Montana State University
BIG SKY INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Up Next: Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Championships
2/26/2014 7:27:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field, Track & Field
Culmination of indoor season begins Feb. 27
It all comes down to three days in late winter. The previous meets of 2014 no longer matter. The 45 men and women that will be representing Montana State are up for the challenge at the 2014 Big Sky Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, which begin Thursday, Feb. 27 and run through Saturday.
The much-anticipated league meet will bring all eleven Big Sky institutions under the roof of Holt Arena in Pocatello, Idaho. Idaho State is one of three indoor venues able to host the meet and hosted back in 2011.
One year ago, when Montana State hosted, the Bobcats posted three huge days of competition in Worthington Arena. The men finished as the runners-up, finishing 17.5 points behind Northern Arizona. Coming in fourth place were the Bobcat women, after a pre-season prediction of a sixth place ranking.
MSU will look to meet the same expectations as last year even just shy of a full roster for the extended championship meet.
"We would've liked to have had more qualifiers, to be honest," said head coach Dale Kennedy. "But this is the meet we get up for no matter what. We're still hopeful and have some strong contenders out there this weekend."
MULTIS
One of the thinner groups this season for MSU, but those rostered for the championship meet will gain valuable experience and potentially some career-best performances. Freshman Mason Storm is the lone heptathlon entry for the Bobcats and enters the meet ranked seventh in the conference with 4,500 points.
The women will have two competitors in the pentathlon, both new to the Big Sky scene. Jessica Chrisp, who has immediately adjusted to college competition also comes in at seventh in the five-event multi, with 3,326. Transfer Danielle Muri is 13th with 3,237.
Last year's champion and runner-up, Jeff Mohl and Powhattan Williamson are redshirting the indoor season. Mohl was also named the meet's Outstanding Performer and Co-MVP in 2013.
THROWS
A perennial powerhouse in the Big Sky, 2014 shows the same dominance as any other year, despite many rookie appearances at the championships. The weight throw has six from MSU entered (two for women; four men). Mary Koppy and Madison Wills will represent the Blue and Gold in their first indoor championship meet.
Sean Ferriter returns after just getting edged for all-conference honors in 2013 and will look to improve upon his current seventh place seed and get his throws into the 60-foot range. Ferriter will get support from Zach Sharp, Derek Marsh and Jarek Jensen in the event, as well.
Jensen will team up with Trevor Gilreath, the 2013 runner-up, and Riley Sampson in the shot put.
With the exception of Ferriter and Gilreath, the remaining four are making their indoor championship debut.
JUMPS
The jumps, usually an area of huge points for Montana State also comes into the meet a little thinner than usual due to several redshirts this season, however, those that will be competing will surely rise to the challenge and represent the Bobcats.
In addition to competing in the heptathlon, Mason Storm will also show face in the long jump. Freshman Josephine Petruska will compete in the women's long jump, also her first Big Sky meet. The triple jump will look for performances from Adessa Durglo and newcomer Leah Cook. Veterans Kyler Felton and Tanner Burgard will compete for the men.
With no men entered in the high jump, the women's high jump and both pole vault events will prove crucial for the jumps corps. Ryan Kropp is the lone entrant in the pole vault and after a slow start this indoor season, will look to continue his quest for a Big Sky title. He has finished as high as second in the league, which came at the 2012 outdoor meet and will seek redemption from his "no-height" performance just one year ago.
Like Kropp, Casey Teska also has the third-highest height in the pole vault in 2014. Her best Big Sky finish comes in at sixth place last winter. The sophomore will be going for her first all-conference performance in Pocatello. Libby Madison will compete alongside Teska, after finally earning his auto-qualifier on Feb. 21 at the Bobcat Open.
