Track & Field Returns To Jesse Owens Classic This Weekend

Friday, April 21

Columbus, Ohio

TBA

Bowling Green State University

Jesse Owens Classic

April 20, 2017 | Women's Track and Field

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

Live Results

Columbus, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University outdoor track and field team travels to the state capital this weekend to compete in the Jesse Owens Classic Friday and Saturday, hosted by Ohio State University. With nine Mid-American Conference automatic bids already locked in, the Falcons will look for more success in a variety of events.

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

THE JESSE OWENS CLASSIC
The Jesse Owens Classic takes place Friday and Saturday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium and is hosted by Ohio State University. Athletes from all levels, including individuals from more than 50 Universities are scheduled to compete in the two-day event. Action gets underway Friday at 2 pm and Saturday's events start at 10 am.

The schedule of events is listed below:

FRIDAY, APRIL 21
2:00 pm – Hammer throw
3:30 pm – Hammer throw championship flight
3:30 pm – Javelin
7:00 pm – 5000
7:20 pm – 5000 showcase heat
8:20 pm – 1500
9:00 pm – 3000 steeplechase

SATURDAY, APRIL 15
10:30 am – Shot put
11:00 am – Long jump
12:00 pm – Shot put championship flight
12:00 pm – 400 relay
12:20 pm – 100 hurdles
1:15 pm – High jump
1:25 pm – 400
1:45 pm – Triple jump
2:00 pm – Discus
2:00 pm – 100
2:40 pm – 800
3:20 pm – 400 hurdles
3:45 pm – 200
4:00 pm – Discus championship flight
4:15 pm – Mile
4:30 pm – 1600 relay

MAC AUTO MARKS
Bowling Green has already earned nine Mid-American Conference automatic qualifying bids, including five in the dual meet against Toledo two weeks ago. In 2016, the Falcons had just 10 auto bids for the year and only six at this point in the season. Elizabeth Iversen is the only Falcon to have earned MAC auto bids this year in multiple events, doing so in both the discus and the hammer throw.

MAC RANKINGS
Following her school-record breaking performance in the 10,000, Rachel Walny ranks second in the Mid-American Conference in the event with a time of 34:02.57. Taylor Rambo currently sits third in the 400 as well and the Falcons currently have eight top-five performances. All Falcons ranked among the top 20 in the MAC are listed below.

100 – 9. Dorresha Green 11.99
200 – 13. Taylor Rambo 24.72, 19. Cortisha Short 24.84
400 – 3. Taylor Rambo 55.34 (AQ)
1500 – 17. Rachel Durbin 4:39.55
5000 – 4. Rachel Walny 16:37.18 (AQ), 8. Rebecca Schott 16:59.51
10000 – 2. Rachel Walny 34:02.57, 5. Rebecca Schott 35:00.36, 9. Elena Lancioni 37:06.71
400 relay – 5. Bowling Green 46.28
1600 relay – 11. Bowling Green 3:55.30
Long jump – 7. BeJai Fray 19-5.5 (5.93m) (AQ), 18. Kyla Paster 18-1.5 (5.52m)
Triple jump – 12. Kyla Paster 38-3.25 (11.66m)
Shot put – 4. Aliyah Gustafson 49-8.25 (15.14m) (AQ), 5. Makenzie Wheat 49-6.5 (15.10m) (AQ), 9. Elizabeth Iversen 47-0.75 (14.34m)
Discus – 7. Elizabeth Iversen 156-5 (47.67m) (AQ), 8. Aliyah Gustafson 154-0 (46.93m), 13. Kayla Velasquez 143-1 (43.62m)
Hammer throw – 4. Kaila Butler 189-8 (57.81m) (AQ), 6. Elizabeth Iversen 181-9 (55.40m) (AQ), 7. Kayla Velasquez 181-5 (55.29m) (AQ)
Javelin – 20. BeJai Fray 107-10 (32.87m)
Heptathlon – 7. BeJai Fray 4,382

REGIONAL RANKINGS
In most events, the top 48 individuals in the region advance to the NCAA East Region Preliminary Round. In the heptathlon, the top 24 in the country advance directly to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. Currently, six Falcons are inside the cutline and seven are ranked among the top 50 in the region in an event. Redshirt sophomore Rachel Walny leads the way in the 10,000 with a No. 15 ranking. All Falcons ranked among the top 50 in the region are listed below.

5000 – 44. Rachel Walny 16:37.18
10000 – 15. Rachel Walny 34:02.57, 40. Rebecca Schott 35:00.36
Shot put – 37. Aliyah Gustafson 49-8.25 (15.14m), 39. Makenzie Wheat 49-6.5 (15.10m)
Hammer throw – 42. Kaila Butler 189-8 (57.81m)
Heptathlon – 43. BeJai Fray 4,382

NATIONAL RANKINGS
From the NCAA East Region Preliminary Round, the top 12 finishers will advance to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field National Championships. Currently, six Falcons rank among the top 100 in the nation in an event, led by Rachel Walny's 32^nd place ranking in the 10,000. Each of those in the top 100 are listed below.

5000 – 96. Rachel Walny 16:37.18
10000 – 32. Rachel Walny 34:02.57, 82. Rebecca Schott 35:00.36
Shot put – 68. Aliyah Gustafson 49-8.25 (15.14m), 71. Makenzie Wheat 49-6.5 (15.10m)
Hammer throw – 78. Kaila Butler 189-8 (57.81m)

BREAKING DOWN THE WAL(L)-NY
Redshirt sophomore Rachel Walny shattered the school record in the 10,000 Thursday evening at the Mt. SAC Relays, completing the event in 34:02.57 despite running the final 8,000 meters of the race by herself. She broke the school record by more than 15 seconds and has virtually locked an NCAA East Region Preliminary Round bid.

WHAT A WEEK WALNY
Along with breaking the school record in the 10,000, Rachel Walny was named both the MAC Track Athlete of the Week and the MAC Scholar-Athlete of the Week. Walny maintains a 4.0 grade point average in exercise science. For Walny, it was the second time this spring that she has been named MAC Track Athlete of the Week, having also received the honor on March 28.

THE BUTLER DID IT
Freshman Kaila Butler debuted in the hammer throw at the Raleigh Relays and immediately launched herself into Bowling Green's top 10 record book with a throw of 187-feet-4. She improved upon that two weekends ago at Toledo, breaking the program's freshman record at 189-8. That mark places her third all-time at BGSU in the event.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS
"There's been a lot of positives. Each event group would like to see more in some different areas. We only have so many opportunities left and that makes Jesse Owens this weekend pretty important." – Lou Snelling, Head Coach

BUILDING MOMENTUM
BGSU completed the indoor track and field season in late February by placing fourth at the MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. The finish was the team's best result since 1999. That came on the heels of the squad's third place finish at the MAC Cross Country Championships in the fall. A year ago, Bowling Green placed sixth at the MAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships and will look to use the momentum from the fall and winter to improve upon that result.