Montana State track and field student-athletes are buckling their seat belts as they embark on a whirlwind three-day tour of California and Montana.
Most of the men's and women's teams will be headed to Missoula Saturday for the Montana Invitational. The rest of the team will leave Thursday for three meets in southern California.
The California portion of the tour begins at the Mount SAC Relays on Thursday. This annual meet features some of the toughest competition the Cats will face all year including some professional athletes.
“This is a weekend where the pros mix it up with the college athletes and they can end up going head-to-head with some really elite level people,” head coach Dale Kennedy said. “It's a great opportunity—not everyone can get in so we were very fortunate that all the kids we entered got in.”
Men's team members competing at the Mount SAC Relays will be Matt Adams (steeple chase), Dustin Cichosz (triple jump), and Casey Clausen, Morgan Norgaard, and Pat Eckerson in the throws. Women traveling to the meet include sprinters Camille Marchand and Olivia Rider, Heather Haug (1500), throwers Kris Schaffer, Ali Jones, Kirstin Lee, Emily Wilmuth, Lena Suek and Emily Tyrrell.
On Friday, some of the Cats will compete at the Azusa Pacific Invitational including pole vaulters Rebekka Chambers and Stacey Irvine, and the female throwing contingent. In addition to the men's throwers, the meet will include sprinter Nick Puckett, javelin thrower Willie Sullivan and 1500 runners Dan Jackson and Carl Nystuen.
On Saturday, another contingent of competitors will head to Long Beach State. This group includes (in addition to above), Jessie Greany (high jump), Kortnee Barrett (800 and high jump), Sarah McGree (100 hurdles and high jump), and Jeff Mohl.
Mohl, McGree, and Barrett are also competing in the multi events at the Mount SAC meet that started on Wednesday.
