FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu May 4, 2016 Last regular season meet on tap for track and field MSUB Track and Field on Facebook | MSUB Track and Field on ISSUU GNAC Track and Field Weekly Reports | TFRRS Performance Lists
Rio Frame (left) and Bailey Bomar are looking for improved times before the GNAC Championships next week.
With just a week until the conference championships, the MSUB track and field teams are looking for improved qualifying marks at the last regular season meet in Missoula, Mont. BILLINGS, Mont. – With just a week remaining in the regular season, the MSUB track and field teams are ready for one last meet before the conference championships. The Yellowjackets are returning to Missoula, Mont., for the second straight Friday, this time for the Tom Gage Classic and a last shot to improve times and marks. “This will be out last chance to get our marks needed for conference next week as well as getting sharpened-up for the Championships,” MSUB head coach Dave Coppock said. “We had a great meet last week in Missoula, but we would still like to see improvement in a couple of men’s and women’s events. We’ll have a few priorities such as getting the women’s 4x4 relay time down in hopes of making the championships; that’s probably number one on the list. We’d also
like to improve the times in the steeplechase for Tyus Mendoza and Brielle Davis as well as Ivan Colmenero and Garrett Love in the men’s 5,000 and Rio Frame in the women’s 5,000. We would also like to get Robert Peterson’s time in the 1500 meters down to a possible National qualifying mark.” Last week the women’s 4x4 relay team finished the race in 4:09.92, which has the team in 10th place in the conference standings. Mendoza ran a 10:11.52 in Missoula last week in the 3,000 meter steeplechase and is 15th in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Davis is ranked 19th in the women’s event with a time of 13:15.54. In the 5,000 meters, Colmenero and Love are 27th and 29th respectively and Frame’s top time was a month ago at Carroll College as the junior needs to come down under the 18 minute mark to reach the conference championships. Peterson had a standout meet last week at the Montana Open winning the men’s 800 meters and the 3,000 meter steeplechase. The senior set a record in the 800 meters, but is switching gears this week to the 1500 meters. Peterson ran a 3:59.68 at the Montana Open last month and is ninth in the conference, but needs to drop that time down around 3:51 for a national qualifying mark. The top-5 in the GNAC are under 3:51 in the event, with the top time coming from Western Oregon’s David Ribich of 3:43.41. Also, looking to better their times are Liam McKay in the 800 meters, Austin Lindquist in the 110 hurdles, and Nate Vanderby in the 400 meters. Lindquist is ranked ninth in the GNAC while Vanderby is 11th. Freshmen Janessa Williams in the 100 hurdles and Josey Smiedala in the 800 meters are pushing for faster times. Smiedala ran the 800 meters for the first time in competition last week in 2:19.52 and is 20th in the conference. Expected to compete at the event in Missoula are host Montana, along with Montana State, Idaho, Eastern Washington, Carroll College, Rocky Mountain College, and the University of Great Falls.
2016 Tom Gage Classic Friday, May 6 Dornblaser Field, Missoula, Mont. Schedule of Field Events Noon Men’s hammer 1:00 p.m. Women’s hammer 2:30 p.m. Women’s pole vault Women’s shot put Women’s javelin 3:00 p.m. Men’s long jump 3:15 p.m. Men’s shot put 3:30 p.m. Men’s high jump Men’s javelin 3:45 p.m. Women’s long jump 4:00 p.m. Men’s pole vault 4:30 p.m. Women’s high jump Women’s discus Men’s triple jump 5:15 p.m. Women’s triple jump 5:30 p.m. Men’s discus
Schedule of Running Events 3:00 p.m. Women’s steeplechase 3:15 p.m. Men’s steeplechase 3:30 p.m. Women’s 4x100-meter relay 3:35 p.m. Men’s 4x100-meter relay 3:40 p.m. Women’s 1,500 meters 3:50 p.m. Men’s 1,500 meters 4:00 p.m. Women’s 100-meter hurdles 4:10 p.m. Men’s 110-meter hurdles 4:20 p.m. Women’s 400 meters 4:25 p.m. Men’s 400 meters 4:35 p.m. Women’s 100 meters 4:40 p.m. Men’s 100 meters 4:50 p.m. Women’s 800 meters 5:00 p.m. Men’s 800 meters 5:10 p.m. Women’s 400-meter hurdles 5:20 p.m. Men’s 400-meter hurdles 5:30 p.m. Women’s 200 meters 5:35 p.m. Men’s 200 meters 5:40 p.m. Women’s 5,000 meters 6:05 p.m. Men’s 5,000 meters --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--