The Montana State women's track and field team has a streak they want to keep alive.
Last year, they handily beat Montana in the annual dual meet between the two teams, 108.5-91.5. It wouldn't be such a big deal, but the victory tipped the scales for the Bobcats to take a lead in the all-time series, 14-13.
“This dual meet has a great tradition. It's something that we look forward to every year,” head coach Dale Kennedy said. “Next to the conference meet, this is our biggest meet of the year. We take great pride in the outcome of it.”
The Bobcat men trail Montana in the dual history, 23-53, in a series that dates back to 1906. The MSU men won the dual last year 109-93. The women's series began in 1983. Saturday, the two teams go at it again—the men for the 77th time and the women for the 28th time. Field events will begin at 11:00 a.m. and track events at noon, at the Bobcat Track and Field Complex behind the football stadium.
Montana State women hold nine records in the event including all but one field event. The men hold 11 of the 20 records between the two schools. Kris Schaffer, with a meet record in the shot put, is the only current Bobcat to hold a meet record. No current MSU men have records in the event, but Montana head coach Brian Schweyen does hold the record in high jump when he performed as a Bobcat in 1991.
“It's great that Brian and a couple other coaches at Montana came out of our program,” Kennedy said. “I think that says a lot for our program. But they won't cut us any slack—they come after us and are as competitive as they were as Bobcats.”
The 'Cats currently have 17 women and 13 men qualified for the Big Sky Conference championships May 13-15 at Ogden, Utah. Each team can qualify 25 women and 25 men, and Kennedy hopes to add to their conference qualifying numbers this weekend.
“We're hoping to get a few more qualifiers this weekend—we have room on the bus,” Kennedy said. “You're always hoping for that or to push a few more kids up into the top 14 in their event to get them in.”
CAT - GRIZ DUAL
SATURDAY, May 1, 2010
FIELD EVENTS
11:00 AM Women's Hammer
(Men's Hammer to Follow)
Men's Javelin
Men's Long Jump
(Women's Long Jump to Follow)
12:00 PM Women's Javelin
Men's High Jump
12:30 Women's Pole Vault
Women's Shot
(Men's Shot to Follow)
Men's Triple Jump
(Women's Triple Jump to Follow)
1:30 Women's Discus
(Men's Discus to Follow)
2:00 Women's High Jump
Men's Pole Vault
TRACK EVENTS (2nd REVISION - in BOLD)
12:00 Men's 3,000 Meter Steeple Chase
12:15 Women's 3,000 Meter Steeple Chase
12:30 Men's 4 x 100 Meter Relay
12:40 Women's 4 x 100 Meter Relay
12:50 Men's 1,500 Meter
1:00 Women's 1,500 Meter
1:20 Men's 110 Meter High Hurdles
1:30 Women's 100 Meter Hurdles
1:40 Men's 400 Meters
1:50 Women's 400 Meters
2:00 Men's 100 Meters
2:10 Women's 100 Meters
2:20 Men's 800 Meters
2:30 Women's 800 Meters
2:40 Men's 400 Meter Hurdles
2:50 Women's 400 Meter Hurdles
3:00 Men's 200 Meters
3:10 Women's 200 Meters
3:20 Men's 5,000 Meters
3:40 Women's 5,000 Meters
4:05 Men's 4 x 400 Meter Relay
4:15 Women's 4 x 400 Meter Relay
