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Western Michigan University Athletics

Track & Field in Fifth After Day One at MAC Championships

Women's Track & Field Adam Bodnar, assistant director of media relations

Bronco Track & Field Wins BGSU Challenge

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- The Western Michigan track and field team took seven event titles and scored 168 points to win the 2011 Bowling Green Challenge on Saturday afternoon.

Amber Brunmeier, Iris Campbell, Andrea Arnold, Rachel Whitley, and Stephanie Mitchell all took individual titles, while the 4x400m relay team won for the second straight week. The University of Dayton finished in second place with 148 points, with Bowling Green, Miami and Ball State following in that order.

“I thought we did a real nice job competing today,” said head coach Kelly Lycan. “A lot of them improved their marks from last week and are working hard. The team did a good job of cheering each other on and supporting one another and hopefully when we come back here for the MAC Championship and come back winners too.”

Brunmeier turned in a personal best time in the 5,000m run to claim her individual title with a personal-best time of 17:53.61. For Brunmeier it was the first time in her career that she had broken the 18 minute mark. Freshman Haily Traxler also scored in the event, coming in at sixth with a time 19:05.02.

“I'm really proud of Amber,” said Lycan. “She has overcome a lot and is performing great right now. She had a great cross country season and it has carried over well.”

After a good start to the season at last week's Icebreaker with Toledo, Iris Campbell continued her winning ways, taking her second first place finish of the season in the 60m hurdles. The sophomore finished with a time of 8.92 seconds to earn 10 points for the Broncos. She also finished in fourth place in the long jump and third place in the high jump, earning 21 individual points on the day.

Freshman Andrea Arnold picked up her first career first place finish, taking the top spot in the 400m dash with a time of 57.03 seconds. Right behind her was Ashley Hunault with a time of 57.97. It was the first time in Hunault's career that she competed in an open 400m race. All of her previous 400m experience had come during relays. Arnold also took second place in the 200m dash with a time of 25.81 seconds, with teammates Stephanie Okolo and Cha'nese Mendenhall also scoring for the Broncos in fifth and sixth place.

Arnold, along with her sister Ariel Arnold, Krystle Ingram and Jeriesha Tucker took the 4x400m title with a time of 3:52.89. WMU's 'B' team of Campbell, Hunault, Okolo and Leya Munwam took second place but only one relay team per school was allowed to factor into the point total.

Senior Stephanie Mitchell continued her strong start to the season, winning the shot put for the second straight week. Her distance of 47 feet, 3 inches tied her with Dayton's Mallory Barnes, but Mitchell's second-best throw was longer than Barnes' second best.

Samantha Tomerlin turned in a second-place finish in the 3,000m run with a time of 9:49.64. The senior's time ranks fourth on WMU's indoor performance list for the 3,000m run behind former teammate Jennifer Roberts and Bronco Hall of Famers Kayla Skelly and Caroline Mullen.

Junior Sarah Ross nearly cleared 12 feet in the pole vault, hitting an official height of 11 feet, 11.75 inches to take second place.

The Broncos head to South Bend, Ind., for the first of three times during the indoor season to compete in the Notre Dame Invitational on Saturday.
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Players Mentioned

Jennifer Roberts

Jennifer Roberts

M. Distance
Freshman
Samantha Draney

Samantha Draney

XC/DISTANCE
Freshman
Amber Brunmeier

Amber Brunmeier

XC/DISTANCE
Freshman
Ariel Arnold

Ariel Arnold

XC/DISTANCE
Freshman
Jeriesha Tucker

Jeriesha Tucker

XC/DISTANCE
Freshman
Rachel Whitley

Rachel Whitley

XC/DISTANCE
Freshman
Haily Traxler

Haily Traxler

XC/DISTANCE
Freshman
Ashley Hunault

Ashley Hunault

Jumps-Sprints
Freshman
Stephanie Mitchell

Stephanie Mitchell

Throws
Freshman
Leya Munwam

Leya Munwam

S/MD
Freshman
Stephanie Okolo

Stephanie Okolo

Sprints
Freshman
Sarah Ross

Sarah Ross

Sprints
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Jennifer Roberts

Jennifer Roberts

Freshman
M. Distance
Samantha Draney

Samantha Draney

Freshman
XC/DISTANCE
Amber Brunmeier

Amber Brunmeier

Freshman
XC/DISTANCE
Ariel Arnold

Ariel Arnold

Freshman
XC/DISTANCE
Jeriesha Tucker

Jeriesha Tucker

Freshman
XC/DISTANCE
Rachel Whitley

Rachel Whitley

Freshman
XC/DISTANCE
Haily Traxler

Haily Traxler

Freshman
XC/DISTANCE
Ashley Hunault

Ashley Hunault

Freshman
Jumps-Sprints
Stephanie Mitchell

Stephanie Mitchell

Freshman
Throws
Leya Munwam

Leya Munwam

Freshman
S/MD
Stephanie Okolo

Stephanie Okolo

Freshman
Sprints
Sarah Ross

Sarah Ross

Freshman
Sprints