Falcon Insider with Derek van der Merwe: Feb. 15
2/15/2024
Important news happening in and around Bowling Green Athletics compiled by Director of Athletics 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:
Last week, I had the opportunity to travel across the state of Florida to visit many proud alumni and friends of Bowling Green State University. The University hosted five events around the state to engage our Falcon faithful. Between these hosted events and other engagements, our journey took us from The Villages to Palm Coast, Orlando, Longboat Key, Tampa, Sarasota, Naples, Marco Island, Captiva, and a few other stops along the way. Florida has the third-highest density of BGSU alumni in the country. What strikes me repeatedly during these events is how proud our alumni—and their families—are of their alma mater. For some, they have not returned to campus in years, and for others, they return as frequently as they can. But one thing has not changed: their love and passion for their student experience and their desire to see the University continue to grow and achieve success.
During these many engagements, BGSU President Rodney Rogers spoke about the "momentum" and "growth" of the University and the national recognitions earned for student engagement. He emphasized the vital role alumni are playing in the vibrancy and success of BGSU. Each person I met spoke about the significance of building successful sports programs and expressed pride in the achievements, championships, bowl games, and personal accolades of our former and current student-athletes and programs. They continue to proudly wear the orange and brown and are honored to be called Falcons.
I enjoyed the stories and history lessons they shared because it reminds me that athletics plays a significant role in the student experience. It is part of the sticky glue that connects the past and present. Our program must continue to invite, engage, and invest in our campus community and work tirelessly to elevate and create meaningful experiences so the next generation will have points of pride they can embrace, relive, and retell.
In the last few months, I have said repeatedly, “The past will build the future.” These alumni and friends of the program continue to help us to find the next generation of supporters, advocates, and donors who want to help the University reach new heights. They are committed, driven, and demand excellence. They make me immensely proud to be a Falcon.
Last month, we had four momentous events where we invited alumni and other supporters back to campus. Our sport advisory boards for both softball and baseball were the primary drivers behind the “First Pitch” events in January. The vision behind these two events was to create a rallying point for baseball and softball before the start of the season. Softball had eight-time national champion head coach Mike Candrea as the keynote speaker and baseball had Dodger legend Orel Hershiser as their keynote. Additionally, men’s and women’s basketball each hosted successful alumni events in January.
Each one of our sports programs has created an advisory board who is tasked with creating a comprehensive vision for the growth and success of the sport program. This includes defining communication and engagement initiatives, outreach, event identification and strategic planning. These groups will continue to grow in size and scope as we work to expand “the village” of supporters around our programs.
On February 24, we are excited to welcome back the 1984 NCAA Hockey Championship team and its Head Coach Jerry York to campus to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of that incredibly special victory. A victory that is a great point of pride in our history and has defined how so many alumni connect with BGSU. At 3 p.m. on that date, a special event and reception will be hosted at the Maurer Center for season ticket holders and Falcon Club members where Jerry York and former members of the team Mike Pikul, Gino Cavallini, Gary Kruzich, and Dane Kane will participate in a discussion reflecting on the team’s hunt for the title and talking about how the experience has impacted BGSU and their lives. The full team will be at Slater Ice Arena that night for an in-game recognition during the BGSU game vs. Michigan Tech at 7 p.m.
Please join us for our Spring Sport Luncheon on Monday, Feb. 26 at 11:45 a.m. This will be a fantastic opportunity for you to meet coaches and staff from our baseball, softball, women’s tennis, and men’s & women’s golf programs. Additionally, please mark your calendar for March 13-16 for the Mid-American Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament in Cleveland. Both of our basketball teams are on track to participate in this tournament, aiming for a title run. We are planning fan events on March 13 and March 14 before the women’s and men’s games, respectively, and we are also organizing a fan bus to the tournament.
Thank you for your continued support throughout February as our winter sports look to successfully conclude their regular season!
Sincerely,
Derek van der Merwe
.@OrelHershiser, @BGSU_Athletics Hall of Famer and L.A. @Dodgers great, returned to campus as the keynote speaker for @BGSU_Baseball's inaugural First Pitch Dinner. #BGSUAlumnus @JaycrawfordCLE also emceed the event. Learn more: https://t.co/evWLe39GVI pic.twitter.com/4wf35uTSb1
— Bowling Green State University (@bgsu) January 29, 2024
Great week in Florida with the Falcon Faithful!!! Our BG nation is growing and working to make us better! #AyZiggy ???? @BGSU_Athletics @bgsu @Bgsufalconclub #championships #excellence #mission pic.twitter.com/dWo6bqyCYv
— Derek van der Merwe (@vandermerwe63) February 11, 2024
W in the Stroh!