SPRINTS/HURDLES
Some of Montana State's top performers have been a part of the sprint/hurdles group. Beginning with the 60 meter dash, immediate points will hopefully be won by Chris Wilson, now a common name among the Big Sky. Wilson probably brings the strongest conference resume to his final indoor championships. The Great Falls, Mont. native was the 2012 indoor champion in the 60 and champion in the 100 at the outdoor meet. At the 2013 meet, he came in fourth in the 55 and had an all-conference performance in the 200, placing third. He is entered in both the 60 and the 200 in hopes of a few more titles to his name.
Michael Tobin, part of the 1-2 punch sprinting duo, will join Wilson in the 60 at Holt Arena.
After dealing with a series of injuries, Paige Squire returns to the Indoor Championships for the first time in two years. She is currently seeded 11th in the 60 hurdles after seeing huge drops in her times over the past two months.
MSU is really expected to shine in the men's and women's 200 races. Chris Wilson comes into the meet seeded second, while Chantel Jaeger, who has truly come into her own, holds the fastest time in the women's race. Jaeger will also contribute as a part of the 4x400 relay along with Squire.
The women's 4x400 relay is rounded out with talent from Sonia Antar and Iris Hardarson. Both are competing as individuals in the 400, as well. MSU's time of 3:46.22 marks the third fastest in program history and second fastest in the league.
Rory Bauer, a speedy newcomer from MSU-Billings finally punched his ticket at the Bobcat Open and is seeded 13th in the men's 400. He'll be joined by John Daubert, Aaron Johnston and Nick Melone in the 4x400.
DISTANCE
While the 800 may be considered "middle distance" the name is irrelevant compared to the depth Montana State boasts. Three women, all new to the Big Sky meet, have earned their stripes over the course of the short indoor season and could potentially vie for Big Sky honors. Kaylee Schmitz enters the race ranked second in the league, just four-tenths behind the top time. Earlier this season, Schmitz set a new program record in the 800 with a time of 2:08.63, taking over Heather Haug's previous record set in 2013.
Schmitz will be supplemented by Christie Schiel and Lillian Ball in the event. Schiel, like Schmitz, has become almost an instant force among the Bobcats and will look to do the same at the conference level.
The men's 800 tells a similar story but with seasoned veterans. Matthew Tex, the 2013 outdoor 800 winner, comes in with the top seed, followed by Jacob Kirk. Kirk will then turn around and try to better his third seed in the mile and get more points from Cristian Soratos and Michael Asay. Soratos placed third at the indoor meet in 2013.
The 3,000 and 5,000 races present themselves as a great opportunity for Bobcat points on the leaderboard. Jenette Northey and Rachel Atwood are commonly found side-by-side on the track and they'll do the same in Pocatello. They're seeded fifth and sixth, respectively and hopefully will continue to capitalize on the momentum of their previous 3,000 race back on Feb. 21 at the Bobcat Open. Michelle Cline will join them in the 5,000, as well.
Five men will load up in the 3,000 when Trevor Polson, Kirk, Seth Garbett, Zachary Kughn and Michael Asay take to the track. Polson's career as a Bobcat, along with Kirk's, are peaking at just the right time. The depth in the event marks one of the deepest in years and it could prove to be a game-changer for MSU.
Polson, Garbett and Kughn will also run the 5,000.
The Distance Medley Relay takes all the gifts of the runners and combines it into one successful package. Both the men and women won the relays last year, as well as setting new program records over the course of 2013. This year, the quartet of Schmitz, Squire, Hardarson and Schiel hold the second fastest time in the Big Sky. Soratos, Johnston, Tex and Kirk are ranked first, by a large margin (36 seconds) and recorded the third fastest time in the program.
"All-in-all, we have a lot of the correct moving parts for this weekend," said Kennedy. This group knows how to compete as a team, no matter what their event and I know we'll put it all out there and leave our best efforts in Holt Arena."
The three-day meet begins Thursday, Feb. 27 at noon with the 60 meter dash of the heptathlon, followed by the 60 meter hurdles of the pentathlon. Friday's events begin with the conclusion of the heptathlon at 10:30am. Field events commence at 3 p.m., followed by running events at 4 p.m. Saturday is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. with field events and 12:30 p.m. on the track.
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