Notes and Quotes from Big Sky Meet DAY ONE
2/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
BOZEMAN, Mont. -- Sacramento State shot putter Dave Nicholls knew, after 10 weeks of inactivity due to a wrist injury, that he could expect almost anything from himself on Day One of the 2007 Big Sky Indoor Championships. Even at that, what he got was unexpected.
“I came in hoping I would throw good, but I woke up this morning and I felt something in my back,” he said. “I said, ‘Well, I’m going to warm up and maybe I won’t feel it,’ but on my first throw something popped in my back. The rest of my warmup throws weren’t very good, and I wanted to scream it hurt so bad. I had my trainer come over and got some Icy Hot counter-irritant, so I couldn’t even feel it.”
The early moments of Nicholls’ first competition of 2007 did nothing to boost his confidence. “I fouled my first two throws, then I took an easy throw, 60-feet, which was enough to win.”
Even then, plenty of wackiness ensued. “On the last throw I thought (Idaho State’s defending conference champion John) Danielson got me. I went and asked the judge, ‘Did he get me,’ and he said, ‘Yeah, he did.’ I said, ‘OK,’ and geared up for another throw. I just launched a 62-feet (throw), then he came out and said, ‘He didn’t have you.’”
Nicholls’ winning toss of 62-3.75 not only won the meet, but set an all-time Big Sky Conference record. He said it was an appropriate way to end a harrowing two-and-a-half months. “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to work for in my life, this meet. It was a great competition.”
Below are notes and quotes from the 2007 Big Sky Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships…
WOMEN’S WEIGHT THROW
Portland State’s Caressa Sims won the event with an improvement of nearly three feet, marking 62-0.25 (up from 59-1.25)… MSU’s Karen Helvey also improved from 59-0.25 to 59-11 for second place.
WOMEN’S LONG JUMP
Sacramento State’s Nancy Searcy won with a PR of almost one foot (19-8.25, topping her pervious league-leading mark of 18-10).
From Nancy Searcy: “I just gave it to (God) on my jumps because obviously I was nervous and I wanted to jump really well. That’s the only way I can do it. Everything just came together on the runway, that’s pretty much what it is, my consistency. That’s my biggest thing is being consistent.”
MEN’S 400
Dan Johnson set a school record at 47.76 (topping 47.91, Jody Sears, 1998), the best mark in the Big Sky this year by nearly a half-second (48.12, Marcus Whitehead, EWU).
WOMEN’S PENTATHLON
Cassie Merkley of Idaho State won the pentathlon with an NCAA Provisional Qualifying mark of 3,847… Merkly’s mark is the second-best in Big Sky Conference history, and tops Erin Jones-Graf’s Big Sky Championship record of 3,739 set last year.
WOMEN’S 200
Brittany Rozier posted the top time in the prelims with a 24.89, jumping her to the top mark in the Big Sky this season.
WOMEN’S POLE VAULT
Montana State’s Ellie Rudy won her fourth straight Big Sky Championship in the pole vault, including her second straight indoors… her winning mark of 14-0 set a Big Sky Championships record… Rudy’s winning mark is the second-best in the nation this year.
From Montana State’s Ellie Rudy: “I wanted to jump 14-feet today. I knew if I could jump 14-feet today I could PR again at nationals. I’ve actually gotten better within the last couple of weeks, because things have clicked for me. Finally. After three years, things have clicked.”
MEN’S HIGH JUMP
Montana’s Ryan Grinnell became the fifth University of Montana jumper to win the high jump in the past six years… after breaking up Montana’s impressive string last year, Idaho State’s Ben Layman finished third this year… MSU freshman Charlie Hirning finished second with a two-inch PR.
From Montana’s Ryan Grinnell: “Everything was solid all the way up to 6-11.5. It was kind of rough because a lot of jumpers were still in at 6-7. After 6-5.5 it was kind of hard to stay pumped up, and a lot of jumping is to stay pumped up.”
MEN’S 5000
Weber State’s Bret Ferrier closed in 2:04 in the last half-mile… Ferrier’s win snaps a two-year winning streak by NAU in the 5000.
From Weber State’s Bret Ferrier: “I think it went about how we planned it in that we had a pace we wanted to run. I didn’t want to go slower, I would lead it if I had to.”
