Falcons Fly Into February With Two Weekend Meets

South Bend, Ind. and Akron, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University indoor track and field team will look to build on the early-season success it has seen by competing at a pair of meets this weekend. The Falcons will send competitors to both the Meyo Invitational, hosted by Notre Dame, and the Akron Invitational. Both meets are two-day competitions, though all of BGSU's entries at the Akron Invitational are scheduled to compete Saturday.

The Meyo Invitational will be live on the ACC Network Extra (viewable on ESPN3) from 2-4 pm Saturday.

BGSU INDOOR SCHOOL RECORDS (.PDF)
BGSU PERFORMANCE LISTS
MEYO INVITATIONAL LIVE RESULTS
AKRON INVITATIONAL LIVE RESULTS

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

MEYO INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE
FRIDAY
4:00 pm – Long jump (BeJai Fray, Kyla Paster)
4:30 pm – 60 hurdles prelims (Peyton Lee)
4:00 pm – Weight throw (Kaila Butler, Allie Farmer, Aliyah Gustafson, Elizabeth Iversen, Daija Young)
5:05 pm – 60 prelims (Ryen Draper, Dorresha Green, Savannah Nevels, Kyla Paster, Cortisha Short)
5:45 pm – 5000 (Rachel Walny)
7:35 pm – 200 (Chasatea Brown, Ryen Draper, Savannah Nevels, Cortisha Short)

SATURDAY
9:45 am – Unseeded 60 hurdles semifinals
10:05 am – Unseeded 60 semifinals
10:30 am – Triple jump (Kyla Paster)
10:30 am – Shot put (Aliyah Gustafson, Elizabeth Iversen, Zaresha Neal, Daija Young)
12:05 pm – 400 (Chasatea Brown, Rachel Stute, Brianna Tidmore)
12:45 pm – 800 (Rachel Stute)
2:00 pm – 60 hurdles invite final
2:10 pm – 60 invite final
2:20 pm – 400 invite
2:50 pm – 800 invite

AKRON INVITATIONAL
SATURDAY
10:00 am – Blue Division 3000 (Megan Aalberts, Kelsie Mothersead)
11:00 am – Blue Division High Jump (Stacey Wolverton)
11:45 am – Blue Division 400 (Mis'cha Sellers, Ryen Draper, Paige Geatz, Rickia White, Hailey Mayes)
12:45 pm – Blue Division 200 (Mis'cha Sellers, Ryen Draper, Rickia White, Hailey Mayes, Paige Geatz)
5:10 pm – Gold Division 3000 (Jessi Lindstrom, Rachel Durbin)

THE COMPUTERS KNOW
Bowling Green climbed eight spots in the USTFCCCA National Team Rankings this week to No. 74 in the country. In total, that is an improvement of 30 spots since the preseason. This is the program's highest national ranking since the computer poll began in 2008.

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.
Tickets are on sale now by visiting BGSUFalcons.com/tickets
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 the Tom Wright Classic a week ago.

MAC AUTO BIDS

BGSU has earned nine Mid-American Conference automatic qualifying marks 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.
BGSU also earned two automatic qualifying marks in the long jump. Kyla Paster and BeJai Fray both jumped far enough to earn entry to the MAC Championships.
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 – 7. Savannah Nevels 7.67, 13. Dorresha Green 7.71, 17. Kyla Paster 7.74, 20. Peyton Lee 7.75
200 – 8. Savannah Nevels 24.69#, 9. Ryen Draper 24.77#, 12. Peyton Lee 24.99#, 15. Cortisha Short 25.00#
400 – 14. Chasatea Brown 57.02#
800 – 13. Jessi Lindstrom 2:18.58#, 15. Rachel Stute 2:18.79#
Mile – 18. Rachel Durbin 5:01.86#
3000 – 12. Rachel Walny 9:49.85
60 hurdles – 5. Peyton Lee 8.62 (AQ)
1600 relay – 10. Chasatea Brown, Hailey Mayes, Paige Geatz, Brianna Tidmore 3:54.62#
High jump – 10. BeJai Fray 1.64m (5-4.5), 10. Stacey Wolverton 1.64m (5-4.5)
Long jump – 8. Kyla Paster 5.77m (18-11.25) (AQ), 10. BeJai Fray 5.74m (18-10) (AQ), 11. Peyton Lee 5.61m (18-5)
Triple jump – 13. Kyla Paster 11.35m (37-3), 18. Brianna Richard 11.05m (36-3)
Shot put – 1. Aliyah Gustafson 17.03m (55-10.5) (AQ), 2. Elizabeth Iversen 15.59m (51-1.75) (AQ), 12. Zaresha Neal 13.85m (45-5.25)
Weight throw – 2. Elizabeth Iversen 20.66m (67-9.5) (AQ), 3. Aliyah Gustafson 19.92m (65-4.25) (AQ), 5. Allie Farmer 18.70m (61-4.25), 7. Kaila Butler 18.36m (60-3) (AQ), 15. Daija Young 16.37m (53-8.5), 20. Zaresha Neal 51-3.75 (15.64)
Pentathlon – 1. BeJai Fray 3,635, 3. Peyton Lee 3,594
# - Converted time

