Falcon Insider with Derek van der Merwe: July 3
7/3/2023
Important news happening in and around Bowling Green Athletics compiled by Director of Athletics & Recreation Derek van der Merwe. This Falcon Insider shares upcoming dates to remember and news to be aware of in regards to Bowling Green State University Athletics.
Falcon Family:
As I send you all warm Independance Day wishes, It is with great sadness that I open this month’s communication writing about the passing of three Falcon greats and BGSU Hall of Famers, as well as another former BGSU administrator. In recent weeks, we have lost two former directors of athletics, Dick Young and Jim Lessig, former BGSU swimming and diving team head coach Dr. Jean Campbell and former Assistant AD for Sports Performance Doug Boersma.
Dick Young served Bowling Green as an assistant football, head baseball coach, freshmen head football coach and BGSU’s seventh Athletics Director. Jim Lessig was an assistant basketball coach, assistant athletics director, executive director of alumni and development, and the institutions eighth Athletics Director. Both of these men would go on to long and impactful careers in intercollegiate athletics- helping to shape the future of this industry.
Dr. Jean Campbell served Bowling Green as its swimming and diving head coach. Dr. Campbell was a successful coach who also served as a full-time faculty member.
Doug Boersma came to BGSU in 2003 as the Director of Sports Medicine and Head Athletics Trainer for Football and served in vaious roles including Assistant AD for Sports Performance. Doug was a Falcon for nine years before leaving in 2012 for a similar role at his alma mater Purdue where he remained to his recent passing.
I start this communication recognizing these notable figures in BGSU history to draw attention to the impact great people have had on the development of former students and athletes at this University. As I travel the country and meet alum, they often refer to names of former coaches and staff who have positively mentored and impacted their lives. It is important to stop and reflect on the impact these individuals have had on the history of this University and department. Future successes are the product of effectively respecting, acknowledging, celebrating, and building on the past.
Earlier this month, one of our own and former hockey player George McPhee won the NHL’s Stanley Cub with Golden Nights. George serves as the director of hockey operations and is widely credited for key decisions that positioned this team for success. A 1982 Hobey Baker Award winner, George has had a long career in the NHL and continues to be a great point of pride for the Falcons.
Another significant accomplishment, Zaresha Neal earning second-team All-America honors at the NCAA Track & Field Championship. Zaresha is one of the great students and athletes at BGSU. This is her second All-America recognition during her career. In addition to being one the most decorated student-athletes at BGSU, Zaresha is will be completing her MBA at BGSU this summer.
The term “student-athlete” continues to be prioritized at Bowling Green. Our student-athletes finished the spring term with a 3.46 cumulative grade point average. Over 56 percent of our student-athletes continue to maintain greater than a 3.5 grade point average. Our student-athletes continue to be enrolled in diverse areas of studies across the campus community and continue to be integrated with our students in supporting and representing the academic mission of the University.
In this next month, we will be launching a couple new initiatives to help support our commitment to improving communication and business process. We have softly transitioned to a new website and continue to make updates and changes to enhance how information is featured, prioritized, and delivered. Expect to see continued changes this month as we continue to enhance your experience on BGSUFalcons.com. In addition, we will be launching our new BGSU Athletics phone application in effort to enhance your ability to improve engagement with the department. A few important key objectives include:
- App will allow people to reach athletics information including schedules, stats, and roster quicker than going on the website
- New fan rewards program that incentivizes fans that attend Falcon athletic events
- Interactive light shows, trivia games, and selfie cams will increase the fan experience game in and game out
- A quicker way to access tickets and purchase Falcons merchandise
For the first time ever, BGSU football will be hosting a women’s football clinic. Scot Loeffler’s wife, Amie, and my wife, Stephanie Paris, are teaming up to create a unique football learning and interactive experience for women in the region. The clinic is designed to be a fun-filled event where participants will have to opportunity to learn more about the game of football and participate in interactive drills. This event is open to those of all ages and will be an evening of engagement, learning, and FUN! I encourage you to participate!
As we turn the corner into July, I can assure you that BGSU Athletics is working to prepare for the upcoming sport season. Many of our student-athletes have returned to campus and are actively training and preparing for competition. A significant rule changes in the last 10 years that have expanded opportunities for student-athletes in men’s and women’s basketball and football to participate in training and certain sport activities. As result, we are always working to to prepare for competitions.
Thank you for your continued support of our programs and for you commitment to ensure our student-athletes have the necessary resources to be successful.
