Falcons Set To Host Tom Wright Open Friday

Friday, January 19

Bowling Green, Ohio

3:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Tom Wright Classic

January 18, 2018 | Women's Track and Field

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

Bowling Green, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University indoor track and field team will host the annual Tom Wright Open Friday evening at Perry Field House. Field events are set to begin at 5 pm and running events will start at 6 pm.

FULL MEET SCHEDULE (.pdf)
HEAT SHEETS (.pdf)
LIVE RESULTS
BGSU INDOOR SCHOOL RECORDS (.pdf)
BGSU PERFORMANCE LISTS

FIELD EVENTS
5:00 pm - Weight Throw (Kaila Butler, Allison Farmer, Aliyah Gustafson, Elizabeth Iversen, Katelyn King (unattached), Zaresha Neal, Daija Young)
5:00 pm - Shot Put (following weight throw) (BeJai Fray, Peyton Lee, Aliyah Gustafson, Elizabeth Iversen, Zaresha Neal, Daija Young)
5:00 pm - High Jump (BeJai Fray, Stacey Wolverton, Peyton Lee)
5:00 pm – Pole vault
5:30 pm - Long Jump (Stacey Wolverton, Kyla Paster)
5:30 pm – Triple jump (following long jump)

RUNNING EVENTS
6:00 pm - Mile (Megan Aalberts, Jessi Lindstrom, Rachel Durbin, Elena Lancioni)
6:20 pm - 60 hurdles prelims (BeJai Fray, Peyton Lee)
6:35 pm – 60 prelims (Cortisha Short, Chasatea Brown, Savannah Nevels, Kyla Paster)
6:50 pm - 400 (Mis'cha Sellers, Rachel Stute, Brianna Tidmore, Rickia White, Chasatea Brown, Ryen Draper, Paige Geatz)
7:05 pm – 60 hurdles finals
7:15 pm – 60 finals
7:25 pm - 800 (Hailey Mayes, Megan Aalberts, Jessi Lindstrom)
7:35 pm - 3000 (Kelsie Mothersead, Elena Lancioni, Allie Zofkie (unattached), Claire Reynolds (unattached))
8:10 pm - 200 (Ryen Draper, BeJai Fray, Peyton Lee, Savannah Nevels, Mis'cha Sellers, Kyla Paster, Cortisha Short)
8:25 pm – 1600 relay

THE MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE COMING

BGSU will host three meets in Perry Field House during the indoor season, concluding with the Mid-American Conference Championships Feb. 23-24.
Bowling Green last hosted the indoor track and field MAC Championships in 2011, placing eighth with 45 team points.
Five men's teams and 12 women's teams will descend on Bowling Green for the MAC Championships.
The Falcons already hosted the BG Opener in December and host the Tom Wright Classic Friday.

MAC AUTO BIDS

BGSU has earned seven Mid-American Conference automatic qualifying marks already this year, including six in the two throws events.
The Falcons picked up four auto bids in the weight throw. Aliyah Gustafson, Elizabeth Iversen, Kaila Butler and Allie Farmer all earned automatic entry to the MAC Championships.
In the shot put, both Gustafson and Iversen added second automatic bids.
Peyton Lee, a sophomore transfer from Northern Kentucky, ran the 60 hurdles in 8.68 seconds to earn a MAC auto bid.

BGSU IN THE MAC RANKINGS (TOP 20)
60 – 10. Dorresha Green 7.71, 14. Kyla Paster 7.74, 19. Savannah Nevels 7.79
200 – 14. Savannah Nevels 25.24, 17. Ryen Draper 25.28, 20. Cortisha Short 25.37
800 – 5. Rachel Stute 2:18.79#
Mile – 12. Rachel Durbin 5:09.88, 13. Megan Aalberts 5:10.72
60 hurdles – 5. Peyton Lee 8.68 (AQ), 20. Chasatea Brown 9.09
1600 relay – 7. Chasatea Brown, Hailey Mayes, Paige Geatz, Brianna Tidmore 3:54.62#
High jump – 6. BeJai Fray 1.64m (5-4.5), 11. Stacey Wolverton 1.61m (5-3.25)
Long jump – 8. BeJai Fray 5.50m (18-0.5), 12. Peyton Lee 5.46m (17-11), 17. Brianna Richard 5.39m (17-8.25), 19. Chasatea Brown 5.35m (17-6.75)
Triple jump – 8. Kyla Paster 11.35m (37-3), 11. Brianna Richard 11.05m (36-3)
Shot put – 1. Aliyah Gustafson 16.55m (54-3.75) (AQ), 2. Elizabeth Iversen 15.35m (50-4.5) (AQ), 13. Zaresha Neal 13.22m (43-4.5)
Weight throw – 2. Elizabeth Iversen 19.77m (64-10.5) (AQ), 3. Aliyah Gustafson 19.02m (62-5) (AQ), 4. Kaila Butler 18.11m (59-5) (AQ), 6. Allie Farmer 17.92m (58-9.5) (AQ), 15. Daija Young 15.78m (51-9.25), 20. Zaresha Neal 15.12m (49-7.25)
# - Converted time

