Bobcat Track Team Opens Season Friday
1/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Montana State opens its 2006 indoor track and field season in earnest this
weekend, hosting Montana and Mary at the MSU Open on Friday, January 20,
in Worthington Arena. While the Bobcat men and women each expect to
challenge for Big Sky titles this winter, both were picked for
middle-of-the-pack finishes in the league.
Bobcat Notebook
Looking Back
Montana State posted the most memorable season in the men’s program
history last spring, winning the 2005 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track and
Field Championship. Dale Kennedy led the ‘Cats, fueled by a sensational
sprints group, to MSU’s first-ever men’s Big Sky crown, and the first
league championship by a Bobcat men’s track squad in over a half-century.
MSU also finished second during the indoor season. The Bobcat women
finished sixth indoors a year ago, but improved a close third outdoors.
MSU produced 11 conference champions: Carra Greyn, indoor SP; Ellie Rudy,
outdoor pole vault; Ashley Jones, hammer throw; Kim Berg, javelin; Erin
Jones, javelin; Kevin Clary, indoor 3000; Thomas Seeley, indoor pole
vault; Steve Heberly, outdoor 200; Ty Norris, outdoor 400; Casey Jermyn,
10,000; Josh Henigman, discus; 4x400 relay.
Looking Ahead
Big Sky coaches picked both Montana State’s men and women to finish fourth
in the league this year.
This Week
Montana State hosts the MSU Open to launch a promising 2006 indoor season.
Field events begin at 4:30 pm, while track trials begin at 5 pm.
Multi Laterals
Erin Jones began her senior season in outstanding fashion January 9,
reaching the NCAA Provisional Qualifying Mark in the pentathlon with a PR
of 3772. Jones cleared 5-5 in the high jump, and cleared the 55 hurdles in
8.11. Meg Bucy scored 2917, while Ellie Rudy hit 2818. Brad Benjamin
nearly set a PR in the heptathlon with a mark of 4996. He cleared 12-11.5
in the pole vault, 6-6 in the high jump, and 21-6.25 in the long jump.
Mike Gree scored 4672, Steven Hodge 4259, Nick Morrow 4227, Blake Barnes
4082, Kevin Ludwig 3986, and Shawn Brown 3850.
INDOOR SCHEDULE
Date Competition Men/Women
J9-10 MSU Multi-Events NTS/NTS
J20 MSU Open Bozeman
J27 -Montana Bozeman
-Weber State
F3-4 Mountain States Pocatello
F11 Idaho State Duals Pocatello
F17 Bobcat Open 4:35 pm
F24-25 Big Sky Championships
M3-4 Intermountain/UW Last Chance
DALE KENNEDY QUOTES
“We’re excited to get going. Most of our team has been back on campus for
a little while now and working hard to get ready. We’re fairly healthy at
this point, and getting through these first couple of weeks is always
important. Our men are coming off a particularly successful outdoor
season, and we want to use that momentum to catapult us into 2006. Winning
a conference championship is never easy, it takes an enormous amount of
work from a lot of people, and also some breaks. We got both of those
things last year. I think this team has the ability to be right in the mix
again this year, but whether we can remain healthy and have other things
go right remains to be seen. You can never discount the amazing
productivity of our throws, but it really starts with that group of
sprinters on the men’s side. We’ve gone through the whole preseason
thinking our women’s team could be as strong as our men. We have a couple
of high-end individuals that can score a lot of points, and we’ll need
some development from younger kids. Erin Jones is a dynamo, she can line
up and score a lot of points in a meet. There is tremendous enthusiasm in
our program right now, and we’re excited to get started."
OUTDOOR SCHEDULE
Date Competition Men/Women
M25 MSU Open All Day
A1 Al Manuel Duals Missoula
A6-8 Weber St Inv Ogden
A15 MSU Invitational Bozeman
A20-22 Oregon Invitational Eugene
A29 Cat-Griz Dual Bozeman
M5 UM Last Chance Missoula
M10-13 Big Sky Meet Cheney
M27-28 NCAA Midwest Reg. Austin
J9-11 NCAA Champ. Sacramento
weekend, hosting Montana and Mary at the MSU Open on Friday, January 20,
in Worthington Arena. While the Bobcat men and women each expect to
challenge for Big Sky titles this winter, both were picked for
middle-of-the-pack finishes in the league.
