Photo by: Todd Goodrich
Duncan Hamilton Chases Bobcat Track and Field History at Historic Hayward Field this Week
6/8/2021 4:57:00 PM | Men's Track and Field
Hamilton seeks to join his coach and one of his heroes as MSU distance running All-Americas
BOZEMAN, Montana – Before the biggest race of his life, in college track and field's most hallowed venue, Montana State sophomore Duncan Hamilton will have a simple message for himself.
"This is just any other race."
Hamilton begins as one of 12 runners in the first heat of the 3000 m steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Wednesday at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field. His heat, featuring runners with five of the top six times, begins at 6:32 pm on Wednesday, June 9, and airs on ESPN2. Another dozen runners line up in heat two, with the top five from each of those races and the two other fastest times regardless of heat advancing to Friday's finals.
It's intuitive to think that athletes get amped for their biggest competition, but that won't be the case when Hamilton lines up on Wednesday. "I think I'm going to try not to (apply any extra importance to) this meet," he said of finding extra motivation in the moment's magnitude. "I've kind of realized I race best when I'm relaxed so I'm going to take away the nerves as much as I can and think of it as any other race."
In one crazy weekend this winter, Hamilton competed in his first two NCAA Championship events. He earned Second Team All-America honors in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on March 12, and three days later competed in the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Hamilton's experience in the NCAA Indoor meet two months ago taught him about his optimal mental state. "When I tense up that's when I run slower, so I'm going to try to relax, stay calm, cool and collected, and think of it like any other race," he said. "I think that (meet) was the most shocking to me, and when I went back and watched my race I thought, 'I'm running so weird. I'm running so tense, and not very good.'"
In his sophomore season as a Bobcat, Hamilton is already chasing history. He became the second-youngest athlete in MSU men's track and field history to notch All-America honors, and only one person has done so twice by the close of his sophomore season.
Hamilton is familiar with the runner he's chasing. Patrick Casey earned indoor All-America honors in the mile as a redshirt freshman in 2010, then captured outdoor All-America honors in the 1500 m in 2011. Casey also gained fame for running a sub-four-minute mile as a Bobcat, some Hamilton has accomplished twice.
"I came to the Brick and watched Pat Casey," Hamilton recalls with a laugh. "I think I got his autograph after his sub-four (minute mile) here."
Hamilton's link to Casey segues into the discussion of Montana State's amazing distance running legacy. Nine different runners have achieved All-America status a total of 18 times in indoor or outdoor distance events or cross country. Hamilton strives to become the sixth man to earn All-America status multiple times.
Montana State's Dale Kennedy Director of Track and Field and Cross Country, Lyle Weese, holds an excellent vantage point in this discussion. He was a cross country All-America for the Bobcats, and the three-time track All-America did so in the steeplechase in 2003. Hamilton also ran for a Big Sky Champion Bobcat, Casey Jermyn, at Bozeman High School.
Weese is as excited for Hamilton's future as he is for the present. "It's amazing to think of all he's accomplished already," Weese said, "and he's just getting started. Right now he's building his way up to being one of the best ever from the state of Montana, and he's got many more years of taking the next steps to become an all-time great."
Hamilton's entry into competitive track and field was gradual, and natural. Raised in a family of outdoor enthusiasts – "My parents are both cyclists," he says of Jill and Ryan Hamilton, "really fit and athletic" – Hamilton remembers an event late in his elementary school years at Bozeman's Longfellow School that helped form his passion for running.
"My buddy (Will Bittner) in fifth grade asked me to come to a Bozeman Track Club practice at the middle school because his older brother was doing it," Hamilton recalls. "I think I started as an elementary schooler and they were a little hesitant to let some elementary schoolers in because they hadn't done that in the past. But I went to practice and I liked it. I liked hanging out with that group of people."
Many factors, Hamilton says, led him to distance running. "In middle school it was more like, 'I enjoy doing this and I enjoy hanging out with these people.' It wasn't until high school that I realized, 'Yeah, I'm good at this at a higher level.' My family was definitely a little bit competitive, but more so we were just active. I got into (soccer and gymnastics as a youth), we would go on bike rides all the time as a family, we would do pretty much every (outdoor activity) around Bozeman."
