Falcon Fodder

BiG weekend for BG athletics includes five winners

Super Bowl weekend turned out to be a big weekend for BG athletics as well.

The men's and women's basketball teams both posted wins, while the hockey team swept a weekend series with Lake Superior. The BG swim team won twice on the road, while the tennis team swept two home matches.

Which was the biggest of the big for BG?

Click on the "comments" link at the bottom of this post to make the case for YOUR choice as the biggest win of the weekend. Here are the contenders ...

• Men's basketball. The Falcons bounced back from a disappointing home loss to Akron Wednesday by beating Ball State Sunday. Jordon Crawford had a big game off the bench for the Falcons in the win. Click here to read the game story from this contest.

• Women's basketball: The Falcons knocked off the last unbeaten in Mid-American Conference play with a win over Central Michigan Sunday. And it wasn't just a win; BG hammered the Chippewas by 25 points. Click here to read the game story from the contest.

• Hockey: The Falcons swept a pair of games from Lake Superior State at the BGSU Ice Arena, winning Friday 4-1 and winning Saturday 7-3. The wins strengthen BG's shot at home ice for the first round of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs. Click here to read the game story from Friday; click here to read the web exclusive game story from Saturday.

• Swimming: The BG swim team went on the road this weekend and won twice in convincing fashion, beating MAC rival Akron on Friday and whipping Youngstown State on Saturday.

• Tennis: The Falcons extended their current winning streak to five matches by whipping Youngstown State on Saturday and Evansville on Sunday, both by dominating scores of 6-1. BG is 32-3 in that five-game win streak.

Which of those five performances was the biggest this weekend? Click on the "Post a Comment" area below and voice your opinions. Keep it clean, keep it civil, and it will be all good. Add your thoughts NOW!

A look at BG Olympic sports – Jan. 31

Here’s a look at BG Olympic sports entering the weekend, which includes a busy slate of home events. Hockey is at home Friday and Saturday, while other home events include men’s basketball and gymnastics on Saturday, a women’s basketball contest at home Sunday, and the tennis team hosting home events Saturday and Sunday. …

GYMNASTICS: The Falcons will host Kent State in a dual meet on Saturday, Feb. 2, starting at 4 p.m. in Anderson Arena. BG is coming off a 194.025 to 193.900 victory at Eastern Michigan on Jan. 26. In that meet Sophomore Jamilah Ali won the vault (9.85), while sophomore Amanda Lievendag took first on the bars (9.85) and freshman Alyssa Nocella won the beam with a 9.825 score.

SWIMMING: The Falcons will compete in their final dual meets of the season when they swim at Akron on Friday, Feb. 1 starting at 3 p.m., then travel to Youngstown State on Saturday, Feb. 2 beginning at noon. BG suffered losses to Michigan State and Buffalo on Jan. 19 in its final home event of the year. The winners for the Falcons in that meet were senior Alexis Kain in the 100 breast (1:04.00) and freshman Ana Daniela Carrillo Avilez in the 200 breast (2:19.44).

TENNIS: The Falcons will host Youngstown State at the Perrysburg Tennis Center on Saturday, Feb. 2 starting at 2:30 p.m., then host Evansville on Sunday, Feb. 3, beginning at 9:30 a.m. BG enters this homestand on a three-match win streak which was extended in a 6-1 win over Drake on Jan. 26 and a 7-0 win over Chicago State the next day. Juniors Nikki Chiricosta and Emily Reuland both went 4-0 over the weekend to lead the Falcons.

TRACK: The Falcons will compete at the Akron Invitational on Friday-Saturday, Feb. 1-2. On Jan. 25 BG performed well in the Tom Wright Classic held at Perry Fieldhouse. Junior Allorian Horne led a Falcons sweep of the top five places in the 200 with a time of 25.83, while senior Allison Weimer led a 1-2-3 sweep in the 400 with a 57.67 clocking. Other winners for BG included freshman Berrion Berry in the 60 (7.86) and the 1600 relay team.

