Men's Track and Field
Allen, Jennifer
Jennifer Allen
- Title:
- Assistant Coach/Throws
- Phone:
- 406.994.5632
Jen Allen, a 2004 Montana State graduate, begins her eighth season as the Bobcats’ full-time throws coaching during the 2024-25 season and will serve her ninth season overall coaching within the program.
Allen, who owns two school records that stand to this day and is a member of the Montana State Athletics Hall of Fame (2018), has had at least one individual earn an all-Big Sky accolade in every indoor and outdoor season but one, and Bobcat throwers have collected 28 top-10 marks in program history between the men and women under her guidance, with three school records (men's javelin, women's javelin, women's outdoor shot put).
In 2023-24, Allen developed freshman Sydney Brewster to a school record in the women's shot put (outdoors) and coached sophomore Pat Vialva to a school record in the men's javelin. Freshman Clara Fox secured silver in the women's javelin at the 2024 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Championships, with Tristen Sedgwick earning bronze in the discus. On the men's side, Elijah Jackman earned silver in the shot put, while Matt Furdyk claimed bronze in the hammer throw as the Bobcats secured a one-point victory over No. 11 Northern Arizona, 186-185, to win their first conference championship since 2005.
Qualifying for the NCAA West First Rounds in three separate events (shot put, discus, hammer throw) Jackman was one of only three men at the NCAA Division I level to triple at the NCAA Regional Rounds.
Additionally, Clara Fox (javelin), Sydney Brewster (shot put), Pat Vialva (javelin), Cooper Hoffman (javelin), and Matt Furdyk (hammer) all joined Jackman as part of a school-record 23-athlete contingent to the NCAA West First Rounds in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
In 2022-23, Leah Klein claimed silver in the weight throw and bronze in the shot put at the 2023 Big Sky Conference Indoor championships to help lead the women to a runner-up finish on the team podium. On the men's side, Tristen Sedgwick took home bronze in the discus at the 2023 Big Sky Conference Outdoor championships, contributing valuable points as the Bobcats earned their third straight runner-up finish.
Under Allen's tutelage, Cooper Hoffman placed third in the javelin at the 2022 Big Sky Conference Outdoor championships and earned his third berth to the NCAA West Regional championships.
The Montana State throws group completed a double championship effort in the javelin at the 2021 Big Sky Conference Outdoor meet, which was only the second time the program had achieved the feat (2007) and only the fourth time it had been accomplished by a Big Sky school (EWU in 2009 and Idaho in 1983). Cantor Coverdell claimed gold in the men’s championship with his personal-best throw of 221 feet, 4 inches. He became only the third Bobcat male in 35 years to win the event. Carley VonHeeder found her way atop the women’s podium with a program record throw of 173-10 (62.99m) that was set nine years prior. Her effort earned her the Big Sky’s Outstanding Performer Award, becoming the first Bobcat to claim the honor in six years. VonHeeder eventually competed at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the summer of 2021 and narrowly missed out on a finals appearance, while Coverdell fell one spot shy of an NCAA appearance.
Five of MSU’s believed to be program-most 13 athletes that advanced to the 2021 NCAA West Preliminary Round came from the throws group. The success across different throwing disciplines has become apparent after some standout athletes took the initial spotlight at the start of Allen’s tenure.
In Allen’s first full year as the head of MSU’s throws, all three men’s throwers that competed at the 2018 Big Sky Indoor Championships earned all-conference accolades. Kyle Douglass (shot put) and Calvin Root (weight throw) each picked up silver medals, while Alec Nehring claimed a bronze medal in the shot put.
Douglass became Allen’s first NCAA Championship qualifier in 2018 and ended up one spot shy of All-America honors in Eugene in the discus. That outdoor season, Douglass claimed gold in the discus and silver in the shot put at the Big Sky Championships. Calvin Root also earned a gold medal in the hammer throw as the duo combined to score 28 points towards the men’s team total at the outdoor meet.
Nehring became one of MSU’s standouts by adding another third-place finish indoors in the shot put in 2019. Nehring also has received two Academic All-America honors during his time at MSU, which included a First Team selection in 2021, making him the first male Bobcat athlete to be recognized with the top team designation. Leah Klein continued the trend of all-Big Sky showings at the 2020 indoor meet as she earned a silver medal in the women’s shot put.
Allen returned to MSU in the fall of 2016 after six years of coaching throwers at Manhattan (Montana) High School. She assisted long-time throws coach Mike Carignan throughout the 2016-17 campaign, then took over the coaching duties when Carignan announced his retirement in October of 2017.
Originally from Billings, Allen earned national All-Academic honors three times and was a double event champion at the Big Sky Indoor and Outdoor Championships as a senior (shot put, weight throw, hammer throw). Allen remains the Bobcat record holder in the indoor shot put and outdoor discus and is second all-time in the weight throw and third all-time in the outdoor shot put and hammer throw. She still holds the sixth highest career point total at the Big Sky Conference Outdoor Championships (81) and is fifth among Bobcats in career point total at the Indoor Championships (49).
Allen was an eight-time All-Conference honoree and was selected to the Montana State Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2018. Allen is married to Kaci Noble, a personal trainer in the local area, and the two reside in Belgrade.
