Montana
Big Sky Conference Championships
Pentathletes score early points for Montana
2/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Indoor Track, Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
Results
Senior Shayle Dezellem and sophomore Nicole Stroot both had career-best performances in the pentathlon Thursday as the Big Sky Conference indoor track and field championships got underway at Flagstaff, Ariz.
Dezellem scored 3,560 points to finish sixth, and Stroot scored 3,553 to finish seventh at Northern Arizona's Walkup Skydome. Their finishes gave Montana five points in the team standings at the three-day meet.
For Dezellem it was a 120-point improvement upon her previous best. Stroot had a 145-point PR in what was just her fifth career pentathlon. Both came less than 20 points from cracking the top five.
"They both had career-best scores at a conference championship. You can never be upset about that," said coach Brian Schweyen. "I think everyone competed well and did great."
Sophomore Lakyn Connors, who was eighth after three of five events, drifted down to 12th in the final standings with a career-best 3,339 points. Freshman Erika McLeod was 14th with 3,164 points.
After day one of two of the men's heptathlon, freshman Charlie Bush is sitting in ninth place with 2,553 points.
UM's pentathletes got the day off to a rousing start. Highlighted by Stroot's time of 8.98, the Grizzlies had three PRs in the 60-meter hurdles, with Dezellem finishing in 9.02, Connors in 9.13.
Two more PRs followed in the high jump. Stroot cleared 5-4.25, Connors went 5-3.
Stroot made it three PRs in three events with a mark of 30-10.5 in the shot put. Connors finished sixth in the event at 33-6.5, Dezellem seventh with a season-best 33-4.
At that point Stroot was sitting seventh, Connors eighth and Dezellem ninth.
No PRs came in the long jump, with none of the four athletes going farther than 17-7. Dezellem moved up the final standings with a time of 2:25.04 in the 800 meters. Stroot ran a 2:26.74.
"For Shayle to have her best score ever at a conference championship, that's pretty rewarding," said Schweyen. "That's what you want out of your athletes."
For Stroot, it marked not only the high-water mark of her multi-events career, it also brings with it the promise of bigger and better things down the road. She was an 18-foot long jump Thursday, which soon will be automatic for her, from being one of the top four pentathletes in the Big Sky Conference.
"Nicole has always struggled with her confidence. I don't think she ever saw herself as someone who could compete at a conference championship," said Schweyen. "It's good for her to see that she's as good as they are."
Montana State senior Carley McCutchen, who scored a Big Sky-record 4,034 points last Friday, won Thursday's pentathlon with a score of 3,969, which matched the Big Sky championships record set by Montana's Lindsey Hall last February at Pocatello, Idaho.
Bush entered the championships as the conference's No. 7 ranked heptathlete. He's sitting ninth after day one, but with one of his strongest events, the pole vault, among Friday's final three events, Bush should move up the standings.
Bush had season bests in the 60 meters (7.48) and shot put (32-11) and just missed a season best in the long jump (21-0.5). He closed his day going 6-1 in the high jump.
"Charlie had PRs in the 60 and shot put and was solid in the long jump," said Schweyen. "He was a little inconsistent with his approach in the high jump, but he's put himself in scoring position.
"He can still have three great events tomorrow, and for a freshman to be in that position in that environment is great."
Four athletes are within 28 points of one another at the top of the heptathlon standings. Idaho State senior William Phillips and Sacramento State sophomore Alec Acevedo both scored 2,895 points.
Montana State sophomore Mason Storm, with 2,888 points, is in third, Idaho State senior Logan Henderson, with 2,867 points, is in fourth. Henderson was ranked No. 1 going into the championships.
The heptathlon will conclude Friday with the 60-meter hurdles, pole vault and 1,000 meters.
Players Mentioned
