Bobcats Head to Big Sky Track Meet
5/10/2007 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
The Big Sky Conference heads to Pocatello, Idaho, this weekend for the 2007 league outdoor championships. Mike Green leads Montana State¡¦s 24 men qualifiers and 22 women into competition beginning with Wednesday¡¦s decathlon, but most of the team begins competition on Friday. MSU looks to improve its finishes of sixth (men) and seventh (women) in the Big Sky indoor meet.
Bobcat Notebook
BIG SKY MEET
The focus returns to individual achievement this weekend, as MSU hosts the annual Tom Gage Classic, traditionally held at the site opposite the Cat-Griz Dual. The bobcats hope to automatically qualify as many as 16 more athletes for the Big Sky Championships next weekend in Pocatello.
Projections
Based on how teams entered this year¡¦s Big Sky meet, Montana State¡¦s women are projected to finish with 81 points, which should be good for fifth place, while the men appear to be in line for 59 points, which would put the team in sixth place. ¡§You never know how these meets will play out,¡¨ said MSU coach Dale Kennedy, ¡§but this is something to look at.¡¨
Amazing Ellie
Montana State¡¦s Ellie Rudy, the reigning two-time Big Sky pole vault champion and NCAA Indoor pole vault title-holder, continues to compile amazing accomplishments. She has earned 15 Big Sky athlete of the week awards in her five seasons, the most by an individual in Big Sky history. She has won two Big Sky Championships outdoors, and two indoors, and won MSU¡¦s second individual national championship in Fayetteville in March.
Young Guns
Montana State coach Dale Kennedy identified this outdoor season as a developmental campaign even before it began, and it has turned out exactly that way. Of Montana State¡¦s 24 men qualifiers for the Big Sky Championships, 10 are freshmen and only two are seniors.
BIG SKY HONORS
ƒ¤ Ellie Rudy earned Big Sky Field Event Athlete of the Week honors last week, her fourth outdoor award in the last five weeks. Her four awards this season is one short of the record she holds (5, set dring this indoor season).
INDOOR SCHEDULE
Date Competition Men/Women
J8-9 MSU Multi-Events Bozeman
J19 MSU Open Bozeman
J26 MSU-UM-ISU Bozeman
F2 ISU Duals Pocatello
F9-10 Mountain St. Gms Pocatello
F17 Bobcat Open Bozeman
F23-24 Big Sky Indoors Bozeman
M9-10 NCAA Indoors Fayetteville
DALE KENNEDY QUOTES
¡§We¡¦re excited about this weekend¡¦s Big Sky meet. Our team goals aren¡¦t as high as they sometimes are, but each of our individuals are heading to Pocatello with personal goals that they are pursuiing. That¡¦s the great thing about college track and field, beyond the team element lies a whole series of individual stories that are exciting to watch unfold. Our throws crew heads into this meet with a chance to accomplish some good things, and I¡¦m looking forward to seeing how our young athletes respond to a conference meet situation.¡¨
BOBCAT QUALIFIERS
BSC Region NCAA
Men 24 7 0
Women 22 6 0
BOBCAT RANKINGS
Event Region NCAA
Ellie Rudy PV 2nd 2nd
Kylee Zent SP 22nd 82nd
Ashley Jones HT 8th 39th
Karen Helvey HT 13th 56th
Kim Berg Jav 6th 17th
Tanner Rauk SP 12th 64th
Nathan Palmer HT 13th 69th
Taylor Henson Jav 8th 41st
Dustin Degen Jav 10th 49th
Dan van Swearingen Jav 17th 69th
Nick Lam Jav 20th 76th
OUTDOOR SCHEDULE
Date Competition Men/Women
M31 Al Manuel Inv. Missoula
A5-7 Weber State Inv. Ogden, UT
A13-15 Mout Sac Inv. Walnut, CA
A14 MSU Inv. Bozeman
A20-21 Idaho State Inv. Pocatello
A20-21 Oregon Inv. Eugene, OR
A28 Cat-Griz Dual Missoula
M4 Tom Gage Classic Bozeman
M9-12 Big Sky Outdoors Pocatello
M25-26 NCAA Regional Des Moines
J6-9 NCAA Outdoors Sacramento
BOBCAT COACHING STAFF
DALE KENNEDY, head track/cross country coach
Dale Kennedy is in his 25th year as MSU¡¦s women¡¦s coach, his third as coach of the combined program... was Women¡¦s Big Sky Coach of the Year for the 2001 indoor and ¡¥03 outdoor seasons, and Men¡¦s COY in ¡¥05... has led MSU to two women¡¦s XC titles this decade, and has led the Lady Cats to three conference track titles and a pair of runnerup finishes... has produced nine All-Americas and 21 NCAA qualifiers... MSU¡¦s men¡¦s Big Sky outdoor title in ¡¥05 was the program¡¦s first men¡¦s Big Sky crown ever
MIKE CARIGNAN, throws
In his 25th year at MSU... has coached 47 athletes to all-Big Sky honors... MSU¡¦s throwers led the Big Sky in points from 2002-06... MSU became the first Big Sky school in history to hold the top five spots in one event during the 2004 Big Sky Indoor women¡¦s shot put competition.
