Big Sky Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship Preview

Big Sky Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship Preview
Courtesy MSU Sports Informtaion
2/24/2010 9:40:42 AM


Olivia Rider will be competing in three individual events at this weekend's BSC Championships
As Montana State gets ready to host the Big Sky Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, conference sports information directors give you a preview of what you can expect to see.

Eastern Washington University

Men:

Adam Stewart, the 2009 Big Sky Conference indoor champion in the high jump, currently ranks fourth in the league with a mark of 6-8. The 2009 BSC outdoor champion, Stephen Praast, ranks third with a jump of 6-8 1/4. Currently ranked first is Emilio Hernandez of Sacramento State with a jump of 6-10 1/4. The 2009 conference indoor shot put champion, David Howard, ranks second in the conference with a mark of 55-7 1/2. Northern Arizona’s Javier Villarreal ranks first with a throw of 60-10 1/2. Ben Cogdill currently ranks third in the pole vault with a vault of 16-1 3/4. He finished third at the conference championships in 2009. Currently first in the conference is Michael Arnold of Idaho State with a vault of 17-1 1/2.

Women:

Looking for her first conference indoor title, Nicole Luckenbach currently ranks first in the weight throw with a school-record throw of 61-11 3/4. She broke Jamie Martin’s school record of 60-9 1/2 set in 2002. Currently tied for first in conference in the 55 meters is Krystal Deyo with a time of 7.06. She is tied with Portland State’s Geronne Black. Tied for second in the long jump is Shene Davis with a school-record jump of 19-8 1/4. She broke Deyo’s record of 19-2 3/4 set at the 2009 conference championships. Davis is tied with Sacramento State’s Ericka Violett and Northern Arizona’s Amber Anderson is first with a mark of 19-11 3/4. Erica Chaney ranks fourth in the shot put with a mark of 48-0 3/4. Chaney finished second in the shot put at the 2008 indoor championships. Amanda Murphy of Montana State is in first with a throw of 49-1 3/4. Chelsi Friese, who finished second at the 2009 indoor championships, is currently ranked sixth in the pole vault with a mark of 12-2 1/2. First is Kylee Gleason of Idaho State with a vault of 12-9.

University of Montana

Men:

The Grizzlies will need to have a big day from their throwers if they will want to do better than their seventh-place preseason prediction. Six of Montana’s 17 automatic qualifiers came in the shot put. Senior Chris Hellekson, who scored in both events at last year’s indoor championships, ranks third in the Big Sky in the shot put and fifth in the weight throw. Junior Chris Hicks, a three-time All-Big Sky indoor and outdoor performer in the event, enters the championships ranked third in the triple jump.

Women:

Montana, which was picked seventh in the preseason coaches’ poll, enters the championships with one of its most diversified teams in recent years. The Grizzlies had 20 women with 32 automatic qualifications in 13 different events. Leading the multi-event qualifiers is freshman Lindsey Hall, who will compete in the pentathlon, 55-meter hurdles, high jump, long jump and triple jump. Junior Katrina Drennen, who was the Big Sky runner-up in the mile last February, has the conference’s top 3,000-meter time this season.

Montana State University:

Four Montana State student-athletes are currently leading the Big Sky Conference performance list in their events. Junior Asa Staven leads the conference in the men’s heptathlon with a score of 5364 points, an NCAA provisional mark. Besides shooting for a conference championship, Staven is hoping to gain an automatic bid in the event for the NCAA Championships. He needs a total of 5675 points to do so. The heptathlon is a series of individual events scored against a national standard. The first event in the hep begins at 9:00 a.m. on Friday with the 55-meter dash and ends on Saturday at 2:15 p.m. with the 1000 meter run. Junior Amanda Murphy leads the conference in the women’s shot put. Murphy had her best throw of the season last week at the Bobcat Open going 49’1.75”. The mark is about nine inches short of a provisional NCAA mark in the event. Murphy also throws the weight and sits third on the Big Sky list in the event. The women’s shot put starts at 6:00 on Friday and the women’s weight throw is at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. There will be a battle between teammates Kris Schaffer and Amanda Murphy in the shot—both women have been in the top spot in the conference throughout the season. Sophomore Patrick Casey leads the conference in the men’s mile. Casey made history earlier in the season being the first collegiate to run a sub four-minute mile on Montana soil, running a 3:59.17 January 29 in Bozeman. Casey will also compete in the 800 and run a leg in the men’s 4-by-400 relay on Saturday. The men’s mile run will be 2:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon. Senior Jessie Greany leads the conference in women’s high jump. Greany shares that honor with three other jumpers at 5’6”. A local Belgrade product, Greany is in her last year of competition as a Bobcat. The women’s high jump will take place at 6:00 on Friday night.



