Friday, May 4
Missoula, MT
11 a.m.
Montana State University
at
Tom Gage Classic
Photo by: Sam Bloom
Bobcats Make Final Trip to Missoula Ahead of Big Sky Championships
5/2/2018 3:41:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
In one week Montana State will be in the midst of the Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Moscow, Idaho, at the Dan O'Brien Outdoor Track Complex. To gear up for the conference meet, the Bobcats travel to Missoula for the Tom Gage Classic on Friday, May 4
In one week Montana State will be in the midst of the Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Moscow, Idaho, at the Dan O'Brien Outdoor Track Complex. To gear up for the conference meet, the Bobcats travel to Missoula for the Tom Gage Classic on Friday, May 4.
The Tom Gage Classic is scheduled to begin with the men's and women's hammer throw at 11 a.m. Track events and the remaining field events are slated to start at 2 p.m. at Montana's Dornblaser Field.
"What typically happens in this meet is you go into it for a last kind of work out or tune up," Montana State head coach Dale Kennedy said. "A lot of our kids on the track will run off events or run in events that will enhance a final performance at the conference championships. In the field events, what often happens in a low-pressure situation like this, the kids will get lifetime-best marks. I wouldn't be shocked to see that happen (on Friday)."
Montana State comes off a Cat-Griz Dual sweep over Montana on the Grizzlies' home track on April 28. The Bobcats were highlighted by Amanda Jaynes's school-record performances in the 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles. Her efforts garnered the MSU senior Big Sky Conference Women's Track Athlete of the Week honors for the third time this outdoor season. It also was the fifth consecutive week a Bobcat was named an Athlete of the Week by the conference.
Twenty-eight athletes will be able to represent the Bobcats on the men's and women's teams, each, at the Big Sky meet from May 8-11. The current Big Sky Performance List, along with the Tom Gage Classic, will help determine the MSU travel roster for the conference championships. A total of 27 student-athletes on the MSU men's team are ranked in the top 20 among Big Sky competitors in at least one event during the outdoor season, while 24 women hold a top-20 spot on the performance list.
"Hopefully we'll see some improvement for some kids that are trying to get a spot on the 28-person roster," Kennedy said. "We have some competition on the women's side right now. We're still working towards that number."
The Bobcats' 2018 season won't come to an end at the Big Sky Championships. Several MSU athletes will have the opportunity to compete at the NCAA West Preliminary Round in Sacramento, Calif., from May 24-26.
Eight Bobcats are in contention to qualify for the West Regional at this time.
To advance to the meet, an athlete must have a top 48 time or mark among competitors in his or her respective region. Kyle Douglass (shot put/discus) and Diego Leon (1,500/5,000) are slotted in two events, while Calvin Root sits at 22nd in the hammer throw. Jaynes is 12th in the 400 hurdles and 47th in the 100 hurdles on the women's side, while Kelsi Lasota (10,000), Carley VonHeeder (javelin), Anna French (3,000 steeplechase) and Trisha Carlson (3,000 steeplechase) also rank in regional qualifying position.
In the latest USTFCCCA rankings, the men's team sits in ninth and the women's squad is 11th in the Mountain Region. In the nation event squad rankings, the women's team is led by a 3,000 steeplechase that features Carlson, French, Layne Oliver and Lexi Kyro that is the sixth-best group in Division I track this year. The men's team is paced by a shot put group of Douglass, Alec Nehring and Root that is ranked 30th overall.
The Bobcats' appearance at the Tom Gage Classic is their final meet of the 2018 regular season. The 2018 Big Sky Conference Championship starting on Tuesday will be hosted by the University of Idaho.
"We want to come out of this healthy without losing any body over there to an injury," Kennedy said of Friday's meet. "At this point, there wouldn't be enough time to recover from any sort of injury and be ready to go for the conference championships. A lot of this is to just get us ready for Moscow."
The Tom Gage Classic is scheduled to begin with the men's and women's hammer throw at 11 a.m. Track events and the remaining field events are slated to start at 2 p.m. at Montana's Dornblaser Field.
"What typically happens in this meet is you go into it for a last kind of work out or tune up," Montana State head coach Dale Kennedy said. "A lot of our kids on the track will run off events or run in events that will enhance a final performance at the conference championships. In the field events, what often happens in a low-pressure situation like this, the kids will get lifetime-best marks. I wouldn't be shocked to see that happen (on Friday)."
Montana State comes off a Cat-Griz Dual sweep over Montana on the Grizzlies' home track on April 28. The Bobcats were highlighted by Amanda Jaynes's school-record performances in the 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles. Her efforts garnered the MSU senior Big Sky Conference Women's Track Athlete of the Week honors for the third time this outdoor season. It also was the fifth consecutive week a Bobcat was named an Athlete of the Week by the conference.
Twenty-eight athletes will be able to represent the Bobcats on the men's and women's teams, each, at the Big Sky meet from May 8-11. The current Big Sky Performance List, along with the Tom Gage Classic, will help determine the MSU travel roster for the conference championships. A total of 27 student-athletes on the MSU men's team are ranked in the top 20 among Big Sky competitors in at least one event during the outdoor season, while 24 women hold a top-20 spot on the performance list.
"Hopefully we'll see some improvement for some kids that are trying to get a spot on the 28-person roster," Kennedy said. "We have some competition on the women's side right now. We're still working towards that number."
The Bobcats' 2018 season won't come to an end at the Big Sky Championships. Several MSU athletes will have the opportunity to compete at the NCAA West Preliminary Round in Sacramento, Calif., from May 24-26.
Eight Bobcats are in contention to qualify for the West Regional at this time.
To advance to the meet, an athlete must have a top 48 time or mark among competitors in his or her respective region. Kyle Douglass (shot put/discus) and Diego Leon (1,500/5,000) are slotted in two events, while Calvin Root sits at 22nd in the hammer throw. Jaynes is 12th in the 400 hurdles and 47th in the 100 hurdles on the women's side, while Kelsi Lasota (10,000), Carley VonHeeder (javelin), Anna French (3,000 steeplechase) and Trisha Carlson (3,000 steeplechase) also rank in regional qualifying position.
In the latest USTFCCCA rankings, the men's team sits in ninth and the women's squad is 11th in the Mountain Region. In the nation event squad rankings, the women's team is led by a 3,000 steeplechase that features Carlson, French, Layne Oliver and Lexi Kyro that is the sixth-best group in Division I track this year. The men's team is paced by a shot put group of Douglass, Alec Nehring and Root that is ranked 30th overall.
The Bobcats' appearance at the Tom Gage Classic is their final meet of the 2018 regular season. The 2018 Big Sky Conference Championship starting on Tuesday will be hosted by the University of Idaho.
"We want to come out of this healthy without losing any body over there to an injury," Kennedy said of Friday's meet. "At this point, there wouldn't be enough time to recover from any sort of injury and be ready to go for the conference championships. A lot of this is to just get us ready for Moscow."
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Throws
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
/ Men's Track and Field
Throws
/ Women's Track and FieldBig Sky Preview
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Track and Field Big Sky Championships
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Coach Kennedy - Feb. 11, 2013
Tuesday, February 12
Coach Kennedy - Feb. 4, 2013
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