Powers Breaks School Record, Falcons Take Third In Toledo

MEET RESULTS (.pdf)

Bowling Green, Ohio – On Saturday (April 2), the Bowling Green State University track and field team continued their recent string of success at the Toledo Collegiate Challenge by winning third place and netting numerous individual accomplishments.

The Falcons finished with 134.5 points and secured third place out of a field of eight teams, including six from the Mid-American Conference. They beat Central Michigan by 11.5 points and led by 44.5 over host Toledo. Eastern Michigan (164) and Buffalo (150.5) were the top two teams.  Overall, BGSU finished in the top-half of the group of MAC schools in the meet.

The individual highlight of the meet occurred in the 2000 meter steeplechase, when senior Barbara Powers won the event and broke the Bowling Green school record in the process. Her time in the race was 7:04.96, which was a 20-second improvement over her time at the Northwest Ohio Relays on March 26th.

Powers' effort put a emphatic stamp on a day that saw the Falcons score in 17 of the 20 events. The team won four of those events, led by Powers' victory, and totaled 18 top-five finishes. Led by Jessie Rowland's 24 points, the Falcons featured 21 different scorers. Also, Powers' record-breaking run was one of 32 different personal records set during the meet.

Tatijana Jacobson was another of BGSU's four event winners. Her 1.70 meter leap in the high jump took top honors and also vaults her to a tie for 26th overall in the NCAA's East Region in the event. The top 48 in each individual event are invited to the regional meet in May; Jacobson is currently BGSU's highest-ranked athlete in any event.

Jeanette Pettigrew made her outdoor season debut in style, as she won the 100 meter dash in 12.03 seconds. She ranks 79th in the East region. Pettigrew also finished second overall in the 200 meter dash after a run of 25.42 seconds, and she was closely followed by Allorian Horne, who finished fourth (0:25.60).

Pettigrew rounded out her 20.75 point day by racing in both relay events. In the 4x100 meter relay, she joined Horne, Felicia Jefferson and Erika Schmidt in a third-place finish in just 47.44 seconds. She then raced with Allison Weimer, Saisha Gailliard and Heather Conger in the 4x400 meter relay. That team concluded the race in 4:00.09 and earned fourth place.

Conger earned a high individual finish and a top-100 East region ranking in Saturday's 800 meter run. Her time of 2:14.39 ranks 79th and earned second place. She also placed sixth, just behind teammate Carly Wells, in the 1500 meter run.

Also earning top-five finishes in the running events were Rachael Doughty, who placed third in the 100 meter hurdles (0:15.57), and Abby Koch, whose time of 10:28.22 placed fourth in the 3000 meters.

Bowling Green's other event winner was Jessie Rowland. Rowland secured the top spot in the javelin throw with a toss of 37.90 meters. The throw placed Rowland in the East region's top 100 list. She is now ranked in the top 100 in three different events, and her victory was one of three finishes of third place or better in her four events.

Rowland earned third in the shot put with a 13.97 meter throw that ranks 55th in the East. She also placed third in the hammer throw. Her toss of 54.28 meters eclipses the personal-best mark she set last week and ranks fifth all-time in school history. She is also ranked 30th in the hammer throw in the East region. 

Rowland's lowest finish during Saturday's meet was sixth, in the discus throw. However, her 41.58-meter mark was tops among all Falcon competitors.

Ashley Harris joins Rowland in the East region rankings for the shot put. Her fourth-place throw of 13.85 meters ranks 59th.

Not to be outdone, Brooke Pleger finished fourth in the hammer throw (51.76m) and, in the process, qualified for the 2011 USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships. That meet will be held in Eugene, Ore. from June 23-26. 

The Falcons now turn their attention to the Ohio Invitational. The team will travel to Athens, Ohio to compete in the meet on Saturday, April 9th.