Bobcats Travel to Pocatello for Pre-Championship Run Through

Friday, February 10

Pocatello, ID

10:30 a.m.

Montana State University

Mountain States Games - Day One

Photo by: Kelly Gorham

Bobcats Travel to Pocatello for Pre-Championship Run Through

2/9/2017 11:40:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

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Montana State heads to the site of the Big Sky Championships to compete in the Mountain States Games

By: Andrew Pedersen

BOZEMAN, Mont. – Montana State track and field makes its way to Pocatello for the Mountain States Games beginning Friday, Feb. 10, inside of Holt Arena. The Bobcats will compete against the host Idaho State Bengals, Weber State and Montana at the site of this year's Big Sky Conference Indoor Championship.

The Big Sky Championships begin less than two weeks from MSU's first action inside of Holt Arena on the ISU campus Friday. Head coach Dale Kennedy's men's and women's squads will be in unfamiliar territory after opening the season with four of its first five meets inside Worthington Arena.

MSU's lone away meet heading into the Mountain States Games was a dual meet against Wyoming on Jan. 28.

"This weekend is really critical for us because I think only four kids in our program have been to Idaho State on that track," Kennedy said. "It's a board-banked 200-meter track (which is) dramatically different from the track they're used to racing on.

"We haven't been on a banked track (this year) and there's not a track surface on their plywood sheeting down there. It's really different. We need to get familiar with that. I'm really interested in seeing this week how well we adapt to a different competition environment."

Both Bobcat track teams cruised to dual victories over ISU and Weber State in the Bozeman Running Co. Dual Meet Invitational at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse Saturday, Feb. 4.

Five MSU student-athletes earned performances that either put them in the program record book or improved times on the all-time top 10 list. The Bobcats earned 17 first-place finishes between the two teams.

Heading into this weekend, the Bobcats own the second most No. 1 marks on the Big Sky performance list with six and have 27 top-five times and marks on the men's and women's sides combined.

"Every week we've just got better," Kennedy said. "Now, the question is can we step up over the next two weeks and get even better, because we're going to have to continue to improve to be competitive at the conference championships."

The Mountain States Games begin with the multi's at 10:30 a.m. Friday inside of Holt Arena. The meet spans over a two-day span with track events opening action Saturday at 9:30 a.m. One Bobcat, Diego Leon, will be competing separately in the mile run at the Husky Classic in Seattle on Saturday.

In the Polls
The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced its third week of regional rankings on Monday, Feb. 6, and the Bobcats remain high in both the men's and women's Mountain Region polls.

The men's team has a regional index score of 186.43 for eighth in the region, falling two spots from the second regional poll. The Bobcats have the highest ranking of Big Sky schools that are in the region.

The women's team sits in 12th in the regional poll after opening in eighth in the Jan. 23 poll. The Bobcats are third among Big Sky schools in the Mountain Region, with Montana (sixth) and Northern Arizona (eighth) ahead in the poll.

Among the Nation's Best
Past the midway point of the 2017 indoor season, several Bobcats rank among the best in the nation in their respective events. Currently, four MSU student-athletes rank in the top 50 in the country, while the women's distance medley relay squad is also represented.

Senior Christie Schiel is the lone Bobcat on the women's side represented on the list. Schiel completed a blistering 800-meter run at the MSU duals on Jan. 20, which converted with altitude and track size came in at 2:09.15, is the 50th top time among Division I runners.

Sophomore Matthew Gotta is one of three Bobcat student-athletes who are represented in the 5,000. Gotta sits in 10th with his time of 14:07.47 which he set at the MSU Invitational on Jan. 13. He is followed by Diego Leon in 11th (14:10.12) and Ty Mogan in 50th.

Leon also has the 11th best time in the nation in the mile (3:59.13) joining 15 others that have eclipsed the four-minute mark in the event in Division I track and field.

The women's team's distance medley crew of Kendra Larson, McKenna Ramsay, Kimberly Parsell and Christie Schiel (11:45.63) have the 49th best time in the event, which they set on Jan. 13 at the MSU Invitational.