A look at BG Olympic sports – Jan. 17

Here’s a look at BG Olympic sports entering the weekend, which includes the start of the “spring” tennis season …

GYMNASTICS: The Falcons will compete at Northern Illinois in a dual meet on Saturday, Jan. 19, starting at 6 p.m. BG lost to Texas Woman’s University on Jan. 12 by a score of 191.800 to 191.100. Sophomore Jamilah Ali won the vault (9.85) and tied for first on the floor exercise (9.75), while sophomore Amanda Lievendag took first on the bars (9.725) and freshman Alyssa Nocella tied for first on the beam with a 9.800 score.

SWIMMING: The Falcons will host their final home dual meet of the season when they swim against Michigan State and MAC rival Buffalo on Saturday, Jan. 19 starting at 1 p.m. BG suffered a 166-128 loss to Eastern Michigan on Jan. 12 despite winning both relays and five individual events. The winners for the Falcons against EMU were senior Alexa Harris in the 100 back (58.36), senior Alexis Kain in the 100 breast (1:04.16), senior Emily Bennet in the 50 free (23.93) and 100 free (52.23), and freshman Ana Daniela Carrillo Avilez in the 200 breast (2:20.05).

TENNIS: The Falcons will open the dual-match portion of their schedule with two matches this weekend. BG will open against No. 19 Notre Dame on Friday, Jan. 18 in South Bend, then host Duquesne at the Perrysburg Tennis Center on Saturday, Jan. 19 starting at 2:30 p.m.

TRACK: The Falcons will compete at the Red Simmons/Jack Harvey Invitational hosted by the University of Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 19. On Jan. 12 BG placed fourth of five teams at the Bowling Green Opener. Sophomore Brooke Plegar won the weight throw with a best toss of 61-7, while junior Jeannette Pettigrew, running unattached, won both the 60 meters (7.57) and the 200 meters (25.08).

A look at BG Olympic sports – Jan. 11

Here’s a look at BG Olympic sports entering the weekend, which includes a busy Saturday with home events for the track and gymnastics teams …

GYMNASTICS: The Falcons will host Texas Women’s University in a dual meet at Anderson Arena on Saturday, Jan. 12, starting at 4 p.m. BG, which was picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference, according to a pre-season poll taken of the league’s coaches, opened the season with a 194.6-192.2 loss to Ohio State on Jan. 5. Sophomore Jamilah Ali was named MAC gymnast of the week for her performance, finishing second in floor exercise (9.8) and third on vault (9.85).

SWIMMING: The Falcons return to dual-meet action when they swim at Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 12 starting at 1 p.m.

TENNIS: The Falcons open the spring portion of the schedule by playing in the adidas/IU Winter Invitational Friday through Sunday, Jan. 11-13.

TRACK: The Falcons will open the indoor season with the Bowling Green Opener on Saturday, Jan. 12, to be held at Perry Field House. Field events will begin at 11 a.m., with running events starting at noon.

A look at BG Olympic sports – Jan. 3

Here’s a look at BG Olympic sports entering the weekend, which includes the start of the home gymnastics season …

GYMNASTICS: The Falcons will open their season with a dual match against Ohio State at Anderson Arena on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013, starting at 4 p.m. Bowling Green was picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference, according to a pre-season poll taken of the league’s coaches.

SWIMMING: The Falcons return to dual-meet action when they swim at Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 12 starting at 1 p.m.

TRACK: The Falcons will open the indoor season with the Bowling Green Opener on Saturday, Jan. 12, to be held at Perry Field House. BG opened the season at the Eastern Michigan Holiday Eagle Meet on Dec. 7. The Falcons finished fourth as a team, with sophomore Brooke Plegar winning the weight throw with a best toss of 59-8.25.

A look at BG Olympic sports – Nov. 30

Here’s a look at BG Olympic sports entering the weekend, which includes the volleyball team’s first visit to the NCAA Tournament since 1991 …

GYMNASTICS: The Falcons will open their season with a dual match against Ohio State at Anderson Arena on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013, starting at 4 p.m.

