Time For #MACtion: Falcons Head To Akron For MAC Championships

Friday, February 26

Akron, Ohio

TBA

Bowling Green State University

MAC Championships

Photo by: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing and Communications

February 25, 2016 | Women's Track and Field

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

MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS

MEET INFORMATION	Friday, Feb. 26 / Saturday, Feb. 27 - 12:30 pm / 1 pm
LOCATION	Akron, Ohio (Stile Field House)
PERFORMANCE LIST	BGSUFalcons.com
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL	MAC-sports.com

Bowling Green, Ohio – Bowling Green heads to Akron for the MAC Championships Friday and Saturday at Stile Field House, hosted by the University of Akron. The Falcons send competitors who are seeded among the top four in the Mid-American Conference in six different events as the team looks to improve upon last year's ninth place finish (35 team points). Field events begin Friday at 12:30 pm with running events following at 2 pm. Saturday's field events start at 1 pm and running events at 1:30 pm.

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 MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
The MAC Championships take place Friday at Saturday at Stile Field House at the University of Akron. Events begin with the heptathlon Friday at 11 am and Saturday at 10 am. The schedule of events including BGSU competitors follows:

Friday
Field Events
12:30 pm – Long jump (3. Jade Nolan, 9. Tiera Parker, 10. Kyla Paster)
1:30 pm – Weight throw (7. Kori Reiser, 10. Kayla Velasquez, 12. Allie Farmer)
Running Events
2:45 pm – 400 prelims (14. Taylor Rambo)
3:15 pm – 60 prelims (3. Alicia Arnold, 12. Tiera Parker, 14. Dorresha Green)
4:20 pm – 200 prelims (4. Alicia Arnold, 14. Kera Lamotte, 17. Cortisha Short)
5 pm – 5,000 (12. Mackenzie McMillin, 18. Rebecca Schott, 19. Becca Rae)
5:45 pm – Distance Medley Relay (8. Bowling Green)

Saturday
Field Events
1 pm – High jump (4. Raven Porter)
2 pm – Triple jump (4. Tiera Parker, 7. Kyla Paster, 15. Jade Nolan)
2:05 pm – Shot put (3. Aliyah Gustafson, 5. Makenzie Wheat)
Running Events
2:35 pm – 400 finals (Taylor Rambo)
3:00 pm – 60 finals (Alicia Arnold, Tiera Parker, Dorresha Green)
3:40 pm – 200 finals (Alicia Arnold, Kera Lamotte, Cortisha Short)
4:10 pm – 3,000 (17. Andrea Alt, 19. Becca Rae)
4:40 pm – 1600 relay (11. Bowling Green)

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
"The potential is there to do more than we have since the late 90's if we focus on the controllable. When it comes to the big day, and the big day is MAC Championships, we want to overachieve. It's intentional, it's thoughtful, and it's something we want to be as a program. From a coaching perspective, we try to line things up to ensure that." – BGSU Track and Field Coach Lou Snelling

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.

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 – 64. Raven Porter 5-8.75
Long jump – 77. Jade Nolan 19-6
Shot put – 45. Aliyah Gustafson 51-5, 50. 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 45th 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 qualified automatically for three events – the long jump, 60 and 200. She ranks in the top four in the conference in the 60 and 200.

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).