The Bowling Green State University men’s and women’s cross country teams return home today to host the Falcon Invite. The event marks the fourth meet of the season for both teams as they continue preparations for the Mid-American Conference Championships on Oct. 29.
The Falcon Invite will take place at the Bowling Green Cross Country Course. The Steve Price Women’s 6,000m event will kick off the meet at 4:30 p.m., and the Bob Rothermel Men’s 8,000m race will follow at 5:15 p.m. The meet will conclude with an awards presentation at 6 p.m. Parking is available off Alumni Drive in a designated grass lot east of Doyt L. Perry Stadium.
The invite will feature athletes from 14 schools. Seven of those universities represent the Mid-American Conference, with Akron, Ball State, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Kent State and Ohio joining the hosts as part of the field.
Other teams in attendance include Cleveland State, Dayton, Detroit Mercy, Macomb Community College, Marshall, Morehead State, and Windsor. Three regionally ranked women’s teams – Ohio (11th), Central Michigan (12th) and Bowling Green (13th) – will be in attendance, all representing the Great Lakes Region.
“We’re looking forward to hosting another great meet on the BGXC Course this season,” women’s head coach Lou Snelling said. “This will be the first moment at home we’ll see most of the women’s team competing together in a uniform. Several teams are ranked in our region, featuring a good portion of the Mid-American Conference. Friday presents us with a great opportunity to confidently finish off our preparations for the upcoming postseason.”
The Falcons last competed in the Paul Short Run on Sept. 30, with both teams earning seven personal bests in a competitive meet. Kailee Perry (20:31.8) led the way for the women, coming within seven seconds of breaking the program 6k record as the Falcons posted a 32nd place team score in the Women’s College Gold 6k. AJ Haffa (24:36.3) paced the men’s squad in the Men’s College Gold 8k, helping the team to a 43rd place finish.
The women’s team made its return to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association regional rankings following a strong performance at the Paul Short Run on Sept. 30. The Falcons rank 13th in the Great Lakes Region, joining fellow MAC schools Toledo (sixth), Miami (10th), Ohio (11th), Central Michigan (12th), and Eastern Michigan (14th) on the list. Bowling Green previously posted a 12th place rank to open the season.
Bowling Green last hosted the Falcon Invite in 2021, competing in a pool of athletes from nine total schools. Cesar Arellano led the men’s team to a third-place finish, crossing the finish line second overall in the Bob Rothermel 8k event. The women did not post a team score in the event, but current Falcons Emma Steingass, Raegan Burkey, Kristin Groppe and Alyssa Ellerbrock all competed in the Steve Price 6k event.
About Bob Rothermel and Steve Price
Rothermel is a 1965 graduate of the business program at BGSU and a supporter of the men’s cross country team. He is a 2017 member of the BGSU Academy of Distinguished Alumni, recognizing the accomplishments of alumni who have made significant contributions to their professional field. Rothermel retired after 37 years with Deloitte and Touche, working in client service and leadership.
Price was the women’s cross country and track & field coach at BGSU from 1989-99. He led the Falcons to three Mid-American Conference championships (1995, 1996 and 1997) and was named the MAC Coach of the Year and Ohio Coach of the Year in those same years. His 1995 team qualified for the NCAA national meet, the first women’s team in MAC history to do so. Price was the founder of the Kettering Striders, one of the largest track clubs in the country by the late-1970s, which he coached from 1966 to 1983. Price was inducted into the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame in 2015. He passed away in 2021.
The Falcons will travel to Dexter, Michigan, for the EMU Fall Classic on Oct. 21. The Eastern Michigan-hosted event marks the final competition for the Falcons before the Mid-American Conference Championships on Oct. 29. The meet’s start time is set for 5:30 p.m. at Hudson Mills Metropark.
