Grizzlies add six more BSC qualifiers
2/10/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Outdoor Track, Women's Track and Field
The University of Montana indoor track and field teams added six Big Sky Conference qualifiers and had a number of previously qualified athletes put up season-best performances Saturday at the Mountain State Games in Pocatello, Idaho.
Juniors Ashley Colbrese, Dan Bingham, Duncan Hendrick and Jesse Loether and sophomores Chelsea Burfeind and David King became the latest Grizzlies to qualify for the 2007 Big Sky Conference Indoor Championships, Feb. 23-24 at Bozeman, Mont.
Colbrese qualified in the mile when she finished fourth in 5:08.02. Colbrese's altitude-adjusted time of 5:02.58 met the conference standard of 5:05.06.
Loether qualified in the 800 meters, finishing fourth in 1:54.56 to meet the qualifying standard of 1:54.66.
King qualified in the pole vault, placing 10th with a height of 14-7.25, eclipsing the standard of 14-6.75.
Burfeind, Bingham and Hendrick all qualified for the 5,000 meters by putting up a qualifying time in the 3,000 meters. The women's standard in the 3,000 meters to qualify for the 5,000 meters is 10:45, while the men's is 8:45.
Burfeind qualified for the 5,000 meters by placing sixth in the 3,000 meters in 10:45.53. Her altitude-adjusted time of 10:33.42 met the qualifying time.
Bingham placed third in the 3,000 meters in a time of 8:36.49 (altitude adjusted to 8:26.15), while Hendrick was ninth in 8:54.95 (altitude adjusted to 8:44.61).
Already qualified for the championships but putting up season-best performances Saturday were seniors Ryan Flaherty and Matt Larson, juniors Ashley Taylor and Curtis Bean, sophomore Ryan Grinnell and freshmen Kara DeWalt and Chris Hicks.
Larson was first in the 60-meter hurdles, going 8.20 in the finals after posting a 8.15 in the preliminaries, Flaherty placed second in the 800 meters in 1:54.08, Taylor tied for fourth in the pole vault in an indoor career-best 11-11.75, Bean was second in the weight throw in 56-11.25, Grinnell won the high jump at 6-11, DeWalt was second in the mile in 5:02.81 and Hicks was third in the heptathlon with 5,015 points.
Hicks finished third in the heptathlon behind ISU's Levi Keller, who posted 5,394 points and ISU's Nathan Capps, who finished with 5,015 points. In Saturday's day-two events, Hicks went 9.06 in the 60-meter hurdles, posted a season-best 13-7.25 in the pole vault and had the best 800-meter time, 2:48.50, among the 10 heptathletes competing.
(Posted Friday, Feb. 9) Williams breaks school record in weight throw
University of Montana sophomore Brittany Williams broke the school record in the weight throw Friday at the Mountain State Games in Pocatello, Idaho. Williams placed fourth in the event, throwing the weight 51-9.25 to break the previous record of 50-11.5, set by Dannai Clayborn in 2001.
Other Friday highlights included sophomore Brett Carter and Chris Hicks qualifying for the 2007 Big Sky Conference Indoor Championships.
Carter qualified in the 5,000 meters, placing fourth in 15:37.13. With the Pocatello altitude adjustment, Carter's time was 15:17.67, just under the 15:20 qualifying standard.
Hicks qualified in the high jump, which he competed in as part of the heptathlon. Hicks tied for second in that event of the heptathlon in 6-5.5, meeting exactly the qualifying standard.
Montana also won the distance medley relay races on both the men's (10:16.97) and women's (12:12.27) sides.
The men's relay was made up of junior Jesse Loether (1,200 meters), junior Ryan Senn (400 meters), freshman Sean Clark (800 meters) and junior Dan Bingham (1,600 meters).
The women's relay was made up of junior Ashley Colbrese (1,200 meters), junior Nicole Walker (400 meters), freshman Brooke Andrus (800 meters) and freshman Kara DeWalt (1,600 meters).
In the day's multi-event competitions, Hicks sits in second place in the heptathlon with 2,842 points through four events, while freshman Megan Betz led a trio of Montana athletes in the pentathlon with a seventh-place finish.
Hicks posted season-best performances in all four of Friday's heptathlon events. He placed sixth in the 60 meters in 7.51, won the long jump in 22-2.5, placed fourth in the shot in 38.9-75 and tied for second in the high jump in 6-5.5.
Idaho State's Levi Keller leads the heptathlon after day one with 2,999 points.
In the pentathlon, Betz was the only one of the three UM athletes to record a point total in all five events, finishing with 2,942 points. She tied for ninth in the 60-meter hurdles (9.81), tied for fifth in the high jump (5-0.25), then placed eighth in the shot (27-7.25), ninth in the long jump (15-11) and eighth in the 800 meters (2:38.16).
Juniors Bailey Cox and Megan McKinnie both recorded no heights in the high jump, the second of five events on the day, to derail their attempts at hitting the Big Sky qualifying standard of 3,146.
Cox had an impressive day otherwise, winning the shot (37-6), placing second in the 60-meter hurdles (9.24) and long jump (17-10.25) and third in the 800 meters (2:24.70). She finished with 2,927 points.
McKinnie totaled 2,575 points, finishing eighth in the 60-meter hurdles (9.68), seventh in the shot (31-7.25), seventh in the long jump (16-6.5) and fifth in the 800 meters (2:27.31).
