Kennedy Looks to Returners to Lead in 2015

Photo by: Kelly Gorham

1/14/2015 1:35:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field, Track & Field

With 43 returning letter winners, the Bobcats have the most experience team in the history of the program.

Both men's and women's Montana State Track and Field teams finished seventh in last year's Big Sky Indoor Championships, but climbed to finish second and third at the outdoor championships later in the year. The men's team gave Northern Arizona a battle for the title and the women finished in third in a close fight with NAU and Weber State. As both teams will be contenders for the conference title, the battle will be fierce between NAU, Southern Utah and Montana, although no school should be over looked. On the men's side, 16 letter winners are returning, while 27 return for the women. This is the most returning letter winners in the history of Bobcat Track and Field.

MEN'S PREVIEW

Lyle Weese has taken over the coaching of the distance/mid-distance runners. Weese is returning the most experienced event group on the men's side. Matt Tex, the 2014 Big Sky Indoor 800 champion, and Christian Soratos, the 1500 outdoor champion and third place finisher in the 800, are two of the top returning middle-distance runners in the conference. They are joined by multiple-time, senior letter winners Trevor Polson, Michael Asay and Seth Barbett. All three have scored points in previous championships. Jake Turner, who leads the junior class, returned to MSU from the University of Oklahoma last year, but had to sit out all three seasons due to transfer regulations. Turner was the top freshman finisher in the 2012 BSC Cross Country Championships and scored points in the 2013 indoor and outdoor championships. This fall, Turner posted a great cross country season, finishing 7^th at the conference championships and 15^th at the regional championships, before advancing to the national championships and finishing 102^nd out of 234 runners. He is joined by classmate Zach Zughn, who finished 6^th in the 3000m at last year's indoor championships.

The sprint and hurdle events will be led by Michael Tobin and Rory Bauer, who have both qualified for the indoor and outdoor Big Sky Conference Championships in previous seasons. Tobin will focus on the 60m and 200m, while Bauer will put his talents into the 200 and 400. Freshmen Chris Lange and Mitch Horning bring exciting potential to the indoor season and the future of our sprints and hurdles program. Horning clocked the fastest times in Oregon prep track his senior year at Sheldon High School in all three sprint events, including 10.70 (100), 21.62 (200) and 48.94 (400). Lange posted a 14.64 (110 hurdles) and a 38.40 (300 hurdles). These four will be joined by Rory Fisher of White Sulphur Springs, MT. Fisher bring a 1:55.10 800 performance and will also be in the relay pool. Eric Zechenelley, a junior college transfer, will provide depth in the 400 for the 'Cats. Zechenelley won the 2012 Oregon State 300 hurdles with a time of 37.62, and then spent a year at Clark Community College as a 400 hurdler. All six of these student-athletes will make out pool of relay personnel.

Veteran throws coach Mike Carignan will again be at the helm of the throws group. Indoor track has two throwing events, rather than the traditional four in outdoor track. Carignan's leadership will be augmented with the coaching contributions of former Bobcat All-American hammer thrower, David Phillips. Dave was a very versatile thrower, as demonstrated by earning All-Conference honors in the weight throw, hammer, shot put and discus. Sean Ferriter will lead the way for the small group of throwers. Ferriter earned All-Big Sky honors in the weight throw and hammer in 2013. He will be backed up by Zach Sharp. Sharp will bring experience into the mix, as he competed at the conference championships in the weight throw. Additionally, sophomore Riley Sampson has qualified for both indoor and outdoor conference meets in the shot put. Sampson's experience sets him up to a top-eights finisher at the conference meet. Freshman Kyle Douglas looks to be the future of the throws group. He has a best of 181-0 in the discus, which was earned at Big Sky High School in Missoula, MT.

Coaches Tom Eitel and Erin Graf will field a small, but competitive group of jumpers for the upcoming indoor season. All-Conference performer Kevin Close will provide the 'Cats with a high quality asset in the triple jump, while Jake Mushaben will lead the way in long jump. Mushaben finished fourth in last year's outdoor championships and is poised for all-conference honors in this year's indoor meet. The pole vault is looking to be the top of MSU's vertical jumps this year. Senior Ryan Kropp returns in the vault o cap off his indoor career. Kropp has scored at several conference championships and is performing well to potentially earn conference honors. He is joined by Austin Decker, a junior college transfer from Hartnell College. Secker has several clearances over sixteen feet and will be competitive at the conference meet. Eitel and Graf have recruited four freshman who posted Big Sky qualifying marks at the prep level. Andrew LaVoie (triple jump), Alex Lewis (long and triple jump), Luke Middelstad (pole vault), and Aiden Pederson (high jump) all have the potential to qualify for the conference meet and will be the future of the jumps crew.

