Falcons Set to Host 2023 MAC Championships
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green men's and women's Cross Country teams will host the 2023 Mid-American Conference Championships this Saturday (10/28).
2023 Cross Country MAC Championships
The 2023 Cross Country MAC Championships will be held at the Mel Brodt Cross Country Course. The men's 8K race will begin at 11am with the women's race following shortly after at noon. Both races will be broadcasted live on YouTube with coverage starting at each respective time. The newly redesigned course features spectator friendly loops that lead into a permanent finish line. The course also hosts accessible parking and restrooms for teams and spectators. Course maps are available below:
To view the cross country 6,000m course map, click HERE.
To view the cross country 8,000m course map, click HERE.
Men's Squad Ready for Battle at Home
The men's team will enter the MAC Championship with plenty of work at hand. The team has shown flashes of talent with the efforts of Heriberto Alvarez and Anthony Sweet. Alvarez has led the team across the finish line at three of the four meets so far this season. The Senior set a personal record earlier this season at the Tommy Evans Invitational by logging a 6K time of 19:20.8. The team would ultimately place 11th out of a 17-team field.
On the other hand, Anthony Sweet, a graduate student with junior eligibility, looks for a strong showing in the first MAC Championship of his collegiate running career. The Cleveland native joined the Falcons after competing with the Ohio State club team as well as stints with Kent State and Western Kentucky. Sweet has recorded personal records for both 6K and 8K this season with times of 19:47.6 (Tommy Evans Invitational) and 25:13.3 (Louisville Classic), respectively.
Alvarez, Sweet, and the rest of the Falcons will look to secure a competitive result at this year's MAC Championships with hopes of continuing their season at the Great Lakes Regionals Championship in early November.
Women Ready for Challenge Ahead
The women's squad enters the weekend ready to compete following the MAC Pre-Championships Coaches Poll that ranked the Falcons in 5th place. With a mix of experienced upperclassmen and promising underclassmen, the group is well-positioned to challenge the competition.
Kailee Perry and Kylee Cubbison have led the way throughout the season for the Falcons. The pair have combined to finish first and second among the team at every meet in the 2023 campaign.
The Falcons have also seen great depth performances in Regina Rose, Katerina Shuble, and Kristin Groppe which have solidified the Falcons top five as they approach the final stretch of the season. The team will need a quality performance from everyone to keep the squad in competition to finish atop the table of conference foes.
A Look at the Competition
The Conference Championships will feature all 12 MAC institutions in Akron, Ball State, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo, and Western Michigan which will create a 12-team field for the women. The men's side will see an 9-team field with Akron, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami, Ohio, and Toledo in competition against the Falcons.
The men's squad will face a tough field with multiple teams receiving regional ranking recognitions in the most recent poll. The Falcons will face regionally ranked opponents such as Akron (7th), Miami (8th), Toledo (9th), and Ohio (15th). Looking back to last year's MAC Championships hosted by Ohio, Miami would not only have the see the top finish individually in Obsaa Feda but also won the meet as a team, finishing with 46 points, edging second place Toledo (54 points).
The women's squad will also face difficult competition within the conference with regionally ranked teams such as Toledo (6th), Eastern Michigan (7th), Ohio (8th), Central Michigan (11th), and Akron (13th). However, the Falcons will enter the MAC Championships being ranked among the best in the region in 12th place. In 2022, the Toledo Rockets would see all seven runners place in the first 20 finishes. The Rockets would go on to comfortably win the conference with just 29 points, beating second place Ohio (83 points) by 54 points.
Coaches Thoughts
"The competition overall is going to be phenomenal. The regional rankings, especially on the women's side, is just littered with MAC Schools. Most of the MAC is in the top 15 in the region so the competition will be tough. Every MAC Championship is tight, close, and competitive, so we are really looking to get our first five in early." Said Head Coach Lou Snelling on the field of teams in the conference.
Snelling also explained what this opportunity means to the team by saying "we've hosted multiple meets this season at home and I think that speaks to the quality of this course and the community we are in. It's always great to race at home and we are really excited to host the MAC Championships this weekend."
"The MAC Championships are always a little more aggressive but hopefully we can have a strong showing from both groups." Said Lou Snelling on both sides prior to this weekend's race.
Follow the Action
The 2023 Cross Country MAC Championships will be broadcasted live on YouTube. The meet will also provide live results in addition to the final results following the race.
Links to each live stream and the results can be found here.
Run with the Falcons Hosted by Derek van der Merwe
Bowling Green Director of Athletics along with Falcon Fanatics will be hosting a 'Run with the Falcons' event. Participants will take part in a 6K race with Bowling Green State University Director of Athletics Derek van der Merwe. Any participant who is able to beat van der Merwe will win a steak dinner courtesy of BGSU Dining. The event is set to begin at 4pm on Friday (10/27) at the Mel Brodt Cross Country Course and is open to all. To enter, email Taylor Jefferson at tjeffer@bgsu.edu prior to the event.
Follow The Falcons
Be sure to follow the Falcons cross country teams throughout the season on social media.
Twitter – @BGAthletics and @BG_XCTrack
Instagram – 'bgfalcons' and 'bg_xctrack'
Facebook – 'BGSU Athletics'
YouTube – 'Falcon Athletics'
Latest Men's Cross Country News
- Rachel Rhynard Named Associate Head Cross Country & Assistant Track CoachBOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The BGSU cross country/track & field program has hired Rachel Rhynard as the associate head cross country & assistant track coach.
- Women's Cross Country Earns Best Team GPA in Division I, Men's Team Also Receives USTFCCCA All-Academic Team HonorsBOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- The BGSU cross country programs have accomplished tremendous feats.
- Eleven Falcons Named to Cross Country Academic All-MAC TeamCLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference announced the 2024 Cross Country Academic All-MAC Team on Thursday morning, celebrating the achievements of 127 student-athletes who have excelled both in competition and in the classroom.
- Men’s Cross Country Finishes 2024 Campaign At NCAA Great Lakes RegionalsFINAL RESULTS
- Meet Preview: BGSU Set For NCAA Great Lakes Regional Action In AkronBOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- The Bowling Green cross country programs will travel east to the Silver Creek Cross Country Park in Norton, Ohio outside of Akron to compete in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Friday, November 15. The women's 6K race will begin at 11 a.m., while the men's 10K competition is set to start at noon.
- Men’s Cross Country Places Ninth At MAC ChampionshipsMUNCIE, Ind. – The BGSU men's cross country team placed ninth at the 2024 MAC Championship at the new Ball State Cross Country Course.
