Layne Oliver
Cross Country Announces Postseason Award Honorees
12/5/2016 4:41:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
Three Bobcats are honored following cross country season
The Montana State cross country teams announced their postseason award honorees following the conclusion of the 2016 season.
Two separate awards were given out on both the men's and women's sides.
Sophomore Tyler Mogan was named both the Top Gun and Most Improved runner on the men's cross country team. The Laurel, Montana, native was MSU's top finisher in all five races during the fall schedule. Mogan finished with sub 26-minute finishes in each 8K race during the season. He had ninth-place showings in the MSU-Bozeman Running Co. Invitational and Pre-National Invitational. Mogan led MSU with a 17th place showing in the Big Sky Championship and took 35th at the Mountain Regional.
His best finish of the year came in the Montana Invite, which he finished third overall in the three-team field.
"Ty had a breakout cross country season and showed he will be a standout distance runner for years to come," Montana State head coach Lyle Weese said. "His improvement from his freshman year to his sophomore year is indicative of his commitment to take his training to the next level over the summer."
Sophomore Alyssa Snyder was selected as the Top Gun for the Bobcats' women's squad.
Snyder was MSU's top finisher in all five races during the fall. The Coalville, Utah, native finished a season-best runner-up at the Montana Invite with a time of 21:52.10 while leading the Bobcats to a sweep of Montana and Gonzaga. Snyder finished the year with top-15 finishes in both the MSU-Bozeman Running Co. Invite and the Big Sky Championship. She also took 73rd against some of the toughest opposition in the nation in the Pre-National Invite and finished 41st at the Mountain Regional.
"Alyssa had a great summer of training and was an outstanding example of the commitment level it takes to be successful in distance running at this level," Weese said. "She works as hard on a daily basis as about any athlete I have coached."
Layne Oliver rounded out the postseason honors as she was awarded MSU's Most Improved athlete on the women's cross country team.
The sophomore finished in MSU's scoring lineup in every meet during the 2016 season. Oliver took second among Bobcat runners in the opening MSU-Bozeman Running Co. Invitational and the NCAA Mountain Regional. She also finished third in the lineup at the Montana Invite and the Big Sky Championship. The Three Forks native placed in the top 40 overall in three events, including an individual-high eighth-place showing at the Montana Invite on Sept. 30.
"Layne went from not making our top 7 travel team to being one of our top runners this year," Weese said. "Layne previously received the most improved award for both indoor and outdoor track. Winning the most improved award in all three sports demonstrates Layne's transformation as a student-athlete and also what is possible with strength of will and sheer determination."
MSU's distance runners make their indoor season debut on Friday, Jan. 13, at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse during the Montana State University Invitational.
Two separate awards were given out on both the men's and women's sides.
Sophomore Tyler Mogan was named both the Top Gun and Most Improved runner on the men's cross country team. The Laurel, Montana, native was MSU's top finisher in all five races during the fall schedule. Mogan finished with sub 26-minute finishes in each 8K race during the season. He had ninth-place showings in the MSU-Bozeman Running Co. Invitational and Pre-National Invitational. Mogan led MSU with a 17th place showing in the Big Sky Championship and took 35th at the Mountain Regional.
His best finish of the year came in the Montana Invite, which he finished third overall in the three-team field.
"Ty had a breakout cross country season and showed he will be a standout distance runner for years to come," Montana State head coach Lyle Weese said. "His improvement from his freshman year to his sophomore year is indicative of his commitment to take his training to the next level over the summer."
Sophomore Alyssa Snyder was selected as the Top Gun for the Bobcats' women's squad.
Snyder was MSU's top finisher in all five races during the fall. The Coalville, Utah, native finished a season-best runner-up at the Montana Invite with a time of 21:52.10 while leading the Bobcats to a sweep of Montana and Gonzaga. Snyder finished the year with top-15 finishes in both the MSU-Bozeman Running Co. Invite and the Big Sky Championship. She also took 73rd against some of the toughest opposition in the nation in the Pre-National Invite and finished 41st at the Mountain Regional.
"Alyssa had a great summer of training and was an outstanding example of the commitment level it takes to be successful in distance running at this level," Weese said. "She works as hard on a daily basis as about any athlete I have coached."
Layne Oliver rounded out the postseason honors as she was awarded MSU's Most Improved athlete on the women's cross country team.
The sophomore finished in MSU's scoring lineup in every meet during the 2016 season. Oliver took second among Bobcat runners in the opening MSU-Bozeman Running Co. Invitational and the NCAA Mountain Regional. She also finished third in the lineup at the Montana Invite and the Big Sky Championship. The Three Forks native placed in the top 40 overall in three events, including an individual-high eighth-place showing at the Montana Invite on Sept. 30.
"Layne went from not making our top 7 travel team to being one of our top runners this year," Weese said. "Layne previously received the most improved award for both indoor and outdoor track. Winning the most improved award in all three sports demonstrates Layne's transformation as a student-athlete and also what is possible with strength of will and sheer determination."
MSU's distance runners make their indoor season debut on Friday, Jan. 13, at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse during the Montana State University Invitational.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
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