pentathlon – 9. Sydnee Matthew 3,087

AQ – Surpassed MAC automatic qualifying mark
# - Converted time

NATIONAL RANKINGS
Four Falcons are ranked among the top 100 in the country in an event, with Aliyah Gustafson and Makenzie Wheat ranking among the top 50 in the shot put. Listed below are all four Falcons ranked among the top 100 nationally in an event.

High jump – 63. Raven Porter 5-8.75
Long jump – 77. Jade Nolan 19-6
Shot put – 44. Aliyah Gustafson 51-5, 49. Makenzie Wheat 51-1.75

JUMP AROUND
Across the Mid-American Conference, 32 student-athletes have earned MAC automatic qualifying marks in either the triple jump, long jump or high jump. Seven of those marks are held by BGSU student-athletes. The Falcons have four of the top 11 long jumpers in the conference (all of which have earned MAC auto marks) and two of the top six triple jumpers. As well, Raven Porter ranks fourth 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 44th nationally and third in the MAC. She also ranks 12th 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 before qualifying two more last week. A year ago, the Falcons did not hit a MAC auto mark in its December meet and had a program-record 11 by the end of the indoor season. BGSU already has MAC automatic qualifying marks from four 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 in the top three in the conference in the 60 and 200, as well as seventh in the long jump.

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 met the MAC automatic qualifying standard in the long jump and is close in the triple jump. She ranks third in the MAC in the long jump.

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).