SWIMMING: The Falcons will send seven swimmers to the USA Swimming AT&T Winter Nationals held in Austin, Texas, starting Thursday, Nov. 29 through Saturday, Dec. 1. BG finished third among six teams at the TYR Invitational hosted by Northwestern on Nov. 16-18, winning six races. Junior Joelle Scheps won the 200 free in a time of 1:50.09, senior Alexis Kain finished first in the 100 breast (1:02.66), and senior Alexa Harris took top honors in the 200 back (1:58.99). Other winners were the 200 freestyle relay (1:33.70), the 400 medley relay (3:44.96) and the 200 medley relay (1:42.81).

TRACK: The Falcons will open the indoor season with the Bowling Green Opener on Monday, Jan. 14, 2013.

VOLLEYBALL: The Falcons will compete in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in a bracket hosted by Penn State starting Friday, Nov. 30. The Falcons face Ivy League champion Yale starting at 5 p.m. in Rec Hall in University Park, Pa. If BG wins its first-round match over the Bulldogs, the Falcons will face the winner of Friday’s second contest between Penn State and Binghamton Saturday, Dec. 1, starting at 7:30 p.m.

A look at BG Olympic sports – Nov. 16

Here is this week’s look at the Falcons’ Olympic sports, which includes the volleyball team shooting for the Mid-American Conference tournament title this weekend:

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY: The men finished 28th at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional held in Madison, Wis., on Nov. 9. The top individual for the Falcons in their final race this season was freshman Tim Jurick, who placed 170th with a 35:05 clocking in the 10K race.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY: The final race for the Falcons was at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional held in Madison, Wis., on Nov. 9, and BG finished 17th in the 6,000-meter race. Freshman Jasmine Redman led the Falcons with a time of 21:59 that placed her 80th.

MEN'S SOCCER: The Falcons saw their season come to a close with a 2-0 loss to Akron in the semifinals of the Mid-American Conference tournament Nov. 9. BG, which posted an 8-9-3 overall record and 3-3-1 mark in Mid-American Conference play, had a pair of players named to the all-tournament team in juniors Zach Schewee, a defender, and goalkeeper Michael Wiest.

SWIMMING: The Falcons will compete next at the TYR Invitational hosted by Northwestern on Friday through Sunday, Nov. 16-18.

TENNIS: The Falcons saw senior captain Mary Hill win her singles flight at the WMU Super Challenge on Nov. 9-11. Hill won three matches to claim the sixth singles flight. The tennis team will return to action in the spring, starting with a dual match at Notre Dame on Jan. 18.

VOLLEYBALL: The Falcons will open play in the Mid-American Conference tournament on Friday, Nov. 16. BG, the tournament’s second seed, and seventh-seeded Eastern Michigan meet in a match starting at 7 p.m. at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. With a win the Falcons would advance to the semifinals to face the Western Michigan-Central Michigan winner on Saturday, Nov. 17 starting at 5 p.m., with the winner moving to the championship match on Sunday, Nov. 18 beginning at 1 p.m. The Falcons finished the regular season with a 18-10 overall record and 13-3 mark in MAC play after beating Miami on Thursday but losing at Northern Illinois on Saturday to finish second in the MAC’s East Division.

A look at BG Olympic sports – Nov. 10

Here is this week’s look at the Falcons’ Olympic sports, which includes several important events: MAC tournament appearance for men's soccer, NCAA meet for cross country and a potential MAC title match for the volleyball team:

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY: The men will run at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional held in Madison, Wis., on Friday, Nov. 9.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY: The next race for the Falcons will be at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional held in Madison, Wis., on Friday, Nov. 9.

MEN'S SOCCER: The Falcons have advanced to the Mid-American Conference tournament and will play top-seeded Akron on the Zips home field Friday, Nov. 9 starting at 7:30 p.m. BG, which currently is 8-8-3 overall and 3-3-1 in Mid-American Conference, needs to beat Akron, the top-ranked team in the nation, to advance to the championship match on Sunday, Nov. 11, starting at 4:30 p.m. The Falcons finished tied for fourth in the MAC after suffering a tough 1-0 loss to West Virginia on Nov. 3. Junior Anthony Grant leads the Falcons with eight goals and 20 points, while sophomore Danny Baraldi has six goals and a team-best seven assists for 19 points. Defensively, junior goalkeeper Michael Wiest has a 1.06 goals-against mark.

