Montana State University
MSU DOUBLE DUAL I
Challenged to a "Dual"
1/24/2014 8:22:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field, Track & Field
MSU hosts Idaho State and Montana in scored duals
Montana State Track and Field got all the first week jitters out and is ready for one of head coach Dale Kennedy's favorite meets of the year. The first of two MSU Double Dual meets is slated to take place tonight, Friday, Jan. 24, when the Bobcats host Big Sky Conference rivals Idaho State and Montana in Worthington Arena.
After opening the season at the MSU Combined Events Invitational, MSU has picked up only 13 Big Sky Championships automatic qualifiers, which is unusually low for the team who finished second (men) and fourth (women), respectively, at the 2013 league meet. Those numbers won't discourage the Bobcats, as the stakes are raised each week in terms of upping their performance. The MSU Double Dual brings an added element of team scoring.
"The thing I love the most is team competition," said Kennedy. "Individuals win events but a team wins the meet. This meet forces us to turn inward and ask ourselves what we can do collectively as a team and how we can each contribute as individuals to the greater whole."
Coming into the season the Bobcat men were picked fourth in the conference pre-season poll, with Montana seventh and Idaho State eighth. On paper the Grizzlies lead all three teams nine auto qualifiers thus far, followed by the Bobcats with four, while Idaho State is yet to grab their first official ticket for the championship meet.
On the women's side, the Bobcats were voted to finish fifth, with Montana just behind in sixth, followed by Idaho State in seventh. Like the men, the Grizzlies lead with 10 qualifiers, while MSU has nine, and the Bengals with two.
"The numbers [of qualifiers] don't always give an indication of how this meet will go," Kennedy said, now in his 32nd season at MSU. "The scored duals bring out that competitive edge that is always fun to see play out."
One year ago, Montana State swept the scoring winning both the men and women. Both running and field events are scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. start.
