Track And Field Looks To Defend BG Opener Title Saturday

Saturday, January 9

Bowling Green, Ohio

11:30 AM

Bowling Green State University

BG Opener

January 07, 2016 | Women's Track and Field

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

BG OPENER

MEET INFORMATION	Saturday, Jan. 9 11:30 am Field Events 1 pm Running Events
LOCATION	Bowling Green, Ohio (Perry Field House)
LIVE STATS	Finish Timing
PERFORMANCE LIST	BGSUFalcons.com

Bowling Green, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University indoor track and field team hosts the annual BG Opener for the program's first meet of 2016. The Falcons are the defending BG Opener champions after ending Western Michigan's four-year reign in 2015. BGSU will welcome Ball State, Toledo, Western Michigan and Wright State to the newly renovated Perry Field House Saturday beginning at 11:30 am.

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
Snapchat - BG_XCTrack (**JUST LAUNCHED**)

ABOUT THE BG OPENER
The BG Opener will take place at Perry Field House Saturday beginning at 11:30 am beginning with field events. Running events start at 1 pm with the 800 relay. Admission is $3 for adults and $1 for non-BGSU students with ID. BGSU students and children under 10 are admitted free. Also, any student competing in the "Fastest Kid in Bowling Green" competition at 2:45 pm will be admitted free. A full schedule of events is listed below.

Field Events
11:30 am – Weight throw (Aliyah Gustafson, Allie Farmer, Kori Reiser, Kayla Velasquez)
Shot put to follow (Aliyah Gustafson, Makenzie Wheat)
11:30 am – Long jump (Sydnee Matthew, Jade Nolan, Tiera Parker, Raven Porter, Africa Strodes)
Triple jump to follow (Kyla Paster, Africa Strodes)
11:30 am – High jump (Sydnee Matthew, Raven Porter)
11:30 am – Pole vault

Running Events
1:00 pm – 800 relay (Two teams)
1:15 pm – 60 hurdles prelims (Sydnee Matthew, Demetra Taylor)
1:30 pm – 60 prelims (Alicia Arnold, Jade Nolan, Tiera Parker, Kyla Paster)
1:40 pm – Mile
2:00 pm – 400 (Gabrielle Edwards, Taylor Rambo, Cheyenne Oswald, Camerone Bryant)
2:15 pm – Intermission "Fastest Kid in Bowling Green"
2:30 pm – 60 hurdles finals
2:40 pm – 60 finals
2:45 pm – 800
2:55 pm – 600 (Natalee Cole)
3:00 pm – 200 (Dorresha Green)
3:15 pm – 3,000 (Jody Musser, Kelsie Mothersead)
3:30 pm – 1600 relay (Two teams)

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
"This meet is a good indicator of how well we did with our winter training and in building from December. We would love to win the meet, but we haven't approached entries from the perspective of winning. We are trying to get ready for the end of February." – BGSU Head Coach Lou Snelling

LAST YEAR IN THE BG OPENER
Bowling Green ended defending champion Western Michigan's four-year title reign a year ago by winning seven events at the BG Opener in 2015 to take the title by 17 points. The Falcons scored 137 points, followed by Western Michigan with 120 and Miami with 101. Ball State had 78 points, while Toledo scored 68 and IPFW ended with 20.

FASTEST KID IN BOWLING GREEN
BGSU track and field will hold its annual "Fastest Kid in Bowling Green" event during intermission of the BG Opener Saturday at approximately 2:15 pm. Boys and girls in preschool, elementary school and middle school are invited to take part in the untimed 60 meter sprint on the indoor track at Perry Field House. There will be a special appearance by Freddie and Frieda Falcon to congratulate all participants. Registration is free and participants receive free admission to the meet. Admission for parents and spectators is $3.

MAC RANKINGS
Jade Nolan and Alicia Arnold have paced the Mid-American Conference in the long jump through the early part of the season. Both have reached the automatic qualifying mark for the MAC Championships and they rank as the top two long jumpers in the league. Tiera Parker ranks first in the MAC in the triple jump with another auto qualifying mark. In total, BGSU has 20 marks among the top 10 in the conference and another three among the top 20. Listed below are all student-athletes ranked in the top 20 in the conference in an event.

