KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Bowling Green State University track and field team secured 33 team points on Saturday to finish the 2022 MAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship with 61 team points and in eighth place out of 12 teams. The three-day meet was hosted by Western Michigan at Kanley Track.

Saturday was highlighted by Zaresha Neal’s MAC championship in the discus. Neal’s throw of 54.15m gave BGSU its first champion in the discus since Liz Honegger in 2004. It is BGSU’s sixth timing winning the event with the Falcons taking it home four-straight years from 1988-91.

Kailee Perry broke the BGSU record in the 1500 with a time of 4:21.99. Her time bested the previous mark by over two seconds, 4:24.03, which was set by Tracy Gaerke in 1989. Perry placed second in the event, earning five team points.

Podium Falcons

• Kaila Butler easily won the MAC championship in the hammer throw with a toss of 67.32m (220-10.00) on Thursday for 10 team points. The championship is the second time in Butler’s career she won the hammer throw event at the MAC outdoor championship. She also won the event in 2019.

• Fernandes added three team points after placing No. 6 in the heptathlon with 4,267 points.

• Richard finished No. 5 in the long jump and earned four points.

• Neal added eight points after finishing in second place in the shot put. Katie Seyfang added three points after finishing sixth.

• Neal added 10 more points after winning the discus on Saturday.

• Perry broke the BGSU record in the 1500 with a 4:21.99 and earned eight points.

• Katerina Shuble added five team points after placing No. 4 in the 1500.

• Perry notched six points after placing No. 3 in the 5000.

• Brianna Richard added four team points with a PR in the triple jump (12.62m)

Throws

• Neal’s discus throw was the second-best mark in program history (54.15m). Her best mark last time out at the Len Paddock Invitational is a program record and she owns three of the four longest throws in BGSU history.

Distance

• Kailee Perry broke the BGSU record in the 1500 with a time of 4:21.99. Her time bested the previous mark by over two seconds, 4:24.03, which was set by Tracy Gaerke in 1989.

Jumps

• Richard had a PR in the triple jump with a result of 12.62m.

• Richard’s jump was the best by a Falcon this season.

Saturday Results

Discus: No. 1 Zaresha Neal – 54.15m (177-8.00), No. 11 Katie Seyfang – 41.99m (137-9.00), No. 19 Reagan Emberton – 37.32m (122-5.00)

Triple jump: No. 5 Brianna Richard – 12.62m (41-5.00), No. 10 Ayanna Burrell – 11.96m (39-3.00)

1500: No. 2 Kailee Perry – 4:21.99, No. 4 Katerina Shuble – 4:27.24

5000: No. 3 Kailee Perry – 16:56.38, No. 16 Sydney Niekamp – 18:09.25