(Editor’s note: Montana State University press release)
BOZEMAN – The Montana State track and field program continues its build up for the Big Sky Conference Indoor Championships on Friday when the Bobcats host the second Dual Meet Invitational of the season. The meet begins at 2:30 p.m. and features five Big Sky institutions squaring off in a dual-scoring format event in Worthington Arena.
“We’re going to have five of the 11 teams from the Big Sky Conference here, so it will be a bit of a conference preview,” said Lyle Weese, Montana State director of track and field. “Every team in the conference has areas where they’re strong in. It’s exciting to have four other teams in here, especially Eastern Washington and Weber State who we haven’t seen this year. It’ll be nice to compete up against them in their events and see how we stack up.”
The Big Sky meet will get started two weeks from today with the men’s heptathlon and women’s pentathlon opening the championships on Thursday, Feb. 21.
Montana State has competed in four meets as a team during its 2018-19 indoor schedule. In the Bobcats’ last appearance, MSU went head-to-head against Wyoming’s men’s and women’s teams in the sixth Powder River Dual in Gillette. The rivalry series dual came down to the closest finish yet, with the Bobcats topping the Cowgirls 75-73, but the Cowboy men defeating MSU 74-73.
Following the dual in Gillette, the Bobcats have had nine student-athletes complete 12 program all-time top 10 marks this season. With only two meets remaining ahead of the conference championships, the MSU track and field teams anticipate seeing several strong performances Friday.
“It really is unique to track and field having so many disciplines out there,” Weese said. “That peaking process looks different for each event group. But generally, the training load has started to go down and there’s been higher levels of recovery.
“We are preparing for the Big Sky Championships and we’re getting into more of the performance portion of the schedule. We’re really starting to wind down in the season, so we’re getting ready to perform. there’s less of a focus on training.”
The second MSU Dual Meet Invitational of the indoor campaign is expected to have multiple events that will be highlighted with some of the best in the Big Sky.
Weese noted each school visiting the Bozeman campus on Friday showcases student-athletes in the field events that are strengths for the teams.
In the men’s dual competition, the six top pole vaulters on the Big Sky Conference performance list come from the five institutions competing in Worthington Arena Friday. Three of the top four high jumpers, three of the top five in the shot put and weight throw, along with the top three long jumpers also are represented from the schools participating in the Dual Meet Invitational.
The men’s 800 and 60 hurdles should also be highly competitive, with four of the top 10 in the Big Sky in the 800 and seven of the top 10 in the 60 hurdles able to appear in Friday’s meet.
The women’s side should also have several events that produce solid times and marks.
Friday’s pole vault event is expected to feature nine of the top 10 student-athletes currently in the conference. Seven of the top 10 athletes in the 60 hurdles, high jump and weight throw on the Big Sky performance list are on teams competing in Friday’s meet. In races on the track, the women’s 800 and 3,000 will be highly contested with some of the conference’s best participating.
Field events get started at 2:30 p.m. inside Worthington Arena with the first track events beginning at 4 p.m. A live stream of the meet will be available on Pluto TV and WatchBigSky.com. Updates from the meet can be followed along with live on msubobcats.com/trackresults.