Ay Ziggy and Happy Fourth of July,
Derek van der Merwe
???????????? ??
— BGSU Athletics (@BGSU_Athletics) June 1, 2023
Mickey Cochrane was officially inducted into the @MACSports Hall of Fame tonight in Cleveland ????
Congrats Mickey?? Well deserved ??#AyZiggy ???? pic.twitter.com/zIz3KfVmf7
Name that Beer ??
— BGSU Athletics (@BGSU_Athletics) June 30, 2023
The new official BGSU beer is called _________________
???????????? your answers in the comments ??
Winner receives $100 gift card to Juniper. pic.twitter.com/wyIwAuyhi8
Upcoming Dates to Remember
• Volleyball single-game tickets and group tickets go on sale (July 10)
• Hockey and volleyball season ticket deadline to renew (July 31)
• Volleyball Dream Big Event (August 6)
- Fundraising Priorities: Nutrition, Additional Summer School Support, Enhanced training and scouting technology and travel
• Football Premium Seating Tasting Event (August 12): All 2023 season ticket holders in our suites, Stadium Club and upgraded Sebo Party Deck will be welcomed to a private event with our new catering partners to sample our new menus for the 2023 season while watching a closed team practice. If you would like to see our new layout of the Sebo Party Deck and taste our upgraded food options for the upcoming season, please contact the Athletic Ticket Office (419-372-0000) during business hours to secure your invitation to this exclusive party.
• Football Season Ticket Holder Welcome Event & Open Practice (August 19): All 2023 season ticket holders are invited to enjoy a preseason practice and lunch with the team. Get insights from Coach Loeffler and team captains, a chance to win door prizes, as well as a performance from the BGSU Marching Band! This event is open ONLY to BGSU Football season ticket holders, so make sure you secure your seats today!
News and Notes
Department
Orange Wave: BGSU Athletics has started a new initiative to support and thank local business. On Fridays, our coaches, and staff “WEAR ORANGE” and visit a local business that supports the FALCONS. This initiative will grow, and we are going to ask you to join us occasionally, to help us grow the “ORANGE WAVE” and give back to our community. We are looking forward to you joining our coaches and staff in recognizing our community partners.
Women’s Football Clinic: Head football coach Scot Loeffler invites all female Falcons to this year’s BGSU Football Women’s Clinic! On July 25th join the Bowling Green Football Players and Coaches as they instruct you on what it takes to compete on the gridiron each week. The Women's Clinic is a fun-filled event that will have you and/or your teammates running drills, learning plays from the coaches, and interacting with our players. Registration is $50, which includes a T-shirt. After the clinic, you will have the chance to chat with the players and coaches while enjoying some hors d'oeuvres, refreshments, and be entered into a giveaway for several prizes. Please note that attendees must be 18 years old or older to participate. For more information or if you would like to participate in the Women's Clinic, then please click the following link: https://connect.bgsu.edu/2023-womens-fb-clinic-.
NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship: Bowling Green State University student-athletes Taylor Jensen (Gymnastics) and Kale Nichols (Men’s Soccer) have been named recipients of the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, and each will receive a one-time non-renewable $10,000 scholarship. You can read more about this award for both Jensen and Nichols by clicking here.
Obituary: BGSU mourns the passing of former Falcon Director of Athletics Jim Lessig and Dick Young, Bowling Green Hall of Famer Dr. Jean Campbell and former Assistant AD for Sports Performance Doug Boersma, who served in various roles for the Falcons from 2003-12 before leaving for his alma mater Purdue.. More information on Jim Lessig can be found by clicking here. More information on Dick Young can be found by clicking here. More information on Dr. Jean Campbell can be found by clicking here. More information on Doug Boersma can be found by clicking here.
BGSUFalcons.com Redesign: In partnership with Learfield and SIDEARM Sports, Bowling Green launched a redesigned BGSUFalcons.com website. SIDEARM Sports brought BGSU fans the future of digital fan engagement through our new NextGen version of BGSUFalcons.com. The digital space is ever-changing and SIDEARM Sport's NextGen websites are designed to adapt. As a Learfield partner, BGSU had the privilege of being one of the first schools to embrace the new NextGen ecosystem, which will enhance the fan experience with faster page loads, improved stability, heightened security, and a unique digital design system.