SWIMMING: The Falcons will compete next at the Northwestern Invitational on Nov. 16-18. Last week BG suffered losses in a pair of road dual meets against Mid-American Conference foes, dropping a 173-113 decision to Miami Nov. 2 and suffering a 176.5-117.5 setback at Ball State the next day. Junior Joelle Scheps led BG in the meet at Miami, winning the 200 IM (2:08.95) and the 200 free (1:53.45). The lone firsts against the Cardinals came from Scheps in the 200 free (1:53.75) and senior Emily Bennet in the 100 free (52.67).

TENNIS: The next match for the Falcons will be at the WMU Super Challenge on Nov. 9-11.

VOLLEYBALL: The Falcons will finish the regular-season portion of the schedule at Northern Illinois in a Mid-American Conference match on Saturday, Nov. 10 starting at 7 p.m. The Falcons hold the top spot in the East Division after winning home matches against Buffalo and Akron last weekend, then beating Miami Thursday. Bowling Green is 18-9 overall this season and is 13-2 in the MAC, one-half game in front of Ohio (which still has two games to play). The Falcons will be either the top or second seed in the league tournament, which begins next weekend.

A look at BG Olympic sports – Nov. 2

Here is this week’s look at the Falcons’ Olympic sports, which includes a cricital home match for the men's soccer squad and two important home matches for the volleyball team:

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY: The men will run at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional held in Madison, Wis., on Friday, Nov. 9. The Falcons placed ninth at the MAC Championships Oct. 27 and were led by senior Josh Franek whose time of 26:18.1 was good for 46th place.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY: The next race for the Falcons will be at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional held in Madison, Wis., on Friday, Nov. 9. BG placed eighth at the MAC Championships Oct. 27 with 206 points, a four-place advantage over the previous season. Leading the Falcons was led by freshman Andrea Alt, who placed 23rd – and third among freshmen – with a 22:21.0 clocking.

MEN'S SOCCER: The Falcons will play a crucial Mid-American Conference contest when they host West Virginia on Saturday, Nov. 3 at Cochrane Field starting at 7 p.m. BG is part of a four-way tie for second place in the MAC with Buffalo, Northern Illinois and the Mountaineers, and only the league’s top four teams advance to the MAC Tournament. BG currently is 8-7-3 overall and 3-2-1 in Mid-American Conference play after beating Florida Atlantic 2-0 on the road Oct. 26; the Falcons also knocked off non-conference foe Wright State 3-2 in overtime on Oct. 30. Junior Anthony Grant leads the Falcons with seven goals, while sophomore Danny Baraldi has five goals and a team-best six assists. The pair is tied for team scoring honors with 16 points. Defensively, junior goalkeeper Michael Wiest has a 1.07 goals-against mark.

SWIMMING: The Falcons will compete next in a pair of road dual meets against Mid-American Conference foes. BG will swim at Miami Friday, Nov. 2 starting at 4 p.m., then face Ball State on Saturday, Nov. 3 beginning at 1 p.m. BG won a home meet with Wayne State (173-119) and Ashland (190-64) on Oct. 26 thanks to double wins by three swimmers. Senior Alexis Kain won the 100 breast (1:04.33) and the 200 breast (2:23.99); senior Emily Bennet took first in the 50 free (23.91) and the 100 free (51.82); and Emily Waller won the 1650 free (17:37.85) and the 500 free (5:08.45).

TENNIS: The next match for the Falcons will be at the WMU Super Challenge on Nov. 9-11.

