The Montana State Track and Field team will host the Bobcat open on Friday, Feb. 18. The multiple-team meet will take place at Worthington Arena in Brick Breeden Field House.
The meet will feature participants from Montana State, Abilene Christian (Texas), Carroll (Mont.), Gillette (Wyo.), Great Falls (Mont.), Idaho State, Montana and Rocky Mountain (Mont.).
The Bobcat Open serves as a “last chance” meet prior to the Big Sky Conference (BSC) Indoor Track and Field Championships being held Feb. 25-26 in Pocatello, Idaho. Friday's meet marks the final home meet of the 2011 indoor season for MSU.
Coming into the Bobcat Open, MSU has 24 student-athletes qualified for BSC Championships, 12 for both the men and the women. Heather Haug leads the women with three qualifying events in the Mile, 3000 Meter Run and the 5,000. Of the 12 women, they are qualified in 15 total events.
There are two MSU men qualified in four events each. Jeff Mohl is qualified in the Heptathlon, High Jump, Pole Vault and 55 Meter Hurdles. Distance runner Patrick Casey is qualified in the 800, Mile, 3,000 and 5,000. Overall, eight men are qualified in two or more events.
Casey is the only Bobcat with automatic qualifications for the NCAA Championships, being held in College Station, Texas.
“This is a final opportunity for a lot of our kids to try to make the Big Sky marks,” said head coach Dale Kennedy. “It will be nice to do that on our home track and close out the regular part of the indoor season here in Bozeman.”
The Pentathlon will begin at 1:30 p.m., while the remainder of events will have a 4:30 p.m. start.