Name that Beer: Juniper Brewing Company (JBC), located on Main Street in Bowling Green, has announced a new collaboration beer with Bowling Green State University. The beer, which the fans will have a chance to name, will be made exclusively for Bowling Green State University to celebrate BGSU, its fans and their continued support of the Bowling Green community. Juniper's BGSU beer will be officially licensed through CLC, BGSU's licensing partner, and Juniper Brewing Company, a proud sponsor of BGSU athletics since their founding in 2021. More information on this partnership and how you can submit your name for the new beer can be found by clicking here.
Mental Health Training: Under the direction of Dr. Dani Pecar, director of student-athlete mental health services, the entire BGSU Athletics department completed Mental Health Training in June as we continue our focus and commitment to the netal health of our student-athletes.
Mickey Cochrane Honorary Weekend: September 8-10, Bowling Green State University Men’s Soccer and Lacrosse alumni are invited to celebrate Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame Inductee Mickey Cochrane!
- SEPTEMBER 8
Pre-game Tailgate - 5:30 p.m., Cochrane Stadium
Men’s Soccer Game vs. Depaul - 7 p.m., Cochrane Stadium
- SEPTEMBER 9
Alumni Golf Outing - 9:00 a.m., Riverby Hills Golf Club
Football Pre-game Tailgate Tent - 1 p.m.
Doyt L. Perry Stadium Football Game with Halftime Mickey Cochrane - 2 p.m.
Doyt L. Perry Stadium Post-Game Mickey Cochrane Honorary Event - est. 6 p.m., Stroh Center
- Register for the event here: https://connect.bgsu.edu/2023-mc-alumniweekend
???? ?????? ????????: "The Walz Decade"
— BGSU Athletics (@BGSU_Athletics) June 5, 2023
In the latest edition of "In the Nest" we tell the story of Julia and Jaden Walz of @BGSUVolleyball and how BG Athletics has shaped their family, on and off the court. #AyZiggy pic.twitter.com/g3L7UUdxBD
"Initial Matchups Announced For 2023 MAC-SBC Challenge"
— BGSU Athletics (@BGSU_Athletics) June 22, 2023
??: https://t.co/d6EuPcBHi0#AyZiggy
Spring GPA Reports
• Top three men's programs by GPA: Hockey (3.604), Men's Soccer (3.500) and Baseball (3.435)
• Top three women's programs by team GPA: Volleyball (3.903), Women's Cross Country (3.874) and Women's Golf (3.744)
CSC Academic All-America
• Baseball - Kyle Gurney - More Info
• Men's At-Large - Nathan Burke (Hockey) - More Info
MAC Medal of Excellence
• BGSU's Zaresha Neal (women's track) and Gage Schenk (baseball) were awarded their 2023 MAC Medal of Excellence Award officially by the MAC on June 1 in Cleveland.
• The Medal of Excellence is an award presented annually to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each of the 12 Conference member institutions. To be honored with the Medal of Excellence Award, student-athletes had to participate on the varsity level in a conference sponsored sport and shown evidence of academic success with a minimum 3.50 accumulative grade-point average, exhibited athletics excellence, leadership and service. Selection of the recipients was made by each MAC institution.
Wear Orange on Fridays for Falcon Friday!
• Make sure you support Bowling Green Athletics by wearing Orange on Fridays!
We had an amazing evening welcoming our friends over at Wood County Board of Developmental Disabilities to our facilities for a little football ??#ToTheMoon ???? pic.twitter.com/OijUCkfrsI
— BGSU Football (@BG_Football) June 29, 2023
Thank you BGSU Football Alumni for coming back to celebrate the 2023 Sharpie Shootout! Beautiful day for golf! pic.twitter.com/ekLTW9PKby
— BGSU Football (@BG_Football) June 9, 2023
??1982 Hobey Baker Award winner
— BGSU Hockey (@BGSUHKY) June 14, 2023
??1987 BGSU Hall of Fame inductee
??2018 NHL General Manager of the Year
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Congratulations to President of Hockey Operations George McPhee and the @GoldenKnights on the franchise's first Stanley Cup! pic.twitter.com/fWTlIAiDQO
Zaresha Neal is an ??????-?????????????????
