Montana State head track and field coach Dale Kennedy announced the team awards for the 2010 indoor season. This year, the choices were not easy as Kennedy and staff had numerous highlights to look at.
The Top Gun Award goes to the top point-getters in each gender, calculated by a system that includes placing at the conference meet and other meets throughout the season. The Top Gun Award for the men went to junior Asa Staven who edged out teammate Patrick Casey by .33 points.
“It was the closest Top Gun competition we've ever had,” Kennedy said. “But you can look at what the both of them accomplished this season and see why it was so close.”
Staven scored an individual 28 points at the conference meet earning all-conference in four events. Casey won the mile at the BSC, was second in the 800 and went on to earn All-America honors by placing third in the mile at the NCAA Championships.
Dustin Cichosz, who won the triple jump at the BSC, was tabbed as the Most Improved Male Athlete of the Year. The Outstanding Freshman award went to Jeff Mohl who placed fourth in the heptathlon as a freshman at the conference meet. The Outstanding Male Track Athlete went to Casey and the Outstanding Male Field Athlete went to Staven, who also won the same award at the conference championships.
On the women's side, sophomore sprinter Camille Marchand won both the Top Gun Award and a share of the Most Improved Female Athlete award. Marchand cut more than a second off her 55-meter time since her freshman season and was all-conference in the event.
Sophomore Heather Haug shared the Most Improved Award with Marchand after winning the mile at the conference meet, cutting 21 seconds off her time from 2009. Pole vaulter Rebekka Chambers was Freshman of the Year on the female side and Stacey Irvine (pole vault) and Amanda Murphy (throws) shared the Female Field Athlete of the Year award. Both were conference champions—Irvine in the pole vault and Murphy in the shot put.
The outdoor season of track and field begins April 2 with a meet at Missoula.