Allen, who owns two school records that stand to this day and is a member of the Montana State Athletics Hall of Fame (2018), has had at least one individual earn an all-Big Sky accolade in every indoor and outdoor season but one, and Bobcat throwers have collected 28 top-10 marks in program history between the men and women under her guidance, with three school records (men's javelin, women's javelin, women's outdoor shot put).
In 2023-24, Allen developed freshman Sydney Brewster to a school record in the women's shot put (outdoors) and coached sophomore Pat Vialva to a school record in the men's javelin. Freshman Clara Fox secured silver in the women's javelin at the 2024 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Championships, with Tristen Sedgwick earning bronze in the discus. On the men's side, Elijah Jackman earned silver in the shot put, while Matt Furdyk claimed bronze in the hammer throw as the Bobcats secured a one-point victory over No. 11 Northern Arizona, 186-185, to win their first conference championship since 2005.
Qualifying for the NCAA West First Rounds in three separate events (shot put, discus, hammer throw) Jackman was one of only three men at the NCAA Division I level to triple at the NCAA Regional Rounds.
Additionally, Clara Fox (javelin), Sydney Brewster (shot put), Pat Vialva (javelin), Cooper Hoffman (javelin), and Matt Furdyk (hammer) all joined Jackman as part of a school-record 23-athlete contingent to the NCAA West First Rounds in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
In 2022-23, Leah Klein claimed silver in the weight throw and bronze in the shot put at the 2023 Big Sky Conference Indoor championships to help lead the women to a runner-up finish on the team podium. On the men's side, Tristen Sedgwick took home bronze in the discus at the 2023 Big Sky Conference Outdoor championships, contributing valuable points as the Bobcats earned their third straight runner-up finish.
Under Allen's tutelage, Cooper Hoffman placed third in the javelin at the 2022 Big Sky Conference Outdoor championships and earned his third berth to the NCAA West Regional championships.
The Montana State throws group completed a double championship effort in the javelin at the 2021 Big Sky Conference Outdoor meet, which was only the second time the program had achieved the feat (2007) and only the fourth time it had been accomplished by a Big Sky school (EWU in 2009 and Idaho in 1983). Cantor Coverdell claimed gold in the men’s championship with his personal-best throw of 221 feet, 4 inches. He became only the third Bobcat male in 35 years to win the event. Carley VonHeeder found her way atop the women’s podium with a program record throw of 173-10 (62.99m) that was set nine years prior. Her effort earned her the Big Sky’s Outstanding Performer Award, becoming the first Bobcat to claim the honor in six years. VonHeeder eventually competed at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the summer of 2021 and narrowly missed out on a finals appearance, while Coverdell fell one spot shy of an NCAA appearance.
Five of MSU’s believed to be program-most 13 athletes that advanced to the 2021 NCAA West Preliminary Round came from the throws group. The success across different throwing disciplines has become apparent after some standout athletes took the initial spotlight at the start of Allen’s tenure.
In Allen’s first full year as the head of MSU’s throws, all three men’s throwers that competed at the 2018 Big Sky Indoor Championships earned all-conference accolades. Kyle Douglass (shot put) and Calvin Root (weight throw) each picked up silver medals, while Alec Nehring claimed a bronze medal in the shot put.
Douglass became Allen’s first NCAA Championship qualifier in 2018 and ended up one spot shy of All-America honors in Eugene in the discus. That outdoor season, Douglass claimed gold in the discus and silver in the shot put at the Big Sky Championships. Calvin Root also earned a gold medal in the hammer throw as the duo combined to score 28 points towards the men’s team total at the outdoor meet.
Nehring became one of MSU’s standouts by adding another third-place finish indoors in the shot put in 2019. Nehring also has received two Academic All-America honors during his time at MSU, which included a First Team selection in 2021, making him the first male Bobcat athlete to be recognized with the top team designation. Leah Klein continued the trend of all-Big Sky showings at the 2020 indoor meet as she earned a silver medal in the women’s shot put.
Allen returned to MSU in the fall of 2016 after six years of coaching throwers at Manhattan (Montana) High School. She assisted long-time throws coach Mike Carignan throughout the 2016-17 campaign, then took over the coaching duties when Carignan announced his retirement in October of 2017.
Originally from Billings, Allen earned national All-Academic honors three times and was a double event champion at the Big Sky Indoor and Outdoor Championships as a senior (shot put, weight throw, hammer throw). Allen remains the Bobcat record holder in the indoor shot put and outdoor discus and is second all-time in the weight throw and third all-time in the outdoor shot put and hammer throw. She still holds the sixth highest career point total at the Big Sky Conference Outdoor Championships (81) and is fifth among Bobcats in career point total at the Indoor Championships (49).
Allen was an eight-time All-Conference honoree and was selected to the Montana State Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2018. Allen is married to Kaci Noble, a personal trainer in the local area, and the two reside in Belgrade.
Big Sky Preview
Friday, February 11
Track and Field Big Sky Championships
Monday, February 18
Coach Kennedy - Feb. 11, 2013
Tuesday, February 12
Coach Kennedy - Feb. 4, 2013
Tuesday, February 05
