The BGSU women’s indoor track and field team will begin their quest to rise above their eighth place finish from last season and also prove the pre-season polls wrong this Saturday when they host a five way meet at the Perry Field House.
BG will host fellow Mid-American Conference schools Miami, Ohio University, and the Western Michigan University. Detroit Mercy will also take part in this Saturday’s meet.
The Falcons were predicted to finish ninth in the Mid American Conference when the pre-season polls were released last month. Head Coach Scott Sehmann believes that his squad will prove to everyone that they are much better than a ninth place team. “We don’t necessarily believe we are a ninth place team,” Sehmann said. “I think we are definitely better in the MAC and now it’s up to us to prove it.”
The Falcons welcome a few new faces to the squad this year that they hope will make an impact on the team’s effort to climb the ladder in the MAC this season. Among these new faces is Amy Henry. Henry is a graduate student who comes to BG from Hampton University. Henry will be used in the intermediate and short hurdle events. Henry has been suffering from a nagging bone spur in her heel. If she is able to stay healthy, Sehmann believes Henry has the chance to make a real impact this season. “She certainly has the ability to be a contender for the league championship,” Sehmann said.
This Saturday’s meet will also be Sehmann’s first chance to see Amber Walker in competition. Walker is entering her second season as a member of the team, but her first season as a competing runner. Walker, a native of Detroit, MI, will compete in the 400-meter event.
Erin Leeper will also make her BG debut on Saturday. Leeper, a multi-event athlete, will most likely be used in the Heptathlon. Going into the season, Sehmann’s squad is relatively injury free. Alicia Taylor, who holds the indoor hurdles record for BG, will join Henry as the team’s one-two punch in both the sprint and hurdle events. Taylor had been bothered by a slight groin injury. At this time Sehmann does not foresee the injury keeping Taylor out of competition.
The Falcons will enter the season without the services of middle distance runner Brianna Killian. Killian, who also missed the latter half of the cross country season due to health problems, will be held out of competition as she continues to try and recover from her illness.
The Falcons will be led in the shot put and weight throw events by Kerri McClung and Mary Willems. McClung took second place in this event last year and was also a national qualifier.
With Killian sidelined for the time being, Sehmann will look to Tamika Dixon, Marquita McGowan, and Ellen Alkire to pick up the slack in the middle distance events. Dixon placed 11th in the 400-meter event at last years MAC Championships. Alkire placed 13th in the 800-meter that same meet. The highlight of Alkire’s season was a fifth place finish in the 400-meter at the BGSU Invite.
Cross Country standout Amber Culp will be the lead distance runner this season and will be featured in the steeplechase event. The other main distance runner will be Melissa Krueger, who placed 18th last season in the mile run at the MAC Championships.
Nicole Carter will join Leeper in the long jump and high jump events. Carter finished 14th in the triple jump at the MAC Championships last year.
Saturday’s meet will give Sehmann a chance to gauge where his runners are after the three week holiday break. It will show him if his runners are ready to tackle the challenge of rising to the top of the Mid American Conference. Action is set to get underway at 11 a.m.
