Montana State Men's and Women's Track and Field was picked to finish fourth and six, respectively in the Big Sky preseason poll. They're choosing to think otherwise. The Big Sky Outdoor Track and Field Championships begin on Wednesday, May 11 and will conclude Saturday, May 14 and the Bobcats are ready to make a statement.
The Bobcat men will be competing at full-tilt, with 25 eligible athletes, while the women have 22 competing in Sacramento.
Jeff Mohl and Asa Staven will be looked to for depth and points over all four days of the meet, hosted by Sacramento State. Both have qualifiers in the 110 meter hurdles, pole vault, long jump and the decathlon. Staven will also pick up a fifth event and hope to earn points in the high jump. Mohl and Staven will begin competition on Wednesday in the multis.
Head coach Dale Kennedy also has high expectations in the men's distance events. Patrick Casey, the current Big Sky leader in the 1,500 will look to earn his first outdoor title when he competes in the 800 and 1,500. Four Bobcats will compete in the 5,000, including Nick Atwood, who comes into the meet ranked third in the conference.
The 110 hurdles are also a stacked event for the MSU men with Slater Powell earning a second seed. Mohl, Keenan Stangl and Staven will also compete.
Bobby Biskupiak, coming off a phenomenal week of a personal best and Big Sky Field Athlete of the Week, will look for a title in the pole vault. Biskupiak is just 1.25 feet behind the conference leader.
The Montana State women are also poised for much success in Sacramento. Heather Haug will look to defend her title in the 1,500, as she comes into the event with the second fastest time in the league. The Livingston, Mont. native will also look to make a splash in the steeplechase.
Stacey Irvine, in her final outdoor championships as a Bobcat, will look to best her second place finish in 2010 and hold on to her top seed for the conference title. She currently holds the top height in the Big Sky at 13-00.25 (3.97m). Rebekka Chambers is also slated to compete in the pole vault.
In the hurdles, Katie Niemeir has held steady all season at the top of the leaderboard. She will also be looked to for points and a potential Big Sky championship in both the 100 and 400 hurdles. Classmate Madeline Fuchs is seeded fourth in the 400 hurdles.
Amanda Murphy comes into the weekend after a week off from competition but is prepped to earn the championship in the hammer throw. The Charlo, Mont. native's season best is 195-01.00 and more than 10 feet ahead of the competition. Murphy will also compete in the shot put.
“We have the potential to really shine this weekend,” said Kennedy. “A lot of these kids have been here before and they know what to expect from the field. Many are coming off strong performances last week and I think we can repeat that here in California.”
The decathlon and heptathlon begin on Wednesday, May 11, with the remainder of the field and running events taking place on Friday and Saturday. Live results will be available.
Heat/Flight Sheets
Schedule of Events
Live Results