TOM EITEL, jumps/multis
In 13th year at MSU... MSU vaulter from ¡¥79-82... won the ¡¥82 Big Sky pole vault title... has coached 47 all-conference athletes and 20 different league champs, including the highest male and female vaulters in Big Sky history and 2007 NCAA Champion Ellie Rudy... coached athletes to Big Sky meet records in 2 men¡¦s and 6 women¡¦s events
JORAH GRIFFITH, sprints/jav
Fourth year in the program, second as full-time assistant... coaches sprints and javelin... former standout thrower at Wyoming... hails from western Montana
Bobcat Notebook
BIG SKY MEET
The focus returns to individual achievement this weekend, as MSU hosts the annual Tom Gage Classic, traditionally held at the site opposite the Cat-Griz Dual. The bobcats hope to automatically qualify as many as 16 more athletes for the Big Sky Championships next weekend in Pocatello.
Projections
Based on how teams entered this year¡¦s Big Sky meet, Montana State¡¦s women are projected to finish with 81 points, which should be good for fifth place, while the men appear to be in line for 59 points, which would put the team in sixth place. ¡§You never know how these meets will play out,¡¨ said MSU coach Dale Kennedy, ¡§but this is something to look at.¡¨
Amazing Ellie
Montana State¡¦s Ellie Rudy, the reigning two-time Big Sky pole vault champion and NCAA Indoor pole vault title-holder, continues to compile amazing accomplishments. She has earned 15 Big Sky athlete of the week awards in her five seasons, the most by an individual in Big Sky history. She has won two Big Sky Championships outdoors, and two indoors, and won MSU¡¦s second individual national championship in Fayetteville in March.
Young Guns
Montana State coach Dale Kennedy identified this outdoor season as a developmental campaign even before it began, and it has turned out exactly that way. Of Montana State¡¦s 24 men qualifiers for the Big Sky Championships, 10 are freshmen and only two are seniors.
BIG SKY HONORS
ƒ¤ Ellie Rudy earned Big Sky Field Event Athlete of the Week honors last week, her fourth outdoor award in the last five weeks. Her four awards this season is one short of the record she holds (5, set dring this indoor season).
INDOOR SCHEDULE
Date Competition Men/Women
J8-9 MSU Multi-Events Bozeman
J19 MSU Open Bozeman
J26 MSU-UM-ISU Bozeman
F2 ISU Duals Pocatello
F9-10 Mountain St. Gms Pocatello
F17 Bobcat Open Bozeman
F23-24 Big Sky Indoors Bozeman
M9-10 NCAA Indoors Fayetteville
DALE KENNEDY QUOTES
¡§We¡¦re excited about this weekend¡¦s Big Sky meet. Our team goals aren¡¦t as high as they sometimes are, but each of our individuals are heading to Pocatello with personal goals that they are pursuiing. That¡¦s the great thing about college track and field, beyond the team element lies a whole series of individual stories that are exciting to watch unfold. Our throws crew heads into this meet with a chance to accomplish some good things, and I¡¦m looking forward to seeing how our young athletes respond to a conference meet situation.¡¨
BOBCAT QUALIFIERS
BSC Region NCAA
Men 24 7 0
Women 22 6 0
BOBCAT RANKINGS
Event Region NCAA
Ellie Rudy PV 2nd 2nd
Kylee Zent SP 22nd 82nd
Ashley Jones HT 8th 39th
Karen Helvey HT 13th 56th
Kim Berg Jav 6th 17th
Tanner Rauk SP 12th 64th
Nathan Palmer HT 13th 69th
Taylor Henson Jav 8th 41st
Dustin Degen Jav 10th 49th
Dan van Swearingen Jav 17th 69th
Nick Lam Jav 20th 76th
OUTDOOR SCHEDULE
Date Competition Men/Women
M31 Al Manuel Inv. Missoula
A5-7 Weber State Inv. Ogden, UT
A13-15 Mout Sac Inv. Walnut, CA
A14 MSU Inv. Bozeman
A20-21 Idaho State Inv. Pocatello
A20-21 Oregon Inv. Eugene, OR
A28 Cat-Griz Dual Missoula
M4 Tom Gage Classic Bozeman
M9-12 Big Sky Outdoors Pocatello
M25-26 NCAA Regional Des Moines
J6-9 NCAA Outdoors Sacramento
BOBCAT COACHING STAFF
DALE KENNEDY, head track/cross country coach
Dale Kennedy is in his 25th year as MSU¡¦s women¡¦s coach, his third as coach of the combined program... was Women¡¦s Big Sky Coach of the Year for the 2001 indoor and ¡¥03 outdoor seasons, and Men¡¦s COY in ¡¥05... has led MSU to two women¡¦s XC titles this decade, and has led the Lady Cats to three conference track titles and a pair of runnerup finishes... has produced nine All-Americas and 21 NCAA qualifiers... MSU¡¦s men¡¦s Big Sky outdoor title in ¡¥05 was the program¡¦s first men¡¦s Big Sky crown ever
MIKE CARIGNAN, throws
In his 25th year at MSU... has coached 47 athletes to all-Big Sky honors... MSU¡¦s throwers led the Big Sky in points from 2002-06... MSU became the first Big Sky school in history to hold the top five spots in one event during the 2004 Big Sky Indoor women¡¦s shot put competition.
TOM EITEL, jumps/multis
In 13th year at MSU... MSU vaulter from ¡¥79-82... won the ¡¥82 Big Sky pole vault title... has coached 47 all-conference athletes and 20 different league champs, including the highest male and female vaulters in Big Sky history and 2007 NCAA Champion Ellie Rudy... coached athletes to Big Sky meet records in 2 men¡¦s and 6 women¡¦s events
JORAH GRIFFITH, sprints/jav
Fourth year in the program, second as full-time assistant... coaches sprints and javelin... former standout thrower at Wyoming... hails from western Montana
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