(Editor's Note: Montana State Press Release)
BOZEMAN — In a loaded men’s 1,500-meter field, Montana State’s Duncan Hamilton put an exclamation point on an outstanding career winning the event in 3:41.9. Once adjusted for altitude, the mark should hover around 3:36.00, a Bobcat school record and one of the top five marks at the NCAA Division I level this season.
Montana State captured the top seven spots in Saturday’s 1500-meter as Ben Perrin (3:45.86), Rob McManus (3:48.45), Levi Taylor (3:49.16), Owen Smith (3:49.65), Sam Ells (3:51.17), and Matthew Richtman (3:54.17) followed Hamilton’s lead.
“Top to bottom the men’s 1500-meters had a lot of PRs (personal record),” said MSU head coach Lyle Weese. “Pretty close to everyone in the field PRd, so that was exciting. Obviously, Duncan’s time was smoking fast for this altitude.”
The Bobcat men posted six event wins which included a bevy of PRs. Chris Bianchini notched 1:50.84 at 800-meters to move into sixth on this season’s Big Sky performance chart. Other event winners included Sean Jackson (200m, 22.08), Carter Slade (Shot, 55-5.50), Matt Furdyk (Hammer, 187-1), and Alex Hershey (400m, 49.27).
On the women’s side, the Bobcats took ten first-place finishes, including Lucy Corbett (high jump, 5-9.75), Jordan Fink (shot, 46-4), Leah Klein (Hammer, 176-0), Madison Smith (800m, 2:11.68), Giulia Gandolfi (400MH, 1:02.22), Leigha Carter (100M, 12.24, 200M, 25.03), Tristen Sedgwick (Discus, 145-1), Line Hommel (100MH, 15.24), and Hailey Coey (Long jump, 19-5.25). Coey’s mark moved her to the top of the Big Sky’s leaderboard in the event this spring.
“We had a lot of individuals break through and really move up into better rankings in the Big Sky Conference, which is very exciting and good to see,” Weese said. “It’s exciting to still be hitting PRs and seasons’ bests this late in the year. It is a great sign as we head into the conference championships.”
The Tom Gage Invitational was the final tune-up prior to next week’s Big Sky Conference championships in Greeley, Colo. Each school can take 28 men and 28 women to the meet.
“The Big Sky Conference championship is always a challenge,” Weese said. “It’s a really strong track and field conference. We feel good with where our teams are at, heading into it. We have a lot of experienced kids and a lot of people that just know how to compete when it comes to championship season.”
Saturday’s meet also marked the conclusion of eligibility for fourteen Bobcats, including Bianchini, Riley Collins, Corbett, Fink, Hamilton, Klein, Noah Majerus, Camila Noe, Twila Reovan, Ethan Saberhagen, Slade, Smith, Cooper West, and Ava Weems.
“It was great to be able to finish the season with a home meet and to be able to honor our seniors in front of their families and friends,” Weese said. “The seniors that competed all had a great meet.”
Results can be found here.
