NCAA West Regional opens Thursday in Texas
5/26/2015 7:28:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
The Montana track and field teams will have four athletes competing this week when the NCAA West Regional is held at Austin, Texas. The three-day meet will run Thursday through Saturday at Texas's Mike A. Myers Stadium.
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The Grizzlies will be represented by senior Keli Dennehy in the steeplechase and three athletes competing in the javelin: senior Nycole Devers, junior Stephanie Wells and freshman Jensen Lillquist.
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Devers and Wells are both making their third appearance at regionals. Dennehy and Lillquist are making their debuts.
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Dennehy will be the first of Montana's athletes to compete when she races at 7:50 p.m. (MT) on Friday. All three javelin throwers will be in action on Saturday. The women's javelin will start at 11 a.m. (MT), the men's javelin at 4 p.m. (MT).
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The top 48 declared athletes in every event in the region will be in Austin, trying to be one of the 12 who advance to nationals, which will be held June 10-13 at Eugene, Ore. The NCAA East Regional is being held this week at Jacksonville, Fla. That region also will send its top 12 athletes in each event to Eugene.
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Dennehy will race in one of three heats of 16 in Friday's steeplechase. The top three finishers in each heat will advance to nationals; the field of 12 will be filled out by the next three fastest times.
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The women's and men's javelin will both have three flights of 16. All athletes get three throws, with the top 12 marks advancing.
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The weather forecasted for Austin later this week is highs each day in the mid to upper 80s, with the usual deep-in-the-heart-of-Texas humidity and spring lightning storms.
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Keli Dennehy
Event: 3,000-meter steeplechase
Regional appearance: First
Season best: 10:35.12 (May 1, Oregon State High Performance Meet)
Career best: Same
Region rank: 47th
Region's top-ranked athlete: UMKC junior Courtney Frerichs (9:32.12)
Region's 12th-best time: 10:15.03
The skinny: Dennehy will probably need to run a 20-second PR Friday to put herself in position to advance to nationals, which is expecting a lot in a 10-minute race, especially in conditions for which she is not acclimated. But given the level of competition and the race potentially being her last one in a Montana uniform, it's not totally unrealistic. "You never know what anyone is capable of. It's a big race and a big situation, so I think anything is possible," said UM coach Brian Schweyen.
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Stephanie Wells
Event: Javelin
Regional appearance: Third (41st place in 2013, 13th in 2014)
Season best: 153-8 (April 4, Montana State Open)
Career best: 155-6 (2013 Big Sky Conference Championships)
Region rank: 30th
Region's top-ranked thrower: Oklahoma junior Elizabeth Herrs (189-6.25)
Region's 12th-best mark: 164-1.75
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Nycole Devers
Event: Javelin
Regional appearance: Third (32nd place in 2011, 16th in 2013)
Season best: 148-4 (May 15, Big Sky Conference Championships)
Career best: 151-7 (2013 NCAA West Regional)
Region rank: 41st
The skinny: The top 13 athletes in the region have thrown farther than 160 feet this spring, but with only three throws per athlete on Saturday in such a technical event, the cut to make nationals is likely going to be in the mid-150s, like last year when it was 156-4. That's the type of throw both Wells and Devers have in their right arms. Add in the experience and success they have enjoyed -- both have been top 16 in the region in previous years -- and both could be factors. "The experience of having been there before and knowing you were close to making nationals is huge," said Schweyen. "That should put their minds at ease and have their confidence at a high level. With their experience and the excitement and adrenaline of the meet, both have a great shot."
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Jensen Lillquist
Event: Javelin
Regional appearance: First
Season best: 208-9 (April 17, Oregon Relays)
Career best: Same
Region rank: 33rd
Region's top-ranked thrower: Oregon senior Sam Crouser (258-11.75)
Region's 12th-best mark: 233-2
The skinny: Like the women's javelin, the men's has season performance marks -- the top 20 athletes have thrown farther than 225 feet -- that won't be matched at regionals. Last year at Fayetteville, Ark., just six athletes broke 220 feet, and the 12th-place throw was 214-0. That could have Lillquist, the seventh-ranked freshman in the region, in the mix if everything comes together. "If Jensen has a season best this week, who knows?" said Schweyen. "At the very least getting to regionals as a freshman sets him up for the future for sure. This is experience No. 1 of what should be many for him."
