Big Sky Championships Kick Off With Bobcats Out Front
5/14/2014 5:55:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field, Track & Field
McCutchen, Mohl in first place after first day of multis
| Decathlon Scores | Heptathlon Scores | Complete Results |
The first day of the Big Sky Outdoor Track and Field Championships certainly did not disappoint. The four-day meet, hosted by Northern Arizona in Flagstaff kicked off with the opening events of the heptathlon and decathlon and Montana State has put them in great position.
With finishes in the top three in three out of four opening day events, senior Carley McCutchen sit in first place with a score of 3,194 in the field of 17 athletes. She kicked off the day with a huge lifetime best time of 14.06 in the 100 hurdles, besting her previous time of 14.39. She tied for second in the high jump with an outdoor best 5-05.25 (1.66m). Momentum didn't waver in the shot put with another outdoor PR distance of 33-04 (10.16m). In the 200, she crossed the line in 25.10.
McCutchen's teammate Danielle Muri is also thriving in Flagstaff, currently in fifth place, tallying 3,032 points thus far. Like her teammate, Muri produced a huge 100 hurdles personal record of 14.99, an improvement from her previous time of 15.23. In the high jump, she fell to 11th place with 5-00.50 (1.54m) but had quite a rally in the shot put. She placed second in the throwing event behind league-leader Lindsey Hall of Montana. Muri measured a hurl of 40-07.75 (12.39m). Using that drive, she carried it over in the 200, notching her second PR of the day with a time of 25.56.
McCutchen and Muri both posted first day personal best scores.
Jeff Mohl is the lone Bobcat representative in the men's decathlon and he made sure to make his presence known after a fairly quiet spring. He amassed a first day total of 3,888 among 13 competitors. The senior came out swinging when he won the 100 in the first event of the day with a time of 10.88. In the long jump, the Red Lodge, Montana native took first place again, launching himself to a jump of 23-02.50 (7.07m), almost a foot ahead of second place.
The shot put, not always his strongest event put him in the middle of the pack, coming in with a throw of 36-04.00 (11.07m). This is where the day one battle with Nevin Lewis began. Lewis won the shot put and also bested Mohl in the high jump. Mohl came in second at 6-05.50 (1.97m) to Lewis's 6-09 launch. Headed into the final event of opening day, the 400, Lewis held a narrow margin. Mohl came in second place in the single lap, crossing in a season best time of 49.37, enough places ahead of Lewis to hold on to first place after five events.
"Today was a huge day for us and we got through it," said head coach Dale Kennedy. "We've come out hard and seen some great things. It's been a tight contest in the decathlon but our effort is there, in both the multi events, and tomorrow could really be another great day."
The multis will conclude tomorrow, May 15, with the first events beginning at 10 a.m. (MDT). Live results can be found here.
