Montana
Mountain States Games
Griz have strong performances at Mountain States Games
1/31/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Indoor Track, Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
Results
Montana had one Big Sky Conference qualifier and a number of lifetime bests as the Grizzlies competed Friday and Saturday at the Mountain States Games at Pocatello, Idaho.
Montana had six event winners Saturday, three men and three women, and the Grizzlies also won the men's 4x400-meter relay.
"That was a better weekend for us," said UM coach Brian Schweyen, whose team has competed three times in January and has three more meets in February leading up to next month's Big Sky Conference championships at Flagstaff, Ariz.
"We started off a little slow yesterday, but today we had some lifetime bests and some really nice performances. I thought we competed really well, as a team and as individuals."
Sophomore Nick Jackson was one of the six winners from Saturday's events. He added 14 inches to his PR in the shot put, going 52-8.25 to surpass the Big Sky qualifying standard of 52-6.
Entering the weekend there were only four throwers in the Big Sky who had reached the standard.
"Nick had a whole bunch of throws that were over 50 feet today," said Schweyen. "There are still some positions on his finish that he can get. If he does that, it's not inconceivable to see him hit 54 or 55 feet this year.
"His positions are starting to click, but more than anything it's his confidence. He's putting himself in a position mentally where he's able to do the things he's capable of."
Also picking up event victories Saturday were senior Jacob Leininger in the 60-meter hurdles and sophomore Dominique Bobo in the 400.
Leininger's better of two hurdles races came on Friday, when he ran a season-best time of 8.27. His time of 8.69 on Saturday was good enough to defeat the field.
Bobo had a nice all-around meet. He won the 400 meters in a time of 49.10 in his first race at that distance this season, and he ran a 22.06 in the 200 meters and went 21-8.25 in Friday's long jump.
"He had a great weekend," said Schweyen. "This is the kind of weekend that should spark him and get him motivated and excited going into the next couple of weeks before conference."
Winning events Saturday for the Montana women were senior Keli Dennehy and juniors Sammy Evans and Nicole Anskaitis.
Dennehy won the mile in an altitude-adjusted time of 5:02.07, Evans claimed the triple jump at 39-6.75, and Anskaitis won the pole vault by clearing 12-11.5 to match the top mark in the Big Sky entering the weekend.
Also in the pole vault, freshman Claire Dalman met the Big Sky qualifying standard of 11-11.75 for the third time this winter, and junior Emily Mendoza cleared her first bar of the season, going 11-5.75 to give Montana three of the top five finishers in the event.
Senior Caitlin Caraway added more than two feet to her PR in the weight throw, finishing fifth at a distance of 53-2.5, senior Shayle Dezellem went a career-best 18-0.5 to finish fourth in Friday's long jump, and junior Carly Wilczynski finished second in the 3,000 meters in an adjusted time of 10:36.05.
Senior Ben Williamson ran the 1,600-meter anchor leg for Montana's third-place distance medley relay team Friday night, then came back and ran an adjusted 8:42.31 on Saturday to finish second in the 3,000 meters in his first attempt at that distance as a collegiate runner.
Junior Dylan Reynolds finished second behind Bobo in the 400 meters, running a 49.24, and using the speed of Bobo, Reynolds, senior Drew Owens and sophomore Josh Strasser, the Grizzlies won the 4x400-meter relay in a time of 3:18.92.
Montana will compete next Friday at the Montana State Invitational at Bozeman.
Players Mentioned
