Big Sky Track Notes and Quotes
2/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
BIG SKY NOTES AND QUOTES
Northern Arizona’s Lopez Lomong knows the sound, and he knows what it does to him.
“I love the lap bell,” NAU’s versatile distance runner said after winning the 800 meters, the mile, and the 3,000 meters at the 2007 Big Sky Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships in Bozeman Saturday. “Every time the lap bell goes off it makes me go.”
After winning becoming only the second man in Big Sky Conference history to win the 800 meters and mile in the same meet a year ago, Lomong became only the second athlete to win three titles in one meet at this year’s Championships, joining Weber State’s Jeremy Tolman (2002).
Lomong, who finished each race by pulling away from his opponents seemingly with ease, said the nearly-unprecedented triple-win wasn’t physically overwhelming. “The 800 and the mile are more like getting my feet into a rhythm,” he said. “It’s kind of bumpy a little bit, but I felt good. It was easy (physically), the mile and 800.”
In spite of his five Big Sky indoor championships in the past two seasons, Lomong says he is not comfortable getting into the starting blocks. “I got scared, I got nerves, which I do,” he said. “I had really good competitors today. I am blessed to have them to race together this weekend in this great facility at Montana State.”
Below is a look at notes and quotes from this year’s Championships…
MEN’S WEIGHT THROW
Eastern Washington’s David Paul won the hammer throw with a Championships record of 68-8.5… the toss tops his previous best of 67-1.5 over a month ago… the mark improves his NCAA Provision Qualifying standing.
From Eastern Washington’s David Paul: “I felt smooth, I felt confident coming in that I could do well. I knew all I needed was one good throw would be enough for me to feel better. I’ve struggled pretty much all season. I felt confident. It’s been more mental. It feels physical, but I think it’s mental. I can get stressed out really fast when things aren’t going right, and just can’t keep it together."
MEN’S 55 HURDLES
Montana’s Matt Larson won the Big Sky Indoor Hurdles title for the second time in three years, but is the only Grizzly to win an indoor hurdles title since Jan Harland won in 1981 and ’82.
From UM’s Matt Larson: “Going in I had a lot of emotion and a lot of feelings why I wanted to make this race one of my best races. I had a little more nerves in the blocks than usual, I was so excited. Once it kicked in I saw my goal and just went after it. The key to this race is usually the start, but I didn’t have too good a (start). For me it was just being able to look at the next hurdle and working harder and harder for the next hurdle. I just tried to get faster as I went on.”
WOMEN’S 55 HURDLES
Sacramento State’s Nancy Searcy hit an NCAA Provisional mark with her winning 7.83… Searcy’s mark was just .02 off the Championship Meet record.
From Sacramento State’s Nancy Searcy: “I was really just trying to get my reaction time down, because (in the prelims) I was a little bit slow out of the blocks. I prayed before I ran and was like, give this to God and just run.”
MEN’S 55
Sacramento State’s Jody Johnson is also a member of the Hornet football team.
From Sac’s Jody Johnson: “A win’s a win, but I kind of messed up on the start. This is my first season of track, so I can’t complain about it.”
WOMEN’S 55
Portland State’s Utica Edgecombe matched the best mark in the Big Sky this year with her winning time of 7.03, a season’s best for her by .10
From PSU’s Utica Edgecombe: “I had it in me all the time. I prayed to God, who is the head of my life, and my coach last night encouraged me, and my family, they all prayed with me, cheered me on, and it just came out. Out of the blocks I thought I had a pretty good start, then I just powered through, everything I was taught, just push and power through.”
MEN’S 400
Montana State’s Dan Johnson became the first Bobcat to win an indoor conference sprint championship.
From MSU’s Dan Johnson: “I had a lot left in the second lap because I usually push it pretty hard in the first (lap). I went out pretty fast but I just kind of coasted around the second corner and I had pretty good position so I could run fast in the second lap. I used that to my advantage because usually you go out so fast that you don’t have any left for the end. My second 200 was not as fast as my first.”
WOMEN’S 400
From UM’s Loni Perkins-Judisch: “I was hoping to win so that aspect was good, but my time was a lot slower than last year. Just not my day, I guess.”
MEN’S WEIGHT THROW
Eastern Washington’s David Paul set a school record by more than a foot with his winning throw… Paul’s winning toss of 68-8.5 stands as the third-best throw in Big Sky history.
WOMEN’S SHOT PUT
MSU’s Kylee Zent marked passed the NCAA Provisional Qualifying standard with her winning toss of 50-10.25, the second-best throw in school history.
From MSU’s Kylee Zent: “I’ve been wanting 50-feet all season. My original goal was 52, but I decided to be a little more realistic. I was shooting for the NCAA Provisional, which I got. Hopefully that will get me somewhere. I’m really excited about it. My first throw of the season in my first meet was 48-6, so I knew it was close. Plus, I’ve been really close to my PR for last year. I was really nervous going in, but I knew I could hit it this meet. It’s huge. It’s out of control. We went to NAU last year, they have a concrete ring, so this is much more comfortable.”
MEN’S POLE VAULT
From Sacramento State’s Dan Imlach: “I wish I would have got 5.29 because that would have put me on the list for the NCAAs, but hopefully next week in Washington. Not very much (was going well) at first, but luckily I could pull it together for the 16-6 jump.”
