Track and Field Hosts Bobcat Challenge This Weekend

Friday, January 20

BOZEMAN

All Day

Montana State University

Bobcat Challenge

Maisee Brown

Photo by: WSU Athletics

1/19/2023 11:06:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Meet Schedule Heat Sheets

Montana State hosts seven schools in its first home meet of the new year this weekend.

BOZEMAN, Mont. – The Montana State track and field team returns to Worthington Arena for the first time in 2023 this weekend, as it hosts the Bobcat Challenge on Jan. 20-21.

Friday's events will start at 1 p.m. with the men's heptathlon's 60-meter dash. Aside from the men's heptathlon and the women's pentathlon, the open flights of the pole vault will also take place Friday at 2 p.m. Saturday's action begins at 9:20 a.m. with the men's weight throw, while the first track event will be the women's mile at noon. The meet will not be livestreamed, yet a link to live results can be found on the track and field team's schedule page on msubobcats.com.

Aside from MSU, Idaho State is the lone Division I competition this week. Montana State Billings, Carroll College, the University of Providence, Montana Tech, Montana Western and Rocky Mountain College will also be in attendance.

The Bobcat Challenge will be the first time all event groups will compete since the Bobcat PReview meet. Last week at the Cougar Classic, MSU brought a sprint and throws-heavy contingent to Spokane, however, this time the full distance team will toe the line for the first time this season, plus the Bobcats will compete in the men's heptathlon and women's pentathlon for the first time this season.

Leading off the action on Friday, several Bobcats will be making their debuts in the heptathlon and the pentathlon. Garrett Coley is the lone men's athlete in the heptathlon, while Shelby Schweyen and Lina Sophie Hommel are MSU's representatives in the women's pentathlon. All three athletes are competing in the indoor multi-events for the first time.

Saturday's action commences with the men's weight throw, which is highlighted by Matt Furdyk, who comes into the event with a team-leading mark of 19.69m (64-7.25). The sophomore set that mark at the Bobcat PReview meet in December; it ranks fourth all-time at Montana State.

Coming off her school-record-breaking performance in the 60-meter hurdles, Elena Carter will focus on the long jump this week. She jumped a team-best 5.87m (19-3.25) at the Bobcat PReview meet and is the top-seeded jumper in the event. Montana State also has the top-seeded athletes in the men's long jump (Dylan Lee), the women's triple jump (Twila Reovan) and the men's triple jump (Ian Fosdick).

Montana State's pole vault team will look to improve on its solid start to the season so far. Colby Wilson (5.25m, 17-2.75) and Maisee Brown (3.97m, 13-0.25) have the best marks in the Big Sky Conference so far, and both will look to improve once more against fields of over a dozen competitors.

Montana State's distance team will be back in full force at the Bobcat Challenge. The 3,000-meter run will feature all seven of the runners from the Bobcats' NCAA Cross Country Championship team; predictably, the men's team has the top nine fastest-seeded times in the fast heat of the 3,000 meters. Duncan Hamilton — who set the school record in the 5,000 meters last month in Boston — Ben Perrin, Matthew Richtman, Levi Taylor and Owen Smith are all seeded with times of 8:20 or faster.

The fast heat of the women's 3,000 meters will also feature a cadre of Bobcats. Camila Noe and Alex Moore are the only two runners seeded under 10 minutes, while Ava Weems, Lindsey Paulson and Mya Dube will round out the top five fastest times. Moore is the only MSU distance woman to compete this season; she went sub-17 in the 5,000 meters for the first time in her career at the Bobcat PReview last December.

Following this meet, the Bobcats will take their second trip to Spokane of the season to compete in the WSU Combined Events and Multis, held at The Podium on Feb. 2-4. All meet information and updates can be found on the men's and women's track and field schedule pages on msubobcats.com.