BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIPS QUOTES & NOTES
MEN’S 10,000 – Kyle King, Eastern Washington: “I was hoping it would be a slower race from the get-go, I wanted to have plenty left for the 5k tomorrow, but it was fast. I closed the way I wanted to. It hurt, but it felt good.”
WOMEN’S LONG JUMP – Natalia Wright, Sacramento State: “It was good (to win the Big Sky title). It was my first jump, the opener, one-and-done, as my coach says. It feels good because we upscored, scored more (points) in the event than we were supposed to.” Long Jump notes: Wright’s winning jump matched her season’s best mark… Wright’s title marked the fourth in a row for Sac State, including the last two by injured Hornet Moira Robinson
MEN’S SHOT PUT – Zach Coniglio, Sacramento State: “I set myself up good for finals. During indoors this year Trevor (Gilreath, Montana State) got me. He was (throwing) behind me (during indoors, because of a higher seed), but now I was (throwing) behind him, so what he threw I (had a chance to beat).” Shot Put notes: Coniglio’s winning throw was his first of finals… the win was a first for Sac State in the shot since 2006
WOMEN’S HAMMER THROW – Amanda Murphy, MSU: “I was really excited about (her first throw). I’ve never opened that well before, so I felt really good and thought I’d have a good series.” Hammer notes: The event went to a tie-breaker, with Murphy’s second-best throw (192-9.5) deciding the competition… Murphy claimed her second straight Big Sky hammer title… her winning mark was the best in a league championship meet since Ashley Jones’ mark of 200-1 in 2005… Jones, a former Bobcat great, presented medals to all-conference hammer throwers
WOMEN’S STEEPLECHASE – Amber Henry, WSU: “I felt way great. I wanted to crank it and get a great time, but I got the time I wanted, better than I wanted, and I have a big race tomorrow.” Steeplechase notes: Weber State has won six of the Big Sky’s 12 women’s steeplechase titles, but Henry’s victory was the school’s first since 2008
MEN’S STEEPLECHASE – Mike Hardy, WSU: “I was going for a 9:09 and got 9:07, so that’s great. This is the first steeplechase I’ve run at altitude. I was going for a 73 (second) pace. It seemed like as long as I hit my pace the altitude doesn’t affect me much.” Steeplechase notes: Weber State has won four straight Big Sky men’s steeple titles
MEN’S POLE VAULT – Clint Gossack, ISU: “I felt a lot more comfortable coming up on this (meet). It’s a good frame of mind, completely. I was short running (in the approach) today, and the previous 4.85 (vault) came from short running.” One clearing 16-7 before knocking the bar off on the way down: “Totally! I need to learn to holler louder.” Pole Vault notes: Gossack’s 16-3 marked the first vault in the Big Sky this season over 16-0
MEN’S JAVELIN – Sean Mackelvie, PSU: “It felt awesome. It’s really rewarding knowing all the hard work paid off.” On winning on his fifth thow: “It seems like it’s always my fifth throw that is my best. My coach and I were talking about just making my fourth throw my practice throw, so coming in (to the fifth throw) I was like, ‘This is it.’” Javelin notes: Among Big Sky-winning throws in the last six seasons, Mackelvie’s 220-5 is second-best… Mackelvie’s toss was a season’s best… Mackelvie becomes the second PSU student-athlete to win a Big Sky javelin title, joining Jordan Senn in 2006
