2011 MAC Championships -- Day One Live Blog

The 2011 Mid-American Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships are underway!  Be sure to check in with BGSUFalcons.com throughout the day for updated results and then tonight for complete results and a full recap of the day's events.

The Bowling Green State University track and field team will in ten events on the first day of the two-day meet.

Here is the schedule of events for Bowling Green, including scheduled BGSU competitors.  The list will be updated as events are completed with final results.

FIELD EVENTS
11:00 a.m. - Weight Throw (Ashley Harris, Jessie Rowland, Brooke Pleger)
2:00 p.m. - Pole Vault (Christina Gagliardo, Rochelle Muckensturm)
4:30 p.m. - Long Jump (Janelle Campbell, Rachael Doughty, Brittani McNeal)

TRACK EVENTS
3:00 p.m. - 60m Hurdle Prelims (Darlene Anderson, Rachael Doughty)
3:25 p.m. - 400m Prelims (Allison Weimer, Allorian Horne)
4:00 p.m. - 60m Dash Prelims (Erika Schmidt, Jeanette Pettigrew)
4:35 p.m. - 800m Prelims (Carly Wells, Saisha Gailliard, Heather Conger)
5:15 p.m. - 200m Prelims (Jeanette Pettigrew, Felicia Jefferson, Erika Schmidt)
5:55 p.m. - 5000m Final (Abby Koch, Megan Kelsey, Tara Weiss)
6:55 p.m. - Distance Medley Relay Final (Powers, McNeal, Conger, Farr)

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(12:30 p.m.)
What a start!  Jessie Rowland, a sophomore from Germantown, Ohio, just won the 20 lb. weight throw competition!  Rowland earned the first gold medal of the 2011 MAC Championships in style as she broke -- no, shattered -- the BGSU record for the event in the process.

Rowland, who celebrates her birthday today, completed a toss of 63 feet and 9.75 inches.  The throw beat BGSU's old record, set in 2003, over one-and-a-half feet.  The toss was almost three feet better than her closest competition.

Ashley Harris and Brooke Pleger also placed, as the Falcons dominated the event.  Harris finished sixth after a throw of 55-07.00, while Pleger earned seventh with a 53-11.75 mark.

All told, the trio scored 15 points, giving the Falcons the early lead in the championship meet!

(2:45 p.m.)
The pole vault competition is currently taking place; there are no final results yet, but we'll get those to you as soon as they're available.  Things are really about to pick up here at Perry Field House, though.  Preliminary races in the track competitions begin in 15 minutes.  There are seven races in all, so be ready for some rapid-fire updates, right here at BGSUFalcons.com!

(3:05 p.m.)
The 60 meter hurdle preliminaries are over.  Unfortunately, neither of the two Falcons who competed were able to reach tomorrow's championship race.  Rachael Doughty finished fifth in her heat and 14th overall after an 8.97 second run.  Darlene Anderson placed sixth in the first heat and 19th overall after posting a time of 9.89 seconds.

(4:10 p.m.)
We've completed the 400 meter prelims here at Perry Field House.  Two Falcons competed in the seven heats.  Allison Weimer had the best time, finishing in 59.44 seconds and placing fourth in her heat.  Allorian Horne also placed fourth in her heat, running the distance in 1:00.24.  The 60 meter dash prelims are happening right now, so be prepared for another update very soon!

(4:35 p.m.)
The Falcons' record-breaking day is obviously not done.  Jeanette Pettigrew just broke the BGSU record in the 60 meter dash -- a record that she established earlier this month.  Pettigrew's new record time is 7.43 seconds, and she qualified in second place for the championship final tomorrow.  Pettigrew won her heat by .08 seconds.  Erika Schmidt (7.97) and Allorian Horne (8.13) also competed for Bowling Green. 

Four more running events remain -- the 800 meter run, which is taking place right now, followed by the 200 meter dash, the 5000 meter run, and the distance medley relay.  We're also waiting on pole vault results.

(4:55 p.m.)
The 800 meter run has been completed.  Heather Conger was the Falcons' top finisher, just missing the qualifying cut for tomorrow's final.  Conger ran the 800 in 2:16.09, just over one second shy of the ninth place runner.  Carly Wells placed 15th overall with a mark of 2:17.77, while Saisha Gailliard's time (2:21.75) earned 20th place overall.

(5:35 p.m.)
We now have pole vault results to report.  Christina Gagliardo tied for 15th overall with a leap of 10-06.00.  Rochelle Muckensturm, who also competed, did not successfully complete a vault in three attempts at the 10-06.00 level.

(6:20 p.m.)
Jeanette Pettigrew will have two chances at a MAC championship tomorrow after she qualified fourth overall in the 200 meter dash.  Her 24.72 second run was second-best in her heat.  Erika Schmidt (25.96) and Felicia Jefferson (26.03) also raced for the Falcons.  

In the 5000m event, Tara Weiss led the way for the Falcons with an 18th place time of 18:26.83.  Abby Koch finished the run in 19:04.68, while Megan Kelsey did so with a time of 19:21.66.

The long jump and the distance medley relay are the only events remaining to be completed this evening.

(7:05 p.m.)
The long jump and distance medley relays have been completed, concluding the first day of competition for the Falcons at the MAC Championships.  Official results aren't available quite yet, so we'll say goodnight here -- however, stay tuned for a full recap and complete results from today's action.  You'll see that shortly right here on BGSUFalcons.com.

Then, return right here tomorrow for another live blog of Day 2 of the MAC Championship!