Falcons Out To Fast Start On Opening Day Of MAC Championships

Friday, February 28

Akron, Ohio

TBA

Bowling Green State University

MAC Indoor Championships

February 28, 2020 | Women's Track and Field

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

Akron, Ohio – A championship, a school record, and strong performances in every area. The Bowling Green State University track and field team did it all Friday on the opening day of the Mid-American Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships.

While the Falcons reach the midway point of the MAC Championships tied for sixth with 18 team points, the first day is just as much about setting the team up for success on day two. And BGSU did just that. The Falcons qualified two runners for Saturday's finals in the 200 and 400, and added another in the 60.

LINKS TO KNOW

Full Day One Results
Live Results
ESPN3 Saturday (1-6 pm)
Zips Digital Network Saturday Morning (Only available in MAC footprint)
Zips Digital Network Saturday Afternoon (Only available in MAC footprint)

WINNING A MAC CHAMPIONSHIP

Senior Kaila Butler lived up to the expectations as the heavy favorite in the weight throw, winning the MAC Championship with a distance of 67-feet-3.5 (20.51m).
For Butler, it is her second MAC Championship and first during the indoor season. She won the hammer throw during outdoor track and field a year ago and qualified for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, ending the year as a second team All-American.
Butler had to come from behind for the championship Friday after Ohio's Abby Moore surprised with an early statement. She set a new personal best 19.86m and led Butler heading into finals.
On her first of three attempts in finals, though, Butler tossed the weight throw 20.38m. She bumped that number to 20.51m on her next toss, just one centimeter shy of her own personal best.
Butler's distance of 20.51m (67-3.5) held up as Moore finished second at 19.86m. Butler was the only thrower in the MAC to surpass the 20.00m mark all year.
It is the second year in a row in which BGSU has won the MAC Championship in the weight throw. A year ago, the Falcons' Aliyah Gustafson won the event and Butler placed fourth.

We spoke with gold medalist Kaila Butler! pic.twitter.com/kImPWTKZyj
— BGSU XC/Track (@BG_XCTrack) February 28, 2020

THE SCHOOL RECORD

Entering the day, sophomore Iyanna Ross was the school record holder in the 400 with a time of 55.39 seconds and junior Ryen Draper was third at 55.70 seconds. By the time the prelims were over, both runners had surpassed that school record.
Draper ran the 400 first and shattered the school record at 54.61 seconds, more than a full second faster than she had run previously.
Ross followed in the next heat and ran 55.19 seconds.
Draper and Ross finished third and fourth in qualifying to advance to the eight-woman final Saturday.

THE NEAR MISS OF THE SCHOOL RECORD

BGSU's distance medley relay team finished fourth in the final race of the night, the best BGSU finish in the event in more than a decade.
Kailee Perry, Jazzlynn Gaiters, Trinity Fowler and Katerina Shuble – three freshmen and a sophomore – ran a time of 11:45.12, the second-fastest DMR in school history. They were more than 12 seconds faster than earlier in the year when BGSU ran 11:57.46.

OTHER STRONG PERFORMANCES

Redshirt junior Brianna Richard climbed onto the podium in the long jump with a career-best performance. Entering as the No. 12 seed in the event, she leaped 19-feet-4.5 (5.90) to place sixth. That is exactly one foot further than her previous PR. With the leap, Richard ranks sixth in program history in the long jump.
In the 200, juniors Savannah Nevels and Ryen Draper qualified for finals as both earned indoor personal bests. Nevels ran a 24.48 to qualify in fifth and Draper recorded a time of 24.64 seconds to place seventh. The duo rank as the fifth and sixth fastest females in school history in the event.
In the 60, Nevels qualified for the finals in seventh place with a time of 7.66 seconds. True freshman Jemeila Hunter just missed finals, tying her collegiate best in 7.70 seconds. Redshirt junior Brianna Richard set a new personal best of 7.80 in the event as well.
True freshman Destiny Fernandes opened BGSU's day in the grueling pentathlon. She set new personal bests in the high jump and 800, tying her PR in the 60 hurdles. Her score of 3,221 was about 150 points better than earlier this year and makes her the seventh-highest scoring female in program history in the pentathlon.

FROM HEAD COACH LOU SNELLING

"We're really happy after day one with where we are in terms of points scored. In terms of the day two piece of the championships, that's where it's at. We didn't have anyone in the 60, the 200, the 400 or the mile a year ago and we're going to do pretty well in all of those events tomorrow."
"Kaila Butler is the only one who is in the mix today or tomorrow who we lose, on paper, for next year. That's a cool situation to be in for sure."
"We built a lot of good momentum. We were loud as a team in terms of our support. We're in position. If we can keep that wave rolling, I think it's going to be a pretty solid day."

SETTING THE STAGE FOR DAY TWO

Bowling Green will be back in action Saturday for the final day of the MAC Championships. Competition begins for the Falcons at 1:00 pm.
BGSU will have competitors in the high jump, mile, triple jump, 400, shot put, 60, 200 and 1600 relay.
The Falcons are seeded as high as third in the 1600 relay, as is Iyanna Ross seeded third in the 400.

MAC INDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS

BGSU Results
Pentathlon – 15. Destiny Fernandes 3,221 points
60 prelims – 7. Savannah Nevels 7.66, 10. Jemeila Hunter 7.70, 16. Brianna Richard 7.80
200 prelims – 5. Savannah Nevels 24.48, 7. Ryen Draper 24.64, 10. Jemeila Hunter 24.85
400 prelims – 3. Ryen Draper 54.61, 4. Iyanna Ross 55.19
5000 – 18. Sydney Niekamp 17:50.69
Distance Medley Relay – 4. Kailee Perry, Jazzlynn Gaiters, Trinity Fowler, Katerina Shuble 11:45.12
Long jump – 6. Brianna Richard 19-4.25 (5.90m), 12. Ayanna Burrell 18-3.25 (5.57m)
Weight Throw – 1. Kaila Butler 67-3.5 (20.51m), 17. Daija Young 53-7 (16.33m), 18. Kaylia Black 52-10 (16.11m)