Idaho State's Cassie Merkley won the pentathlon with 3,669 points.
The two-day meet concludes Saturday.
Juniors Ashley Colbrese, Dan Bingham, Duncan Hendrick and Jesse Loether and sophomores Chelsea Burfeind and David King became the latest Grizzlies to qualify for the 2007 Big Sky Conference Indoor Championships, Feb. 23-24 at Bozeman, Mont.
Colbrese qualified in the mile when she finished fourth in 5:08.02. Colbrese's altitude-adjusted time of 5:02.58 met the conference standard of 5:05.06.
Loether qualified in the 800 meters, finishing fourth in 1:54.56 to meet the qualifying standard of 1:54.66.
King qualified in the pole vault, placing 10th with a height of 14-7.25, eclipsing the standard of 14-6.75.
Burfeind, Bingham and Hendrick all qualified for the 5,000 meters by putting up a qualifying time in the 3,000 meters. The women's standard in the 3,000 meters to qualify for the 5,000 meters is 10:45, while the men's is 8:45.
Burfeind qualified for the 5,000 meters by placing sixth in the 3,000 meters in 10:45.53. Her altitude-adjusted time of 10:33.42 met the qualifying time.
Bingham placed third in the 3,000 meters in a time of 8:36.49 (altitude adjusted to 8:26.15), while Hendrick was ninth in 8:54.95 (altitude adjusted to 8:44.61).
Already qualified for the championships but putting up season-best performances Saturday were seniors Ryan Flaherty and Matt Larson, juniors Ashley Taylor and Curtis Bean, sophomore Ryan Grinnell and freshmen Kara DeWalt and Chris Hicks.
Larson was first in the 60-meter hurdles, going 8.20 in the finals after posting a 8.15 in the preliminaries, Flaherty placed second in the 800 meters in 1:54.08, Taylor tied for fourth in the pole vault in an indoor career-best 11-11.75, Bean was second in the weight throw in 56-11.25, Grinnell won the high jump at 6-11, DeWalt was second in the mile in 5:02.81 and Hicks was third in the heptathlon with 5,015 points.
Hicks finished third in the heptathlon behind ISU's Levi Keller, who posted 5,394 points and ISU's Nathan Capps, who finished with 5,015 points. In Saturday's day-two events, Hicks went 9.06 in the 60-meter hurdles, posted a season-best 13-7.25 in the pole vault and had the best 800-meter time, 2:48.50, among the 10 heptathletes competing.
(Posted Friday, Feb. 9) Williams breaks school record in weight throw
University of Montana sophomore Brittany Williams broke the school record in the weight throw Friday at the Mountain State Games in Pocatello, Idaho. Williams placed fourth in the event, throwing the weight 51-9.25 to break the previous record of 50-11.5, set by Dannai Clayborn in 2001.
Other Friday highlights included sophomore Brett Carter and Chris Hicks qualifying for the 2007 Big Sky Conference Indoor Championships.
Carter qualified in the 5,000 meters, placing fourth in 15:37.13. With the Pocatello altitude adjustment, Carter's time was 15:17.67, just under the 15:20 qualifying standard.
Hicks qualified in the high jump, which he competed in as part of the heptathlon. Hicks tied for second in that event of the heptathlon in 6-5.5, meeting exactly the qualifying standard.
Montana also won the distance medley relay races on both the men's (10:16.97) and women's (12:12.27) sides.
The men's relay was made up of junior Jesse Loether (1,200 meters), junior Ryan Senn (400 meters), freshman Sean Clark (800 meters) and junior Dan Bingham (1,600 meters).
The women's relay was made up of junior Ashley Colbrese (1,200 meters), junior Nicole Walker (400 meters), freshman Brooke Andrus (800 meters) and freshman Kara DeWalt (1,600 meters).
In the day's multi-event competitions, Hicks sits in second place in the heptathlon with 2,842 points through four events, while freshman Megan Betz led a trio of Montana athletes in the pentathlon with a seventh-place finish.
Hicks posted season-best performances in all four of Friday's heptathlon events. He placed sixth in the 60 meters in 7.51, won the long jump in 22-2.5, placed fourth in the shot in 38.9-75 and tied for second in the high jump in 6-5.5.
Idaho State's Levi Keller leads the heptathlon after day one with 2,999 points.
In the pentathlon, Betz was the only one of the three UM athletes to record a point total in all five events, finishing with 2,942 points. She tied for ninth in the 60-meter hurdles (9.81), tied for fifth in the high jump (5-0.25), then placed eighth in the shot (27-7.25), ninth in the long jump (15-11) and eighth in the 800 meters (2:38.16).
Juniors Bailey Cox and Megan McKinnie both recorded no heights in the high jump, the second of five events on the day, to derail their attempts at hitting the Big Sky qualifying standard of 3,146.
Cox had an impressive day otherwise, winning the shot (37-6), placing second in the 60-meter hurdles (9.24) and long jump (17-10.25) and third in the 800 meters (2:24.70). She finished with 2,927 points.
McKinnie totaled 2,575 points, finishing eighth in the 60-meter hurdles (9.68), seventh in the shot (31-7.25), seventh in the long jump (16-6.5) and fifth in the 800 meters (2:27.31).
Idaho State's Cassie Merkley won the pentathlon with 3,669 points.
The two-day meet concludes Saturday.
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