Bobcat Track Squad Hosts Home Meet Saturday
4/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
After opening with an outstanding effort in poor weather conditions last week, MSU looks for continued improvement in its first home outdoor meet on Saturday. The Bobcats host the MSU Invitational. MSU qualified three throwers for the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships and a total of 18 for the Big Sky Championships on the team’s season-opening weekend.
This Week
Montana State hosts its first outdoor meet of the spring on Saturday, as athletes from MSU-Billings, Great Falls, and Carroll compete in the MSU Invitational. Field events begin at 12 noon, with running events underway at 1 pm.
Results
Results will be available Saturday night at www.msubobcats.com.
Bobcat Notebook
Injury Report
MSU’s most serious injury appears to be senior sprinter Steve Heberly, whose foot injury has him out for four-to-six weeks.
Youth is Served
Montana State’s roster of Big Sky Conference qualifiers is skewed toward youth. Of the 11 men that have qualified for the league championships, six are sophomores or freshmen, and seven of the 11 women qualifiers are in their first two years in the program. That continues a trend from last year, when 10 of the team’s 13 regional qualifiers were underclassmen.
Chuckin’ the Spear
Montana State unveiled another exceptional group of javelin throwers at last week’s season-opening Al Manuel Invitational. MSU’s Nick Lam won the men’s competition, with MSU throwers grabbing four of the top five spots (1-2-4-5). Bobcat women finished 2-3-4, with three-time conference champion Kim Berg leading the way. It appears that Berg, Eastern Washington freshman Amanda Peterson and Sac State senior Ashley Ast could be locked in a memorable javelin battle throughout the outdoor season. Peterson owns the league’s best mark of 154-5, while Ast is at 154-3 and Berg 154-1.
BIG SKY OUTDOOR HONORS
4 April 8 - Kris Schaffer, Women’s Field (NCAA Qualifying mark in javelin at Al Manuel Inv.), Nick Lam, Men’s Field (NCAA Qualifier in javelin at Al Manuel Inv.)
DALE KENNEDY QUOTES
“This week’s meet is a non-scoring open, with Great Falls, Carroll, and MSU-Billings competing. We’re always excited to compete at home, and this week is no exception. We’re looking for more Big Sky Conference qualifiers this weekend, it’s never too early to start thinking about that, and this is another opportunity to get those marks. A lot of kids will use this as a training meet, competing in events other than the ones they normally run in so they can train right through the weekend and be in peak shape for our two meets next week. Our throwers and jumpers usually post really good marks in meets like this, because it is easier for them to relax and focus than in bigger meets, team scoring meets, or meets where we’re in unfamiliar circumstances.”
BOBCAT QUALIFIERS
BSC Region NCAA
Men 11 2 -
Women 11 2 -
BOBCAT RANKINGS
Event Region NCAA
Kim Berg Jav 10th 29th
Kris Schaffer SP 13th 47th
Nick Lam Jav 13th 28th
D.van Swearingen Jav 16th 51st
OUTDOOR SCHEDULE
Date Competition Men/Women
A5 Al Manuel Inv. Missoula
A12 MSU Invitational Bozeman
A16-18 Azusa Pacific Inv. Azusa, CA
A19 LBSU Inv. Long Beach
A25-26 Drake Relays Des Moines
A26 Montana Open Missoula
M3 Cat-Griz Dual Bozeman
M9 Tom Gage Meet Missoula
M14-17 Big Sky Champ. Sacramento
M30-31 Midwest Regionals Lincoln
J11-14 NCAA Champ. Des Moines
BOBCAT COACHING STAFF
DALE KENNEDY, head track/cross country coach
Dale Kennedy is in his 27th year as MSU’s women’s coach, his fifth as coach of the combined program... Women’s Big Sky Coach of the Year for the 2001 indoor and ‘03 outdoor seasons, and Men’s OCOY 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 11 All-Americas and 33 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 26th year at MSU... has coached 50 All-Big Sky honorees... 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 ‘04 Big Sky Indoor women’s shot put.
TOM EITEL, jumps/multis
In 14th year at MSU... MSU vaulter from ‘79-82... won the ‘82 Big Sky pole vault title... has coached 20 athletes to 41 league titles, and 48 athletes to 113 all-league honors, including the highest male and female vaulters in Big Sky history and 2007 and ‘08 NCAA Champion Ellie Rudy... coached athletes to Big Sky meet records in 2 men’s and 6 women’s events
JORAH GRIFFITH, sprints/jav
Fifth year in the program, third as full-time assistant... coaches sprints and javelin... former standout thrower at Wyoming... coaches a three-time conference champion
This Week
Montana State hosts its first outdoor meet of the spring on Saturday, as athletes from MSU-Billings, Great Falls, and Carroll compete in the MSU Invitational. Field events begin at 12 noon, with running events underway at 1 pm.
