Bowling Green State University Athletics
Four Falcons Earn NCAA Regional Bids
May 18, 2017 | Women's Track and Field
Indianapolis, Ind. – The NCAA has announced regional qualifiers for each of the track and field regional preliminary rounds. Bowling Green will send four student-athletes to the NCAA East Region Preliminary, hosted by the University of Kentucky.
Senior Makenzie Wheat will make her fourth consecutive trip to the postseason, qualifying in the shot put. She is the first student-athlete in program history to qualify for regionals under the current two-region system in each of her four years of competition. Takara Dunning (2006-09) is the only other Falcon in program history to qualify in four consecutive seasons but that was prior to the new system.
Redshirt junior Aliyah Gustafson also returns to the NCAA East Region Preliminary in the shot put. A year ago, she surprised the field by placing 12th at the meet and advancing to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field National Championships.
Redshirt senior Kayla Velasquez makes her second trip to the NCAA East Region Preliminary as well, doing so in the hammer throw. Velasquez set a season-best mark in the hammer at the MAC Championships, earning league runner-up honors and qualifying for the regional in the process.
Redshirt sophomore Rachel Walny makes her first trip to regionals, qualifying in the 10,000. She is the highest seeded Falcon at the meet, ranked 18th. Walny was the MAC runner-up in the event a week ago and is the first BGSU student-athlete to ever qualify for regionals in the event. BGSU has not been represented by a distance runner in regionals since Jamie Roflow ran the 3000 steeple chase in both 2006 and 2007.
In order to advance to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, student-athletes must finish in the top 12 at the regional. The 12 qualifiers from the east and the 12 from the west will converge on the University of Oregon for a 24-person field at the national championships.
A year ago, Bowling Green sent three representatives to the NCAA East Region Preliminary Round. Under sixth-year coach Lou Snelling, the Falcons have sent 16 representatives to the regionals in the past five years. Student-athletes have equaled or better their seeds 15 times.
ALIYAH GUSTAFSON
Aliyah Gustafson returned from an ACL injury a year ago to win the MAC Championship in the shot put. She set a personal best at the NCAA East Region Preliminary round and earned the final bid to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 12th place, improving seven spots from her No. 19 seed. This year, she placed fourth at the MAC Championships and will look to use her experience a year ago to climb the ranks again and earn another berth to nationals.
HOW TO QUALIFY FOR NATIONALS
In the East region preliminary round, the shot put will be broken up into four flights of 12 competitors (top 12 in flight four, seeds 13-24 in flight three, seeds 25-36 in flight two, seeds 37-48 in flight one). Each of the 48 student-athletes will get three throws and the top 12 will advance to the NCAA National Championships.
GUSTAFSON'S NCAA REGIONAL HISTORY
Shot put – 2016, 12th place (53-0.75 / 16.17m)
NUMBERS TO KNOW
Gustafson's Seed - 35
Gustafson's Career-Best Mark – 53-0.75 / 16.17m
Gustafson's Season-Best Mark – 51-4.5 / 15.66m
2016 National Qualifying Mark – 53-0.75 / 16.17m
2017 No. 12 Seed Mark – 55-1 / 16.79m
KAYLA VELASQUEZ
Needing to improve upon her season-best hammer throw at the MAC Championships to qualify for NCAA Regionals, Kayla Velasquez did not disappoint. She threw a personal best 191-feet-9 to earn MAC runner-up status and a return trip to regionals. Velasquez was one of the most consistent performers on the day and can use her experience from a year ago to propel her forward.
HOW TO QUALIFY FOR NATIONALS
In the East region preliminary round, the hammer throw will be broken up into three flights of 16 competitors (top 16 in flight three, seeds 17-32 in flight two, seeds 33-48 in flight one). Each of the 48 student-athletes will get three throws and the top 12 will advance to the NCAA National Championships.
VELASQUEZ'S NCAA REGIONAL HISTORY
Hammer throw – 2016, 40th place (174-6 / 53.18m)
NUMBERS TO KNOW
Velasquez's Seed - 41
Velasquez's Career-Best And Season-Best Mark – 191-9 / 58.45m
2016 National Qualifying Mark – 193-2 / 58.88m
2017 No. 12 Seed Mark – 203-6 / 62.04m
RACHEL WALNY
Rachel Walny placed among the top four at the MAC Championships in both the 5,000 and 10,000 but really shone as MAC runner-up in the 10,000. In fact, Walny would have broken the MAC Championship meet record by 21 seconds had All-American Jordan McDermitt (Eastern Michigan) not beaten her by four seconds. Making her first appearance at regionals, Walny will need to run a savvy race for a shot at nationals.
