Montana State Celebrates Senior Day at Tom Gage Classic

Friday, May 5

BOZEMAN

3 p.m.

Montana State University

Tom Gage Classic

Zach Kughn

Photo by: Kelly Gorham

5/3/2017 8:36:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Meet Schedule Big Sky Notes Live Stream

MSU track and field gears up for the 2017 Big Sky Championship by hosting the Tom Gage Classic at the Bobcat Track and Field Complex Friday

By: Andrew Pedersen

The Montana State track and field teams gear up for the 2017 Big Sky Conference Championships with the final meet of the regular season being held at the Bobcat Track and Field Complex. The Bobcats host Montana Friday, May 5, for the Tom Gage Classic with field events kicking off the meet at 3 p.m.

MSU comes off two straight meets in Missoula, with the latest the Montana Open, serving as the Bobcats' biggest field of competitors it sees until the Big Sky Championship starts on May 10. At the Montana Open, the 'Cats had two complete performances that forced updates to the MSU record book while both squads combined to earn seven first-place finishes.

"What I take away from it is that with the kids that were there, there were multiple numbers of season and lifetime bests so our momentum has continued," Montana State head coach Dale Kennedy said. "Other kids stayed back because of finals and/or health issues and we're just trying to really be conservative at this point in the season. We want to go to the conference meet in Sacramento as healthy as we can possibly be."

The Bobcats close out their regular season with what figures to be a competitive unit heading to the conference meet. MSU currently has the third most top-10 marks on the Big Sky performance lists in both the men's competition (21) and the women's competition (20).

The league is in its first season without qualifying standards. Coaches are able to fill rosters for the Big Sky Conference Outdoor Championship with 28 athletes on the men's and women's teams, respectively. Those roster decisions will be made at the conclusion of the Tom Gage Classic.

"It really is an evolving thing all the way through Friday night," Kennedy said. "We'll take a look at that and give everybody a chance that's trying to battle for those roster spots."

A total of 16 Bobcats will be recognized during the Tom Gage Classic for their contributions to the MSU track and field program. The meet will also be live streamed for those that can't attend on WatchBigSky.com.

"It's really always a special moment for us regardless of the number of seniors that we have," Kennedy said of Senior Day. "They're all special in their own unique way. They've all made significant contributions to our program. Some in terms of scoring, some in terms of being just a great teammate and supporting their team members. Each of those kids are special and this is a great time for our program to honor our seniors and their parents."

In the Polls/Rankings
The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced the fifth edition of the Mountain Regional rankings on Monday. The MSU men's team came in at 13th with an index score of 226.44. The Bobcat women jumped four spots up in the Mountain Region Rankings to 11th following the third edition and are currently in that position with an index score of 263.55.

Multiple Bobcats also have times that rank among the best to be in contention for the NCAA Division I West Preliminary Rounds.

Division I West Region Rankings
Kyle Douglass – 13th, Discus (186-00) | 25th, Shot Put (59-08.25)
Amanda Jaynes – 28th, 400 Hurdles (59.62)
Noah Martin – T40th, High Jump (06-10.75)
Jacqueline Verlanic – 38th, Hammer Throw (191-04)
Alyssa Snyder – 9th, 10,000m (33:45.87)
Carley VonHeeder – 38th, Javelin (150-05)
Calvin Root – 39th, Hammer Throw (199-08)
Christie Schiel – 29th, 800m (2:06.87)
Jessica Chrisp – 47th, Heptathlon (4,942)
Leslie Gappa – 48th, Javelin (146-11)

MSU Record Book Update
A total of 19 Bobcats have forced updates to the Montana State track and field all-time top-10 list during the 2017 outdoor season. At six heading into the four-day California swing, 10 new Bobcats found their way on to the program history charts with their performances among the best in the nation from April 12-15.

Men's Top 10 Updates (During 2017 Season)
Samuel Bloom: 800m, 1:52.04, 9th (Set April 14)
Cameron Carroll: 800m, 1:52.06, 10th (Set April 15)
Diego Leon: 1500m, 14:13.20, 9th (Set April 13)
Noah Martin: High Jump, 6-10.75, 5th (Set April 1)
Alex Lewis: Long Jump, 24-01.75 3rd (Set April 15)
Kyle Douglass: Shot Put, 59-08.25, 4th (Set April 22) | Discus, 186-00, 2nd (Set April 22)
Calvin Root: Hammer, 199-09, 9th (Set April 29)

Women's Top 10 Updates (During 2017 Season, *School Record*)
McKenna Ramsay: 400m, 55:19, 8th (Set April 15)
Christie Schiel: *800m, 2:06.87, 1st (Set April 29)* | 1500m, 4:30.89, 8th (Set April 1)
Kendra Larson: 800m, 2:11.21, 7th (Set April 29)
Alyssa Snyder: 5000m, 16:45.46, 6th (Set April 7) | *10000m, 33:45.87, 1st (Set April 13)*
Amanda Jaynes: 400m Hurdles, 59.62, 3rd (Set April 22)
Truanne Roginske: Triple Jump, 38-05.50, 6th (Set April 22)
Jacqueline Verlanic: Hammer, 191-04, 4th (Set April 22)
Callen Crawford: Hammer, 180-07, 8th (Set April 13)
Carley VonHeeder: Javelin, 150-05, 7th (Set April 14)
Jessica Chrisp: Heptathlon, 4942 points, 8th (Set April 13)
Leslie Gappa: Javelin, 146-11, 8th (Set April 22)
Madison Liechty: 3,000 Steeplechase, 9th (Set April 22)

Big Sky Athlete of the Week Tally
Junior Kyle Douglass earned Montana State's first athlete of the week honor from the Big Sky Conference during the outdoor season on Monday, April 17.