WOMEN'S PREVIEW

The women's team returns the largest number of letter winners in school history, with 27 returning. Collectively, they have a force to be reckoned with as they prepare for the conference meet. This group finished seventh in last year's indoor championships, but improved to finish third at the outdoor meet in Flagstaff.

The distance/mid-distance runners return five of the 27 returners. Heather Demorest, a multiple time All-Conference team honoree and school record holder in the steeplechase will lead the Bobcats. Demorest is one of the top returners in the conference and has posted MSU top-ten marks in the mile, 3000 and 5000. Kaylee Schmitz, MSU record holder in the 800, and Christie Schiel return for a strong one-two punch in the 800m and the mile. Jenette Northey returns from her outstanding freshman year. Northey finished 5^th in last year's 3000, in addition to earning the school's third best time in school history and all-conference honors in the steeplechase. Northey advanced to the first round of the NCAA Championships, before finishing fourth in the USTF National Junior Championships. Senior Keely West looks ready to run well in the 5000m, and give the 'Cats a viable scorer in the conference meet. This crew of veteran runners will be bolstered by Rachel Sullivan and Rachel Atwood, along with freshman Caroline Hardin, a Bozeman native. Hardin was named the Top Gun winner this cross country season, while Sullivan earned the Most Improved award. Sullivan moved up from being the team's sixth runner in 2013 to the number two runner in 2014.

The sprints and hurdles group are the teams strongest in this event area since the 2002 Big Sky Championships team. Chantel Jaeger, last year's Top Gun winner in indoor and outdoor track, returns and will use last year's outdoor season as a springboard for her final indoor campaign. Jaeger posted outstanding marks in the 200 and 400 at last year's championships, when she clocked 23.46 (200) and 53.77 (400), in addition to leading the relays to all-conference honors and a school record of 3:41.27 (1600m relay). Two other legs of that relay are returning, Paige Squire and Iris Hardarson. Squire earned All-Conference honors, while Hararson finished fourth in last year's 400 (54.93). These three will be joined by two time all-conference team member Lierien Flanagan. Flanagan has run a 56.43 in the 400 and 2:10.53 in the 800.

The jumps and multis events will feature experience, scoring power and depth with the likes of junior pole vaulter, Casey Teska. Teska finished second in last year's indoor and outdoor championships and qualified for the first round of the NCAA Championships. Senior Carley McCutchen, two-time All-Conference member, red-shirted the 2014 indoor season, and then unloaded during the outdoor with multiple lifetime bests in all seven of her events. McCutchen qualified for the NCAA Championship finals. She will not only be a viable competitor for the conference championship in the pentathlon, but has scoring potential hurdles, long jump and high jump. She is joined by junior Danielle Muri, who finished fourth in the pentathlon in the spring. These three will look to lead the seven returning letter winners. Juniors Amy Rovira and Sami Risa, along with freshman Carter Theade, give the team quality depth in the pole vault. Alicia Gilchrist (HJ), Jessica Chrisp (HJ, LJ, sprints), Adessa Durglo (TJ) and Leah Cook (TJ) all are returning for the Bobcats to give the jumps team depth. Josie Petruska will look to make an impact, while freshmen Maggie Settle and Megan Ralstin will be added to the mix.

Coach Carignan and Phillips will rely heavily on Kristi VandeBergh as she has been a consistent scorer in the past conference championships. She will look to lead the small group of throwers this season. Maddy Wills returns in the weight throw, along with Britnee Grimstad and Jackie Verlanic, who have all qualified for the conference championships in the past. Six more female student-athletes will be added for the outdoor season.

With a large group of returners, the Bobcats will look to compete for a conference championship. The official season begins on Friday, Jan. 16 as MSU hosts six other schools in the Montana State Open.