MEN’S SHOT PUT
Sacramento State’s Dave Nicholls set a Big Sky all-time record competing for the first time this season after a 10-week layoff due to a wrist injury… Nicholls bested Idaho State’s John Danielson, the reigning conference champion.
“I came in hoping I would throw good, but I woke up this morning and I felt something in my back,” he said. “I said, ‘Well, I’m going to warm up and maybe I won’t feel it,’ but on my first throw something popped in my back. The rest of my warmup throws weren’t very good, and I wanted to scream it hurt so bad. I had my trainer come over and got some Icy Hot counter-irritant, so I couldn’t even feel it.”
The early moments of Nicholls’ first competition of 2007 did nothing to boost his confidence. “I fouled my first two throws, then I took an easy throw, 60-feet, which was enough to win.”
Even then, plenty of wackiness ensued. “On the last throw I thought (Idaho State’s defending conference champion John) Danielson got me. I went and asked the judge, ‘Did he get me,’ and he said, ‘Yeah, he did.’ I said, ‘OK,’ and geared up for another throw. I just launched a 62-feet (throw), then he came out and said, ‘He didn’t have you.’”
Nicholls’ winning toss of 62-3.75 not only won the meet, but set an all-time Big Sky Conference record. He said it was an appropriate way to end a harrowing two-and-a-half months. “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to work for in my life, this meet. It was a great competition.”
Below are notes and quotes from the 2007 Big Sky Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships…
WOMEN’S WEIGHT THROW
Portland State’s Caressa Sims won the event with an improvement of nearly three feet, marking 62-0.25 (up from 59-1.25)… MSU’s Karen Helvey also improved from 59-0.25 to 59-11 for second place.
WOMEN’S LONG JUMP
Sacramento State’s Nancy Searcy won with a PR of almost one foot (19-8.25, topping her pervious league-leading mark of 18-10).
From Nancy Searcy: “I just gave it to (God) on my jumps because obviously I was nervous and I wanted to jump really well. That’s the only way I can do it. Everything just came together on the runway, that’s pretty much what it is, my consistency. That’s my biggest thing is being consistent.”
MEN’S 400
Dan Johnson set a school record at 47.76 (topping 47.91, Jody Sears, 1998), the best mark in the Big Sky this year by nearly a half-second (48.12, Marcus Whitehead, EWU).
WOMEN’S PENTATHLON
Cassie Merkley of Idaho State won the pentathlon with an NCAA Provisional Qualifying mark of 3,847… Merkly’s mark is the second-best in Big Sky Conference history, and tops Erin Jones-Graf’s Big Sky Championship record of 3,739 set last year.
WOMEN’S 200
Brittany Rozier posted the top time in the prelims with a 24.89, jumping her to the top mark in the Big Sky this season.
WOMEN’S POLE VAULT
Montana State’s Ellie Rudy won her fourth straight Big Sky Championship in the pole vault, including her second straight indoors… her winning mark of 14-0 set a Big Sky Championships record… Rudy’s winning mark is the second-best in the nation this year.
From Montana State’s Ellie Rudy: “I wanted to jump 14-feet today. I knew if I could jump 14-feet today I could PR again at nationals. I’ve actually gotten better within the last couple of weeks, because things have clicked for me. Finally. After three years, things have clicked.”
MEN’S HIGH JUMP
Montana’s Ryan Grinnell became the fifth University of Montana jumper to win the high jump in the past six years… after breaking up Montana’s impressive string last year, Idaho State’s Ben Layman finished third this year… MSU freshman Charlie Hirning finished second with a two-inch PR.
From Montana’s Ryan Grinnell: “Everything was solid all the way up to 6-11.5. It was kind of rough because a lot of jumpers were still in at 6-7. After 6-5.5 it was kind of hard to stay pumped up, and a lot of jumping is to stay pumped up.”
MEN’S 5000
Weber State’s Bret Ferrier closed in 2:04 in the last half-mile… Ferrier’s win snaps a two-year winning streak by NAU in the 5000.
From Weber State’s Bret Ferrier: “I think it went about how we planned it in that we had a pace we wanted to run. I didn’t want to go slower, I would lead it if I had to.”
MEN’S SHOT PUT
Sacramento State’s Dave Nicholls set a Big Sky all-time record competing for the first time this season after a 10-week layoff due to a wrist injury… Nicholls bested Idaho State’s John Danielson, the reigning conference champion.
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