Thursday, February 22
Flagstaff, Ariz.
Montana
vs
Big Sky Indoor Championships
Photo by: Dean Hendrickson
Booth, Quist favorites in high jump heading into Big Sky Indoor Championships
2/21/2018 10:02:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The Grizzlies have reached the pinnacle of their indoor season, traveling to the campus of Northern Arizona this week for the Big Sky Indoor Track & Field Championships.
The women are coming off of a runner-up finish and the men tied for sixth a year ago, and while there is definitely plenty of talent and potential on this year's roster, it's no secret that – between pre-planned redshirting and unplanned injuries – Montana's focus this week will be more about experience than winning.
In January, the Grizzly women were selected by the league's head coach to finish third at the Championships, while the men were slotted sixth. Head coach Brian Schweyen still believes there's enough talent for specific individuals to perform well, but is also realistic as to where his team is at.
"We're really down on our men's side," Schweyen said. "We're leaving at least 40 to 50 points at home, just on injuries, and then you throw redshirts in there and that number goes even higher. It's going to be tough team wise, but certainly for our individuals it's a perfect opportunity to come and showcase what they can do and what they're all about."
Even with tapered expectations, the Grizzlies have 13 athletes who are in line to score (top eight in each event), and 13 more who are very much within striking distance, ranking in the top 12 of an event this season.
Of course, the headline is in the high jump. Both Matt Quist (men) and Jane Booth (women) are the favorites to win the event. Quist, a redshirt junior from Bigfork, Mont., reached 7-0.5 earlier this season – the best mark by a Big Sky Conference athlete this winter. Booth is a sophomore from Corvallis, Mont., who has reached as high as 5-8.75 – the best by a Big Sky women's jumper this season. Of the six meets this season, Booth and Quist have each won the event three times.
"I don't ever stress to an athlete that they're at the top," Schweyen said. "You have to concentrate on the one or two certain things that have to happen. They're not going in order to win, they're going in order to have their best day ever. If they have that, everything else will take care of itself."
Both are looking to excel in the event after waiting through last year. Quist, who took third in the high jump as a sophomore in 2016, redshirted during last year's indoor season. Booth, then a freshman, competed in the 2017 Championships but reached no height in her jump attempts (she later earned third place at the outdoor championships in May).
Now they're back, and looking to capture a podium spot that they missed last year.
It won't just be Booth and Quist fighting for medals, either.
The women's triple jump will be an exciting event to watch for Griz fans, as all three of Montana's competing athletes rank in the top 12 in the Big Sky Conference this season. Arielle Walden leads the group, reaching 38-1.25 in late January (fifth in Big Sky).
Other highlights among the women's field events include the pole vault, shot put and weight throw. Carrie Jacka (fourth) and Chloe Seferos (seventh) are both in line to score for the Grizzlies in the pole vault, while Mariah Harvey (eighth) and Kayla Holmes (seventh) have the ability to do so in the shot put and weight throw, respectively.
Freshman Jansen Ziola will be competing in her first Championships meet, and it will be a busy one. She is one of four Montana athletes to compete in three events. Ziola is the favorite to win the women's pentathlon, and could also score in the 60-meter hurdles (10th) and long jump (12th).
The women will have four athletes competing in the 800 meters, led by Carly Smiedala (sixth). The sophomore competed in the 800-meter prelims in 2017 before placing third at the outdoor championships and advancing to NCAA regionals.
"Jansen, as a freshman, has a lot of potential," Schweyen said. "I don't think she's fully reached it, but she has the talent to be something special. I'm excited to watch her this week and in years to come. Smiedala also hasn't reached her full potential, and I think we'll see that this week."
On the men's side, the Grizzlies have four athletes in line to score. Brent Yeakey (shot put, eighth) and Deszmon Humphries (weight throw, fourth) have had strong throws this season, while Grant Whitcutt is ranked fifth for the pole vault and seventh for the men's heptathlon.
Several additional athletes are just outside the top eight, including Andrea Baratte (1 mile, ninth), who will look to make a move past a few athletes ranked just ahead of him. Of the 39 athletes Montana is sending to the meet, 14 are freshmen and 26 are either freshmen or sophomores.
"It's certainly an opportunity for some of our younger athletes to get in here and get familiar with this type of setting," Schweyen said. "Some of them wouldn't be going had we had full squads, so it's a good opportunity that has to be taken advantage of."