Bobcat Notebook
Looking Back
Montana State posted the most memorable season in the men’s program
history last spring, winning the 2005 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track and
Field Championship. Dale Kennedy led the ‘Cats, fueled by a sensational
sprints group, to MSU’s first-ever men’s Big Sky crown, and the first
league championship by a Bobcat men’s track squad in over a half-century.
MSU also finished second during the indoor season. The Bobcat women
finished sixth indoors a year ago, but improved a close third outdoors.
MSU produced 11 conference champions: Carra Greyn, indoor SP; Ellie Rudy,
outdoor pole vault; Ashley Jones, hammer throw; Kim Berg, javelin; Erin
Jones, javelin; Kevin Clary, indoor 3000; Thomas Seeley, indoor pole
vault; Steve Heberly, outdoor 200; Ty Norris, outdoor 400; Casey Jermyn,
10,000; Josh Henigman, discus; 4x400 relay.
Looking Ahead
Big Sky coaches picked both Montana State’s men and women to finish fourth
in the league this year.
This Week
Montana State hosts the MSU Open to launch a promising 2006 indoor season.
Field events begin at 4:30 pm, while track trials begin at 5 pm.
Multi Laterals
Erin Jones began her senior season in outstanding fashion January 9,
reaching the NCAA Provisional Qualifying Mark in the pentathlon with a PR
of 3772. Jones cleared 5-5 in the high jump, and cleared the 55 hurdles in
8.11. Meg Bucy scored 2917, while Ellie Rudy hit 2818. Brad Benjamin
nearly set a PR in the heptathlon with a mark of 4996. He cleared 12-11.5
in the pole vault, 6-6 in the high jump, and 21-6.25 in the long jump.
Mike Gree scored 4672, Steven Hodge 4259, Nick Morrow 4227, Blake Barnes
4082, Kevin Ludwig 3986, and Shawn Brown 3850.
INDOOR SCHEDULE
Date Competition Men/Women
J9-10 MSU Multi-Events NTS/NTS
J20 MSU Open Bozeman
J27 -Montana Bozeman
-Weber State
F3-4 Mountain States Pocatello
F11 Idaho State Duals Pocatello
F17 Bobcat Open 4:35 pm
F24-25 Big Sky Championships
M3-4 Intermountain/UW Last Chance
DALE KENNEDY QUOTES
“We’re excited to get going. Most of our team has been back on campus for
a little while now and working hard to get ready. We’re fairly healthy at
this point, and getting through these first couple of weeks is always
important. Our men are coming off a particularly successful outdoor
season, and we want to use that momentum to catapult us into 2006. Winning
a conference championship is never easy, it takes an enormous amount of
work from a lot of people, and also some breaks. We got both of those
things last year. I think this team has the ability to be right in the mix
again this year, but whether we can remain healthy and have other things
go right remains to be seen. You can never discount the amazing
productivity of our throws, but it really starts with that group of
sprinters on the men’s side. We’ve gone through the whole preseason
thinking our women’s team could be as strong as our men. We have a couple
of high-end individuals that can score a lot of points, and we’ll need
some development from younger kids. Erin Jones is a dynamo, she can line
up and score a lot of points in a meet. There is tremendous enthusiasm in
our program right now, and we’re excited to get started."
OUTDOOR SCHEDULE
Date Competition Men/Women
M25 MSU Open All Day
A1 Al Manuel Duals Missoula
A6-8 Weber St Inv Ogden
A15 MSU Invitational Bozeman
A20-22 Oregon Invitational Eugene
A29 Cat-Griz Dual Bozeman
M5 UM Last Chance Missoula
M10-13 Big Sky Meet Cheney
M27-28 NCAA Midwest Reg. Austin
J9-11 NCAA Champ. Sacramento
Wednesday, August 19
Wednesday, June 10
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
