Photo by: Kelly Gorham
MSU Cross Country, Track & Field Finalize Rosters Ahead of 2017-18 Campaign
8/15/2017 3:02:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track and Field, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track and Field
The Montana State track and field team add six to its rosters, while the Bobcat men’s and women’s cross country teams add two, ahead of the new school year
The Montana State track and field team added six to its rosters, while the Bobcat men's and women's cross country teams added two, ahead of the new school year announced MSU coaches Dale Kennedy and Lyle Weese.
Celestia Hammond, Madison Hill, Ahna Kreitinger, Alexi Kyro, Drake Schneider and Connor Morris are set to join the Bobcats for the 2017-18 season. Hill, Kyro, Kreitinger, Schneider and Morris have all paid housing deposits for the upcoming school year, while Hammond signed her National Letter of Intent prior to the Aug. 1 final signing date.
"We've had several kids in the sprint, hurdle, jump and throw groups doing some preliminary training this summer," Bobcat head track and field coach Dale Kennedy said. "The distance runners have been doing a full blown training program to get ready for the fall cross country season, so those kids have been really going at it. Our others have hopefully been engaging in a strength program 2-3 days a week and doing some preliminary work with acceleration in skills and development.
"It's a little low key in the summer, but our work will turn up for our entire crew once they get on campus and we get started on Aug. 28."
A Billings Skyview High School 2017 graduate, Celestia Hammond joins the Bobcat throwers for the 2018 slate. Hammond earned an MHSA State Class AA Meet title in the javelin as a senior by completing a throw of 135-04. The previous week, she threw the javelin for a personal-best 138-07 to earn a divisional title. The four-time letterwinner for the Falcons made four trips to state in the javelin, taking third, seventh and 10th from her junior to freshman seasons. Hammond also made a trip to state in the discus as a junior.
Madison Hill graduated from St. Regis High School in Montana in 2017 as an accomplished sprinter and long jumper. Hill owns St. Regis High records in the 100-meter run (12.78), 200 (27.76), long jump (16-08.25) and served as the anchor leg on the Tigers' 4x400 school-record relay team (4:58.79). Hill earned an MHSA State Class C title in the long jump as a junior and finished as high as third in the 100 as a junior. She ran the fastest 100 time in Class C as a senior.
Ahna Kreitinger is a 2017 graduate from Glacier High School in Kalispell, Mont. Kreitinger was a four-time letterwinner in track, three-time honoree in basketball and also participated in cross country. She advanced to the MHSA State Class AA Meet on four occasions, capping her final prep season with sixth place individual finishes in the 400 and 300 hurdles. She served on multiple relays at MSHA AA State Meets, finishing third on the Wolfpack 4x400 relay in 2017.
Lexi Kyro joins the MSU women's cross country and track and field programs after graduating from Nathan Hale High School in 2017. She competed for four years in distance events for the Raiders and made a state appearance in the javelin. She earned a first-place finish in one cross country season as a senior and had two more top-four showings during that same year.
Drake Schneider was a four-time letterwinner in cross country and track and field at Eau Claire Memorial High School in Wisconsin. Schneider capped his prep career by earning a WIAA DI State Championship in the 300 hurdles while also finishing seventh in the 110 hurdles and long jump. He set school records as a senior in the 300 hurdles (38.05) and long jump (22-10.25). As a junior, he set Eau Claire Memorial's 110 hurdles record (14.76) and took a then-best fourth in the 300 hurdles at the state meet. He advanced to the WIAA DI State Championships three times.
Connor Morris joins the MSU men's cross country and track programs after graduating from South Kitsap High School in Washington. Morris advanced to the WIAA 4A State Championship Meet as a senior, finishing eighth in the 800 final after qualifying in the preliminaries with a time of 1:57.06. He won the 800 four times during his senior campaign and the 1,600 on four occasions. He also wrapped up his cross country tenure with the Wolves by earning a career-best runner-up finish as a senior.
