After gaining a dual meet split with nationally-ranked Idaho
State last weekend in Pocatello, the Bobcats return home to face
powerful Utah State and rival Montana on Friday night at 5:30 pm
in Worthington Arena.
Montana State's women upended the Bengals last weekend, while the
Bobcat men took a narrow defeat. The MSU women look for their
13th consecutive win over Montana, while MSU's men look to get
back on the winning track. Utah State of the Big West is one of
the top track and field programs in the west. In addition to UM
and USU, Weber State athletes including NCAA-leading high jumper
Charles Clinger will compete at the site of next week's Big Sky
Championships.
Bobcat Notebook
Records Falling Down: A pair Bobcat women's team members matched
or passed old records last week. Lacy Hinzpeter tied her coach,
Christy Otte Mastel, with the MSU-ISU meet record in the 200 of
24.70, while Shannon Agee vaulted 12-10 to set a meet record.
League Leaders: Montana State has just one league-leader in the
Big Sky women's top 12 list this week. Shannon Agee leads not
only the women's pole vault, but spurs an MSU hat trick. Cortney
Ellis is second, Michelle Tronstad is third. Lacy Hinzpeter
(7.15) is second in the 55, the 400 (55.17), and the long jump
(18-5.25), while Jen Allen is second in the shot (48-2.5). On the
men's side, Blake Jackson (53-9.75) and Chris Hutton (53-5.75)
are one-three in the shot put, and Hutton also leads the weight
throw (60-4).
Streaks and Stuff: MSU's women have won 12 straight against
Montana, and will look to extend that number to 13 -- the same
length as that of the streak the Bobcat men compiled against the
Grizzlies outdoors. MSU has now won nine of the last 13 with the
Idaho State women. The Cats have won four of the last five with
Utah State's women, and three of the last five with Utah State's
men.
INDOOR SCHEDULE Date Competition Men/Women J26 MSU Open
NTS F2-3 Mountain St. Gms NTS F9 ISU Dual 0-1/1-0 F16 MSU
Double-Dual Bozeman F23-4 Big Sky Champ. Bozeman M2 Last Chance
Pocatello M9-10 NCAA Champ. Fayetteville
DALE KENNEDY QUOTES: "This is a really big meet for us.
I always like the team competition element in track and field,
and that's been a priority for this program, but when you look at
the fact that it's the week before the Big Sky meet, it becomes
very important.
I think it's important for this team to be able to go into the
Big Sky meet coming off of a good performance. Utah State has a
real strong men's program, and a very good women's program, as
well. When you look at how we match up against Montana, I think
we have a chance for some success. But Utah State's program are
very strong.
From the beginning of the season our strong areas in both the
men's and women's programs have been the jumps and throws, and I
think that's true right now. That doesn't mean we don't have any
standouts elsewhere. We're getting some production in both the
men's and women's distance and middle distance events right now,
and Carrie Damschen in the sprints has been very good.
The most pleasant surprise of the season has been in the men's
sprints, where Lamonte Bell (a Bobcat football player) has really
been good. It's been a long time since we've had a sprinter that
talented, and he could be a factor in the Big Sky meet."
OUTDOOR SCHEDULE: Date Competition Men/Women M31 Boise
State Inv. Boise, ID M31 Stanford Inv. Palo Alto A7 Al Manuel
Duals Missoula A14 Weber St. Inv. Ogden A20-2 Mt SAC Relays
Walnut, CA A21 MSU Open Bozeman A27-8 Oregon Inv. Eugene M5
Cat-Griz Dual Bozeman M11 UM Open Missoula M16-9 Big Sky Champ.
Pocatello M30-J2 NCAA Champ. Eugene
BOBCAT COACHING STAFF:
DALE KENNEDY-- HEAD COACH/DISTANCE/MIDDLE DIST. Dale
Kennedy is in his 21st year at MSU... has led MSU to two women's
cross country titles this decade, and in the 80s led the Lady
Cats to three conference track titles and a pair of runnerup
finishes... has produced five All-Americas and 17 NCAA
qualifiers.
MIKE CARIGNAN-- THROWS In his 17th year at MSU... has
coached 28 athletes to all-Big Sky honors... four different MSU
throwers competed at 97 NCAA meets.
TOM EITEL-- JUMPS/MULTI-EVENTS Enters his seventh year at
MSU... competed for the Cats from 79-82... won the 82 Big Sky
pole vault championship... coached Big Sky champ Brian Schweyen.
CHRISTY (OTTE) MASTEL-- SPRINTS Christy Otte, in her
second year as a Bobcat coach, was a 13-time Big Sky Conference
champion and an All-America. She was one of the premiere athletes
in Big Sky Conference track and field history.