Northern Arizona



Men:

The Northern Arizona men’s track and field team heads to Bozeman looking to repeat as Big Sky Conference Indoor Champions. Last year in Flagstaff, Ariz., the team scored 184 point on its way to victory. This year they are led by a mixture of upperclassmen, underclassmen and a solid group of newcomers. Leading the way for the seniors is six-time All-American award winner David McNeill. He comes into the meet leading the nation in the 3,000m (7:47.52) after he had a record-breaking performance at the Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash. Also providing top marks and leadership for the Lumberjacks are senior throwers Javier Villarreal (shot put) and Curtis Durocher (weight throw). Both have won Big Sky titles in their respective events and are at the top of the conference heading into the meet. Ahmed Osman, Charles White and Matt Holtfrerich are just three of many underclassmen contributing for the Lumberjacks thus far this season. Osman leads the conference in the 5,000m, and the sophomore also holds an NCAA provisional mark in the event. White, a freshman from Las Vegas, has burst onto the scene in his rookie campaign and leads the Big Sky in the triple jump, and is also tied for second in the long jump with teammate Thremaine Johnson. Holtfrerich, a highly touted freshman from the Phoenix area and former 200m state champion, has been a key contributor to the Lumberjacks in the 200m and 4x400m relay. Two newcomers for NAU that have made an early impact are Junior College-transfers Jordan Chipangama and Josh DeKonty. Chipangama, the fifth-place finisher at the NCAA Cross Country National Championships, has two NCAA provisional marks to his name in the 800m and the mile. DeKonty gives the Lumberjacks a real threat in the high jump, an event NAU has never won at the indoor championships. He currently ranks second in the high jump, and fourth in the long jump in the Big Sky.

Women:

The women’s team from Northern Arizona is also looking to repeat as conference champions. Last year the squad took first place by mere 4-and-a-half points over Sacramento State, and only eight points separated the top three teams. This year the Lumberjacks are receiving contributions from all over. Leading the throwers from NAU is senior Arshiya Hoseyni (shot put) and junior Nicole Elliott (weight throw). This is the third year Hoeyni is competing at the indoor championships, and Elliott is looking to defend her weight throw title from last year. The sprinters have received a boost from newcomer and TCU-transfer Shekila Wilkinson. The junior will be competing in the 60 and 200-meter dashes, and ranks second behind her teammate Annie Skordas in the 200m. Skordas, a senior from Salt Lake City, Utah, will also race in the 400m. The Lumberjacks will once again look to score a large amount of points in the distance races at the indoor championships. Senior Nell Rojas, winner of last year’s 5,000m, is back to defend her title and will also be looking for her first championship in the 3,000m after finishing second a year ago. Sophomore Kortnee Burton ranks second in the Big Sky coming into the championships meet in the 5k, the same event she finished fifth in last year. Haley Lawrence looks to improve upon her fifth-place finish in the mile last season as well. Leading the way for the Lumberjack-jumpers is junior Amber Anderson. The TCU-transfer has made her presence felt in the Big Sky since arriving at NAU. She holds an NCAA provisional mark in the triple jump, and leads the conference in both the triple and long jumps. Also having an early impact in her first year with the Lumberjacks is freshman Amber Yingling. The Peoria, Ariz., native comes into the Big Sky Indoor Championships ranked fourth in the long jump and eighth in the triple jump.

Northern Colorado

Women:

Starting off ranked eighth in the pre-season polls among Big Sky coaches, the Northern Colorado women’s track and field team has put up several stellar performances in order to qualify in seven events for the Big Sky Conference Championships. Among those qualifiers is junior Abigail Weedor, who tied her own school record in the 60-meters with a time of 7.69 at the Don Barrett Duals. A young team, the women are hoping to improve upon their highest finish from last season as they were sixth at the 2009 indoor championship. They will be without the services of defending 400 meter champion Justine Sandersfeld, who is redshirting, but look to Kelly Coomes in the hurdles and senior Meaghan Green in the throws to help lead the youth.

Men:

Northern Colorado men’s track and field, predicted to finish eighth in pre-season polls, delivered record breaking performances over the course of the season and qualified in nine events for the Big Sky Conference Championships. Qualifying in two events is senior Patrick Berg, who in the second meet of the season, broke the school record in the weight throw with a toss of 56-1.25. Just one week later, Berg broke his previous record set with a distance of 56-6.5. Senior Tyler Hoerner started off the season with a bang when he broke the school record in the 400-meter qualifying for the Championships with a time of 48.51 at the first meet. At the Don Barrett Duals, Hoerner was again able to beat his own school record in the 400-meters with a time of 48.45. The 4x400 relay, which was the first team to ever win a Big Sky title at Montana State in 2007, hopes to repeat the magic in Bozeman.

