Griz collect nine victories at MSU Open

Friday, January 15

Bozeman, Mont.

Montana

Montana State Open

1/16/2016 8:42:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

By: Montana Sports Information

Results

The Montana track and field teams picked up nine event victories, six more than they had at the same meet last year, and added a pair of Big Sky Conference qualifications Friday night as the Grizzlies competed at the Montana State Open in Bozeman.

Montana athletes swept the 200 meters and high jump, and junior Dominique Bobo, in the 200 meters, and freshman Carrie Jacka, in the pole vault, qualified for next month's Big Sky championships.

"I thought there were a lot of really good performances," said coach Brian Schweyen. "We had a good amount of event wins. From that standpoint, it was more successful than other season-opening meets we've had.

"The kids we were expecting to perform well did exactly that, and I was pleased with how all the athletes performed, especially with just one week of practice off the break."

Six of Montana's event wins came on the women's side.

On the track, sophomore Morgan Sulser won the 60-meter hurdles in a career-best time of 8.93, sophomore Erika McLeod won the 200 meters in an adjusted and career-best 25.85, and sophomore Emily Cheroske won the 800 meters in an adjusted 2:20.14.

McLeod also ran a career-best time in the hurdles and matched her career best in the high jump

Field-event wins came from redshirt junior Samantha Hodgson and sophomores Hana Feilzer and Maddie Taylor.

Hodgson, who qualified in the event at last month's Candy Cane meet at Eastern Washington, won the shot put at 45-5.75. Feilzer met the qualifying standard for the second time in two meets in the weight throw at 55-7, and Taylor matched her career best in the high jump at 5-5.

Bobo and sophomore Matt Quist gave the Grizzlies sweeps in the 200 meters and high jump.

Bobo, the Big Sky runner-up in the event at last spring's outdoor championships, won the 200 meters in an adjusted time of 21.81, an indoor career best. His time met the qualifying standard of 22 seconds. He also surpassed the standard in the long jump for the second time in two meets, finishing second at 22-8.

"He's ready to roll," said Schweyen. "His long jump just needs some work to get a consistent approach. As good an athlete as he is, when his approach gets a little more consistent, it's going to make for some big jumps."

Quist went a career-best 6-9 to win the high jump by more than four inches. It improved upon his previous qualifying mark of 6-8.75 at Candy Cane.

"Matt jumped 6-9 and is looking to get a little better every week," said Schweyen. "When you get to conference, you need to be 6-9 or higher to be in the mix. Matt wants to be at seven feet, and he should be there very, very soon."

Redshirt freshman Sterling Reneau had the team's other win, taking the 400 meters in an adjusted time of 49.59.

Jacka, a 12-6 vaulter as a prep athlete at Mead High in Spokane, finished second in the pole vault at a height of 11-11.75, matching the Big Sky qualifying standard.

Sammy Evans, who is redshirting, won the long (18-7) and triple jumps (40-3.5), and placed second in the high jump (5-3), junior Nicole Stroot finished second in both the 60-meter hurdles (8.99) and long jump (18-1.5), the former the second time she's been under nine seconds in her career.

Junior Dionee Marrero met the qualifying standard in the 60 meters for the second time in two meets, finishing second in 6.96. Freshman Taylor Trollope was second in the 60-meter hurdles in a time of 8.49, freshman Jonathan Eastwood the runner-up in the 800 meters with an adjusted time of 1:58.17.

The men's 4x400-meter relay team of Reneau, seniors Andrew Monaco and Joe Lesar, and redshirt freshman Ty Rather placed second in an adjusted time of 3:21.04, redshirt sophomore Pierce Frazier was second in the pole vault at 14-9.

Montana will be back in Bozeman next Friday to compete against Montana State, Idaho State and Utah State.