BGSU IN THE NCAA RANKINGS (TOP 100)
Shot put – 10. Aliyah Gustafson 16.55m (54-3.75), 36. Elizabeth Iversen 15.35m (50-4.5)
Weight throw – 19. Elizabeth Iversen 19.77m (64-10.5), 34. Aliyah Gustafson 19.02m (62-5), 65. Kaila Butler 18.11m (59-5), 71. Allie Farmer 17.92m (58-9.5)

THROW FOR DOUGH

BGSU is set to enter seven competitors in the weight throw and six more in the shot put.
In the weight throw, the Falcons have four of the top six performances in the MAC this year. Elizabeth Iversen is second in the conference, and 19th nationally, in the event. Aliyah Gustafson follows in third, while Kaila Butler is fourth and Allie Farmer sixth.
In the shot put, Gustafson is the top-ranked thrower in the MAC and the school record holder. She currently sits 10^th nationally and is positioned to be one of the 16 throwers to compete at the indoor national championships. Iversen is second in the conference and fifth in school history in the event. Freshman Zaresha Neal is currently 13^th in the league.

JUMP AROUND

BGSU will enter competitors in just the high jump and long jump Friday.
In the long jump, only Kyla Paster and Stacey Wolverton will compete. Paster has jumped as far as 16-feet-11.5 this year but she has plenty of room for improvement with a career-best distance of 18-10.75. Wolverton will look to push her collegiate best distance of 15-8.25 forward.
In the high jump, Peyton Lee, BeJai Fray and Wolverton will compete. Fray is currently sixth in the MAC and Wolverton 11^th. Lee jumped 4-11 in the BG Opener and is just outside of the top 20 in the conference.

FALCON FAST

The Falcons will look to continue to climb the MAC leaderboard in the sprints Friday.
Peyton Lee has already earned a MAC auto bid in the 60 hurdles after a career-best 8.68 in the BG Opener to rank fifth in the conference. BeJai Fray will also compete.
Four Falcons will race the 60, including Kyla Paster and Savannah Nevels, both of whom currently sit within the top 20 in the MAC in the event.
BGSU enters a crowded field of seven competitors in the 200. Nevels is currently the Falcons' top performer, sitting 14^th in the conference. Ryen Draper and Cortisha Short are also inside the top 20.
Seven more Falcons will compete in the 400. All seven will be racing the event for the first time this year. Brianna Tidmore's career-best of 58.10 is the best among BGSU's competitors and would put her among the top 10 in the league.

SITTING IN THE MIDDLE

The Falcons have three student-athletes entered in the 800 and four in the mile for Friday evening.
Hailey Mayes, Megan Aalberts and Jessie Lindstrom will all be running the 800 for the first time in collegiate competition.
In the mile, Rachel Durbin and Megan Aalberts rank 12^th and 13^th in the MAC. Jessi Lindstrom is just outside the top 20 and Elena Lancioni will be running the event for the first time in 2018.

GOING THE DISTANCE

BGSU has four competitors in the 3000 with two running unattached.
It will mark the first time this year that the Falcons have competed in the 3000 and Elena Lancioni's career-best time of 10:24.00 is the fastest among BGSU competitors.

FALCONS SIGN FIVE

The BGSU cross country and track & field program announced the signing of five high school student-athletes during the early signing 2017-18 early signing period.
The Falcons are excited to welcome Jazzlyn Gaiters (Worthington, Ohio / Thomas Worthington HS), Iyanna Ross (Columbus, Ohio / Pickerington Central HS), Katie Seyfang (Washington Court House, Ohio / Miami Trace HS), Olivia Clymer (White Lake Township, Mich. / White Lake Lakeland HS) and Katerina Shuble (La Porte, Ind. / La Porte HS) to the family.
Gaiters and Ross are sprinters, while Seyfang is a thrower. Clymer is a distance runner who will also compete in cross country and Shuble competes in mid-distance events and will take part in cross country.

QUOTABLE
"This is our last smaller meet. We want to make sure we continue what we have established. It really doesn't matter who's in your heat; just go out and do your thing. After this, we get into bigger meets with more competition." -- BGSU Track & Field Coach Lou Snelling

GUSTAFSON NAMED SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Aliyah Gustafson was named the MAC Scholar-Athlete of the Week on Jan. 17 after breaking the school's shot put record.
A redshirt senior with a 4.0 grade point average, Gustafson broke the shot put school record for the fifth time, throwing 54-feet-3.75 (16.55m). That distance kept her among the top 10 in the country in the event.

ALL-ACADEMIC

BGSU's track and field team was named a USTFCCCA All-Academic Team for the 2016-17 season, posting a 3.43 combined grade point average.
Current team members Aliyah Gustafson and Rachel Walny, along with graduate Makenzie Wheat, were named USTFCCCA Individual All-Academic award winners.