As a final tune-up for the Big Sky Championships, Montana State hosted the Tom Gage Classic on Friday. The unscored meet featured competitors from Carroll, Great Falls, Lewis and Clark (Idaho), Montana, MSU Billings and Rocky Mountain. (Results)

On the day, the Bobcats garnered 53 medals (32 for the men, 21 for the women), including 18 first place finishes. More important than the hardware was the unbelievable number of season bests that were accomplished at the Bobcat Track and Field Complex. There were at least 18 separate performances that yielded the top time, height or distance of 2011.

The Bobcats kicked the meet off with great success in the men's long jump when Adam Hutter and Jeff Mohl took second and third in the event. Hutter's distance of 23-00.50 (7.02m) marks a season best for the Ontario, Calif. native. Mohl, who just missed the Big Sky cut off, also notched a season best with 22-05.00 (6.83m).

Bobby Biskupiak was easily one of the stars of the meet after an epic performance in the pole vault. The senior, in his final home meet as a Bobcat, launched himself to a phenomenal height of 17-02.75 (5.25m). His vault marks a lifetime best. Asa Staven also had a personal best, as he finished third, at 15-05.00 (4.70m)

Stacey Irvine, who is currently ranked second in the conference in the pole vault, brought her A Game to the field when she won the event with a season best height of 13-00.25 (3.97m). Rebekka Chambers took the bronze at 11-01.75 (3.40m), which ties her best performance of 2011.

The women's 4x100 relay of Katie Niemeir-Olivia Rider-Lierin Flanagan-Taylor Kirkendall also earned their Big Sky Conference mark with a time of 48.14.

Niemeir earned her second gold of the evening in the 100 hurdles when she just missed her personal best time by one one-hundredth of a second, clocked in at 14.19.

The Bobcat distance crew kept their stride beginning with the 1,500 when MSU took the first four places. Nick Atwood earned the gold with a time of 3:56.09 and was trailed by Forrest Jarvi who clocked in with a season best 3:58.70. Jacob Kirk took third in 4:00.22 while Dan Jackson rounded out the MSU finish in fourth place in 4:02.29.

Like the 1,500, the men's 110 hurdles was also a clean sweep through fourth place for Montana State. Slater Powell took first in 14.51 and was followed by Mohl in 14.86. Keenan Stangl earned the bronze in 15.00 while Asa Staven took fourth in 15.34. Mohl, Stangl and Staven all timed in with season bests.

Mohl and Staven busy afternoon continued when they were joined by Hutter in the high jump. Hutter and Staven tied for first with a height of 6-04.75 (1.95m) while Mohl took third at 6-02.75 (1.90m). Mohl's height was his third season best of the meet.

In the hammer throw, David Phillips finished first with a hurl of 193-08.00 (59.02m), while Eddie Stevenson took third with 160-09.00 (49.00m).

The men's sprinters, which has been on the up throughout their youthful season, swept the 100, taking the first four places. In his fourth event of the day, Mohl won the event in yet another season best performance, as he clocked in at 10.96. Gage Pickering crossed the finish line in second alongside John MacDonald in 11.11. Nick Melone rounded out the Bobcat finishers in fourth at 11.19, his best time of the year.

Pickering got his second season best of the night in the 200, where he finished second in 22.21. MacDonald took third in 22.58.

In the women's high jump, much like many of her teammates, Jessie Greany notched her own season best at 5-07.00 (1.70m) and also took the win. Freshman Amber Amsbaugh finished third at 5-05.00 (1.65m), a best for her, as well.

In the women's 100, Rider clocked in at 12.38, a top time for her and good enough for a top place on the podium. Rider also earned gold in the 200 with a Big Sky qualifying time of 25.19. Niemeir took second in 25.24.

Both the men and women took first in the 800. Heather Haug blazed through the race with a PR-worthy time of 2:14.93. Flanagan finished in third with her own season best at 2:18.19. In the men's race, Patrick Casey finished well ahead of the rest of the field in 1:51.79. Matt Tex took second, crossing the line in 1:56.29.

The MSU throwers kept up their year-long dominance as they swept the shot put. Morgan Norgaard, in his final home meet in Blue and Gold, threw a first place-worthy distance of 53-00.75 (16.17m). Trevor Gilreath placed second (15.90m) and Phillips landed in third (15.24m).

Lena Suek, another celebrated senior, finished second in the discus with a distance of 143-09.00. Classmate Kirsten Lee took the bronze at 133-04.00 (40.64m).

“This meet was just extraordinary,” said head coach Dale Kennedy. “These low-key meets give us great composure and from that comes a high level of performace. This was a great way to honor our seniors in their final home meet.”

Next up, MSU will travel to Sacramento, Calif. on May 11-14, for the Big Sky Championships, hosted by Sacramento State.