Montana State Track and Field released their second set of awards for 2011, highlighting several student-athletes from the outdoor season. The Bobcats doled out six awards for the deserving athletes.
The Top Gun Award goes to the high-scoring male and female. David Phillips, a technology education major, finished the outdoor slate with 54 points. Phillips was the Big Sky champion in the hammer throw with a personal best distance of 62.51 meters (205-01.00). He ranks fourth all-time in MSU history.
Like the men's Top Gun, a thrower also earned the nod for the women. Amanda Murphy finished her junior season with 63 points. The business major was the Big Sky champion in the hammer with a distance of 55.50m. She ranks third in the Bobcat record book with a throw of 59.47m (195-01.00).
Awards are also given for the Outstanding Track and Outstanding Field athletes. After another epic season, Patrick Casey earned the Outstanding Track Athlete title for the men. Most recently, the Laurel, Mont. native finished eighth in the nation in the 1,500-meter at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. His eighth place finish earned him his second All-American recognition. Casey was an indoor All-American in 2010 after finishing third in the mile. The business major swept his events at the Big Sky Championships when he took first in both the 800 and the 1,500. He is the current record holder for MSU in both events. Casey also earned the award for the 2011 indoor season.
Heather Haug was named the Outstanding Female Track Athlete after her efforts this spring. The Livingston, Mont. native was an All-Big Sky Conference selection after finishing third in both the 3,000 steeplechase and the 1,500 at the Big Sky Championships. Her time of 10:34.01 set a new MSU record by 10 seconds.
The Outstanding Men's Field Athlete was awarded to two deserving Bobcats. Jeff Mohl, a sophomore from Red Lodge, Mont., had a break-out year in the multis after finishing second at the Big Sky meet in the decathlon and earning all-conference honors. Mohl was edged in the decathlon by seven points. His score of 7,371 ranks him third all-time for Montana State. He finished the season in 30th place on the NCAA Descending Order list.
Phillips joins Mohl as Co-Outstanding Men's Field Athlete and marks his second team award of the spring line-up. In addition to his Big Sky title in the hammer throw, he finished fifth in the discus at the conference meet. Phillips also competed at the NCAA West Regional Meet where he finished 24th in the hammer.
Earning her second award of the season was Murphy who was named the Outstanding Female Field Athlete. Murphy's gold medal in the hammer throw was supplemented with a bronze in the shot put. Her distance of 14.68m marked a season best and earned her a place on the All-Big Sky squad. She earned a berth to the NCAA West Regional, where she finished 22nd in the hammer throw.
A steady competitor, Slater Powell was given the award for Outstanding Freshman. The Corvallis, Mont. native was a Big Sky All-Conference selection after finishing second in the 110 hurdles at the conference championships. With a personal best time of 14.42, he currently sits as the fifth fastest in that event for MSU.
Two women share the title of Outstanding Freshman. Loni Havlovick finished in eighth place at Big Sky in both the discus and the shot put. Joining Havlovick is Lierin Flanagan who was the Outstanding Freshman from the 2011 indoor season. Flanagan, who hails from Kenai, Alaska, was an All-Big Sky Conference selection for her contribution to the 4x400 relay that finished with a bronze at the Big Sky meet. Flanagan also placed ninth in the 400.
Mohl was also named the Most Improved Male. In 2010, his freshman season, he tallied 6,253 points in the decathlon. With a year of competition under his belt, he leapt all the way to 7,371 points. This season, he recorded lifetime bests in nine out of the 10 decathlon events.
Katie Niemeir was the women's selection for Most Improved after an impressive sophomore season. She earned all-conference recognition as part of the 4x400 relay and also placed fifth in the 100 hurdles. The Florence, Mont. native posted lifetime bests in the 100 hurdles (14.14), the 400 hurdles (1:00.88) and the 200 (25.31). She ranks fifth in the Bobcat record book in the 100 hurdles and seventh in the 400 hurdles.
The final award for 2011 distributed to the Bobcats is Teammate of the Year. The award is given to the male and female who gave the most support to the team. The coaches and advisory council select a teammate of the week and the team, itself, selects the teammate of the year.
Senior Bobby Biskupiak was named the Men's Teammate of the Year after an excellent final outdoor season in Blue and Gold. This is the second year in a row that the graphic design major earned the accolade. Haug was selected on the women's side, as this is also her second time earning the honors from her teammates.
“It's always very rewarding to recognize our student-athletes for their efforts,” said head coach Dale Kennedy. “While so much of track is based on the individual, these student-athletes truly care about the team as a whole and do what they can to contribute to that.”
The Bobcat men finished the 2011 outdoor season with a third place finish at the Big Sky Championships, while the women took fourth. Overall, Montana State grabbed five conference titles at the outdoor meet. Nine Bobcats advanced to the NCAA West Regional, while Pat Casey was the lone representative from MSU to compete at the NCAA Championships.
