Friday, February 24
Ypsilanti, Mich.
TBA
Bowling Green State University
vs
MAC Indoor Championships
Falcons Excel On Opening Day Of MAC Championships
February 24, 2017 | Women's Track and Field
Ypsilanti, Mich. – One school record fell and another just barely survived as the Bowling Green State University indoor track and field team attacked day one of the Mid-American Conference Championships Friday at Eastern Michigan University.
BGSU, predicted to finish eighth in the MAC preseason poll, scored the program's most points on the first day of the meet since 2011, finishing with 17 and earning a tie for fifth place. Aliyah Gustafson broke her own school record in the shot put and BeJai Fray almost broke another school record, coming up one point shy in the pentathlon.
"There were a lot of positives today," BGSU Track and Field Coach Lou Snelling said. "Aliyah broke the school record again and BeJai had a great day. She was so close to the school record, posting our highest score in that event in years and the she came back in the long jump and almost made finals. We built some momentum and now we need to take advantage of that tomorrow."
In the first event of the day, Gustafson left little doubt that she would be a contender from the beginning. On just her second throw of the day, she tossed 53-feet-6.75, marking the third time she's set a new standard in the program this season. That is more than five inches further than the 53-1.5 she tossed two weeks ago for the latest record.
But Gustafson was not the only shot put star. Makenzie Wheat, on the last attempt of her indoor career, threw 52-6.25 to jump into fourth place in the final standings, right behind Gustafson.
"Makenzie had a huge last throw," Snelling said. "That's what seniors do."
While the shot put came to a close early in the day, Fray went to work in the toughest event in track and field – the pentathlon. Competing in five events in succession, the junior transfer from Florida International, climbed the standings throughout the day, eventually settling into a sixth place finish. She opened the meet with a personal best time of 9.24 seconds in the 60 hurdles and added another PR in the shot put at 41-3.75. Along the way, she posted strong results in the high jump, the long jump and the 800 to finish with 3,566 points – amazingly just one point shy of the school record, set by Becky Barnett in 1996.
After Fray finished the grueling pentathlon, she moved right into competition in the long jump. Seeded 14th in the event, she just missed the finals by setting another new personal best with a leap of 18-10.5.
BGSU also earned another sixth place finish in the 5000. Redshirt sophomore Rachel Walny ran a time of 17:14.22 to earn a spot on the podium in her first time competing at the MAC Indoor Championships. Seeded 15th, Rebecca Schott just missed a podium finish with a 10th place result in 17:33.93.
In the sprints, prelim rounds were held for the right to compete in the finals Saturday. Top-seeded Dorresha Green advanced in the 60 with a time of 7.52 seconds, the second-fastest in the prelims, while senior Taylor Rambo slid into the finals of the 400 in eighth with a prelim time of 56.45 seconds.
"We got through to finals what we absolutely needed to get through," Snelling said. "Dorresha looked fantastic. That was the second-fastest she's ever run the 60."
Bowling Green will return to action Saturday at 11:30 am, looking to build upon the positive steps of day one. Key events for the Falcons include the 60, where Green will look to live up to the expectations as a favorite, and the weight throw, where BGSU has three of the top seven seeds. Rambo will compete in the 400 finals and Walny will attempt to make a return trip to the podium, this time in the 3,000.
Pentathlon – 6. BeJai Fray 3,566, 11. Chasatea Brown 3,278
60 prelims – 2. Dorresha Green 7.52, 16. Kyla Paster 7.72
200 prelims – 17. Cortisha Short 25.34
400 prelims – 8. Taylor Rambo 56.45
5000 – 6. Rachel Walny 17:14.22, 10. Rebecca Schott 17:33.93, 20. Becca Rae 18:37.21
Distance Medley Relay – 10. Allison Holahan, Brianna Johnson, Rachel Stute, Rachel Durbin 12:13.87
Shot put – 3. Aliyah Gustafson 53-6.75 (16.33m), 4. Makenzie Wheat 52-6.25 (16.01m), 10. Elizabeth Iversen 46-6.25 (14.18m)
Long jump – 11. BeJai Fray 18-10.25 (5.75m), 14. Raven Porter 18-6.75 (5.66m)
BGSU, predicted to finish eighth in the MAC preseason poll, scored the program's most points on the first day of the meet since 2011, finishing with 17 and earning a tie for fifth place. Aliyah Gustafson broke her own school record in the shot put and BeJai Fray almost broke another school record, coming up one point shy in the pentathlon.