Results
Results will be available Saturday night at www.msubobcats.com.
Bobcat Notebook
Injury Report
MSU’s most serious injury appears to be senior sprinter Steve Heberly, whose foot injury has him out for four-to-six weeks.
Youth is Served
Montana State’s roster of Big Sky Conference qualifiers is skewed toward youth. Of the 11 men that have qualified for the league championships, six are sophomores or freshmen, and seven of the 11 women qualifiers are in their first two years in the program. That continues a trend from last year, when 10 of the team’s 13 regional qualifiers were underclassmen.
Chuckin’ the Spear
Montana State unveiled another exceptional group of javelin throwers at last week’s season-opening Al Manuel Invitational. MSU’s Nick Lam won the men’s competition, with MSU throwers grabbing four of the top five spots (1-2-4-5). Bobcat women finished 2-3-4, with three-time conference champion Kim Berg leading the way. It appears that Berg, Eastern Washington freshman Amanda Peterson and Sac State senior Ashley Ast could be locked in a memorable javelin battle throughout the outdoor season. Peterson owns the league’s best mark of 154-5, while Ast is at 154-3 and Berg 154-1.
BIG SKY OUTDOOR HONORS
4 April 8 - Kris Schaffer, Women’s Field (NCAA Qualifying mark in javelin at Al Manuel Inv.), Nick Lam, Men’s Field (NCAA Qualifier in javelin at Al Manuel Inv.)
DALE KENNEDY QUOTES
“This week’s meet is a non-scoring open, with Great Falls, Carroll, and MSU-Billings competing. We’re always excited to compete at home, and this week is no exception. We’re looking for more Big Sky Conference qualifiers this weekend, it’s never too early to start thinking about that, and this is another opportunity to get those marks. A lot of kids will use this as a training meet, competing in events other than the ones they normally run in so they can train right through the weekend and be in peak shape for our two meets next week. Our throwers and jumpers usually post really good marks in meets like this, because it is easier for them to relax and focus than in bigger meets, team scoring meets, or meets where we’re in unfamiliar circumstances.”
BOBCAT QUALIFIERS
BSC Region NCAA
Men 11 2 -
Women 11 2 -
BOBCAT RANKINGS
Event Region NCAA
Kim Berg Jav 10th 29th
Kris Schaffer SP 13th 47th
Nick Lam Jav 13th 28th
D.van Swearingen Jav 16th 51st
OUTDOOR SCHEDULE
Date Competition Men/Women
A5 Al Manuel Inv. Missoula
A12 MSU Invitational Bozeman
A16-18 Azusa Pacific Inv. Azusa, CA
A19 LBSU Inv. Long Beach
A25-26 Drake Relays Des Moines
A26 Montana Open Missoula
M3 Cat-Griz Dual Bozeman
M9 Tom Gage Meet Missoula
M14-17 Big Sky Champ. Sacramento
M30-31 Midwest Regionals Lincoln
J11-14 NCAA Champ. Des Moines
BOBCAT COACHING STAFF
DALE KENNEDY, head track/cross country coach
Dale Kennedy is in his 27th year as MSU’s women’s coach, his fifth as coach of the combined program... Women’s Big Sky Coach of the Year for the 2001 indoor and ‘03 outdoor seasons, and Men’s OCOY 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 11 All-Americas and 33 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 26th year at MSU... has coached 50 All-Big Sky honorees... 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 ‘04 Big Sky Indoor women’s shot put.
TOM EITEL, jumps/multis
In 14th year at MSU... MSU vaulter from ‘79-82... won the ‘82 Big Sky pole vault title... has coached 20 athletes to 41 league titles, and 48 athletes to 113 all-league honors, including the highest male and female vaulters in Big Sky history and 2007 and ‘08 NCAA Champion Ellie Rudy... coached athletes to Big Sky meet records in 2 men’s and 6 women’s events
JORAH GRIFFITH, sprints/jav
Fifth year in the program, third as full-time assistant... coaches sprints and javelin... former standout thrower at Wyoming... coaches a three-time conference champion
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