(Editors Note: Montana State press release)
BOZEMAN – The Montana State track and field program made its return to the outdoor track in Bozeman by hosting the MSU Open on Saturday, April 20. It was the Bobcats’ first home meet on the new blue and gold surface and first event since they hosted the Tom Gage Classic on May 5, 2017.
Montana State’s men’s and women’s teams recorded a total of seven first-place showings with two athletes earning two top finishes each.
Courtney Stromme had two of the best efforts for the women’s squad on the day. Stromme took first in the both 100-meter and 200-meter runs. The MSU senior completed a lifetime best 12.28 seconds in the 100 and 24.90 seconds in the 200, though both were just over the wind-legal requirement.
Hunter Adams also completed two first-place performances. Adams finished first in the men’s pole vault behind a personal-best clearance of 15 feet, 7 inches (4.75m). He also had the top time in the 110 hurdles with a lifetime best mark of 14.74 wind aided.
Lexi Kyro, Madi Arneson and Cooper West each finished first in one event for the Bobcats.
Kyro earned a time of 4:41.18 to lead the Bobcats in the women’s 1,500. Arneson took first in the women’s discus thanks to a throw of 139-00 (42.36m). She also finished second in the shot put with a mark of 41-07.25 (12.68m). West paced a group of Bobcats in the men’s 1,500 with his time of 4:00.50. Gannon Chamberlain (4:02.22), Braden Stremcha (4:05.00) and Justice Lamer (4:05.10) helped the Bobcats complete the event with 1-2-4-5 showings.
Freshman Maddie Brockel was one of MSU’s top sprinters Saturday as she took third in the 100 (12.40) and fourth in the 200 (25.26). Both runs were wind aided but set new personal outdoor bests. Bill Yeager and Derrick Olsen each had lifetime bests for the MSU men. Yeager ran a time of 21.91 in the 200 to take fourth overall, while Olsen took sixth in both the 100 (10.82) and the 200 (22.45).
West led a group of four Bobcat distance runners that included Chamberlain, Stremcha and Teagan Olson that had lifetime bests in the men’s 800. Gillian Maness took second in the women’s 1,500 with a time of 4:44.30 and Layne Oliver finished fourth in 4:47.43. Kendra Larson (2:17.72) finished second in the 800 while Kyro (2:22.20) followed her in fourth and Maness (2:23.35) placed fifth.
Freshman Elena Carter was the top attached runner in the women’s hurdles as she completed a lifetime-best mark of 14.39 seconds that was nearly wind legal. Hailey Phillips also had a season-best mark of 1:03.52 in the 400 hurdles.
The Bobcats had several top-three showings in the field events.
Wyatt Thompson-Siporen earned a season-best mark in the men’s long jump by crossing over 23 feet. Twila Reovan took second in the women’s triple jump and third in the long jump. Kylie Christiansen and Celestia Hammond earned runner-up efforts in the women’s hammer throw and javelin, respectively. Brookelyn Palin took third in both the discus and hammer throw. Carley VonHeeder also took third in the javelin.
A contingent of Bobcats also completed competition in California at the 25th annual Beach Invitational on the campus of Long Beach State.
Drake Schneider had the top performance for MSU in Long Beach as he took fourth in the 400 hurdles in a time of 52.39 seconds. His time is currently the fastest on the Big Sky performance list. McKenna Ramsay finished eighth overall in the women’s 400 for another top 10 showing at the Beach Invite.
Trisha Carlson, Jadin Casey and Elisabeth Krieger each completed season-best marks in their respective events. Carlson took 32nd in a time of 2:14.48 in the women’s 800, Casey finished 21st by crossing the line in 48.82 in the men’s 400 and Krieger completed a time of 57.20 in the women’s 400.
The Bobcat track and field teams host their second home meet of the 2019 outdoor season on Saturday, April 27. Montana State welcomes Montana to Bozeman for the annual Cat-Griz Dual at the Bobcat Track and Field Complex.
Here are the MSU Open Final Results.
