Bobcats Head for Big Sky Championships
2/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
The indoor season’s ultimate weekend arrives on Friday, when Montana State and the seven other Big Sky teams convene in Flagstaff for the 2006 Big Sky Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. Northern Arizona enters the meet as favorites in both the men’s and women’s competitions, with traditional powers Weber State, Idaho State and MSU also in the chase.
BOBCAT NOTEBOOK
This Week
The Big Sky Conference indoor championships begin with the multi-events competition each day. Erin Jones-Graf and Meg Bucy compete in the pentathlon, beginning at 9:30 am Friday, while Brad Benjamin, Mike Green and Steven Hodge lead MSU in the heptathlon. Field events begin at 3:30 pm Friday and 10:30 am Saturday, with running events starting at 4:15 pm Friday and 12:30 pm Saturday.
Athletes of the Week
Erin Jones-Graf earned her second Big Sky Athlete of the Week award of ‘06 (shared with NAU’s Britney Rogers) for her 3,928 points in the pentathlon at last week’s Bobcat Open. The school record mark is the 14th-best in the NCAA of ‘06.Jones-Graf, pole vaulter Ellie Rudy, and weight thrower Josh Henigman each earned two such awards this year.
Making History
The 2006 indoor season has been quite a ride for Josh Henigman (Bridger) and Ellie Rudy (Woodland Park, Colo.). Henigman has broken the MSU weight throw record twice, while Rudy knocked Shannon Agee-Jones from the top spot on the pole vault list. The best mark for each this season also stands as a Big Sky Conference record.
More History
Erin Jones made history by winning the Big Sky’s inaugural pentathlon title in 2004 in Worthington Arena. Competing now as Erin Jones-Graf (she is married to former MSU javelin thrower Eugene Graf), she looks to reclaim the event after redshirting last year. The senior from Harlowton was the ‘04 Big Sky Indoor Field Events MVP, and ‘05 Outdoor MVP, when she won the heptathlon. Jones-Graf has 38 career points in Big Sky Indoor competition, and could chase the MSU and Big Sky records held by her former teammate and coach Lacy Hinzpeter. Jones-Graf is entered in the 60 hurdles and the triple jump.
DALE KENNEDY QUOTES
“When you look at the way things score out, it looks like Idaho State and Northern Arizona in a knock-down drag-out on the men’s side, with Weber right in the thick of things. When you score it out it looks like we are in fourth, right where the coaches picked us, but that’s on paper. We had 13 season’s bests on the men’s side last week, so we’re still going in the right direction. Our women had 23 seasons’ bests, so they’re still getting better, as well. If we can get a dozen or so bests this week we could be right there in contention in both the men’s and women’s races. On the women’s side it looks like NAU has a very strong team, and Portland State has the ability to score a lot of points, too. Their points are concentrated in the sprints and jumps, which are aided at altitude. Weber State, Idaho State, and Montana State should all be in there fighting for points, too. It looks like a very competitive meet after Northern Arizona. I think our kids are ready to stup up to another level, which we’ll need to do this weekend to compete.”
BOBCAT NOTEBOOK
This Week
The Big Sky Conference indoor championships begin with the multi-events competition each day. Erin Jones-Graf and Meg Bucy compete in the pentathlon, beginning at 9:30 am Friday, while Brad Benjamin, Mike Green and Steven Hodge lead MSU in the heptathlon. Field events begin at 3:30 pm Friday and 10:30 am Saturday, with running events starting at 4:15 pm Friday and 12:30 pm Saturday.
Athletes of the Week
Erin Jones-Graf earned her second Big Sky Athlete of the Week award of ‘06 (shared with NAU’s Britney Rogers) for her 3,928 points in the pentathlon at last week’s Bobcat Open. The school record mark is the 14th-best in the NCAA of ‘06.Jones-Graf, pole vaulter Ellie Rudy, and weight thrower Josh Henigman each earned two such awards this year.
Making History
The 2006 indoor season has been quite a ride for Josh Henigman (Bridger) and Ellie Rudy (Woodland Park, Colo.). Henigman has broken the MSU weight throw record twice, while Rudy knocked Shannon Agee-Jones from the top spot on the pole vault list. The best mark for each this season also stands as a Big Sky Conference record.
More History
Erin Jones made history by winning the Big Sky’s inaugural pentathlon title in 2004 in Worthington Arena. Competing now as Erin Jones-Graf (she is married to former MSU javelin thrower Eugene Graf), she looks to reclaim the event after redshirting last year. The senior from Harlowton was the ‘04 Big Sky Indoor Field Events MVP, and ‘05 Outdoor MVP, when she won the heptathlon. Jones-Graf has 38 career points in Big Sky Indoor competition, and could chase the MSU and Big Sky records held by her former teammate and coach Lacy Hinzpeter. Jones-Graf is entered in the 60 hurdles and the triple jump.
DALE KENNEDY QUOTES
“When you look at the way things score out, it looks like Idaho State and Northern Arizona in a knock-down drag-out on the men’s side, with Weber right in the thick of things. When you score it out it looks like we are in fourth, right where the coaches picked us, but that’s on paper. We had 13 season’s bests on the men’s side last week, so we’re still going in the right direction. Our women had 23 seasons’ bests, so they’re still getting better, as well. If we can get a dozen or so bests this week we could be right there in contention in both the men’s and women’s races. On the women’s side it looks like NAU has a very strong team, and Portland State has the ability to score a lot of points, too. Their points are concentrated in the sprints and jumps, which are aided at altitude. Weber State, Idaho State, and Montana State should all be in there fighting for points, too. It looks like a very competitive meet after Northern Arizona. I think our kids are ready to stup up to another level, which we’ll need to do this weekend to compete.”
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