The all-encompassing outdoor recreational opportunities in his hometown led Hamilton into his chosen avocation. "A lot of aerobic sports are popular here, a lot of trails to run and a lot of road biking, cross country skiing, so there is a super supportive community for it, especially for distance running."
Hamilton enjoyed a brilliant high school career. He helped lead Bozeman High to its 10th straight Class AA State Boys Cross Country Championships as a senior, and he won a state title the next spring in the 1,600 m with a runner-up finish in the 3,200 m.
During the recruiting process, Hamilton formed a bond with several runners who had previously been competitors. "I started talking to Lyle (Weese) and there were a couple other guys in the state interested in going here, and we started talking amongst ourselves. We started a group chat with all the fast Montana guys who were interested in coming here, and that was probably the biggest thing, having a group of guys from Montana that started dreaming about getting to the top of the NCAA. Having that group of people in the same boat as me really made me want to come here."
While the transition to college track and cross country wasn't easy, Hamilton called it motivational. "I remember going to these big cross country meets and (the Pre-National Championship meet) as a freshman and seeing that next level really motivates me. Especially after my first time getting to a national meet, seeing that level really makes me want to get there, makes me want to do everything I can (to succeed)."
The motivation is clear as Hamilton prepares for Wednesday night's steeplechase prelims, and he feels familiarity with much of the field presents the opportunity to achieve the calmness he desires. "Looking at the regional results and seeing that pretty much everybody in the East and West regions ran right about the time I ran is kind of crazy," he said. "It could be anybody's meet, and whoever's on that day could run away with the title. That's exciting to think about."
Motivation remains a key factor in steeplechase success, says Weese, himself a Bobcat All-America in that event. "We try almost every middle distance and distance runner in the steeple," he said. "We work on the steeple regularly, with a couple of sessions every week during the spring semester. A person has to really want to run the steeple, so there is a heavy element of self-selection."
In addition to covering 3000 meters, the steeplechase involves clearing 28 barriers and navigating seven water jumps. It's an event that lies outside the norm in track and field, both in its structure and the way athletes find their way to the steeplechase. But Weese said his program's commitment to offering the opportunity to embrace the steeplechase has allowed it to emerge as an event where Bobcat distance runners thrive.
"Typically, someone takes to the drills or hurdling right away," Weese said. "Others are not comfortable and decide to pursue the flat events. Still, some have it not come natural but keep working for years to get comfortable hurdling and work their way into success in the event."
Riding a wave of success during the winter and spring into Wednesday's outdoor championships, it seems obvious that Hamilton's confidence is flowing. Still, he says, it takes constant work. "I like to keep my confidence up super high so sometimes on doubles I talk to myself in my head, 'You can hang with anybody in the NCAA. This can be your meet to be in contention for a title,' which is kind of crazy to think about."
Hamilton received a pleasant confidence boost the morning of his race at the NCAA West Regionals. "My dad texted me before my race (at regionals). Somebody asked another, What's your PR, and he said, I don't know, I haven't run it yet. I like that quote a lot. I think that's my quote going into this, I haven't run my PR yet."
That, he hopes, happens Wednesday. And again on Friday.
MONTANA STATE DISTANCE ALL-AMERICA MEN
2018 – Diego Leon, Mile, Indoors
2015 – Cristian Soratos, Mile, Indoors; Cristian Soratos, 1500 m, Outdoors
2011 – Patrick Casey, 1500, Outdoors
2010 – Patrick Casey, Mile, Indoors
2003 – Lyle Weese, 3000 m, Indoors; Lyle Weese, 3000 m Steeplechase, Outdoors
2002 – Lyle Weese, 3000 m, Indoors; Lyle Weese, Cross Country
1998 – Miguel Galeana, 3000 m Steeplechase, Outdoors
1997 – Miguel Galeana, 3000 m Steeplechase, Outdoors
1995 – Jon Biles, 5000 m, Outdoors
1991 – Shannon Butler, 5000 m, Outdoors (National Champion)
1990 – Shannon Butler, 10,000 m, Outdoors (National Champion)
1981 – Jeff Clem, 3000 m Steeplechase, Outdoors
#GoCatsGo
"This is just any other race."