— Bowling Green State University (@bgsu) February 1, 2024
Sweet dreams, @BGSUWBB! ???? #AYZIGGY pic.twitter.com/D3B7hVaBPB
Hall of Famer @OrelHershiser ?? served as the keynote speaker at the @BGSU_Baseball ?? Falcon First Pitch Dinner on Saturday evening. pic.twitter.com/Lpsq8dURHj
— BCSN (@BCSNsports) January 29, 2024
Thursday night Falcon Four for y'all!@bgsumbb's Sam Towns shares his Falcon Four favorite sports movies?? pic.twitter.com/DumvQ5TCGC
— Falcon Media Sports Network (@BG_FMSN) February 2, 2024
Coach Chmiel sat down with Brandon Loe of @BG_FMSN for the season's first episode of Off The Dribble!#AyZiggy x #onemore pic.twitter.com/yFxvhkIXqW
— BGSU Athletics (@BGSU_Athletics) February 1, 2024
With our student-athletes in the trenches calling all of our Falcon Club members and THANKING them for their generous support! @Bgsufalconclub @BGSUHKY @BGSU_Athletics @bgsu #happyvalentine?? pic.twitter.com/Sq0d40oflz
— Derek van der Merwe (@vandermerwe63) February 14, 2024
Dates to Remember
• Feb. 26 – Falcon Club Spring Sports Luncheon – To Register, Click here
• Feb. 16 - Happy Hour with the AD - Juniper Brewing Company (4-6 p.m.)
• Feb. 24 - Recognition and Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the 1984 NCAA Ice Hockey National Championship
• May 17 – BGSU baseball vs. Toledo at Fifth Third Field
????Quick Message from our Seniors before Senior Night Tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. in the Cooper Pool????#AyZiggy pic.twitter.com/CWnnSaCfwp
— BGSU Swim/Dive (@BGSU_SwimDive) February 1, 2024
The Falcons had a couple Top-5 all-time program finishes from @BGSUGymnastics today at Western Michigan ?????
— BGSU Athletics (@BGSU_Athletics) January 28, 2024
Bars: Isabella Rivelli, 9.925 (T4th)
Beam: Megan Bingham, 9.925 (T5th)#AyZiggy ???? pic.twitter.com/WHjhyBJcLF
?????? ???????? ??
— BGSU Football (@BG_Football) January 25, 2024
League opponents for the next three years have been officially released ????#ToTheMoon ???? pic.twitter.com/rjrpracXKA
Take a look at our highlights from the Early Bird Open! #AyZiggy pic.twitter.com/ewH7sus9iT
— BGSU XC/Track (@BGSUXCTF) January 13, 2024
BGSU Women’s Basketball Alumni Day! ?? #AYZIGGY | @BGSUWBB pic.twitter.com/IhXwLeYmsB
— Bowling Green State University Alumni Association (@FalconAlumni) January 27, 2024
In Photos: BGSU welcomes Orel Hershiser to the 2024 Baseball First Pitch Dinner????https://t.co/sNbRz9fStU
— BGSU Athletics (@BGSU_Athletics) February 1, 2024
Ice Hockey
• BGSU's home game on Fri., Feb. 23 against Michigan Tech has been moved to a 7:37 p.m. puch drop. More information on the change can be found by clicking here.
Women’s Basketball
• Erika Porter added her name to the BGSU record book in back-to-back games. She went 10-of-11 (90.9 percent) from the field in BGSU’s win over Akron, tying for the fifth-best field-goal percentage in a game in school history.
• Then, at Miami (OH), Porter pulled down 19 rebounds, the highest total by a Falcon in 28 years. It tied her for eighth on that BGSU single-game list.
• Join us for women’s basketball vs Toledo in the Stroh Center, Saturday, Feb.17. Tip time is 6 p.m. For ticket information, visit the BGSU Ticket Office.
Men’s Basketball
• Marcus Hill has scored 20+ points in nine-straight games, which is the best streak in the nation this season.
• Rashaun Agee has 11 double-doubles in last 16 games (Now Top 15 in the country)
• BGSU posted best record through 18 games since 2001-02 season (14-4)
• Simon became just the second BGSU Men's Basketball coach to start MAC career 5-1 (Bill Fitch, 1967-68).
MAC Basketball
• The 2024 Mid-American Conference Tournament returns to Rocket Mortgage Field House March 13-16. The four-day tournament will showcase the best of the best in men’s and women’s basketball. Join us in Cleveland to cheer the Falcons to victory! Click the specific link for more tournament details on the MAC Men's Basketball or the MAC Women's Basketball.
