Montana State University
Bengal Invitational
Bengal Invitational on Tap in Pocatello for Bobcat Track and Field
4/25/2024 11:07:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
Montana State heads to the Gem State for two-day meet hosted by Idaho State at Davis Field
BOZEMAN, Mont. -- Entering the final straightaway of the regular season, Montana State's track and field team heads to Pocatello, Idaho, this weekend for the Bengal Invitational.
The two-day meet hosted by Idaho State begins Friday at Davis Field and continues through Saturday.
The meet will be streamed on ESPN+, with coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. MT on Friday and 11 a.m. MT on Saturday. Live results will be available through AthleticLive.
A full meet schedule can be viewed here, while heat sheets can be viewed here.
The meet will serve as an important stepping stone in the lead-up to the 2024 Big Sky Outdoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by Montana State at Bobcat Track and Field Complex from May 8-11.
Though the Cats will not send their distance groups to Pocatello, a full contingent of the sprints, jumps, and throws will all make the trek to the Gem State in the penultimate meet of the regular season.
"We are excited about this meet at Idaho State," Dale Kennedy Director of Track and Field Lyle Weese said. "It has been a really good meet for us in previous years. It falls two weeks before the conference championships, so our student-athletes are usually really getting ready to go and really performing at a high level. In terms of the calendar and where it falls in the season, it's a great time for us to go out into a quality meet and show the direction we're heading."
Next weekend, the Bobcats will close the regular season back in Montana at the annual Tom Gage Invite, held this year at Dornblaser Field in Missoula.
Montana State's men enter this week's meet at Idaho State ranked No. 32 in the USTFCCCA National Ratings Index, with four event groups ranked in the top-15 in NCAA Division I: 3,000 meter steeplechase (No. 1), 1,500 meters (No. 12), 5,000 meters (No. 12), and hammer throw (No. 13).
The Bobcat men held steady at No. 4 in the most recent Mountain Regional rankings released on Tuesday, while the Bobcat women fell two spots to No. 10.
Among athletes on the men's side that will be competing in Pocatello, 400 meter hurdler Janis Pohl ranks 76th nationally and first in the Big Sky, pole vaulter Colby Wilson ranks 25th nationally and first in the Big Sky, triple jumper Ian Fosdick ranks 72nd nationally and second in the Big Sky, thrower Elijah Jackman ranks 58th nationally and second in the Big Sky in the discus and 59th nationally and first in the Big Sky in the hammer, and javelin thrower Pat Vialva ranks 36th nationally and fifth in the Big Sky.
On the women's side, 100 meter hurdler Elena Carter ranks 74th nationally and first in the Big Sky, shot put thrower Sydney Brewster ranks 52nd nationally and first in the Big Sky, and javelin thrower Clara Fox ranks 65th nationally and first in the Big Sky.
"When you're heading towards the conference meet, you're always looking for season-bests," Weese said, "and if you're still getting a lot of season-bests, that's a great sign that you're heading in the right direction. Really all of our event groups that are going to be competing there—the throws, jumps, and sprints—have gotten off to great starts this season and based on how well they've been practicing over the last few weeks, I think that they're likely to keep building on already-strong performances."
#GoCatsGo