The Championships will begin Thursday with the pentathlon and first four events of the heptathlon. The majority of the meet will be held on Friday and Saturday, beginning at 3 p.m. and 10 a.m., respectively. Fans can livestream Friday and Saturday's action on WatchBigSky.com and Pluto TV channel 230.
Montana's Competitors:
Men's heptathlon: Morgan Eitel, Grant Whitcutt
Women's pentathlon: Hannah Coburn, Jenna Dukovcic, Jaree Mane, Jansen Ziola
Men's 60 meters: Courtlynd Brown, Rhett Streeter
Women's 60 meters: Alanna Vann
Men's 200 meters: Courtlynd Brown, Rhett Streeter
Women's 200 meters: Alanna Vann
Men's 800 meters: Noah Adams, Jacob Lamb, Karsten Pease
Women's 800 meters: Emily Cheroske, Megan Franz, Madeline Hamilton, Carly Smiedala
Men's 1 mile: Andrea Baratte
Men's 3,000 meters: Andrea Baratte, Micah Drew, Jonathan Eastwood
Women's 3,000 meters: Jessica Bailey, Samantha Engebretsen
Men's 5,000 meters: Micah Drew, Jonathan Eastwood
Women's 5,000 meters: Jessica Bailey, Samantha Engebretsen
Men's 60-meter hurdles: Chase Armstrong
Women's 60-meter hurdles: Hannah Coburn, Jansen Ziola
Men's 4x400 meter relay: Colton Hess, Jacob Lamb, Trevor Henry, Chase Armstrong
Women's 4x400 meter relay: Carly Smiedala, Mijah McLeod, Megan Franz, Emily Cheroske (Madeline Hamilton, Jaree Mane)
Women's 4,000 DMR: Mijah McLeod, Emily Cheroske, Megan Franz, Madeline Hamilton
Men's high jump: Charlie Bush, Matt Quist, Grant Whitcutt
Women's high jump: Jane Booth, Abby Dodge
Men's pole vault: Charlie Bush, Grant Whitcutt
Women's pole vault: Carrie Jacka, Chloe Seferos
Men's long jump: Jordan Stow
Women's long jump: Hannah Coburn, Jenna Dukovcic, Jansen Ziola
Women's triple jump: Madison Neufeld, Carla Nicosia, Arielle Walden
Men's shot put: Deszmon Humphries, Brent Yeakey
Women's shot put: Mariah Harvey
Men's weight throw: Deszmon Humphries
Women's weight throw: Mariah Harvey, Kayla Holmes
The women are coming off of a runner-up finish and the men tied for sixth a year ago, and while there is definitely plenty of talent and potential on this year's roster, it's no secret that – between pre-planned redshirting and unplanned injuries – Montana's focus this week will be more about experience than winning.
In January, the Grizzly women were selected by the league's head coach to finish third at the Championships, while the men were slotted sixth. Head coach Brian Schweyen still believes there's enough talent for specific individuals to perform well, but is also realistic as to where his team is at.
"We're really down on our men's side," Schweyen said. "We're leaving at least 40 to 50 points at home, just on injuries, and then you throw redshirts in there and that number goes even higher. It's going to be tough team wise, but certainly for our individuals it's a perfect opportunity to come and showcase what they can do and what they're all about."
Even with tapered expectations, the Grizzlies have 13 athletes who are in line to score (top eight in each event), and 13 more who are very much within striking distance, ranking in the top 12 of an event this season.
Of course, the headline is in the high jump. Both Matt Quist (men) and Jane Booth (women) are the favorites to win the event. Quist, a redshirt junior from Bigfork, Mont., reached 7-0.5 earlier this season – the best mark by a Big Sky Conference athlete this winter. Booth is a sophomore from Corvallis, Mont., who has reached as high as 5-8.75 – the best by a Big Sky women's jumper this season. Of the six meets this season, Booth and Quist have each won the event three times.
"I don't ever stress to an athlete that they're at the top," Schweyen said. "You have to concentrate on the one or two certain things that have to happen. They're not going in order to win, they're going in order to have their best day ever. If they have that, everything else will take care of itself."
Both are looking to excel in the event after waiting through last year. Quist, who took third in the high jump as a sophomore in 2016, redshirted during last year's indoor season. Booth, then a freshman, competed in the 2017 Championships but reached no height in her jump attempts (she later earned third place at the outdoor championships in May).
Now they're back, and looking to capture a podium spot that they missed last year.
It won't just be Booth and Quist fighting for medals, either.
