CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The BGSU track & field squad has more to celebrate after winning their first Mid-American Conference outdoor title since 1981.

The conference announced on Thursday afternoon that sprints/jumps/multis coach Reggie Trotter won Assistant Coach of the Year honors, while Trista Fintel earned Most Outstanding Field Performer.

They also released that six Falcons earned All-MAC distinctions as well.

Trotter's groups scored 58 of the Falcons' 130 points at the conference meet, which was their highest total in program history. He coached triple jumpers Sabrina Imes (first-team All-MAC) and Bianca Staples to a first and third-place finish in the event, proving to be a major boost on the final day of competition. The second-year assistant coach at Bowling Green also coached Morgan Patterson (second-team All-MAC) to a runner-up finish in the long jump, BGSU's highest finisher in the event since 1998. High jumper Katherine Mendenhall tied for third and became the Falcons' best placer in the event since 2011.

Additionally, two individuals (Kiersten Franklin and DaMya Barker) scored in sprints/hurdles and one scored in the heptathlon.

Imes, Staples, Patterson and Mendenhall qualified for the NCAA East Regional, which is the most jumpers to ever qualify for the meet from Bowling Green. Mendenhall and Patterson are the first high jumper and long jumper to ever qualify from BGSU.

Trotter also earned MAC Assistant Coach of the Year honors during the indoor season and becomes the first BGSU coach to earn the honor during the outdoor season.

Fintel (first-team All-MAC) had a dominant outdoor track & field season that culminated at the MAC Championships. The graduate student transfer from Findlay became the fifth Falcon in the last six years to take the MAC title in the hammer throw. She followed it up with a victory in the shot put the next day, becoming only the second MAC thrower to ever win both the hammer throw and shot put events at the meet.

Both of her best throws in each event rank in the top 25 on the NCAA East Regional qualifying list heading into the meet.

For good measure, Fintel placed fifth in the discus at the conference meet, totaling 24 of a possible 30 points in her events. 

She becomes the third BGSU thrower to earn the honor, joining Brooke Pleger (2013 & 2015) and Aliyah Gustafson (2018 & 2019).

Kylee Cubbison was the other Falcon to earn first-team All-MAC honors. The junior won the 1,500m and was runner-up in the 5,000m at the MAC Championships. She also broke program records in both events and helped set three school marks during the indoor season. Cubbison also qualified for NCAA East Regionals in the 1,500m.

Rachael Hoover and Rachael Withrow rounded out the Falcons who earned second-team All-MAC honors. Hoover, a freshman, was runner-up in the 800m and fifth on the 4x400m relay squad at the MAC Championships. Withrow, a sophomore, came in second in the 10,000m and tenth in the 5,000m at the meet.

Lou Snelling also won MAC Coach of the Year, which was announced after the MAC Championships. The 14th-year head coach at BGSU helped the Falcons win the conference title after never finishing higher than fourth in his tenure. He oversaw a squad that broke or tied five school records and had 21 performers earn top 10 marks in program history in 14 different events throughout the season.

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