Northern Arizona’s Lopez Lomong knows the sound, and he knows what it does to him.
“I love the lap bell,” NAU’s versatile distance runner said after winning the 800 meters, the mile, and the 3,000 meters at the 2007 Big Sky Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships in Bozeman Saturday. “Every time the lap bell goes off it makes me go.”
After winning becoming only the second man in Big Sky Conference history to win the 800 meters and mile in the same meet a year ago, Lomong became only the second athlete to win three titles in one meet at this year’s Championships, joining Weber State’s Jeremy Tolman (2002).
Lomong, who finished each race by pulling away from his opponents seemingly with ease, said the nearly-unprecedented triple-win wasn’t physically overwhelming. “The 800 and the mile are more like getting my feet into a rhythm,” he said. “It’s kind of bumpy a little bit, but I felt good. It was easy (physically), the mile and 800.”
In spite of his five Big Sky indoor championships in the past two seasons, Lomong says he is not comfortable getting into the starting blocks. “I got scared, I got nerves, which I do,” he said. “I had really good competitors today. I am blessed to have them to race together this weekend in this great facility at Montana State.”
Below is a look at notes and quotes from this year’s Championships…
MEN’S WEIGHT THROW
Eastern Washington’s David Paul won the hammer throw with a Championships record of 68-8.5… the toss tops his previous best of 67-1.5 over a month ago… the mark improves his NCAA Provision Qualifying standing.
From Eastern Washington’s David Paul: “I felt smooth, I felt confident coming in that I could do well. I knew all I needed was one good throw would be enough for me to feel better. I’ve struggled pretty much all season. I felt confident. It’s been more mental. It feels physical, but I think it’s mental. I can get stressed out really fast when things aren’t going right, and just can’t keep it together."
MEN’S 55 HURDLES
Montana’s Matt Larson won the Big Sky Indoor Hurdles title for the second time in three years, but is the only Grizzly to win an indoor hurdles title since Jan Harland won in 1981 and ’82.
From UM’s Matt Larson: “Going in I had a lot of emotion and a lot of feelings why I wanted to make this race one of my best races. I had a little more nerves in the blocks than usual, I was so excited. Once it kicked in I saw my goal and just went after it. The key to this race is usually the start, but I didn’t have too good a (start). For me it was just being able to look at the next hurdle and working harder and harder for the next hurdle. I just tried to get faster as I went on.”
WOMEN’S 55 HURDLES
Sacramento State’s Nancy Searcy hit an NCAA Provisional mark with her winning 7.83… Searcy’s mark was just .02 off the Championship Meet record.
From Sacramento State’s Nancy Searcy: “I was really just trying to get my reaction time down, because (in the prelims) I was a little bit slow out of the blocks. I prayed before I ran and was like, give this to God and just run.”
MEN’S 55
Sacramento State’s Jody Johnson is also a member of the Hornet football team.
From Sac’s Jody Johnson: “A win’s a win, but I kind of messed up on the start. This is my first season of track, so I can’t complain about it.”
WOMEN’S 55
Portland State’s Utica Edgecombe matched the best mark in the Big Sky this year with her winning time of 7.03, a season’s best for her by .10
From PSU’s Utica Edgecombe: “I had it in me all the time. I prayed to God, who is the head of my life, and my coach last night encouraged me, and my family, they all prayed with me, cheered me on, and it just came out. Out of the blocks I thought I had a pretty good start, then I just powered through, everything I was taught, just push and power through.”
MEN’S 400
Montana State’s Dan Johnson became the first Bobcat to win an indoor conference sprint championship.
From MSU’s Dan Johnson: “I had a lot left in the second lap because I usually push it pretty hard in the first (lap). I went out pretty fast but I just kind of coasted around the second corner and I had pretty good position so I could run fast in the second lap. I used that to my advantage because usually you go out so fast that you don’t have any left for the end. My second 200 was not as fast as my first.”
WOMEN’S 400
From UM’s Loni Perkins-Judisch: “I was hoping to win so that aspect was good, but my time was a lot slower than last year. Just not my day, I guess.”
MEN’S WEIGHT THROW
Eastern Washington’s David Paul set a school record by more than a foot with his winning throw… Paul’s winning toss of 68-8.5 stands as the third-best throw in Big Sky history.
WOMEN’S SHOT PUT
MSU’s Kylee Zent marked passed the NCAA Provisional Qualifying standard with her winning toss of 50-10.25, the second-best throw in school history.
From MSU’s Kylee Zent: “I’ve been wanting 50-feet all season. My original goal was 52, but I decided to be a little more realistic. I was shooting for the NCAA Provisional, which I got. Hopefully that will get me somewhere. I’m really excited about it. My first throw of the season in my first meet was 48-6, so I knew it was close. Plus, I’ve been really close to my PR for last year. I was really nervous going in, but I knew I could hit it this meet. It’s huge. It’s out of control. We went to NAU last year, they have a concrete ring, so this is much more comfortable.”
MEN’S POLE VAULT
From Sacramento State’s Dan Imlach: “I wish I would have got 5.29 because that would have put me on the list for the NCAAs, but hopefully next week in Washington. Not very much (was going well) at first, but luckily I could pull it together for the 16-6 jump.”
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