Hamilton begins as one of 12 runners in the first heat of the 3000 m steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Wednesday at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field. His heat, featuring runners with five of the top six times, begins at 6:32 pm on Wednesday, June 9, and airs on ESPN2. Another dozen runners line up in heat two, with the top five from each of those races and the two other fastest times regardless of heat advancing to Friday's finals.
It's intuitive to think that athletes get amped for their biggest competition, but that won't be the case when Hamilton lines up on Wednesday. "I think I'm going to try not to (apply any extra importance to) this meet," he said of finding extra motivation in the moment's magnitude. "I've kind of realized I race best when I'm relaxed so I'm going to take away the nerves as much as I can and think of it as any other race."
In one crazy weekend this winter, Hamilton competed in his first two NCAA Championship events. He earned Second Team All-America honors in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on March 12, and three days later competed in the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Hamilton's experience in the NCAA Indoor meet two months ago taught him about his optimal mental state. "When I tense up that's when I run slower, so I'm going to try to relax, stay calm, cool and collected, and think of it like any other race," he said. "I think that (meet) was the most shocking to me, and when I went back and watched my race I thought, 'I'm running so weird. I'm running so tense, and not very good.'"
In his sophomore season as a Bobcat, Hamilton is already chasing history. He became the second-youngest athlete in MSU men's track and field history to notch All-America honors, and only one person has done so twice by the close of his sophomore season.
Hamilton is familiar with the runner he's chasing. Patrick Casey earned indoor All-America honors in the mile as a redshirt freshman in 2010, then captured outdoor All-America honors in the 1500 m in 2011. Casey also gained fame for running a sub-four-minute mile as a Bobcat, some Hamilton has accomplished twice.
"I came to the Brick and watched Pat Casey," Hamilton recalls with a laugh. "I think I got his autograph after his sub-four (minute mile) here."
Hamilton's link to Casey segues into the discussion of Montana State's amazing distance running legacy. Nine different runners have achieved All-America status a total of 18 times in indoor or outdoor distance events or cross country. Hamilton strives to become the sixth man to earn All-America status multiple times.
Montana State's Dale Kennedy Director of Track and Field and Cross Country, Lyle Weese, holds an excellent vantage point in this discussion. He was a cross country All-America for the Bobcats, and the three-time track All-America did so in the steeplechase in 2003. Hamilton also ran for a Big Sky Champion Bobcat, Casey Jermyn, at Bozeman High School.
Weese is as excited for Hamilton's future as he is for the present. "It's amazing to think of all he's accomplished already," Weese said, "and he's just getting started. Right now he's building his way up to being one of the best ever from the state of Montana, and he's got many more years of taking the next steps to become an all-time great."
Hamilton's entry into competitive track and field was gradual, and natural. Raised in a family of outdoor enthusiasts – "My parents are both cyclists," he says of Jill and Ryan Hamilton, "really fit and athletic" – Hamilton remembers an event late in his elementary school years at Bozeman's Longfellow School that helped form his passion for running.
"My buddy (Will Bittner) in fifth grade asked me to come to a Bozeman Track Club practice at the middle school because his older brother was doing it," Hamilton recalls. "I think I started as an elementary schooler and they were a little hesitant to let some elementary schoolers in because they hadn't done that in the past. But I went to practice and I liked it. I liked hanging out with that group of people."
Many factors, Hamilton says, led him to distance running. "In middle school it was more like, 'I enjoy doing this and I enjoy hanging out with these people.' It wasn't until high school that I realized, 'Yeah, I'm good at this at a higher level.' My family was definitely a little bit competitive, but more so we were just active. I got into (soccer and gymnastics as a youth), we would go on bike rides all the time as a family, we would do pretty much every (outdoor activity) around Bozeman."
