After an impressive showing during the indoor track and field campaign, Montana State is ready to return to the track to make their first outdoor statement of 2011. The Bobcats will travel to Missoula, Mont. to participate in the Al Manuel Invitational hosted by the University of Montana.
For most of Bobcat Track and Field, the two-day meet will be the first time competing since the Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Championships Feb. 25-26. Coming into the season opener, the MSU men earned a fourth place nod in the Big Sky Conference preseason poll while the women were picked to finish sixth.
The Montana State women return nearly a full squad from the winter. Heather Haug returns for her junior season in the distance events. Last year, Haug finished fourth in the 3,000 Meter Steeplechase at Big Sky Championship and was the conference champion in the 1,500. The Livingston, Mont. native comes into the outdoor slate ranked fourth all-time in the 800, first in the 1,500 and fourth in the 3,000 Steeplechase.
The Bobcat women will also look to the Heptathlon for points. Riding the momentum of the indoor season, Sarah McGree and Sadie McMillan will look to improve on their multis performance. McGree and McMillan finished seventh and ninth, respectively, at the 2010 Outdoor Championships. McGree took third this winter at the Indoor Championships.
In the field events, MSU returns Jessie Greany, the 2010 runner-up in the High Jump. Stacey Irvine, who took silver in the Pole Vault also returns to the field.
A missing component this spring will be Camille Marchand who will sit out due to injury.
The Montana State Men also boast a loaded roster this spring. Asa Staven, after red-shirting the indoor season, will compete again for the Bobcats in the multis. Staven, along with sophomore Jeff Mohl will be major contenders in the Decathlon as well as individual track and field events.
Bobby Biskupiak will compete in the Pole Vault after red-shirting the indoor season and is expected to make an impact at the conference level.
The men's distance corps also returns several key athletes. After an injury-plagued indoor season, Nick Atwood will be a key contender. Joining Atwood is Patrick Casey who set two new program records in the indoor Mile and 800 in February.
“We are going into this meet with a bit of a chip on our shoulder,” said head coach Dale Kennedy, in his 30th season at the helm of MSU Track and Field. “We are on a mission to be the best in this conference and getting back out there is the first step.”
The Al Manual Invitational will be scored as a triple dual with Montana, Montana State and Eastern Washington. Other teams competing include MSU-Billings, Great Falls and Carroll.