The Montana State cross country teams begin their 2017 seasons by hosting the MSU-Bozeman Running Co. Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 16, at Bridger Creek Golf Course.
Celestia Hammond, Madison Hill, Ahna Kreitinger, Alexi Kyro, Drake Schneider and Connor Morris are set to join the Bobcats for the 2017-18 season. Hill, Kyro, Kreitinger, Schneider and Morris have all paid housing deposits for the upcoming school year, while Hammond signed her National Letter of Intent prior to the Aug. 1 final signing date.
"We've had several kids in the sprint, hurdle, jump and throw groups doing some preliminary training this summer," Bobcat head track and field coach Dale Kennedy said. "The distance runners have been doing a full blown training program to get ready for the fall cross country season, so those kids have been really going at it. Our others have hopefully been engaging in a strength program 2-3 days a week and doing some preliminary work with acceleration in skills and development.
"It's a little low key in the summer, but our work will turn up for our entire crew once they get on campus and we get started on Aug. 28."
A Billings Skyview High School 2017 graduate, Celestia Hammond joins the Bobcat throwers for the 2018 slate. Hammond earned an MHSA State Class AA Meet title in the javelin as a senior by completing a throw of 135-04. The previous week, she threw the javelin for a personal-best 138-07 to earn a divisional title. The four-time letterwinner for the Falcons made four trips to state in the javelin, taking third, seventh and 10th from her junior to freshman seasons. Hammond also made a trip to state in the discus as a junior.
Madison Hill graduated from St. Regis High School in Montana in 2017 as an accomplished sprinter and long jumper. Hill owns St. Regis High records in the 100-meter run (12.78), 200 (27.76), long jump (16-08.25) and served as the anchor leg on the Tigers' 4x400 school-record relay team (4:58.79). Hill earned an MHSA State Class C title in the long jump as a junior and finished as high as third in the 100 as a junior. She ran the fastest 100 time in Class C as a senior.
Ahna Kreitinger is a 2017 graduate from Glacier High School in Kalispell, Mont. Kreitinger was a four-time letterwinner in track, three-time honoree in basketball and also participated in cross country. She advanced to the MHSA State Class AA Meet on four occasions, capping her final prep season with sixth place individual finishes in the 400 and 300 hurdles. She served on multiple relays at MSHA AA State Meets, finishing third on the Wolfpack 4x400 relay in 2017.
Lexi Kyro joins the MSU women's cross country and track and field programs after graduating from Nathan Hale High School in 2017. She competed for four years in distance events for the Raiders and made a state appearance in the javelin. She earned a first-place finish in one cross country season as a senior and had two more top-four showings during that same year.
Drake Schneider was a four-time letterwinner in cross country and track and field at Eau Claire Memorial High School in Wisconsin. Schneider capped his prep career by earning a WIAA DI State Championship in the 300 hurdles while also finishing seventh in the 110 hurdles and long jump. He set school records as a senior in the 300 hurdles (38.05) and long jump (22-10.25). As a junior, he set Eau Claire Memorial's 110 hurdles record (14.76) and took a then-best fourth in the 300 hurdles at the state meet. He advanced to the WIAA DI State Championships three times.
Connor Morris joins the MSU men's cross country and track programs after graduating from South Kitsap High School in Washington. Morris advanced to the WIAA 4A State Championship Meet as a senior, finishing eighth in the 800 final after qualifying in the preliminaries with a time of 1:57.06. He won the 800 four times during his senior campaign and the 1,600 on four occasions. He also wrapped up his cross country tenure with the Wolves by earning a career-best runner-up finish as a senior.
The Montana State cross country teams begin their 2017 seasons by hosting the MSU-Bozeman Running Co. Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 16, at Bridger Creek Golf Course.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
Sunday, October 31
Friday, October 27
Wednesday, November 13
Wednesday, October 23