The women's triple jump will be an exciting event to watch for Griz fans, as all three of Montana's competing athletes rank in the top 12 in the Big Sky Conference this season. Arielle Walden leads the group, reaching 38-1.25 in late January (fifth in Big Sky).
Other highlights among the women's field events include the pole vault, shot put and weight throw. Carrie Jacka (fourth) and Chloe Seferos (seventh) are both in line to score for the Grizzlies in the pole vault, while Mariah Harvey (eighth) and Kayla Holmes (seventh) have the ability to do so in the shot put and weight throw, respectively.
Freshman Jansen Ziola will be competing in her first Championships meet, and it will be a busy one. She is one of four Montana athletes to compete in three events. Ziola is the favorite to win the women's pentathlon, and could also score in the 60-meter hurdles (10th) and long jump (12th).
The women will have four athletes competing in the 800 meters, led by Carly Smiedala (sixth). The sophomore competed in the 800-meter prelims in 2017 before placing third at the outdoor championships and advancing to NCAA regionals.
"Jansen, as a freshman, has a lot of potential," Schweyen said. "I don't think she's fully reached it, but she has the talent to be something special. I'm excited to watch her this week and in years to come. Smiedala also hasn't reached her full potential, and I think we'll see that this week."
On the men's side, the Grizzlies have four athletes in line to score. Brent Yeakey (shot put, eighth) and Deszmon Humphries (weight throw, fourth) have had strong throws this season, while Grant Whitcutt is ranked fifth for the pole vault and seventh for the men's heptathlon.
Several additional athletes are just outside the top eight, including Andrea Baratte (1 mile, ninth), who will look to make a move past a few athletes ranked just ahead of him. Of the 39 athletes Montana is sending to the meet, 14 are freshmen and 26 are either freshmen or sophomores.
"It's certainly an opportunity for some of our younger athletes to get in here and get familiar with this type of setting," Schweyen said. "Some of them wouldn't be going had we had full squads, so it's a good opportunity that has to be taken advantage of."
The Championships will begin Thursday with the pentathlon and first four events of the heptathlon. The majority of the meet will be held on Friday and Saturday, beginning at 3 p.m. and 10 a.m., respectively. Fans can livestream Friday and Saturday's action on WatchBigSky.com and Pluto TV channel 230.
Montana's Competitors:
Men's heptathlon: Morgan Eitel, Grant Whitcutt
Women's pentathlon: Hannah Coburn, Jenna Dukovcic, Jaree Mane, Jansen Ziola
Men's 60 meters: Courtlynd Brown, Rhett Streeter
Women's 60 meters: Alanna Vann
Men's 200 meters: Courtlynd Brown, Rhett Streeter
Women's 200 meters: Alanna Vann
Men's 800 meters: Noah Adams, Jacob Lamb, Karsten Pease
Women's 800 meters: Emily Cheroske, Megan Franz, Madeline Hamilton, Carly Smiedala
Men's 1 mile: Andrea Baratte
Men's 3,000 meters: Andrea Baratte, Micah Drew, Jonathan Eastwood
Women's 3,000 meters: Jessica Bailey, Samantha Engebretsen
Men's 5,000 meters: Micah Drew, Jonathan Eastwood
Women's 5,000 meters: Jessica Bailey, Samantha Engebretsen
Men's 60-meter hurdles: Chase Armstrong
Women's 60-meter hurdles: Hannah Coburn, Jansen Ziola
Men's 4x400 meter relay: Colton Hess, Jacob Lamb, Trevor Henry, Chase Armstrong
Women's 4x400 meter relay: Carly Smiedala, Mijah McLeod, Megan Franz, Emily Cheroske (Madeline Hamilton, Jaree Mane)
Women's 4,000 DMR: Mijah McLeod, Emily Cheroske, Megan Franz, Madeline Hamilton
Men's high jump: Charlie Bush, Matt Quist, Grant Whitcutt
Women's high jump: Jane Booth, Abby Dodge
Men's pole vault: Charlie Bush, Grant Whitcutt
Women's pole vault: Carrie Jacka, Chloe Seferos
Men's long jump: Jordan Stow
Women's long jump: Hannah Coburn, Jenna Dukovcic, Jansen Ziola
Women's triple jump: Madison Neufeld, Carla Nicosia, Arielle Walden
Men's shot put: Deszmon Humphries, Brent Yeakey
Women's shot put: Mariah Harvey
Men's weight throw: Deszmon Humphries
Women's weight throw: Mariah Harvey, Kayla Holmes
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