The all-encompassing outdoor recreational opportunities in his hometown led Hamilton into his chosen avocation. "A lot of aerobic sports are popular here, a lot of trails to run and a lot of road biking, cross country skiing, so there is a super supportive community for it, especially for distance running."
Hamilton enjoyed a brilliant high school career. He helped lead Bozeman High to its 10th straight Class AA State Boys Cross Country Championships as a senior, and he won a state title the next spring in the 1,600 m with a runner-up finish in the 3,200 m.
During the recruiting process, Hamilton formed a bond with several runners who had previously been competitors. "I started talking to Lyle (Weese) and there were a couple other guys in the state interested in going here, and we started talking amongst ourselves. We started a group chat with all the fast Montana guys who were interested in coming here, and that was probably the biggest thing, having a group of guys from Montana that started dreaming about getting to the top of the NCAA. Having that group of people in the same boat as me really made me want to come here."
While the transition to college track and cross country wasn't easy, Hamilton called it motivational. "I remember going to these big cross country meets and (the Pre-National Championship meet) as a freshman and seeing that next level really motivates me. Especially after my first time getting to a national meet, seeing that level really makes me want to get there, makes me want to do everything I can (to succeed)."
The motivation is clear as Hamilton prepares for Wednesday night's steeplechase prelims, and he feels familiarity with much of the field presents the opportunity to achieve the calmness he desires. "Looking at the regional results and seeing that pretty much everybody in the East and West regions ran right about the time I ran is kind of crazy," he said. "It could be anybody's meet, and whoever's on that day could run away with the title. That's exciting to think about."
Motivation remains a key factor in steeplechase success, says Weese, himself a Bobcat All-America in that event. "We try almost every middle distance and distance runner in the steeple," he said. "We work on the steeple regularly, with a couple of sessions every week during the spring semester. A person has to really want to run the steeple, so there is a heavy element of self-selection."
In addition to covering 3000 meters, the steeplechase involves clearing 28 barriers and navigating seven water jumps. It's an event that lies outside the norm in track and field, both in its structure and the way athletes find their way to the steeplechase. But Weese said his program's commitment to offering the opportunity to embrace the steeplechase has allowed it to emerge as an event where Bobcat distance runners thrive.
"Typically, someone takes to the drills or hurdling right away," Weese said. "Others are not comfortable and decide to pursue the flat events. Still, some have it not come natural but keep working for years to get comfortable hurdling and work their way into success in the event."
Riding a wave of success during the winter and spring into Wednesday's outdoor championships, it seems obvious that Hamilton's confidence is flowing. Still, he says, it takes constant work. "I like to keep my confidence up super high so sometimes on doubles I talk to myself in my head, 'You can hang with anybody in the NCAA. This can be your meet to be in contention for a title,' which is kind of crazy to think about."
Hamilton received a pleasant confidence boost the morning of his race at the NCAA West Regionals. "My dad texted me before my race (at regionals). Somebody asked another, What's your PR, and he said, I don't know, I haven't run it yet. I like that quote a lot. I think that's my quote going into this, I haven't run my PR yet."
That, he hopes, happens Wednesday. And again on Friday.
MONTANA STATE DISTANCE ALL-AMERICA MEN
2018 – Diego Leon, Mile, Indoors
2015 – Cristian Soratos, Mile, Indoors; Cristian Soratos, 1500 m, Outdoors
2011 – Patrick Casey, 1500, Outdoors
2010 – Patrick Casey, Mile, Indoors
2003 – Lyle Weese, 3000 m, Indoors; Lyle Weese, 3000 m Steeplechase, Outdoors
2002 – Lyle Weese, 3000 m, Indoors; Lyle Weese, Cross Country
1998 – Miguel Galeana, 3000 m Steeplechase, Outdoors
1997 – Miguel Galeana, 3000 m Steeplechase, Outdoors
1995 – Jon Biles, 5000 m, Outdoors
1991 – Shannon Butler, 5000 m, Outdoors (National Champion)
1990 – Shannon Butler, 10,000 m, Outdoors (National Champion)
1981 – Jeff Clem, 3000 m Steeplechase, Outdoors
#GoCatsGo
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