Grizzlies reach Championships hoping to take advantage of opportunities

Thursday, February 27

Pocatello, Idaho

Montana

Big Sky Indoor Championships

Grizzlies reach Championships hoping to take advantage of opportunities

2/26/2020 4:12:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Schedule of Events Big Sky Performance Lists Watch on Pluto TV Live Results

By: Montana Sports Information

Montana has reached the pinnacle of its indoor season, traveling to Pocatello, Idaho, this week for the Big Sky Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships. The three-day meet will feature athletes from the league's 11 schools, including 44 competitors from Montana.

Montana has a young roster on both the men's and women's sides, not even accounting for a handful of injuries and athletes redshirting. With that said, Brian Schweyen and his staff are optimistic they will see several great individual performances.

"It's a lot of work, from the athletes to Brandon (Ronan) to all of the coaches on the staff to Drew Babcock," Schweyen said. "This is what the work is for, and, hopefully, if we've all done our jobs, we're ready physically and mentally and we can go out nice and relaxed and confident."

Perhaps the biggest anticipation is from Paul Johnstone. The sophomore from Forsyth, Montana, is a perfect 12-for-12 in running events this season, winning every race he has run in the 200, 400 and 4x400 relay.

Johnstone is the favorite to win the 400 meters. His top time of 47.60 is more than a half-second better than the next-closest runner. Montana's 4x400-meter relay team, which features Johnstone, in addition to Callum Macnab, Jacob Lamb and Xavier Melice, is also the favorite, entering the meet with a top time of 3:16.51.

In addition to Johnstone, who also will compete in the 200 meters – an event he is seeded fourth in – June Eastwood is the favorite in the women's 1 mile. The Belgrade, Montana, native ran a time of 4:45.83 two weeks ago in Seattle, which is the best time of the season by a Big Sky athlete.

Several other Grizzlies are also in line to score points.

Freshman Quincy Fast will make his Championship debut, and currently holds the third-best time in the 800 meters (1:52.54), which came just last week at the Big Sky Tuner. He is one of three Grizzlies who hold top-eight spots in the event, in addition to Jacob Lamb (fifth) and Andrea Baratte (eighth). Montana also has the potential to score multiple athletes in the men's long jump, with Aidan Diggs, Peterson Bohannon and Jordan Stow all ranked sixth through eighth.

Diggs (ninth) and Stow (ninth) also are well within striking distance in the 60-meter hurdles and high jump respectively. Melice is seeded eighth in the 400 meters.

All three of Montana's male throwers are projected to score. Shawn Humphries, who set a school record earlier this winter in the weight throw, is seeded fourth. Brent Yeakey is fifth in the shot put, followed by teammate Noah Ramirez (seventh). All three scored a season ago.

On the women's side, Jane Booth – who has scored two times, including a second-place finish last winter – is seeded fifth in the high jump, while Olivia Ellis is sixth in the 60 meters. The senior sprinter is also currently eighth in the 60-meter hurdles and ninth in the 400 meters, while Aly Tekippe is ninth in the pole vault.

Schweyen made it clear, however, that whether an athlete is projected to score or not has no bearing on the outcome this week.

"Everyone should be excited, it doesn't matter where you're sitting," the veteran coach said. "Going to a conference championship is an opportunity for you to showcase yourself and your talent, no matter where you sit. The place that you sit going in has no bearing on your capabilities of going out and having the greatest day you've ever had."

Busy Athletes
Several athletes will have busy weeks, with 10 Grizzlies competing in at least three separate events: Andrea Baratte, Aidan Diggs, June Eastwood, Olivia Ellis, Ailsa Gilbert, Paul Johnstone, Jacob Lamb, Callum Macnab, Jaree Mane and Xavier Melice.

Ellis and Mane will each compete in four events, and making it even more impressive for Mane is the fact that she will open the meet with the pentathlon – a five-event competition that ranges from sprints to jumps to throws. Ellis has the potential to score in all four of her events, being seeded in the top nine in each of them. She has history of doing so, as well. A season ago, Ellis scored in all three of her events, and as a sophomore in 2017, she placed second in the 4x400-meter relay.

Macnab isn't seeded in the top eight entering the week, but has history on his side. The senior from Edmonton, Alberta, has scored five times in indoor, earning All-Big Sky recognition in the 200 meters and twice in the 4x400-meter relay – including a 2017 title.

First-Time Competitors
Of Montana's 44 competitors, more than 40 percent will get their first taste of the Big Sky Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships this week. The Grizzlies will send nine first-timers on the men's side and nine more from the women's roster.

