Montana State Splits With Wyoming in Powder River Dual

Saturday, January 28

Gillette, WY

11:30 a.m.

Montana State University

Wyoming

Tyler McQueen earned two lifetime bests while helping MSU finish first in the 4x400 relay for the team victory

Photo by: Kelly Gorham

1/28/2017 6:52:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Final Results Team Scores

The Bobcats top the Cowboys, but the Cowgirls top the MSU women's team in dual action in Gillette Saturday

By: Andrew Pedersen

GILLETTE, Wyo. – Montana State and Wyoming went head-to-head for the fourth straight year in track and field, but it was a first between the two as the squads split the Powder River Dual Saturday, Jan. 28, at Campbell Country Parks and Recreation Center. The Bobcat men avenged a two-point loss last season with a 77-73 dual victory over the Cowboys, while the women's team fell to the Cowgirls, 82-66.

The men's 4x400 relay came down to a photo-finish a year ago and this time Montana State wasn't having any of it.

The Bobcats' 'A' relay of Tyler McQueen, Christopher Lange, Samuel Bloom and Jadin Casey combined for a time of 3 minutes, 21.87 seconds – two seconds ahead of the Wyoming 'A' relay – to seal the victory over the Cowboys.

"It was very interesting on the men's side how the dual ended almost the exact same way as it occurred last year here," Montana State head coach Dale Kennedy said. "It came down to the 4x400 relay and we were ahead by two points going into it. Our guys ran a really good 4x400 to pull off the team win.

"It wasn't just the 4x400 that won it though, it was a collection of everybody and a whole team approach that earned the men's team the win. It was those third- and fourth-place finishes that we got that became really critical."

The Bobcats' men's squad had eight events that it had at least two athletes finish in the top three, with several others having a majority of 'Cats atop the standings.

Casey (50.13) won the 400 and was followed by McQueen (50.77) and Bloom (50.80) who took third and fourth, respectively.

Four Bobcats reached 14-07.25 (4.45m) in the pole vault, with senior Austin Decker earning the judge's decision for first in the event. Freshmen Jake Bradford, Noah Martin and Knox Semenza placed in order and each earned lifetime bests.

Zach Kughn led a trio of Bobcats that placed atop the 3,000-meter run by crossing the line in 8:37.05. His finish was the sixth best in the Big Sky this year, while Ty Mogan (8:40.98) and Matthew Gotta (8:41.42) sit at the eighth and ninth best conference marks this season.

Martin and Aidan Pedersen went 1-2 in the high jump with Martin going 6-06.75 (2.00m) and Pedersen jumping 6-02.75 (1.90m).

Junior Calvin Root won the weight throw with a personal-best 61-07.50 (18.78m) which is the second best throw in the Big Sky this year. Root (50-04.50) also took third in the shot put joining Kyle Douglass (56-08.00) and Alec Nehring (53-01.00) for a 1-2-3 finish in the event.

MSU had several runner-up showings throughout the day. McQueen (22.93) earned a personal best in the 200, Shawn Peden (4:27.42) led MSU in the mile, Caleb Neth picked up a lifetime mark of 23-03.50 (7.15m) in the long jump for third best in the Big Sky and Trevor Simanski wrapped up MSU second-place finishes with a leap of 46-01.50 (14.06m) in the triple jump.

Finished with top-four showings for the Bobcats in their respective events includes Lange, Gannon Chamberlain, Mason Storm and Alex Lewis.

The Bobcats' men's team earned 14 personal bests during the dual, but the women's team wouldn't be outdone with 12 of their own.

Junior Amanda Jaynes earned two event victories behind lifetime-best marks that moved her up on the MSU all-time top 10 list.

Jaynes crossed the line in the 200 in 25.23, which adjusts with altitude to 24.92 for the ninth best time in program history and second best mark in the Big Sky this year. She also took first in the 60 hurdles in 8.74 which is sixth this year in the conference as well as all-time in the event for MSU.

MSU's 4x400 'A' relay, Isabella Calabrese and Christie Schiel also earned first-place finishes against Wyoming.

Hailey Phillips, Taylor Buschy, McKenna Ramsay and Jaynes combined for the team's best 4x400 time of the year by coming in at 3:54.36.

Calabrese earned a personal-best vault of 11-11.75 (3.65m) to lead a quartet of Bobcats in the pole vault. Carter Theade, Tiffani Finley and Alex Hellenberg helped the 'Cats complete a 1-4 showing in the event.

Schiel took first in the 800 with a time of 2:12.89, just ahead of teammates Kendra Larson (2:15.13) and Ramsay (2:16.69) who finished second and fourth, respectively, with lifetime bests.

MSU had several women's team members that earned top-three finishes.

Phillips (59.93) led the 'Cats with a runner-up showing in the 400, Lindsay Benson earned a personal-best 43-04.25 (13.21m) throw in the shot put for second and Jessica Chrisp took second in the high jump and third in the long jump.

Holly Andersen, Daryan Box, Carlie Haeffner, Truanne Roginske and Jacqueline Verlanic all earned a third-place finish in their respective events. Sierra Tucker, Morgan Jones, Hellenberg, Roginske and Verlanic all set lifetime bests during the dual.

"We had many season-best marks and also had multiple lifetime bests today," Kennedy said. "It's indicative that we are moving in the right direction as we head into the second half of the (indoor) season."

The Bobcats return to Worthington Arena for their next meet this upcoming weekend. MSU will host Idaho State and Weber State in the Bozeman Co. Dual Meet Invitational beginning with multis events Thursday, Feb. 2. The team portion of the meet will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4.