Bowling Green State University Athletics
Aliyah Gustafson Named First Team All-MAC
May 16, 2016 | Women's Track and Field
Cleveland, Ohio – By virtue of a MAC Championship in the shot put, redshirt sophomore Aliyah Gustafson has been named first team All-MAC for outdoor track and field. Gustafson won the conference title on her final throw, jumping from seventh to first on her last chance for victory.
Although she entered the MAC Championship as the top seed, Gustafson struggled early in her first appearance at the conference meet. She was still able to earn a spot in the finals but sat in seventh place with just one round to go. Gustafson, though, uncorked a throw of 51-feet-4.5 to overtake the field and defeat runner-up Devene Brown of Central Michigan, who threw 51-1.75.
For Gustafson, it was the culmination of 16 long months after tearing her ACL in January of 2015. At the time, she was in the midst of a strong redshirt freshman campaign during the indoor season, twice earning automatic qualification to the MAC Championships in the shot put. But the injury ended her year. She was able to return in time to place fifth in the shot put during the 2016 indoor season at the MAC Championships and then rose to the top of the conference during the outdoor campaign.
Gustafson joins Beth Manson (1998, 1999) and Kerri McClung (2005) as the only MAC shot put champions from Bowling Green. She continues a string of four consecutive years in which a BGSU student-athlete has won a MAC Championship during outdoor track and field.
Currently, Gustafson ranks No. 19 in the region in the shot put. The top 48 qualifiers will compete at the NCAA East Region Preliminary Round in Jacksonville, Fla. May 26-28. The top 12 finishers at that meet will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships in Eugene, Ore. June 8-11.
Although she entered the MAC Championship as the top seed, Gustafson struggled early in her first appearance at the conference meet. She was still able to earn a spot in the finals but sat in seventh place with just one round to go. Gustafson, though, uncorked a throw of 51-feet-4.5 to overtake the field and defeat runner-up Devene Brown of Central Michigan, who threw 51-1.75.
For Gustafson, it was the culmination of 16 long months after tearing her ACL in January of 2015. At the time, she was in the midst of a strong redshirt freshman campaign during the indoor season, twice earning automatic qualification to the MAC Championships in the shot put. But the injury ended her year. She was able to return in time to place fifth in the shot put during the 2016 indoor season at the MAC Championships and then rose to the top of the conference during the outdoor campaign.
Gustafson joins Beth Manson (1998, 1999) and Kerri McClung (2005) as the only MAC shot put champions from Bowling Green. She continues a string of four consecutive years in which a BGSU student-athlete has won a MAC Championship during outdoor track and field.
Currently, Gustafson ranks No. 19 in the region in the shot put. The top 48 qualifiers will compete at the NCAA East Region Preliminary Round in Jacksonville, Fla. May 26-28. The top 12 finishers at that meet will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships in Eugene, Ore. June 8-11.
Players Mentioned
Throws
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