60 – 6. Dorresha Green 7.70, 9. Cortisha Short 7.83, t10. Brianna Johnson 7.84, 13. Kera Lamotte 7.87
200 – 7. Kera Lamotte 25.24, 9. Brianna Johnson 25.59, 10. Cortisha Short 25.68
400 – 9. Cheyenne Oswald 1:00.25, 11. Paichence Carter 1:00.47
60 hurdles – 7. Demetra Taylor 8.98, 19. Sydnee Matthew 9.24
1600 relay – 6. Bowling Green 4:01.60
High jump – t4. Raven Porter 5-6
Long jump – 1. Jade Nolan 19-6 (AQ), 2. Alicia Arnold 19-3.25 (AQ), 7. Raven Porter 17-8.75
Triple jump – 1. Tiera Parker 39-4 (AQ), 3. Jade Nolan 37-10.75, 5. Kyla Paster 37-1.25
Shot put – 3. Aliyah Gustafson 49-2.5 (AQ), 4. Makenzie Wheat 49-1.5 (AQ)
Weight throw – 2. Kori Reiser 58-4.75 (AQ), 3. Aliyah Gustafson 56-9.25

AQ – Surpassed MAC automatic qualifying mark
# - Converted time

NATIONAL RANKINGS
Jade Nolan and Alicia Arnold rank in the top 20 nationally in the long jump, a position that would qualify each for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field National Championships. In total, nine Falcons rank among the top 100 in the country in an event. They are listed below.

60 – 76. Dorresha Green 7.70
200 – 59. Kera Lamotte 25.24, 99. Brianna Johnson 25.59
High jump – 50. Raven Porter 5-6
Long jump – 12. Jade Nolan 19-6, 16. Alicia Arnold 19-3.25
Triple jump – 24. Tiera Parker 39-4, 59. Jade Nolan 37-10.75, 80. Kyla Paster 37-1.25

BID CLINCHED
Bowling Green earned six Mid-American Conference automatic qualifying marks in the season opener at Grand Valley State. A year ago, the Falcons did not hit a MAC auto mark in its December meet and had just four after the BG Opener. In fact, the Falcons entered the MAC Championships a year ago with nine automatic qualifying marks. BGSU already has MAC automatic qualifying marks from two student-athletes this year in both the long jump and shot put.

BG OPENER TEAM SCORES
Listed below are team scores over the past nine years at the BG Opener (the meet was called the BG Challenge prior to the 2012 season).

2015 – BGSU 129, Western Michigan 110, Miami 95, Ball State 76, Toledo 64, IPFW 20
2014 – Western Michigan 171, Ball State 111, Toledo 90, BGSU 89, IPFW 27
2013 – Western Michigan 215, Toledo 90.5, Dayton 80, BGSU 72.5, IPFW 28
2012 – Western Michigan 151.66, Miami 122, BGSU 70.33, Toledo 62, Ball State 55, Wright State 23, IPFW 9
2011 – Western Michigan 168, Dayton 148, BGSU 118, Miami 112, Ball State 58, Spring Arbor 6, IPFW 5
2010 – Central Michigan 135.5, Dayton 129.5, Miami 115.5, Toledo 62, BGSU 49, Ball State 45, Ohio 42, Oakland 28, Detroit 15, IPFW 1.5
2009 – Cincinnati 157, Miami 121, Ball State 84.5, Eastern Michigan 76, BGSU 61, Ohio 42, Toledo 40.5, Oakland 27, IPFW 13
2008 – Miami 218.5, BGSU 145, Western Michigan 140, Ohio 85.5, Oakland 16, IPFW 12
2007 – Western Michigan 180, Miami 132.5, BGSU 120, Eastern Michigan 53.5, IPFW 9

JADE IS A GEM
While a jade is a gemstone, freshman Jade Nolan has proven to be one of the freshmen gems in the Mid-American Conference in the early-going. Nolan has already met the MAC automatic qualifying standard in the long jump and is close in the triple jump. She ranks second nationally among all freshmen in the long jump and is 14^th among all rookies in the triple jump.

A VETERAN PRESENCE
A year ago, the Falcons had 26 entrants in individual events at the MAC Championships. Student-athletes who represent 20 of those entries return for the 2015-16 season, as well as three of four runners from the 1600 relay team at the MAC Championships. Returning point scorers include Alicia Arnold (3^rd/200; 5^th/Long jump; 6^th/60), Dorresha Green (5^th/60), Raven Porter (7^th/High jump), Demetra Taylor (7^th/60 hurdles), Kayla Velasquez (7^th/Weight throw) and Makenzie Wheat (6^th/Shot put).