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The Grizzlies will be represented by senior Keli Dennehy in the steeplechase and three athletes competing in the javelin: senior Nycole Devers, junior Stephanie Wells and freshman Jensen Lillquist.
Â
Devers and Wells are both making their third appearance at regionals. Dennehy and Lillquist are making their debuts.
Â
Dennehy will be the first of Montana's athletes to compete when she races at 7:50 p.m. (MT) on Friday. All three javelin throwers will be in action on Saturday. The women's javelin will start at 11 a.m. (MT), the men's javelin at 4 p.m. (MT).
Â
The top 48 declared athletes in every event in the region will be in Austin, trying to be one of the 12 who advance to nationals, which will be held June 10-13 at Eugene, Ore. The NCAA East Regional is being held this week at Jacksonville, Fla. That region also will send its top 12 athletes in each event to Eugene.
Â
Dennehy will race in one of three heats of 16 in Friday's steeplechase. The top three finishers in each heat will advance to nationals; the field of 12 will be filled out by the next three fastest times.
Â
The women's and men's javelin will both have three flights of 16. All athletes get three throws, with the top 12 marks advancing.
Â
The weather forecasted for Austin later this week is highs each day in the mid to upper 80s, with the usual deep-in-the-heart-of-Texas humidity and spring lightning storms.
Â
Keli Dennehy
Event: 3,000-meter steeplechase
Regional appearance: First
Season best: 10:35.12 (May 1, Oregon State High Performance Meet)
Career best: Same
Region rank: 47th
Region's top-ranked athlete: UMKC junior Courtney Frerichs (9:32.12)
Region's 12th-best time: 10:15.03
The skinny: Dennehy will probably need to run a 20-second PR Friday to put herself in position to advance to nationals, which is expecting a lot in a 10-minute race, especially in conditions for which she is not acclimated. But given the level of competition and the race potentially being her last one in a Montana uniform, it's not totally unrealistic. "You never know what anyone is capable of. It's a big race and a big situation, so I think anything is possible," said UM coach Brian Schweyen.
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Stephanie Wells
Event: Javelin
Regional appearance: Third (41st place in 2013, 13th in 2014)
Season best: 153-8 (April 4, Montana State Open)
Career best: 155-6 (2013 Big Sky Conference Championships)
Region rank: 30th
Region's top-ranked thrower: Oklahoma junior Elizabeth Herrs (189-6.25)
Region's 12th-best mark: 164-1.75
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Nycole Devers
Event: Javelin
Regional appearance: Third (32nd place in 2011, 16th in 2013)
Season best: 148-4 (May 15, Big Sky Conference Championships)
Career best: 151-7 (2013 NCAA West Regional)
Region rank: 41st
The skinny: The top 13 athletes in the region have thrown farther than 160 feet this spring, but with only three throws per athlete on Saturday in such a technical event, the cut to make nationals is likely going to be in the mid-150s, like last year when it was 156-4. That's the type of throw both Wells and Devers have in their right arms. Add in the experience and success they have enjoyed -- both have been top 16 in the region in previous years -- and both could be factors. "The experience of having been there before and knowing you were close to making nationals is huge," said Schweyen. "That should put their minds at ease and have their confidence at a high level. With their experience and the excitement and adrenaline of the meet, both have a great shot."
Â
Jensen Lillquist
Event: Javelin
Regional appearance: First
Season best: 208-9 (April 17, Oregon Relays)
Career best: Same
Region rank: 33rd
Region's top-ranked thrower: Oregon senior Sam Crouser (258-11.75)
Region's 12th-best mark: 233-2
The skinny: Like the women's javelin, the men's has season performance marks -- the top 20 athletes have thrown farther than 225 feet -- that won't be matched at regionals. Last year at Fayetteville, Ark., just six athletes broke 220 feet, and the 12th-place throw was 214-0. That could have Lillquist, the seventh-ranked freshman in the region, in the mix if everything comes together. "If Jensen has a season best this week, who knows?" said Schweyen. "At the very least getting to regionals as a freshman sets him up for the future for sure. This is experience No. 1 of what should be many for him."
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