Bowling Green State University Athletics
Saturday, June 10
Austin, TX
Discus: 8:35 p.m.
Bowling Green State University
vs
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Photo by: David Dietrich, BGSU Athletics
Zaresha Neal to Compete at NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship
June 08, 2023 | Women's Track and Field
Senior to compete in third national championship, first as discus thrower
AUSTIN, Texas – Bowling Green track and field senior Zaresha Neal is set to compete in the discus at the 2023 NCAA Track and Field Championship, held at Mike A. Myers Stadium on the campus of the University of Texas. The event will start at 8:35 p.m. ET start on Saturday, June 10. Neal will throw in the first flight. The full start list is available HERE. Live results for the meet will be posted HERE. The discus will be streamed live on ESPN+, located HERE. Subscription is required. Tickets can be purchased HERE. The full meet information page is located HERE.
Saturday will be the third time Neal competes at an NCAA Track and Field Championship in her career. This is the second time she has qualified for the Outdoor Championship and it will be the first time she will throw the discus. Neal entered the NCAA East Regional as the No. 20 seed in the discus. She threw 174-2.00 (53.10m) on her second attempt, placing her 10th in the event and punching her ticket to the NCAA Championship.
All 24 competitors will get three attempts, with the top nine advancing to the finals and attempting three more throws. The top eight finishers will earn first-team All-American, with the next eight earning second-team honors.
Neal By The Numbers
No. 22 seed in Discus (174-2.00, 53.10m)
Flight 1, Position 4 (Collegiate PR: 181-7.00, 55.34m, achieved on May 7, 2022; school record)
Neal's TFRRS Profile
Her History at the NCAA Championships
2022 (Indoor): Shot Put – Seeded No. 13, placed 13th (53-8.50, 16.37m)
2022 (Outdoor): Shot Put – Seeded No. 22, placed 18th (54-6.00, 16.61m)
Snelling Sensational in Sending Falcons to Nationals
Under head coach Lou Snelling, the Bowling Green track and field program has sent at least one competitor to the NCAA Outdoor Championship in 10 consecutive seasons, including nine seasons with a thrower qualifying. Bowling Green has produced an All-American on eight occasions, including one in the last four seasons.
Neal is the first Falcon to qualify for the NCAA Championship in the discus since 1989, when Beth Manson earned her spot for the second consecutive season. With her qualification, Neal adds her name to BGSU's exclusive list of three-time qualifiers. She joins Bowling Green legends Nikki Lessig, Stephanie Heldt, Brooke Pleger, Aliyah Gustafson, and Kaila Butler as the only student-athletes to qualify for the NCAA Championship on three or more occasions.
Discus Dominance During Neal's Career
Since her time as a Falcon began in 2017, Neal has compiled eight of the top nine, 12 of the top 15, 17 of the top 25, and 20 of the top 30 discus marks in BGSU history. Below are the top 10 rankings:
1. Zaresha Neal: 181' 6" (55.34m)
-- Neal: 179' 1" (54.58m)
-- Neal: 177' 8" (54.15m)
-- Neal: 176' 8" (53.85m)
2. Beth Manson: 175' 11" (53.61m)
-- Neal: 174' 8" (53.23m)
-- Neal: 174' 2" (53.10m)
-- Neal: 173' 8" (52.94m)
-- Neal: 172' 4" (52.53m)
3. Aliyah Gustafson: 171' 11" (52.42m)
4. Lori Williams: 171' 10" (52.38m)
-- Neal: 171' 4" (52.23m)
-- Neal: 171' 1" (52.16m)
-- Neal: 171' 1" (52.15m)
-- Neal: 171' 0" (52.13m)
-- Neal: 170' 8" (52.02m)
-- Manson: 170' 4" (51.91m)
-- Neal: 170' 2" (51.88m)
-- Manson: 169' 11" (51.79m)
5. Nikki Lessig: 169' 3" (51.58m)
-- Neal: 167' 7" (51.08m)
-- Neal: 167' 2" (50.95m)
6. Elizabeth Iversen: 166' 11" (50.88m)
-- Neal: 166' 5" (50.72m)
7. Nikki Sturzinger: 166' 2" (50.64m)
-- Neal: 164' 11" (50.26m)
8. Tina Perrine: 164' 3" (50.06m)
-- Neal: 164' 1" (50.03m)
9. Kori Reiser: 162' 8" (49.59m)
-- Neal: 161' 3" (49.16m)
10. Whitney Hartman: 159' 10" (48.71m)
BGSU Outdoor Track and Field Record Book
Toledo Blade Story
Follow The Falcons
Twitter – @BGAthletics and @BGSUXCTF
Instagram – 'bgfalcons' and 'bgsuxctf'
Facebook – 'BGSU Athletics'
YouTube – 'Falcon Athletics'
Website – BGSUFalcons.com
Saturday will be the third time Neal competes at an NCAA Track and Field Championship in her career. This is the second time she has qualified for the Outdoor Championship and it will be the first time she will throw the discus. Neal entered the NCAA East Regional as the No. 20 seed in the discus. She threw 174-2.00 (53.10m) on her second attempt, placing her 10th in the event and punching her ticket to the NCAA Championship.
