(Editor's note: Montana State University news release)
BOZEMAN — Unrelenting snow provided a wintry backdrop for the first day of competition at the Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Wednesday, as the men's decathlon and women's heptathlon began at Bobcat Track and Field Complex.
Originally supposed to start at 10 a.m., a series of delays to allow the track and competition areas to be cleared pushed the first event back to 2:30 p.m.
"I'm so proud of our team, our community, our department really coming together," Dale Kennedy Director of Track and Field Lyle Weese said. "Obviously very difficult with the snow just going and going, and it looked like we might not be able to get it in, but everyone just pitched in to shovel a lot of snow and move a lot of water. It was really incredible. I'm so proud of the whole team here and the competitors across the board from all teams. Once we were going to compete, they were all fired up and ready to go, and it was pretty awesome how many of them ran PR's and had PR's in the field events on a day like today. Really impressive by the multi-athletes from the Big Sky Conference."
Full results from the first day can be viewed here.
Through the opening five events of the 10-event men's decathlon, Montana State's Nicola Paletti paces the field with 3,536 points.
Weber State's Jed Smith is second with 3,494 points, and Eastern Washington's Cody Teevens is third with 3,289 points.
Paletti, the defending Big Sky indoor heptathlon champion, took over the top spot after the fourth event of the day, clearing 6-05.50 in the high jump to add 776 points. The native of Bolzano, Italy, finished second in the 100 meters, third in the long jump, third in the shot put, first in the high jump, and second in the 400 meters to take pole position into Thursday's finale for the multi-events.
Through the first four of seven events in the women's heptathlon, Montana State's Shelby Schweyen holds the lead with 3,154 points.
Idaho's Hannah Tait is second with 3,102 points, and Montana's Whitney Morrison is third with 3,020 points.
Schweyen, a Missoula native and the defending Big Sky indoor pentathlon champion, grabbed the advantage with a big mark of 5-07.00 in the high jump to tie her personal-best and didn't look back, placing fourth in the shot put and second in the 200 meters.
"It was a great first day for Nico and Shelby," Weese said. "The high jump went really well for both of them, so I think that really propelled them to a great day one. Just a great job of coming out and competing and putting up some good marks in some challenging conditions."
Thursday's multi-event action has been pushed back to a 12 p.m. start. Still to be competed in the decathlon are the 110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500 meters, while remaining events in the heptathlon include the long jump, javelin and 800 meters.
The entire day's action will be streamed on ESPN+, with live results carried through AthleticLIVE.
