Nine Grizzlies heading to Arkansas for NCAA West Regional
5/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Outdoor Track, Women's Track and Field
May 22, 2014
Montana Performance List | NCAA West Region Schedule
Nine athletes from the Montana track and field teams will extend their outdoor seasons through at least next week after they made the cut to compete at the NCAA West Regional at Fayetteville, Ark.
The top 48 declared athletes in every event will compete next Thursday through Saturday, May 29-31, at Arkansas' John McDonnell Field. The East Regional will be held at Jacksonville, Fla.
The top 12 athletes in each event from both regions will advance to nationals, which will be held June 11-14 at Eugene, Ore.
The NCAA also announced Thursday the fields for the multi-events, which are contested only at nationals. Senior Lindsey Hall, who is tied for 13th, will be competing in the heptathlon for the second time at the NCAA championships.
Competing next week from the Montana men's team will be seniors Lukas Scherer (javelin) and Keith Webber (pole vault) and juniors Lee Hardt (high jump) and Drew Owens (400-meter hurdles).
Five women advanced with six qualifications: Hall (100-meter hurdles, javelin), senior Kourtney Danreuther (400-meter hurdles), junior Caitlin Caraway (hammer) and sophomores Sammy Evans (triple jump) and Stephanie Wells (javelin).
"I'm happy with the number we got in this year," said UM coach Brian Schweyen. "It shows things continue to move forward for this program."
Montana had four athletes competing this spring who came up short in their attempt to return to regionals, and two Grizzlies had season-best marks that made the cut but did not survive the tiebreaker.
"If all of our athletes go back to regionals again and we catch a break or two, we're looking at maybe 16 qualifiers, and that's great number."
Montana had 11 athletes qualify in 2013, the most for the program in more than a decade, and was achingly close to matching that number in 2014.
Sophomore Samantha Hodgson was one of two athletes in the West Region to go 48-3.5 in the shot put, but Idaho's Ana Pardo claimed spot No. 48 after winning the tiebreaker of having a better second-best season mark.
Sophomore Lindsey Dahl was one of three athletes to throw 148-5 in the javelin this spring, but her second-best effort was more than seven feet farther back. The other two throwers claimed spots Nos. 47 and 48.
Danreuther and Hall will both be making their fourth appearance at regionals. Danreuther, who was entered in the 400 meters as a sophomore, will be competing in the 400 hurdles for the third time. Hall will be competing in the 100 hurdles for the first time and for the second straight year in the javelin.
Owens is making his third trip to regionals in three outdoor seasons in the 400 hurdles, while Hardt, Scherer and Wells are all making their second consecutive appearance.
Webber, Caraway and Evans are all making their debut at the region meet.
None of Montana's athletes rank in the top 12 in their events, meaning none is projected to make nationals, but a number are threats.
Danreuther, with a season-best time of 58.20, ranks 14th in the 400 hurdles, and Hall ranks 18th in the javelin with her season-best mark of 161-7.5 from the Griz-Eagle Dual at Cheney, Wash., in mid-April.
Hardt is tied for 22nd in the high jump, Hall is tied for 24th in the 100 hurdles, Webber is tied for 27th in the pole vault, and Caraway is ranked 29th in the hammer.
Owens is 34th in the 400 hurdles, Scherer 37th in the javelin, Wells 42nd in the javelin and Evans 45th in the triple jump.
None of Montana's 11 athletes who competed at last year's West Regional at Austin, Texas, advanced to nationals.
Players Mentioned
