MSU Women Take Third, Men Fourth at Big Sky Conference Track and Field
5/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Montana State’s track and field teams had a pretty productive conference meet according to head coach Dale Kennedy. The women finished third in a nail biter and the men finished fourth, both good efforts according to Kennedy.
“There were a lot more good parts than bad parts to the week,” Kennedy said. “Our women were in a three-way fight for second to the last event, and many of our guys stepped up and had good team performances when others weren’t able to.”
Kennedy loves the conference meet, saying it is truly what college track and field is all about.
“There is no meet like this one,” Kennedy said. “This is where the individuals forget about being individual and just think about team. And our kids did that all week. I am really happy with how they fought to get points for the team. Some kids stumbled and others stepped up, and I just think our kids did a great job. I can’t be more pleased.”
Sophomore Kirsten Lee won her first conference championship in the discus, the last women’s event of the day. Going into the event, MSU, Weber State and Northern Arizona were battling it out. All three schools had throwers in the finals. Despite Lee’s winning the event, Northern Arizona picked up nine points in the event to MSU’s 12 and kept their slim hold on second place, dropping MSU to third, 121-116. Sacramento State’s women won the meet with 161 points.
Earlier in the day, MSU’s women started out with a two-three finish in the women’s hammer with Alli Jones taking second and Amanda Murphy in third. Senior Autumn Domitroivch added the only other women’s all-conference performance of the day placing second in the 200 behind Sacramento State’s Jernice Saunders who won both the 100 and 200.
On the men’s side, freshman Patrick Casey turned in two all-conference performances in the 800 and 1500, placing second in the 1500 with a personal best 3:51.21 and turning around an hour later to place third in the 800 with a time of 1:52.80.
“I usually try and run the race strategy-free and see what it gives me,” Casey said after the 1500. “I wanted to stay back a little and see what was happening. At the end, the pace was just faster than I was and I couldn’t pull off the win, but I hung on for second.”
“If there were a freshman of the year award for the Big Sky Conference, Casey would certainly be a nominee for it,” Kennedy said. “Those are incredible performances and his 1500 will be altitude adjusted for a regional qualifier.”
Senior Dan Johnson defended his conference title in the 400 while hitting a regional qualifying mark at the same time. Even though Johnson would qualify for the regionals by virtue of winning the conference, he was still relieved to finally get the regional mark.
Junior Nick Lam turned in another all-conference performance in the javelin placing second with a season best toss of 213’8”. He was already qualified for the regional meet in two weeks.
“I really feel like I’m coming out of my slump, so I’m really happy with that. It felt good, really good.” Lam said.
One of the tough events of the day for the Bobcats was indoor conference triple jump champion Kevin Ludwig not being able to jump due to a nagging hamstring injury. During warm-ups, it was clear Ludwig was in too much pain to compete.
“That was tough on Kevin emotionally and for all of us coming in thinking he might be able to jump,” Kennedy said. “But that hamstring is a tricky injury. He has qualified for the regionals so we hope he’ll be healed up in a couple weeks.”
Casey Clausen also got all-conference honors with a second place in the shot put with 55’2.75” while teammate Morgan Norgaard finished fifth.
The Bobcat men’s 4 X 400 relay team missed all-conference by .07 placing fourth with a season best 3:15.66.
Complete women's results are attached in pdf form. A separate pdf of men's results is posted.
“There were a lot more good parts than bad parts to the week,” Kennedy said. “Our women were in a three-way fight for second to the last event, and many of our guys stepped up and had good team performances when others weren’t able to.”
Kennedy loves the conference meet, saying it is truly what college track and field is all about.
“There is no meet like this one,” Kennedy said. “This is where the individuals forget about being individual and just think about team. And our kids did that all week. I am really happy with how they fought to get points for the team. Some kids stumbled and others stepped up, and I just think our kids did a great job. I can’t be more pleased.”
Sophomore Kirsten Lee won her first conference championship in the discus, the last women’s event of the day. Going into the event, MSU, Weber State and Northern Arizona were battling it out. All three schools had throwers in the finals. Despite Lee’s winning the event, Northern Arizona picked up nine points in the event to MSU’s 12 and kept their slim hold on second place, dropping MSU to third, 121-116. Sacramento State’s women won the meet with 161 points.
Earlier in the day, MSU’s women started out with a two-three finish in the women’s hammer with Alli Jones taking second and Amanda Murphy in third. Senior Autumn Domitroivch added the only other women’s all-conference performance of the day placing second in the 200 behind Sacramento State’s Jernice Saunders who won both the 100 and 200.
On the men’s side, freshman Patrick Casey turned in two all-conference performances in the 800 and 1500, placing second in the 1500 with a personal best 3:51.21 and turning around an hour later to place third in the 800 with a time of 1:52.80.
“I usually try and run the race strategy-free and see what it gives me,” Casey said after the 1500. “I wanted to stay back a little and see what was happening. At the end, the pace was just faster than I was and I couldn’t pull off the win, but I hung on for second.”
“If there were a freshman of the year award for the Big Sky Conference, Casey would certainly be a nominee for it,” Kennedy said. “Those are incredible performances and his 1500 will be altitude adjusted for a regional qualifier.”
Senior Dan Johnson defended his conference title in the 400 while hitting a regional qualifying mark at the same time. Even though Johnson would qualify for the regionals by virtue of winning the conference, he was still relieved to finally get the regional mark.
Junior Nick Lam turned in another all-conference performance in the javelin placing second with a season best toss of 213’8”. He was already qualified for the regional meet in two weeks.
“I really feel like I’m coming out of my slump, so I’m really happy with that. It felt good, really good.” Lam said.
One of the tough events of the day for the Bobcats was indoor conference triple jump champion Kevin Ludwig not being able to jump due to a nagging hamstring injury. During warm-ups, it was clear Ludwig was in too much pain to compete.
“That was tough on Kevin emotionally and for all of us coming in thinking he might be able to jump,” Kennedy said. “But that hamstring is a tricky injury. He has qualified for the regionals so we hope he’ll be healed up in a couple weeks.”
Casey Clausen also got all-conference honors with a second place in the shot put with 55’2.75” while teammate Morgan Norgaard finished fifth.
The Bobcat men’s 4 X 400 relay team missed all-conference by .07 placing fourth with a season best 3:15.66.
Complete women's results are attached in pdf form. A separate pdf of men's results is posted.
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