Falcons Finish Eighth At 2011 MAC Indoor Championships

RESULTS

Buoyed by a mix of youthful energy and senior leadership, the Bowling Green State University track and field team soared to heights not seen in several years at the 2011 Mid-American Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship.

In the two-day meet, held on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 25-26) at Perry Field House in Bowling Green, Ohio, the Falcons earned their highest finish at the MAC indoor championship meet since 2007 and tied for their best point total at the ultimate event since 1999.

Bowling Green carved out 45 points in a variety of events to tally an eighth-place finish.  They fell just 5.5 points shy of Central Michigan and only six shy of sixth-place Akron. They outpaced Buffalo by 12 points and Ohio by 13.

Head coach Cami Paulson said, "I was very pleased with the team's performance this weekend.  They were enthusiastic, composed, and aggressive, and they competed with intent.  I was so pleased with the overall team support and enthusiasm this weekend."

"This is the breakthrough that we have been working toward for years, and now the team knows that they can compete at the level needed to rise up the conference ranks.  Eighth place is a nice improvement from last year, but it is not where we want to be as a team," Paulson said.  "Sixth place was possible, and we have to continue to get stronger mentally and physically.  We have to have more people scoring."

Paulson added that the team is very excited about what this weekend means for the upcoming outdoor season and has the ability to score in several outdoor-specific events.

Three Falcon individuals secured medals during the meet. Jessie Rowland's gold medal in Friday's weight throw event was the Falcons' first since 2007. Brittani McNeal added silver later on Friday when she placed second in the long jump.

About Friday's winners, Paulson said, "Jessie has been a hard worker and positive force on the team from day one.  She has had a unique path to this championship, but she is determined, dedicated and has put in the work every day.  It says a tremendous amount about Jessie and her mental fortitude that she was able to step up and throw a huge personal record to win the title and set a new school record.  I am extremely proud of and happy for Jessie and her event coach, Justin Carvalho."

She continued, "Brittani's performance was an amazing effort.  She has been dealing with a nagging injury for the last couple of years, and it was aggravated this past week so much that competing in the meet was questionable.  However, she was able to step up and compete for her team and came through big time in both the long jump and the 4x400m relay.  I am extremely happy for Brittani, and to see her finish off her senior indoor career this way was outstanding."

On Saturday, Jeanette Pettigrew added to the medal total in style. Pettigrew had already broken the BGSU record in the 60-meter dash just two weeks ago at the Akron Invitational. She then broke her own record in Friday's preliminary round. That record? It lasted one whole day. Pettigrew finished Saturday's championship final in 7.40 seconds to set a new BGSU record and place second, earning a silver medal.

 

Pettigrew's competition, Ashley Abraham of Eastern Michigan, set a MAC record with a sizzling time of 7.34 seconds.

 

Pettigrew later placed ninth in the 200 meter dash, finishing that run in 25.53 seconds.

"Jeanette has been so consistent in the 60 meters all season long, and I know she was focused on getting all she could from her ability this weekend," Paulson said.  "Jeanette is dedicated, hard working and just has endless potential."

Aside from their medals, Rowland, Pettigrew and McNeal each earned a place on this year's All-MAC squads.  Rowland is first-team All-MAC thanks to her championship, while Pettigrew and McNeal have places on the All-MAC second team.

 

Bowling Green earned points in four other events on Saturday. Ashley Harris produced the best finish of that group, securing four points by finishing fifth in the shot put. Her final throw was her best, and it traveled 14.61 meters (47-11.25).  Harris' contribution gave BGSU throwers a total of 19 points, over a third of the Falcons' total.

 

Tatijana Jacobson won two points as part of a three-way tie for sixth place in the high jump. Her top leap was 1.65 meters (5-5.00). She was one of seven athletes to finish with that height, and ties were broken based on number of attempts taken to jump the 1.65 meters. As with the other two tied for sixth, Jacobson took two attempts.

 

Nicole Farr produced a point as part of her eighth-place finish in the mile run. Farr's run of 4:59.26 was the first sub-five-minute mile produced by a BGSU runner this season.

 

Bowling Green's final two points came in the championship meet's final event. The team of Felicia Jefferson, Jeanette Pettigrew, Heather Conger and Brittani McNeal combined for a time of 3:50.79 and a seventh-place finish. The team had already secured eighth place but still had a chance to move up to sixth. Going all-out, the Falcons were second in their heat, just .24 seconds behind Northern Illinois.

Ten different BGSU athletes scored points during the championship meet, and seventeen were involved in setting 18 different indoor collegiate personal records.  Additionally, several Falcons now rank among the top 105 nationally in NCAA Division I competition.

Jessie Rowland ranks 30th in the country in the weight throw, while Jeanette Pettigrew is tied for 41st in the 60 meter dash.  Brittani McNeal (long jump) and Ashley Harris (shot put) are also highly ranked, as is the Falcons' distance medley relay team.

 

Overall, Eastern Michigan University captured the 2011 MAC championship with 118 total points, defeating Western Michigan by 29 points. EMU's title is their first since 2000 and ends a run of dominance by Akron and Kent State, who had combined for the last six MAC indoor titles.

 

On the men's side, the University of Akron won top team honors. It is their first MAC indoor championship. It is also only the third championship won by a team other than Eastern Michigan in the last 16 years. Central Michigan won in 2005, while Kent State won in 2009.