"It's exciting for those athletes, whether they're freshmen or not, to compete for the first time," Schweyen said. "There's no added pressure, because the only pressure you can put on yourself is self-administered. Instead, we're hoping they'll put confidence in themselves, and will start to become familiar and comfortable with a meet like this."

First-Time Events
While there will be several first-time competitors at a Championship meet, there will also be a handful of first-time events. No Grizzly this season has competed in the 5,000 meters, distance medley relay or the multis. While that can be seen as a challenge, Schweyen again reverted back to not having excuses.

"It shouldn't affect them one bit," Schweyen said. "You can either make excuses or go figure out what you have to do and go do it. You're either setting yourself up for success or giving yourself a reason to fail."

For example, while Aidan Diggs hasn't competed in the heptathlon this winter, it's an event he placed fifth in last year as a freshman. The Arizona native, who was named the Big Sky Athlete of the Week earlier this season, also placed third in the decathlon at last year's outdoor meet.

Tempered Expectations
Montana enters the meet with tempered expectations, being seeded eighth in the men's preseason poll and sixth on the women's side. The Grizzlies expect to have several amazing performances, and potential individual champions, but it will likely be difficult for Montana to score enough points to compete for a team title. Part of that is due to youth, and some is due to redshirting and unexpected injuries.

For example, on the women's side alone, Montana is conservatively missing 35 points, including previous champions Jansen Ziola (pentathlon) and Carly Smiedala (800 meters), among others. The Grizzlies are expected to be closer to full strength for the outdoor season.

Adding to the challenge for Montana is how stiff the competition is. Six Big Sky schools are currently ranked in the top 125 of the USTFCCCA men's rating index, including Northern Arizona, which is currently the No. 1 ranked men's program in the entire country.

"A successful conference meet is to walk away from this meet healthy and satisfied in what we put out there," Schweyen said. "That might look different for each person, but we're hoping to go into this and see way more bright spots than dark spots. Every day, every week, every month, every meet is another rung on the ladder, and your job is to keep climbing. That's what we're trying to convey."

Following Along
Fans have plenty of opportunities to follow the action from Pocatello. Fans across the world can stream all three days of competition on Pluto TV. Additionally, results will be updated online as events complete.

Competing for Montana:

Men's 60 meters – Kip Krebsbach
Men's 200 meters – Paul Johnstone, Kip Krebsbach, Callum Macnab, Xavier Melice
Men's 400 meters – Chase Armstrong, Paul Johnstone, Callum Macnab, Xavier Melice
Men's 800 meters – Noah Adams, Quincy Fast, Noah Kells, Jacob Lamb
Men's 1 mile – Andrea Baratte
Men's 3,000 meters – Andrea Baratte, Will Dauenhauer, Hunter May
Men's 60-meter hurdles – Chase Armstrong, Aidan Diggs, Jaydon Green
Men's 4x400-meter relay – Callum Macnab, Jacob Lamb, Paul Johnstone, Xavier Melice
Men's distance medley relay – Andrea Baratte, Jacob Lamb, Colton Hess, Hunter May
Men's high jump – Josh Riley, Jordan Stow
Men's pole vault – Zane Johnson, Lawrence Moore
Men's long jump – Peterson Bohannon, Aidan Diggs, Jordan Stow, Jethro Thorne
Men's triple jump – Zane Johnson
Men's shot put – Shawn Humphries, Noah Ramirez, Brent Yeakey
Men's weight throw – Shawn Humphries
Men's heptathlon – Aidan Diggs

Women's 60 meters – Olivia Ellis, Emma Normand
Women's 200 meters – Cree Bell, Emma Normand
Women's 400 meters – Olivia Ellis
Women's 1 mile – June Eastwood
Women's 3,000 meters – June Eastwood, Samantha Engebretsen, Beatrix Frissell, Emily Pittis
Women's 5,000 meters – Beatrix Frissell, Emily Pittis
Women's 60-meter hurdles – Olivia Ellis, Ailsa Gilbert, Jaree Mane
Women's 4x400-meter relay – Olivia Ellis, Cree Bell, Abby Harmon, Jaree Mane
Women's distance medley relay – Samantha Engebretsen, Jaree Mane, Carly Dahms, June Eastwood
Women's high jump – Jane booth, Abby Dodge, Morgan Radtke
Women's pole vault – Kahsiah Benson, Grace Slevin, Aly Tekippe
Women's long jump – Ailsa Gilbert, Aly Tekippe
Women's triple jump – Ailsa Gilbert, Rachel Lewis
Women's shot put – Mariah Harvey
Women's weight throw – Mariah Harvey
Women's pentathlon – Jaree Mane, Holly Sudol