"There were a lot of positives today," BGSU Track and Field Coach Lou Snelling said. "Aliyah broke the school record again and BeJai had a great day. She was so close to the school record, posting our highest score in that event in years and the she came back in the long jump and almost made finals. We built some momentum and now we need to take advantage of that tomorrow."
In the first event of the day, Gustafson left little doubt that she would be a contender from the beginning. On just her second throw of the day, she tossed 53-feet-6.75, marking the third time she's set a new standard in the program this season. That is more than five inches further than the 53-1.5 she tossed two weeks ago for the latest record.
But Gustafson was not the only shot put star. Makenzie Wheat, on the last attempt of her indoor career, threw 52-6.25 to jump into fourth place in the final standings, right behind Gustafson.
"Makenzie had a huge last throw," Snelling said. "That's what seniors do."
While the shot put came to a close early in the day, Fray went to work in the toughest event in track and field – the pentathlon. Competing in five events in succession, the junior transfer from Florida International, climbed the standings throughout the day, eventually settling into a sixth place finish. She opened the meet with a personal best time of 9.24 seconds in the 60 hurdles and added another PR in the shot put at 41-3.75. Along the way, she posted strong results in the high jump, the long jump and the 800 to finish with 3,566 points – amazingly just one point shy of the school record, set by Becky Barnett in 1996.
After Fray finished the grueling pentathlon, she moved right into competition in the long jump. Seeded 14th in the event, she just missed the finals by setting another new personal best with a leap of 18-10.5.
BGSU also earned another sixth place finish in the 5000. Redshirt sophomore Rachel Walny ran a time of 17:14.22 to earn a spot on the podium in her first time competing at the MAC Indoor Championships. Seeded 15th, Rebecca Schott just missed a podium finish with a 10th place result in 17:33.93.
In the sprints, prelim rounds were held for the right to compete in the finals Saturday. Top-seeded Dorresha Green advanced in the 60 with a time of 7.52 seconds, the second-fastest in the prelims, while senior Taylor Rambo slid into the finals of the 400 in eighth with a prelim time of 56.45 seconds.
"We got through to finals what we absolutely needed to get through," Snelling said. "Dorresha looked fantastic. That was the second-fastest she's ever run the 60."
Bowling Green will return to action Saturday at 11:30 am, looking to build upon the positive steps of day one. Key events for the Falcons include the 60, where Green will look to live up to the expectations as a favorite, and the weight throw, where BGSU has three of the top seven seeds. Rambo will compete in the 400 finals and Walny will attempt to make a return trip to the podium, this time in the 3,000.
MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships
Akron 62, Eastern Michigan 43, Kent State 33, Buffalo 21, Miami 17, Bowling Green 17,
Toledo 15, Central Michigan 10, Northern Illinois 6, Ball State 5, Ohio 3, Western Michigan 2
Akron 62, Eastern Michigan 43, Kent State 33, Buffalo 21, Miami 17, Bowling Green 17,
Toledo 15, Central Michigan 10, Northern Illinois 6, Ball State 5, Ohio 3, Western Michigan 2
Pentathlon – 6. BeJai Fray 3,566, 11. Chasatea Brown 3,278
60 prelims – 2. Dorresha Green 7.52, 16. Kyla Paster 7.72
200 prelims – 17. Cortisha Short 25.34
400 prelims – 8. Taylor Rambo 56.45
5000 – 6. Rachel Walny 17:14.22, 10. Rebecca Schott 17:33.93, 20. Becca Rae 18:37.21
Distance Medley Relay – 10. Allison Holahan, Brianna Johnson, Rachel Stute, Rachel Durbin 12:13.87
Shot put – 3. Aliyah Gustafson 53-6.75 (16.33m), 4. Makenzie Wheat 52-6.25 (16.01m), 10. Elizabeth Iversen 46-6.25 (14.18m)
Long jump – 11. BeJai Fray 18-10.25 (5.75m), 14. Raven Porter 18-6.75 (5.66m)
Players Mentioned
Multi-Events
/ Women's Track and Field
Mid-Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Multi-Events
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Mid-Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ 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
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints/Relays
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints/Relays
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
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