Bobcats Wrap up Mountain States Games Behind Multiple First-Place Finishes

Saturday, February 11

Pocatello, ID

9:30 a.m.

Montana State University

Mountain States Games - Day Two

Daryan Box

Photo by: Kelly Gorham

Bobcats Wrap up Mountain States Games Behind Multiple First-Place Finishes

2/11/2017 8:04:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Final Results Team Scores

MSU's men's and women's teams take first and second place, respectively, as the Bobcats wrapped up action at the Mountain States Games

By: Andrew Pedersen

POCATELLO, Idaho – Several personal-best times were shattered while multiple Bobcats found themselves crossing the finish line first as the Montana State track and field teams completed the Mountain States Games in Holt Arena Saturday, Feb. 11.

The MSU men's and women's team each had successful appearances at the site of this year's Big Sky Conference Championships.

The Bobcats' men's squad took first in the five-team university division, topping runner-up Weber State 131-127.50, while the three other men's teams totaled less than 100 points. The MSU women's squad narrowly took second behind Montana by a 137-130 margin, but also outscored Weber State, Idaho State, Utah Valley and Southern Utah in the meet.

"We are still getting better and it was noticeable by the amount of lifetime and season best marks we had down here," Montana State head coach Dale Kennedy said. "It's a good look for us that we continued to improve and didn't level off."

MSU was at the top of both team meets with a variety of Bobcats earning top-six finishes which accumulated points during the meet.

Daryan Box, Amanda Jaynes and Louisa Serpe each won at least a race for the women's squad.

Box took first in both the 60-meter dash preliminaries and finals, which included a meet-best time of 7.78 seconds, while MSU's Truanne Roginske finished fifth in the final after her lifetime best 7.83 in the prelims.

Serpe led MSU in the mile with a personal-best time of 10:11.50. The Bobcats' 4x400 relay team of Taylor Buschy, McKenna Ramsay, Box and Jaynes also took first in the event with MSU's top time of the season (3:47.40), the top time on the Big Sky performance list.

Jaynes placed first in the 200 with a lifetime mark of 24.45, which is third best in the Big Sky. She continued her success with a second-place finish in the 60 hurdles with a time of 8.70. Another notable runner-up showing came in Ramsay's 800. The freshman, already a member of two first-place relay squads during the meet, ran a personal-best 2:13.86 for runner-up in the event.

"I thought McKenna Ramsay had a phenomenal meet with her lifetime best in the 800 and her legs in the distance medley relay and 4x400," Kennedy said. "Amanda Jaynes tagged up with her for two great performances on the women's side as well."

Several others scored for the Bobcat women's team Saturday.

Buschy took fourth to lead MSU in the 400, while Hailey Phillips's 58.54 sixth-place showing was her fastest collegiate finish.

Box (25.29) finished fifth in the 200, Kimberly Parsell (2:15.97) took fifth in the 800 and Kendra Larson (5:14.10) placed sixth in the mile – all of which were personal bests.

Roginske also finished fifth in the triple jump with a mark of 36-03.00 (11.05m) and Lindsay Benson earned sixth in the shot put with a throw of 41-10.75 (12.77m).

Jadin Casey, Alex Lewis and Calvin Root each picked up an event victory for MSU Saturday.

Casey completed a lifetime best finish in the 400, crossing the line in 48.31 for the fourth best time in the Big Sky this season. Lewis finished first in the triple jump with a leap of 45-11.75 (14.01m) and Root placed atop the weight throw with a toss of 60-10 (18.54m).

Senior Zach Kughn earned two top-three finishes Saturday for the Bobcats. He earned a personal-best time of 4:13.22 for runner-up in the mile and also took third in the 3,000 (8:48.31).

Three vaulters earned points for MSU, with Austin Decker (15-05.50) leading the way by taking third. Luke Middelstadt and Graham Reid both tied for fifth by reaching a height of 14-11.50 (4.56m).

Several other MSU student-athletes scored in MSU's first-place team finish.

Trevor Simanski took second in the triple jump, Mason Storm finished fourth in the hurdles, Tyler McQueen earned sixth in the 400 and Samuel Bloom and Andrew Vandine finished fifth and sixth overall, respectively, in the 800.

Junior Diego Leon also competed on Saturday separate from the team, running in the Husky Classic in Seattle. Leon placed 25th out of 77 collegiate and professional runners in the mile by finishing with a time of 4:04.84, his second best mark of the season.

"Next week we have Montana and ourselves for the Last Chance Qualifier," Kennedy said. "It's probably a misnomer though (since we don't have qualifying scores for the Big Sky now), but it is the last chance the kids get to show that they deserve to be on the final (championship) roster."

Montana State competes in its final regular season meet of the indoor campaign on Friday, Feb. 17, when the Bobcats host the Last Chance Qualifier inside Worthington Arena. The Bobcats follow that with a return trip to Pocatello for the Big Sky Indoor Championships from Feb. 23-25.