Bowling Green State University

Six Bowling Green runners finished in the top 25 and the Falcon women's cross country team finished second at the 23rd Annual Mel Brodt Invitational Saturday, with a score of 69 at Forrest Creason Golf Course.

* FINAL RESULTS - WOMEN'S RACE (PDF)
* MEL BRODT PHOTO GALLERY

Dayton won the team championship with a score of 19. Dayton runner Maura Bulgrin won the 5K event with a time of 17:57.

The Falcons beat three other Division I opponents in Western Michigan (128), Marshall (298) and Cleveland State (369).

“I was happy with the aggressiveness that the women showed,” Bowling Green coach Cami Wells said. “They got out well, but they were a little bit tired the last mile and fell off somewhat.

“I expected that that might be the case because of the weeks of training here that the legs are a little tired. But as far as their effort overall and their pack running it was great. I was pleased with that."

Freshman Abby Koch was the top finisher for the Falcons. She finished in eighth place overall sixth among Division I runners with a time of 18:45.

“(Abby) really showed a lot of guts to lead the team,” Wells said. “She was consistent and did great.”

Wells was also very pleased with the performance of Andrea Pereira de Almeida, who was a little under the weather during the race.

Pereira De Almeida was the next Falcon to cross the finish line. The senior was 11th overall and eighth among Divison I runners checking in with a time of 18:47.

The consistency of Carly Wells and Ashley Fischer was also a positive according to Wells.

Wells, a senior, and Fischer, a junior, crossed the finish line in succession taking 14th/9thand 15th/10th place. Wells had a time of 18:50 and Fischer ended with a time of 18:53.

Autumn Dettmann didn't get off to a great start, but battled back and finished strong. She ended the race with a time of 19:11 to finish 21st/13th.

Junior Sally Jerop was 24th/15th with a time of 19:17.

Junior Megan Kelsey (19:44, 47th/22nd), freshman Mindy Henry (19:53, 55th) and junior Courtney Krummert (20:24, 80th) rounded out the Bowling Green runners.

Coach Wells is looking for even better things when the Falcons travel to Bronx, New York next Saturday for the Iona Meet of Champions.

Two of the top Bowling Green runners, Barbara Powers and Heather Conger, are expected to be back and ready to compete at Iona.

“It will be our first 6K,” Wells said. “We are excited to have a chance to race that against a large field of teams that we don't see a lot.”

BGSU Women Place Second at Mel Brodt Invite