Gymnastics
• The Falcons hosted Senior Day at the Stroh on Feb. 11 and placed second in a quad-meet, which included a “Power-5” win over West Virginia and second-year program Fisk. BGSU tallied its best team score and floor score of the season in the meet which also included MAC foe Eastern Michigan, who won the event.
• The Falcons had some stellar individual performances at Western Michigan (Jan. 28), highlighted by Isabella Rivelli and Megan Bingham who each had BGSU record book Top-5 performances.
• Rivelli had the meet’s best bars score with a 9.925. The score was a PR for Rivelli and tied for No. 4 on the BGSU career list.
• Bingham had the meet’s top score on beam with a 9.925, which is tied for No. 5 on the BGSU career list. It is tied for the best score on beam in the MAC this season.
• Kathryn Weilbacher won the all-around for the third time this season with a 39.125.
Indoor Track & Field
• So far BGSU has notched a few top-5 finishes this indoor season.
• Below are the five performances this indoor season that have made the top-5 BGSU all-time list:
- Bianca Staples- High Jump 5th all-time at BGSU (5' 8 1/2/1.74m)
- Tianna Mulligan-600m 2nd all-time at BGSU (1:35.47)
- Tianna Mulligan-300m 2nd all-time at BGSU (39.35)
- Bianca Staples-Triple Jump 3rd all-time (40' 9.5"/12.43m)
- Kailee Perry-Mile 3rd all-time (4:51.30)
- Kailee Perry –3000m 1st all-time (9:34.02)
- Kylee Cubbison-3000m 2nd all-time (9:3412)
• BGSU’s 4000 DMR team of Kailee Perry, Tianna Mulligan, Katerina Shuble and Kylee Cubbison recorded the second-fastest time in the MAC last time out at GVSU’s Big Meet.
• The Falcons will be competing in the MAC Indoor Championships February 23-24 on the campus of Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti, Mich. For more Championship details, visit Getsomemaction.com.
Swim/Dive
• Gabby Vitela won the 1650 freestyle (17:20.99) on Jan. 26 at Eastern Michigan.
• Ava Vial won the 400 IM (4:31.40) and placed second in the 200 butterfly (2:05.95).
• Emily McNicol won the 100 backstroke (56.89).
• The Falcons will be competing in the MAC Swimming and Diving Championships are being hosted by Ohio University February 28 – March 2 in Athens, Ohio. For more Championship details, visit Getsomemaction.com.
Football
• Terion Stewart broke 78 tackles through nine games in 2023 before an injury ended his season. At the time of his injury, Stewart led the nation in tackles broken. After the season his number of broken tackles ranked No. 4 nationally.
• Stewart’s 4.81 yards per rush after contact ranked No. 2 in the nation among those with at least 100 rushing attempts.
• For his career, Stewart averages 6.3 yards per rush. That currently ranks No. 1 in BGSU history for a career.
Men’s Soccer
• The Falcons were well represented when the Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association unveiled its 2023 award winners. Alberto Anaya and Trace Terry were named to the OCSA's All-Ohio Team, and Anaya was also selected to the Academic All-Ohio Team. Kyle Blasingame, Brendan Graves and Eli Shope joined Anaya on the Academic All-Ohio squad.
• BGSU's total of four Academic All-Ohio selections was the highest of any school. Akron and Ohio State each had three selections to the team.
Women’s Soccer
• The Falcons had a total of three players named to the OCSA All-Ohio Teams. Isabelle Gilmore was named to both the All-Ohio Second Team and the Academic All-Ohio Second Team. Brynn Gardner joined Gilmore on the All-Ohio Second Team, with Katie Cox named to the Academic All-Ohio First Team.
• Cox earned academic all-state honors for the third consecutive year, after being voted to the Academic All-Ohio Second Team in both 2021 and ’22.
Volleyball
• Added JUCO transfer Marija Tabak from Salt Lake Community College.
• Fun Fact! There are many of BGSU ties on 2024 roster:
• Mia Tyler - dad played basketball at BG
• Cecily Warner - mom played volleyball at BG
• Avery Anders - brother played football at BG
• Marin Dunaway - dad played football at BG
• Kate Eigner - dad and brother played/play hockey at BG (Dad is BG Hockey head coach Ty Eigner)
Women’s Cross Country
• The Falcons earned USTFCCAA All-Academic Team honors with the best team GPA in the nation at 3.91.
Men's Cross Country
• The Falcons earned USTFCCAA All-Academic Team honors with a team GPA of 3.36.
