The BGSU womens track team competed in the Raleigh Relays this past weekend and produced a positive start to the beginning of the outdoor season, placing the top ten of multiple events.
The most successful of all sections was that of the throwers. Shotput in particular produced two top ten finishes of second and seventh place. Aliyah Gustafson had a best throw of 47 feet 7.75 inches. Makenzie Wheat finished with a best throw of 50 feet 3.5 inches, which made her an automatic qualifier for the Mid-American Conference Championship.
Through her coaching, former Falcon star Brooke Pleger helped the team produce one of the best results of the event in the hammer throw. Pleger participated in the NCAA championships in the hammer throw last year before ending her collegiate career as one of the best to ever compete in the Falcon program. Kayla Velasquez, with the coaching of Pleger, has already thrown an automatic qualifier for the MAC Championship. Velasquez had a best throw of 175 feet and 11 inches, giving her a sixth place finish in the event. Kori Reiser finished in tenth place and Allie Farmer finished in 31st.
The discus throwers finished with three athletes in the top 32. Andrea Weirauch, Gustafson and Reiser all competed to potentially qualify for the MAC championships, but eventually fell short. Weirauch finished in the top 12 of the Javelin event with a throw of 78 feet 4.25 inches.
Raven Porter finished the relays with two top five finishes. Porter was the last MAC automatic qualifier in the long jump event with a finish of 18 feet 10 inches. Tiera Parker finished in tenth place in the long jump and 14th in the triple jump. Parker and Porter will look to qualify for the MAC tournament next week, placing just outside of the qualifying marks at Raleigh.
The 800 meter relay team finished in 12th place with a time of one minute 39.20 seconds. The team is compiled of Gabrielle Edwards, Cortisha Short, Taylor Rambo and Kera Lamotte. Rambo had a top 20 finish in the 400-meter race with a time of 56. 63 seconds, placing just outside the automatic qualifying mark.
The Falcons will have a chance next weekend to add more qualifiers when they match up against rival University of Toledo. This is an annual meet that will take place on Falcon turf this season. The meet will begin Friday, April 1 at 3:00 p.m.