VOLLEYBALL: The Falcons will finish the regular-season portion of the schedule at home this weekend as BG hosts a pair of Mid-American Conference matches. The Falcons will play Buffalo at the Stroh Center on Friday, Nov. 2 starting at 7 p.m., and they finish with a home match against Akron on Saturday, Nov. 3 beginning at 7 p.m. The Falcons are second in the East Division – and second in the league standings – with a 10-2 mark and are 15-9 overall after winning at Kent State Oct. 26 before losing at Ohio Oct. 27. Individually, juniors Paige Penrod and Danielle Tonyan rank second and ninth, respectively, in kills per set (Penrod averages 3.94 kps, Tonyan averages 3.33 kps). Junior Laura Avila is fourth in assists per set (10.48 aps), while junior Kaitlyn Skinner stands third in blocks per set (1.25 bps) and junior Ashley Dunn is eighth in digs per set (4.40 dps).

A look at BG Olympic sports – Oct. 25

Here is this week’s look at the Falcons’ Olympic sports, which includes some important matches for both cross country teams, the men's soccer squad and the volleyball team:

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY: The men will run at the MAC Championships at Beaver Island State Park on Saturday, Oct. 27. In their most-recent race the Falcons finished 15th at the Bradley Classic on Oct. 12. BG was led by senior Josh Franek whose time of 25:49 was good for 55th place.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY: The next race for the Falcons will be at the MAC Championships hosted by Buffalo on Saturday, Oct. 27. In its most-recent race, the Bradley Classic on Oct. 12, BG placed sixth as a team and were led by junior Abby Koch, who placed 17th with a 21:40 clocking.

MEN'S GOLF: The fall season is finished for the Falcons, whose next competition will be at the Mid-American Match Play event in February. BG finished 13th at the UD Invitational on Oct. 22-23. Sophomore Joe Cooper led the way for Bowling Green, placing 19th with rounds of 73-76=149.

WOMEN'S GOLF: The fall season is finished for the Falcons, whose next competition will be at the Spring Challenge Cup in March.

MEN'S SOCCER: The Falcons will play a Mid-American Conference contest at Florida Atlantic on Saturday, Oct. 27, starting at 10 a.m. because of inclement weather forecasts due to Hurricane Sandy. Then Bowling Green will host Wright State on Tuesday, Oct. 30 starting at 7 p.m. BG currently is 6-7-3 overall and 2-2-1 in Mid-American Conference play. The Falcons played to a scoreless overtime draw at Northern Illinois Oct. 23, then beat Michigan 2-0 on the road Oct. 23. Junior Anthony Grant leads the Falcons with seven goals, while sophomore Danny Baraldi has five goals and a team-best six assists. The pair is tied for team scoring honors with 16 points. Defensively, junior goalkeeper Michael Wiest has a 1.07 goals-against mark.

WOMENS SOCCER: The Falcons finished the season with a 1-17-1 this season and 0-10-1 in league play. BG lost three times in the last week and finished with nine straight league losses after setbacks at Ball State by a 1-0 score in double overtime on Oct. 19; a 3-1 loss at Miami on Oct. 21; and a season-ending 4-0 loss at home to Central Michigan Oct. 25. Sophomore Sidney Huth leads the team in scoring with three goals and seven points, while freshman Demy Whitaker has a team-best two assists. Freshman Jenna Underwood has a 1.73 goals-against average.

SWIMMING: The Falcons will compete next in a home dual match against Wayne State on Friday, Oct. 26.

TENNIS: The next match for the Falcons will be at the WMU Super Challenge on Nov. 9-11.

VOLLEYBALL: The Falcons will be on the road this weekend for a pair of Mid-American Conference matches as they play at Kent State on Friday, Oct. 26 starting at 7 p.m., then play at East Division co-leader Ohio on Saturday, Oct. 27 beginning at 7 p.m. BG now is 14-8 overall and 9-1 after losing at home to Ball State before beating Toledo. Individually, senior Leah Shaw ranks eighth in the MAC in hitting percentage at 28.7 percent, while juniors Paige Penrod and Danielle Tonyan rank second and ninth, respectively, in kills per set (Penrod averages 4.05 kps, Tonyan averages 3.28 kps). Junior Laura Avila is fourth in assists per set (10.59 aps), while junior Kaitlyn Skinner stands third in blocks per set (1.19 bps) and junior Ashley Dunn is seventh in digs per set (4.45 dps).