Big Sky Performance List Update
Men's Rankings
200m – Jadin Casey 7th (22.11), Tyler McQueen 19th (22.37)
400m – Christopher Lange 9th (49.07), Jadin Casey 11th (49.46), Bill Yeager 19th (49.98)
800m – Sam Bloom 1st (1:50.65), Frankie Hoerner 5th (1:52.28), Diego Leon 15th (1:54.20), Zach Kughn 18th (1:54.94)
Mile – Diego Leon 1st (3:59.13), Zach Kughn 8th (4:08.54), Martin Ponce 14th (4:12.79), Ty Mogan 16th (4:14.48)
3,000m – Zach Kughn 7th (8:20.14), Ty Mogan 9th (8:23.93), Matthew Gotta 10th (8:24.37), Adam Wollant 19th (8:38.10)
5,000m – Matthew Gotta 1st (14:07.47), Diego Leon 2nd (14:10.12), Ty Mogan 4th (14:21.29), Zach Kughn 6th (14:43.40), Adam Wollant 10th (14:59.68), Brock Sandry 15th (15:28.42), Gannon Chamberlain 16th (15:31.33), Anthony Schmalz 19th (16:06.11)
60m Hurdles – Mason Storm 17th (8.52), Christopher Lange T20th (8.57)
4x400 Relay – MSU A 1st (3:16.71)
DMR – MSU A 2nd (10:04.36)
High Jump – Noah Martin T3rd (06-08.75), Aidan Pedersen T16th (06-04.75)
Pole Vault – Luke Middelstadt T4th (15-05), Austin Decker T4th (15-05), Branygen Andersen 11th (15-01), Noah Martin T12th (14-07.25), Jake Bradford T2th (14-07.25), Knox Semenza T12th (14-07.25), Graham Reid T12th (14-07.25), Ross Moore T18th (14-01.25)
Long Jump – Alex Lewis 4th (23-04.50), Caleb Neth 5th (23-03.50), Mason Storm 10th (22-09.75), Trevor Simanski 14th (22-03.75)
Triple Jump – Trevor Simanski 9th (46-04.75), Alex Lewis 12th (44-08.25)
Shot Put – Kyle Douglass 2nd (58-04.50), Alex Nehring 9th (53-01), Calvin Root 13th (51-03)
Weight Throw – Calvin Root 2nd (61-07.50), Alec Nehring 17th (48-08.25)
Heptathlon – Noah Martin 4th (4,835), Caleb Neth T7th (4,639)

Women's Rankings
60m – Daryan Box T10th (7.79)
200m – Amanda Jaynes T4th (24.92), Daryan Box 9th (25.28), Jessica Chrisp T18th (25.57)
400m – McKenna Ramsay 2nd (56.09), Amanda Jaynes 3rd (56.29), Taylor Buschy 9th (56.75), Hailey Phillips 18th (58.14)
800m – Christie Schiel 1st (2:09.15), Kendra Larson 4th (2:12.95), Kimberly Parsell T11th (2:14.49), McKenna Ramsay T11th (2:14.49)
Mile – Christie Schiel 3rd (4:51.01), Louisa Serpe 7th (4:56.50), Madison Liechty 14th (5:01.39), Sierra Tucker 17th (5:03.34)
3000m – Sierra Tucker 12th (10:09.50), Morgan Jones 17th (10:22.43)
5000m – Alyssa Snyder 5th (17:32.67), Morgan Jones 9th (17:56.64), Jenette Northey 12th (18:38.54)
60m Hurdles – Amanda Jaynes 6th (8.71)
4x400 Relay – MSU A 4th (3:50.60)
DMR – MSU A 1st (11:45.63)
High Jump – Jessica Chrisp 5th (05-06)
Pole Vault – Isabella Calabrese T5th (12-05-50), Carter Theade T10th (11-11.75), Tiffani Finley T18th (11-05.75)
Long Jump – Jessica Chrisp T17th (18-02.25)
Triple Jump – Truanne Roginske 11th (36-10.25), Megan Ralstin T13th (36-04.00)
Shot Put – Lindsay Benson 16th (43-04.25)
Weight Throw – Jacqueline Verlanic 10th (55-03.75), Callen Crawford 11th (54-08), Cailyn Schroeder 18th (52-01.75)
Pentathlon – Jessica Chrisp 5th (3,405)

MSU Record Book Update
Nine Montana State student-athletes have forced updates to the program record book following the opening meets of the season.

