Bobcats Open Outdoor Season Behind Strong Performances

Friday, March 18

Redlands, CA

4 p.m.

Montana State University

Redlands Invitational

Photo by: Garrett Becker

3/19/2022 10:09:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

The Montana State track and field program took advantage of its time spent in California on Friday and Saturday as the Bobcats had multiple all-time top 10 efforts highlight their opening weekend of outdoor competition

By: Andrew Pedersen

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Montana State track and field program took advantage of its time spent in California on Friday and Saturday as the Bobcats had multiple all-time top 10 efforts highlight their opening weekend of outdoor competition.

The Bobcats participated in the Redlands Invitational hosted by Redlands University on Friday, as well as the Franson Classic hosted by Azusa Pacific on Saturday.

The Redlands Invite on Friday had the sprinters put together some of the best performances from a program all-time top 10 standpoint. Elena Carter took first in the women's 100-meter dash with a time of 11.77 seconds that was second fastest ever by a Bobcat. The men's 400 featured a first-place showing from Drake Schneider whose time of 47.29 moved him from seventh to second ever in the event. Derrick Olsen took first in the men's 100 and his time of 10.66 was the third fastest all-time.

A variety of other Bobcats took first in their respective events at the meet. The men had Levi Taylor (1,500), Carter Slade (shot put), Alec Nehring (discus), Matt Furdyk (hammer) and Cooper Hoffman (javelin) each claim first place, while Olsen added another first-place effort in the 110 hurdles.

The women's squad also had several athletes take first place in an event. Leah Klein placed first in both the discus and hammer, while Jordan Fink finished with the top shot put, Mya Dube had the fastest time in the 1,500 and Madison Smith clocked the top mark in the 800.

MSU's appearance at the Franson Classic had several more athletes stand out.

Lucy Corbett was the top finisher in the women's high jump as she improved on her own school record outdoors with her clearance of 6 feet, 1.25 inches (1.86m). She also moved into third in program history in the long jump as she leapt to a mark of 19-06.75 (5.96m). She was joined in third in the event by Carter whose mark of 19-02.75 (5.86m) was the sixth best ever by a Bobcat female.

The Bobcat women's triple jump also had two strong performers in Alex Hellenberg and Twila Reovan. Hellenberg leapt to a mark of 40-02.75 (12.26m) which nearly met her personal best that stands at second all-time. Reovan finished fourth overall, but her wind legal mark of 38-06.75 (11.75m) is the eighth best in program history.

MSU's men had a 1-2-3 showing in the 3,000 steeplechase was paced by First Team All-American in the event Duncan Hamilton who came in at 8:43.32. Levi Taylor clocked a 8:50.26 which moved him from ninth to fifth on the MSU chart, while he was followed by Cooper West (9:14.42).

The distance events also featured a first-place showing by Matthew Richtman. His time of 13:56.29 in the 5,000 Saturday evening was the fifth fastest ran by a Bobcat.

MSU's jumps group had two strong performers in Ian Fosdick and Colby Wilson. Fosdick had a wind-aided triple jump of over 49 feet, but he had a legal mark of 48-11.75 (14.93m) that placed him second overall as well as fifth on the Bobcat all-time list. Wilson moved into a tie for eighth on MSU's pole vault top 10 as he took first in the event by clearing 16-06.75 (5.05m).

The sprints crew had two more all-time top 10 efforts to close its weekend on Saturday. Olsen ran a time of 21.56 in the 200 to finish runner-up along with put him ninth all-time among Bobcats. MSU also had a 4x400 relay take first in a time of 3:12.40. That mark ran by Julian Hazen, Will Andersen, Chris Bianchini and Schneider was the third fastest in program history.

Several more first-place showings came at the Franson Classic for Montana State. Cantor Coverdell took first in the men's javelin throw, Carter finished first in the 100 hurdles, Angellica Street had the farthest throw in the women's javelin and Mya Dube had the best time in the women's 5,000.

Earning individual top-three finishes on the day were Bianchini, Schneider, Slade, Nehring, Robert Hartley, Furdyk, Evelyn Adams, Celestia Hammond, Klein, Arneson, Alex Moore and Samantha Kelderman.

Montana State travels next to Missoula to participate in the Al Manuel Northwest Invitational on March 26.