Portland State

The Portland State track and field team will have 15 representatives from the urban university, rested on the Park Blocks of Downtown Portland. Head Coach Ronnye Harrison, now in his second season at the helm, will again hope to lead individuals back to the championship podium as the Viks combined for three gold medals and a silver.



Sophomore Geronne Black is currently tied atop the Big Sky in the 55-meter dash with her 7.06. The New York City native became No. 3 in Portland State's record book with her 7.58 in 60-meter dash earlier this season. Sophomore Tony Crisofulli currently stands second in the 800-meter with his 1:50.82, a mere 0.62 shy of NCAA provisional mark. He's looking to become Portland State's first men's indoor 800-meter champion. Senior Nick Trubachik, the Big Sky's defending heptathlon champion, is looking to repeat this weekend, but currently sits second in the conference with his score of 5,307 points behind Montana State's Asa Staven. Trubachik's score is a PSU record and is 19 points shy of NCAA qualification.



Sophomore Joenisha Vinson is qualified in both the 55-meter hurdles and the pentathlon. Vinson currently sits fourth in the conference with her 8.71 and is ninth in the pentathlon with her 3,196 points. Junior Karene King currently sits fourth in both the 55-meter and 200-meter races with respective times of 7.10 and 24.87. King is a native of Tortola, British Virgin Islands and is a strong favorite amongst her coaches. Last year's silver medalist in the triple jump, Mikeya Nicholson, will be returning in the same event that took her to the podium last year but currently sits ninth in the conference with her mark of 38-0.75. The senior from Bellville, Ill., recorded her season-high Dec. 4 at the Jackson's Open.


Sacramento State

With a championship in 2008 and a second-place showing last season, the Sacramento State women’s track and field team has solidified itself as a force in the Big Sky Conference. This year, the team returns three student-athletes who have combined to win five individual titles. Leading the charge is senior Ericka Violett. Last year, Violett was named the co-Female Field Athlete of the Meet after finishing first in the 60-hurdles, long jump and triple jump. The Hornets also boast the two fastest 800 runners in the Big Sky in Lea Wallace and two-time defending champion Renisha Robinson. Wallace leads the league and ranks 12th nationally with a time of 2:06.31. Robinson is second in 2:08.64.

The Hornet men enter the championships searching for their third Big Sky indoor title in the last four years. Following a rebuilding year, a season ago, the Hornets return all of their top threats in 2010. Sacramento State will look to do most of its damage in the sprints, hurdles and jumps. One primary weapon will be junior Ronald Brookins who leads the league in the 60-hurdles and the long jump and is also ranked among the best in the 60-meter dash. Senior A.J. Reed will also add depth in the sprints and hurdles after redshirting last season. Junior Emilio Hernandez also redshirted in 2010 but has regained the form which earned him the Male Field Athelte of the Meet award at the 2008 outdoor championships. This year, Hernandez leads the Big Sky in the high jump at 6-10.75 and is also ranked among the top eight in the triple jump.

Weber State University

Men:

Weber State’s men’s indoor team will be seeking its sixth Big Sky Conference indoor track and field title, and the first since winning it all in 2004. ... Weber State was picked to finish second in the 2010 pre-season poll and received two first place votes. ... The Wildcats are led by senior distance runner Jace Nye who has qualified in the 800, Mile and 3,000. Nye is the defending champion in the 800 and Mile. He named the 2009 Co-Male Track Athlete. Weber State is the defending 4x400 Relay champion as well and will be favored again in 2010. Newcomer Jonevan DiSimone will be a favorite in the 55 meter hurdles.

Women:

The Weber State women are seeking a ninth Big Sky Conference indoor track and field title. WSU last won the meet back in 2007. They were picked to finish third in the 2010 pre-season poll and received two first place votes. ... Wildcat senior Ally Dean has qualified in the 200 and 400 meters. She will also be a contender in the 55 meter hurdles. She has the Big Sky’s fastest time in the 400 meters this season at 55.05. ... The Wildcats have some excellent depth in the long distance races led by Sarah Callister, Natalie Haws and Laken Skidmore. ... Michaela North is strong the 55 meter hurdles, Long Jump and Pentathlon. ... Weber State has another strong 4x400 Meter Relay team and will be favored to defend its title.