Amanda Jaynes jumped into a tie for ninth on the MSU all-time performance list in the 60 hurdles at the MSU Invitational on Jan. 13, and has now topped her best on two occasions. Recently, she completed a time of 8.69 for fifth in the event all-time at the Bozeman Running Co. meet on Feb. 4. Jaynes also joined the top-10 standings in the 200 at ninth earlier in the season by crossing the line with a converted time of 24.92

Two newcomers joined the list during the Feb. 4 Dual Meet at Worthington Arena. Samuel Bloom earned a lifetime-best finish of 1:52.85, that converts to 1:50.65 and propels him to sixth in program history. McKenna Ramsay won the 400 with a time of 56.72, which converted to 56.09 puts her ninth all-time in the MSU record book.

Kyle Douglass improved his personal-best mark to 58-04.50 in the shot put at the MSU Invite on Jan. 13, but remained fifth on the all-time list behind Dennis Black's 59-07 throw in 1994.

Noah Martin made his first appearance during his opening campaign in the MSU record book. His 4,810 points in the heptathlon at the MSU Multis Meet puts him at eighth all time in the event.

Two distance runners also made an impact on the men's 5,000 run all-time list. Matthew Gotta's altitude-adjusted first-place time of 14:07.47 at the MSU Invitational moved him to fifth in program history just behind assistant coach Lyle Weese. Diego Leon also sits now at sixth with his time of 14:10.12 set during the MSU Invite in the 5,000.

Leon has made two jumps in the mile top 10 list. Leon improved from 4:04.99 to 3:59.13 (altitude and track converted marks) in two consecutive meets, going from seventh to third in the event on Feb. 4. Leon became just the third Bobcat ever to eclipse the four-minute mark, joining the likes of Patrick Casey (2011) and Cristian Soratos (2015).

Christie Schiel has had two performances alter the Bobcat record book. Schiel improved her MSU all-time fourth place mark in the 800 during the Jan. 20 meet to 2:09.15, then earned the seventh best time in program history in the mile by crossing the line in 5:00.37 for a converted 4:51.01.

Calvin Root was the latest Bobcat to alter the MSU record book. Root took first in the weight throw with a mark of 61-07.50 (18.78m) at the Powder River Dual. His throw moved him up from 10th to fifth in the event in program history, with his new mark outdistancing his previous one by over a foot.

Big Sky Athlete of the Week Tally
Three Bobcats have earned weekly honors from the Big Sky Conference after four opportunities.

Diego Leon is MSU's most recent weekly award winner, earning the Big Sky honors Monday for his sub-four minute mile at the Bozeman Running Co. Dual Meet Invite Saturday, Feb. 4. The junior crossed the line in 4:07.52, which converted to 3:59.13. It propelled Leon to the top of the Big Sky performance list and jumped him to 11th in the nation in the event.

Christie Schiel was named the Big Sky Women's Track Athlete of the Week on Jan. 23 by topping a previous lifetime best at MSU's dual meet on Jan. 20. Schiel placed first in the 800 with a time of 2.11.37. Her altitude and track size converted time of 2:09.15 sat her atop the conference and 21st in the nation. She also served as the third leg of MSU's top 4x400 relay team that finished in a time of 3:54.42.

Kyle Douglass earned the best shot put of his collegiate career by throwing 58-04.50 (17.79m) at the MSU Invite Jan. 13 to earn Big Sky Men's Field Athlete of the Week recognition on Jan. 17. The throw was the only one over 17 meters and just one of two over 16 meters at the Invite. His shot put also placed him atop the early Big Sky Conference performance chart, leading the field at the time by over six inches.

Bobcats Selected Fourth, Eighth in Big Sky Coaches' Preseason Poll
The Big Sky Conference released its 2017 Indoor Track and Field coaches' preseason polls Wednesday, Jan. 18, with the Montana State men's team selected fourth and the women's squad eighth.

MSU has found success in recent history during the indoor season. The Bobcat men earned runner-up finishes in 2012 and 2013 and also completed a third-place performance in 2015. The MSU women's team has also had solid showings at the Big Sky meet, taking runner-up during the 2012 and 2015 campaigns while finishing third in 2014.