— BGSU XC/Track (@BGSUXCTF) June 11, 2023
Z closes her outstanding career with a 15th-place finish in the discus, earning second-team All-American honors! pic.twitter.com/uWEEVtFD43
Football
• The BGSU Football program hosted the 14th annual Gridiron Classic golf & dinner auction on Mon, June 19. This year’s event was the third to be hosted at the Toledo Country Club, with its spectacular outdoor setting along the Maumee River. This ever-evolving event hosted 22 foursomes and 170 dinner guests, raising over $230,000 for the Falcon Football program. From its humble origins at Catawba Island Club, this event has grown into the largest single fundraiser hosted by BGSU Athletics annually. Next year’s Gridiron Classic is slated for Mon., June 17. Whether you choose to be involved as a golfer, sponsor, dinner guest or even as a donor of auction items, I encourage you to not only participate in this event in 2024, but please bring a friend. Help us make next year an even greater financial success. Your support of Falcon Football at this event would be greatly appreciated.
• Another initiative we will be rolling out this summer is the Falcon Football “1200 Club”. All of our individual sports programs have Enhancement Funds which are set up for contributions to support each team’s operational needs that are above and beyond their annual budget. Our BGSU Football program has identified critical unmet needs in Strength & Conditioning, Nutrition & Meal Support, Summer Financial Support and Coaching Compensation Enhancements. We will tackle these challenges with the help of 1200 Club families who will make an annual financial commitment of at least $1,200 ($600 for young alumni families) as a part of a deeper annual connection with the Football program. This program will have year-round elements that will make you truly feel like a part of the Football family on game days in Bowling Green.
• Former Bowling Green State University All-American defensive lineman Andre Young appears on the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, the National Football Foundation (NFF) announced on June 5. He is one of 101 players from the divisional ranks on the ballot. NFF membership voting runs through June 30 and results will be submitted to the NFF's Honors Court, which will deliberate and select the 2024 Class. You can read more about the NFF’s Hall of Fame ballot and Young’s BGSU career by clicking here.
• Nine Falcons were named to Phil Steele’s Preseason All-MAC team. WR Odieu Hiliare and PR Jhaylin Embery were named second team. OT Alex Wollschlaeger, LB Darren Anders and KR Ta’ron Keith were named third team. TE Harold Fannin Jr., OG Tunde Fatukasi, DL Anthony Hawkins and CB Davon Ferguson were named fourth team.
Track and Field
• Zaresha Neal placed 15th in the discus to earn second-team All-America honors, her second career All-America honor.
• The Falcons have produced an NCAA Outdoor All-American in five consecutive seasons. Neal is the sixth athlete in Bowling Green history to earn All-America honors during the indoor and outdoor seasons. She joins legendary Falcons Stephanie Heldt, Nikki Lessig, Aliyah Gustafson, Huina Han, and Jodi Rafferty.
Women’s Basketball
• Fred Chmiel has announced four more additions to his staff. Lexxus Graham, Audra Clark, Tim Kjar and Zhaque Gray have joined the Falcons in various capacities.Graham joins Chmiel's staff as an assistant coach, while Clark is the program's video coordinator. Kjar is the Falcons' director of basketball operations, with Gray the team's director of player personnel.
• As part of the inaugural MAC-SBC Challenge, BGSU will travel to Texas State on Nov. 11. The second MAC-SBC Challenge contest will be at the Stroh Center on Feb. 10, 2024 against a team that will be announced in early January. More information can be found by clicking here.
Men's Basketball
• As part of the inaugural MAC-SBC Challenge, BGSU will host Arkansas State on Nov. 11. The second MAC-SBC Challenge contest will be on the road on Feb. 10, 2024 against a team that will be announced in early January. More information can be found by clicking here.
Volleyball
• BGSU will host 13 home regular season matches, nine being MAC opponents, and one exhibition. Coach Tomic has built an exciting non-conference schedule that will showcase elite level volleyball. The non-conference schedule for the Falcons will be highlighted by Michigan and Texas A&M making trips to the Stroh Center. BGSU will host Texas A&M during the Hampton Inn Invitational on August 31 – Sept 2 which will include 3 programs who participated in the 2022 NCAA Tournament and Michigan on Sept. 15. Bowling Green will also host the Battle of I-75 this season with the Rockets visiting on Oct. 6.?Season tickets on sale now with single game tickets going on sale July 10.
Baseball
• Kyle Gurney named to the CSC Academic All-America Team (second team) for second-straight year. Just the second player in program history to be named multiple times.
• DJ Newman named Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American, fifth player in program history to receive recognition.
• DJ Newman named NCBWA Freshman All-America First Team, first in program history.
• DJ Newman also was named a DI Baseball Freshman All-American.
