Pettigrew Breaks Record As Falcons Complete Akron Invitational

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Sophomore sprinter Jeanette Pettigrew has threatened to break the Falcons' 60 meter dash school record in almost every race of the 2011 season to date. On Saturday (Feb. 12), those threats became reality.

At the 2011 Akron Invitational, Pettigrew placed second in the qualifying race for the 60m dash with a time of 7.56 seconds. In the final, she again placed second (and first among all attached athletes) by posting a 7.47 mark. This broke the previous school record of 7.51 seconds, set in 2007. Pettigrew's time is also the Mid-American Conference's second-best mark thus far in 2011.

This highlight was just one of several stand-out performances by the Bowling Green State University track and field team over the last two days at a meet that included several nationally-ranked schools and some of the top teams from the MAC.

In the Blue Division (open) events, the Falcons found a second-place finish from senior Barbara Powers in the mile run. Her time of 5:05.18 is a season best, and Powers beat 26 of the field's 28 runners. She was one of four MAC runners in the top five. Ashley Fischer also ran the mile, completing it in 5:21.03.

Fellow senior Heather Conger led all MAC runners while placing third (out of 42) in the 800m run. She earned a season-best mark of 2:14.85. Carly Wells (2:21.92) and Saisha Gailliard (2:22.84) also ran for BGSU.

The Falcons earned another top-five finish when Brittani McNeal captured fourth in the 200m dash. She finished the run in 25.40 seconds and placed second among MAC athletes in the 36-deep field. Erika Schmidt and Felicia Jefferson joined McNeal for Bowling Green.

Meanwhile, freshman Jessie Rowland set a personal record in the weight throw competition with a 17.52m (57-05.75) toss. Rowland placed third overall (out of 42) and first among 12 MAC throwers. Two other Falcon throwers – Ashley Harris and Brooke Pleger – finished in the top 20.

Other Blue Division event highlights included sophomore Janelle Campbell placing fifth in the triple jump (35-00.25) and sixth in the long jump (17-04.75), as well as Ashley Harris (shot put), Ariel Edwards (high jump) and Tara Weiss (3000m) earning top ten finishes.

In the Gold Division (invitational) events, Tatijana Jacobson joined Jeanette Pettigrew with a top-five mark. Jacobson took fifth place in the high jump with a 1.69m (5-06.50) leap, which fell just shy of her season-best mark of 1.71m. 

Brittani McNeal and Allison Weimer were BGSU's other competitors in Gold-level field events. McNeal posted a leap of 5.52m (18-01.50) in the long jump and earned sixth place, while Weimer competed as one leg of Bowling Green's 4x400m relay team, along with Felicia Jefferson, Jeanette Pettigrew and Heather Conger. The group finished fifth after posting a mark of 3:54.80.

Abby Koch finished the 5000m in a season-best 17:42.01. The time was good enough to earn sixth place, tops among MAC runners. Megan Kelsey (18:31.54) and Taylor Stichter (19:27.47) also competed in the run.

A new team-best time in the mile run was established by Nicole Farr when she crossed the finish in 5:00.24 for eighth place. Autumn Dettmann also competed in a distance run, finishing 11th in the 3000m (10:27.07).

The Falcons now turn their attention to the 2011 MAC Indoor Championships, which commence in two weeks. The championship meet will be held on the campus of BGSU at the Perry Field House on Friday, Feb. 25 and Saturday, Feb. 26.