He was named the Big Sky Men's Field Athlete of the Week for his solid showing across four separate meets in three days for the Bobcats in California from April 13-15. He jumped to the top of the Big Sky performance list in the discus with his throw of 184-04 during the trip. His throw also put him 13th in the West Region and 28th nationally in the event.

Big Sky Performance List Update
Men's Rankings
100m – Mitch Horning 13th (10.76)
200m – Mitch Horning 19th (22.03)
400m – Jadin Casey 8th (48.60)
800m – Samuel Bloom 6th (1:52.04), Cameron Carroll 7th (1:52.06)
1,500m – Diego Leon 9th (3:49.44), Cameron Carroll 14th (3:55.70)
3,000m Steeplechase – Zach Kughn 9th (9:21.95), Anthony Schmalz 12th (9:24.01)
5,000m – Diego Leon 9th (14:13.20), Ty Mogan 20th (14:57.77)
10,000m – Ty Mogan 4th (30:31.79), Adam Wollant 5th (30:41.42)
110m Hurdles – Mason Storm 12th (15.11), Christopher Lange 18th (15.36)
400m Hurdles – Christopher Lange 8th (54.14), Caleb Neth 14th (55.91), Jared Schwend 15th (55.94)
4x100m Relay – 42.48 (10th)
4x400m Relay – 3:16.14 (8th)
High Jump – Noah Martin 2nd (6-10.75), Aidan Pedersen T15th (6-04.75)
Pole Vault – Graham Reid T6th (15-01), Austin Decker T6th (15-01), Jake Bradford T12th (14-07.25), Branygen Andersen T12th (14-07.25), Knox Semenza T17th (14-03.25), Noah Martin T17th (14-03.25)
Long Jump – Alex Lewis 6th (24-01.75), Caleb Neth 15th (22-11.75)
Triple Jump – Trevor Simanski 14th (46-00), Alex Lewis 15th (45-08)
Shot Put – Kyle Douglass 3rd (59-08.25), Alec Nehring T9th (53-06.50), Calvin Root 13th (50-00.50), Mason Storm 19th (45-04.25)
Discus – Kyle Douglass 2nd (186-00), Alec Nehring 9th (162-00), Calvin Root 14th (154-04)
Hammer Throw – Calvin Root 2nd (199-08), Alec Nehring 17th (158-07)
Javelin – Ty Bermes 4th (201-04)
Decathlon – Mason Storm 4th (6,327), Dalen Hargett 9th (6,202)

Women's Rankings
100m – Truanne Roginske 10th (12.08), Daryan Box 16th (12.31
200m – McKenna Ramsay 8th (24.96), Jessica Chrisp T18th (25.39)
400m – McKenna Ramsay 3rd (55.19)
800m – Christie Schiel 2nd (2:06.87), Kendra Larson 9th (2:11.21), McKenna Ramsay 16th (2:13.00)
1,500m – Christie Schiel 8th (4:30.89), Alyssa Snyder 10th (4:32.63)
3,000m Steeplechase – Madison Liechty 12th (11:10.14), Kendra Larson 14th (11:37.03), Sierra Tucker 19th (11:51.88)
5,000m – Alyssa Snyder 4th (16:45.46)
10,000m – Alyssa Snyder 1st (33:45.87)
100 Hurdles – Amanda Jaynes 10th (14.47)
400 Hurdles - Amanda Jaynes 2nd (59.62), Hailey Phillips 13th (1:03.36)
4x100m Relay – 47.46 (6th)
4x400m Relay – 3:46.68 (3rd)
High Jump – Jessica Chrisp T8th (5-05.25), Shey Hannum T19th (5-03.25)
Pole Vault – Casey Teska 4th (12-11.50), Isabella Calabrese T8th (12-00), Tiffani Finley 17th (11-06.25)
Triple Jump – Truanne Roginske 7th (38-05.50), Megan Ralstin 15th (36-10.50)
Shot Put – Lindsay Benson 15th (43-08.50)
Hammer Throw – Jacqueline Verlanic 4th (191-04), Callen Crawford 8th (180-07), Cailyn Schroeder 18th (163-02)
Javelin – Carley VonHeeder T2nd (150-05), Leslie Gappa 6th (146-11), Tiffany Shearman 12th (137-02)
Heptathlon – Jessica Chrisp 7th (4,942)

Bobcat Teams Selected Among Contenders Big Sky Coaches' Preseason Poll
Both the men's and women's teams were listed among the top contenders in the 2017 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track and Field coaches' preseason poll, which was announced by the league on March 21.

The Montana State men's team was selected third by the Big Sky coaches with 113 points. Northern Arizona was a unanimous choice to win its sixth straight title outdoors with the maximum 144 points, while Southern Utah was the runner-up with 129 points. Those three schools separated themselves from the remaining nine in the preseason poll, with Sacramento State (99) and Montana (97) also high on the list.

The MSU women's squad topped expectations during the indoor slate and will again look to do so heading into the outdoor season. The Bobcats were picked fourth by their peers in the preseason poll and accumulated 100 points. The Lumberjacks are predicted to finish in first by their peers and earned 140 points behind eight first-place votes. Montana was picked by four to finish first but was runner-up on the list with 129. Sacramento State follows the Griz on the list with 118 points.

Montana State has seen success on both sides in recent years. The men's team has finished in the top five at the conference meet in each of the last six years, with runner-up finishes in 2012 and 2014. The women's team finished as runner-up at the Big Sky Championships in 2012 and 2015. Last season, the men's and women's squads took fifth and eighth, respectively.