At the Bowling Green State University-hosted Mel Brodt Collegiate Open, the Falcons’ mens team finished third and the women finished fourth on Friday.
For the men, A.J. Haffa finished third and for the women Kailee Perry was runner-up. The top 15 finishers in each event were recognized by BGSU alum and 1972 Olympic champion Dave Wottle following the meet.
The women’s race saw 46 athletes competing from four schools. Bowling Green tallied 75 points to finish fourth as a team. Central Michigan posted 27 points to finish first, while Eastern Michigan (52) and Oakland (65) finished second and third, respectively.
For BGSU, Perry, a senior, crossed the 6-kilometer finish line with a time of 21:48.0. The race marked the senior’s first time competing this season.
BGSU senior runner Katerina Shuble finished just behind Perry in third place, crossing the finish line at 21:52.5 while running unattached. The senior secured her second top-three finish of the season with her performance.
BGSU freshman Kylee Cubbison was the third Falcon finisher, placing eighth overall while running unattached. The freshman ran her first collegiate 6k in 22:31.1.
Another BGSU freshman, Izzy Best, posted a time of 22:42.7 to finish 11th overall. Best also ran unattached in her first collegiate 6k.
BGSU senior Elise Johnson and freshman Lillie Katsaras placed 12th and 14th overall to round out the top Falcon finishers. Johnson completed the race in 22:48.7 while Katsaras posted a time of 22:56.7 while running unattached in her first collegiate 6k.
“It was a solid day. We built on our opener two weeks ago,” said BGSU coach Lou Snelling. “We got to see a few more people in a uniform today, Kailee Perry in particular. We had a mixed bag today, some of the team in a uniform and some of the team not.
“We’re just trying to figure some things out in terms of where everyone’s at, so obviously the team score reflected that element. We had a nice presence in that top 15.”
Men’s 8K event
The men’s race featured 45 athletes from four schools and the Bowling Green Track Club. Bowling Green collected 60 points for a third-place team score.
Oakland and Central Michigan finished first and second, posting 34 and 57 points, respectively. Eastern Michigan placed fourth with 71 points.
Haffa earned his second straight top-five finish, placing third with a time of 25:48.
BGSU sophomore Charlie Nowinski shattered his personal best 8k time, crossing the finish line at 26:14.6. The sophomore’s previous best time was 26:50.6, set in the 2021 MAC Championships.
Another BGSU sophomore, Heriberto Alvarez, placed third for the Falcons and 14th overall with a time of 26:30.1. Alvarez also set a new personal best with the mark.
BGSU senior Cesar Arellano crossed the finish line just over three seconds behind Alvarez to place 15th. The senior finished the race in 26:33.
Freshman Hunter Sidle finished 17th overall to cap off the top-five Falcon finishers. In his first collegiate 8k, Sidle posted a time of 26:37.1.
The Falcons will travel to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to compete in the Paul Short Run on Sept. 30. The meet takes place on the campus of Lehigh University.