HOW TO QUALIFY FOR NATIONALS
In the East region preliminary round, all 48 qualifiers will run in one heat with a double waterfall start. The top 12 finishers will advance to the NCAA National Championships.
WALNY'S NCAA REGIONAL HISTORY
First Appearance
NUMBERS TO KNOW
Walny's Seed - 18
Walny's Career-Best And Season-Best Time – 34:02.57
2016 National Qualifying Time – 34:41.48
2017 No. 12 Seed Time – 33:48.20
MAKENZIE WHEAT
Makenzie Wheat is making her fourth appearance at the NCAA East Region Preliminary. She got off to a rocky start as a freshman, failing to record a mark. But since that time, she has performed admirably at the meet, improving her distance each year. She is the first four-time qualifier in BGSU history under the current regional system and just the second four-time regional qualifier in program history.
HOW TO QUALIFY FOR NATIONALS
In the East region preliminary round, the shot put will be broken up into four flights of 12 competitors (top 12 in flight four, seeds 13-24 in flight three, seeds 25-36 in flight two, seeds 37-48 in flight one). Each of the 48 student-athletes will get three throws and the top 12 will advance to the NCAA National Championships.
WHEAT'S NCAA REGIONAL HISTORY
Shot put – 2014, 48th place (no mark); 2015, 19th place (50-2 / 15.29m); 2016, 23rd place (50-6 / 15.39m)
NUMBERS TO KNOW
Wheat's Seed - 41
Wheat's Career-Best Mark – 51-2.25 / 15.60m
Wheat's Season-Best Mark – 50-5.5 / 15.38m
2016 National Qualifying Mark – 53-0.75 / 16.17m
2017 No. 12 Seed Mark – 55-1 / 16.79m
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Thursday, May 25
11:30 am – Hammer throw (Kayla Velasquez)
9:00 pm – 10,000 (Rachel Walny)
Saturday, May 27
6:00 pm – Shot put (Aliyah Gustafson, Makenzie Wheat)
Senior Makenzie Wheat will make her fourth consecutive trip to the postseason, qualifying in the shot put. She is the first student-athlete in program history to qualify for regionals under the current two-region system in each of her four years of competition. Takara Dunning (2006-09) is the only other Falcon in program history to qualify in four consecutive seasons but that was prior to the new system.
Redshirt junior Aliyah Gustafson also returns to the NCAA East Region Preliminary in the shot put. A year ago, she surprised the field by placing 12th at the meet and advancing to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field National Championships.
Redshirt senior Kayla Velasquez makes her second trip to the NCAA East Region Preliminary as well, doing so in the hammer throw. Velasquez set a season-best mark in the hammer at the MAC Championships, earning league runner-up honors and qualifying for the regional in the process.
Redshirt sophomore Rachel Walny makes her first trip to regionals, qualifying in the 10,000. She is the highest seeded Falcon at the meet, ranked 18th. Walny was the MAC runner-up in the event a week ago and is the first BGSU student-athlete to ever qualify for regionals in the event. BGSU has not been represented by a distance runner in regionals since Jamie Roflow ran the 3000 steeple chase in both 2006 and 2007.
In order to advance to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, student-athletes must finish in the top 12 at the regional. The 12 qualifiers from the east and the 12 from the west will converge on the University of Oregon for a 24-person field at the national championships.
A year ago, Bowling Green sent three representatives to the NCAA East Region Preliminary Round. Under sixth-year coach Lou Snelling, the Falcons have sent 16 representatives to the regionals in the past five years. Student-athletes have equaled or better their seeds 15 times.
ALIYAH GUSTAFSON
Aliyah Gustafson returned from an ACL injury a year ago to win the MAC Championship in the shot put. She set a personal best at the NCAA East Region Preliminary round and earned the final bid to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 12th place, improving seven spots from her No. 19 seed. This year, she placed fourth at the MAC Championships and will look to use her experience a year ago to climb the ranks again and earn another berth to nationals.HOW TO QUALIFY FOR NATIONALS
In the East region preliminary round, the shot put will be broken up into four flights of 12 competitors (top 12 in flight four, seeds 13-24 in flight three, seeds 25-36 in flight two, seeds 37-48 in flight one). Each of the 48 student-athletes will get three throws and the top 12 will advance to the NCAA National Championships.