BGSU IN THE NCAA RANKINGS (TOP 100)
Shot put – 8. Aliyah Gustafson 17.03m (55-10.5), 38. Elizabeth Iversen 15.59m (51-1.75)
Weight throw – 15. Elizabeth Iversen 20.66m (67-9.5), 26. Aliyah Gustafson 19.92m (65-4.25), 63. Allie Farmer 18.70m (61-4.25), 83. Kaila Butler 18.36m (60-3)
Pentathlon – 51. BeJai Fray 3,635, 59. Peyton Lee 3,594

THROW FOR DOUGH

BGSU's throwers will compete at the Meyo Invitational with five competitors in weight throw and four in shot put.
BGSU has four of the top seven weight throwers in the MAC, led by Elizabeth Iversen. Iversen is ranked No. 15 nationally and is set to throw Friday afternoon. Aliyah Gustafson, Allie Farmer and Kaila Butler are also among the top seven in the conference and will throw. Daija Young, who has climbed to No. 15 in the MAC, will also compete.
In the shot put, Gustafson and Iversen are the top two competitors in the MAC and are scheduled to compete. Zaresha Neal (No. 12 in the conference) and Young will also throw.

JUMP AROUND

The Falcons will compete in the long jump and triple jump at the Meyo Invitational, while Stacey Wolverton will compete in the high jump at the Akron Invitational.
Both Kyla Paster and BeJai Fray have earned MAC automatic qualifying marks in the long jump and they are set to compete Friday.
Paster, who currently ranks 13^th in the conference in the triple jump, will look to improve her positioning in that event.
Wolverton set a new PR in the high jump last week and ranks No. 10 in the MAC. With another PR, she will climb into podium contention in the conference.

FALCON FAST

BGSU's sprinters will be split between the two weekend meets, with most of the competitors currently ranked among the top 20 in the conference headed to Notre Dame's Meyo Invitational.
At the Meyo Invitational, the Falcons will compete in the 60, the 60 hurdles, the 200 and the 400. BGSU will enter competitors in the 200 and 400 at Akron.
Freshman Savannah Nevels, who currently boasts the team's top times in the 60 and 200, will compete at Notre Dame. She is seventh in the MAC in the 60 and eighth in the 200. Dorresha Green and Kyla Paster, both among the top 20 in the conference in the 60, will also be at Notre Dame. Ryen Draper and Cortisha Short are among the top 20 in the MAC in the 200 and will compete at Notre Dame as well.
Chasatea Brown is the only Falcon ranked among the top 20 in the MAC in the 400 and she will compete in the event at the Meyo Invitational.
Peyton Lee, who has already earned a MAC automatic qualifying mark in the 60 hurdles, will look to improve on her No. 5 conference ranking at Notre Dame.

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU

Rachel Stute will be the team's lone competitor in the 800 this weekend and she will be racing at the Meyo Invitational.
Stute, who will also compete in the 400, is ranked No. 15 in the MAC in the 800 heading into the weekend.

GOING THE DISTANCE

Rachel Walny will run the 5000 for the first time in 2018 on Friday evening at the Meyo Invitational. She is the second-fastest runner in BGSU history in the event and place sixth at the MAC Championships a year ago.
Four Falcons will compete in the 3000 at the Akron Invitational Saturday. Of those four, only Kelsie Mothersead has run the event thus far in 2018. Rachel Durbin, in particular, will move up from the mile, where she ranks among the top 20 in the MAC.

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
"The numbers tell us we're ahead of where we were last year in the conference. At the national level, we're pretty far ahead of where we were last year. It just feels different this year. There's more momentum. The depth the team is exhibiting is impressive. It's all coming together and we're excited. But we have to continue doing the things that have gotten us to this point." – BGSU Track & Field Coach Lou Snelling

GUSTAFSON RAKING IN THE AWARDS

Aliyah Gustafson was named MAC Field Athlete of the Week Jan. 23 after breaking the school's shot put record for the sixth time.
Gustafson was also named the MAC Scholar-Athlete of the Week on Jan. 17 after breaking the school's shot put record. Gustafson carries a 4.0 grade point average.

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.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Megan Aalberts

Chasatea Brown

Kaila Butler

Ryen Draper

Rachel Durbin

Allie Farmer

BeJai Fray

Paige Geatz

Dorresha Green

Aliyah Gustafson

Elizabeth Iversen

Peyton Lee

Jessi Lindstrom

Hailey Mayes

Kelsie Mothersead

Zaresha Neal

Savannah Nevels

Kyla Paster

Brianna Richard

Mis'cha Sellers

Cortisha Short

Rachel Stute

Brianna Tidmore

Rachel Walny

Makenzie Wheat

Rickia White

Stacey Wolverton

Daija Young

Upcoming Events

Recent Results