Montana
Long Beach State Invitational
Griz end California trip on a high note
4/19/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Outdoor Track, Women's Track and Field
April 19, 2014
The Montana track and field teams had six new Big Sky Conference-qualifying performances, six collegiate bests and nine season bests Saturday at the Long Beach State Invitational at Norwalk, Calif., as the Grizzlies ended four days of competition in California.
Five of the new qualifying marks came from the women's team.
Freshman Reagan Colyer and sophomore Lauryn Wate, who also posted a career-best time in the 800 meters, qualified in the 1,500 meters, with Colyer running a 4:32.06 in the invitational race and Wate a 4:33.16 in the open race, a three-second PR.
Senior Kourtney Danreuther qualified with a time of 24.60 in the 200 meters, sophomore Emily Mendoza with a mark of 12-0 in the pole vault and sophomore Samantha Hodgson with a distance of 44-9.5 in the shot put.
Freshman Dominique Bobo was the lone new qualifier on the men's team. He went under 22 seconds for the first time at Montana, running a 21.82.
"There were a lot of good performances today," UM coach Brian Schweyen said. "This week was a good experience."
Montana's top event Saturday was the 400-meter hurdles. Danreuther, at 59.60, and sophomore Dylan Reynolds, at 53.48, both ran season bests to improve upon their previous qualifying times.
Junior Drew Owens, who ran a 52.43 Friday at the Mt. SAC Relays at Walnut, Calif., ran a 52.64 Saturday to finish second in the invitational race. It was his third time this spring in the 52s, a good indicator that his career best of 52.24 won't stand much longer.
Sophomores Sarah Hastings and Sammy Evans also had improved qualifying marks. Hastings ran a 17:14.50 in the invitational race of the 5,000 meters, a nearly 20-second PR, and Evans went 39-3.75 in the triple jump, a 12-inch season best.
Juniors David Norris and Ben Williamson and sophomore Cody Curtis continue to impress in the 800 and 1,500 meters.
Norris, at 1:54.78, and Williamson, at 1:55.88, both ran season-best times in the 800, while Curtis shaved more than five seconds off his PR in the 1,500 with a time of 3:55.83.
Other notable performances Saturday came from junior Caitlin Caraway and freshman Riley Neville. Caraway had PR in the discus of 41-2.25, and Neville cleared a 15-foot bar for the first time, going 15-0.25 in the pole vault.
Montana will compete next Saturday at the Griz-Cat Dual at Montana State. Montana swept the duals a year ago in Missoula, the Grizzlies' first sweep in the annual meet since 2010.