GUSTAFSON'S NCAA REGIONAL HISTORY
Shot put – 2016, 12th place (53-0.75 / 16.17m)
NUMBERS TO KNOW
Gustafson's Seed - 35
Gustafson's Career-Best Mark – 53-0.75 / 16.17m
Gustafson's Season-Best Mark – 51-4.5 / 15.66m
2016 National Qualifying Mark – 53-0.75 / 16.17m
2017 No. 12 Seed Mark – 55-1 / 16.79m
KAYLA VELASQUEZ
Needing to improve upon her season-best hammer throw at the MAC Championships to qualify for NCAA Regionals, Kayla Velasquez did not disappoint. She threw a personal best 191-feet-9 to earn MAC runner-up status and a return trip to regionals. Velasquez was one of the most consistent performers on the day and can use her experience from a year ago to propel her forward.HOW TO QUALIFY FOR NATIONALS
In the East region preliminary round, the hammer throw will be broken up into three flights of 16 competitors (top 16 in flight three, seeds 17-32 in flight two, seeds 33-48 in flight one). Each of the 48 student-athletes will get three throws and the top 12 will advance to the NCAA National Championships.
VELASQUEZ'S NCAA REGIONAL HISTORY
Hammer throw – 2016, 40th place (174-6 / 53.18m)
NUMBERS TO KNOW
Velasquez's Seed - 41
Velasquez's Career-Best And Season-Best Mark – 191-9 / 58.45m
2016 National Qualifying Mark – 193-2 / 58.88m
2017 No. 12 Seed Mark – 203-6 / 62.04m
RACHEL WALNY
Rachel Walny placed among the top four at the MAC Championships in both the 5,000 and 10,000 but really shone as MAC runner-up in the 10,000. In fact, Walny would have broken the MAC Championship meet record by 21 seconds had All-American Jordan McDermitt (Eastern Michigan) not beaten her by four seconds. Making her first appearance at regionals, Walny will need to run a savvy race for a shot at nationals.HOW TO QUALIFY FOR NATIONALS
In the East region preliminary round, all 48 qualifiers will run in one heat with a double waterfall start. The top 12 finishers will advance to the NCAA National Championships.
WALNY'S NCAA REGIONAL HISTORY
First Appearance
NUMBERS TO KNOW
Walny's Seed - 18
Walny's Career-Best And Season-Best Time – 34:02.57
2016 National Qualifying Time – 34:41.48
2017 No. 12 Seed Time – 33:48.20
MAKENZIE WHEAT
Makenzie Wheat is making her fourth appearance at the NCAA East Region Preliminary. She got off to a rocky start as a freshman, failing to record a mark. But since that time, she has performed admirably at the meet, improving her distance each year. She is the first four-time qualifier in BGSU history under the current regional system and just the second four-time regional qualifier in program history.HOW TO QUALIFY FOR NATIONALS
In the East region preliminary round, the shot put will be broken up into four flights of 12 competitors (top 12 in flight four, seeds 13-24 in flight three, seeds 25-36 in flight two, seeds 37-48 in flight one). Each of the 48 student-athletes will get three throws and the top 12 will advance to the NCAA National Championships.
WHEAT'S NCAA REGIONAL HISTORY
Shot put – 2014, 48th place (no mark); 2015, 19th place (50-2 / 15.29m); 2016, 23rd place (50-6 / 15.39m)
NUMBERS TO KNOW
Wheat's Seed - 41
Wheat's Career-Best Mark – 51-2.25 / 15.60m
Wheat's Season-Best Mark – 50-5.5 / 15.38m
2016 National Qualifying Mark – 53-0.75 / 16.17m
2017 No. 12 Seed Mark – 55-1 / 16.79m
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Thursday, May 25
11:30 am – Hammer throw (Kayla Velasquez)
9:00 pm – 10,000 (Rachel Walny)
Saturday, May 27
6:00 pm – Shot put (Aliyah Gustafson, Makenzie Wheat)
Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
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