All 24 competitors will get three attempts, with the top nine advancing to the finals and attempting three more throws. The top eight finishers will earn first-team All-American, with the next eight earning second-team honors.
Neal By The Numbers
No. 22 seed in Discus (174-2.00, 53.10m)
Flight 1, Position 4 (Collegiate PR: 181-7.00, 55.34m, achieved on May 7, 2022; school record)
Neal's TFRRS Profile
Her History at the NCAA Championships
2022 (Indoor): Shot Put – Seeded No. 13, placed 13th (53-8.50, 16.37m)
2022 (Outdoor): Shot Put – Seeded No. 22, placed 18th (54-6.00, 16.61m)
Snelling Sensational in Sending Falcons to Nationals
Under head coach Lou Snelling, the Bowling Green track and field program has sent at least one competitor to the NCAA Outdoor Championship in 10 consecutive seasons, including nine seasons with a thrower qualifying. Bowling Green has produced an All-American on eight occasions, including one in the last four seasons.
Neal is the first Falcon to qualify for the NCAA Championship in the discus since 1989, when Beth Manson earned her spot for the second consecutive season. With her qualification, Neal adds her name to BGSU's exclusive list of three-time qualifiers. She joins Bowling Green legends Nikki Lessig, Stephanie Heldt, Brooke Pleger, Aliyah Gustafson, and Kaila Butler as the only student-athletes to qualify for the NCAA Championship on three or more occasions.
Discus Dominance During Neal's Career
Since her time as a Falcon began in 2017, Neal has compiled eight of the top nine, 12 of the top 15, 17 of the top 25, and 20 of the top 30 discus marks in BGSU history. Below are the top 10 rankings:
1. Zaresha Neal: 181' 6" (55.34m)
-- Neal: 179' 1" (54.58m)
-- Neal: 177' 8" (54.15m)
-- Neal: 176' 8" (53.85m)
2. Beth Manson: 175' 11" (53.61m)
-- Neal: 174' 8" (53.23m)
-- Neal: 174' 2" (53.10m)
-- Neal: 173' 8" (52.94m)
-- Neal: 172' 4" (52.53m)
3. Aliyah Gustafson: 171' 11" (52.42m)
4. Lori Williams: 171' 10" (52.38m)
-- Neal: 171' 4" (52.23m)
-- Neal: 171' 1" (52.16m)
-- Neal: 171' 1" (52.15m)
-- Neal: 171' 0" (52.13m)
-- Neal: 170' 8" (52.02m)
-- Manson: 170' 4" (51.91m)
-- Neal: 170' 2" (51.88m)
-- Manson: 169' 11" (51.79m)
5. Nikki Lessig: 169' 3" (51.58m)
-- Neal: 167' 7" (51.08m)
-- Neal: 167' 2" (50.95m)
6. Elizabeth Iversen: 166' 11" (50.88m)
-- Neal: 166' 5" (50.72m)
7. Nikki Sturzinger: 166' 2" (50.64m)
-- Neal: 164' 11" (50.26m)
8. Tina Perrine: 164' 3" (50.06m)
-- Neal: 164' 1" (50.03m)
9. Kori Reiser: 162' 8" (49.59m)
-- Neal: 161' 3" (49.16m)
10. Whitney Hartman: 159' 10" (48.71m)
BGSU Outdoor Track and Field Record Book
Toledo Blade Story
Send off time for Zaresha Neal (@ZareshaN) as she heads to Texas for her THIRD appearance at the NCAA Championship! pic.twitter.com/5Fk7VusDpl
— BGSU XC/Track (@BGSUXCTF) June 6, 2023
Follow The Falcons
Twitter – @BGAthletics and @BGSUXCTF
Instagram – 'bgfalcons' and 'bgsuxctf'
Facebook – 'BGSU Athletics'
YouTube – 'Falcon Athletics'
Website – BGSUFalcons.com
Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
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