MSU performed like it was the Super Bowl/World Series/Stanley Cup while NAU performed like it was a warmup for Nationals and Olympic trials.
Aaron Las Heras not in the 10K was a total headscratcher. He and Cale Grotenhouis could have teamed up and gone 1 and 2. Instead Las Heras runs the 1500 (huh?) and 5K
and the 5000 was really where you could see how badly MSU wanted it. Nico winning was a foregone conclusion, but Perrin and Richtman looked like Prefontaine at Munich the way they finished, grabbed 2nd and 3rd. Meanwhile the rest of NAU runners looked like they were coasting, Hasty, Nyoak, and Las Heras, not one of them tried to catch the 2 MSU runners even though each one was capable. just running for points, not against people, which can be a recipe for disaster.
this has always been my biggest gripe with NCAA track and field, the team titles. it forces runners to not run at their optimal because teams are doing math instead of racing.
This post was edited 3 minutes after it was posted.
In the Big Sky Meet MSU men’s team won at home over NAU. The distance squad went:
1,2,6,8 in the steeple (McManus, Taylor, Smith, Ells)
2,3,6 in the 10 (Richtman, Perrin, Smith)
2,3 in the 5 (Perrin, Richtman - pulled the fat out of the fire for the team win)
4,6 in the 1500 (Cramb [freshman]), McManus
7 in the 800. (Cramb)
Young, Sahlman and Las Heras all tripled for NAU. MSU just killed it.
No skin in the game...BUT, I'm chuckling thinking back to Feb when the MSU T&F Twitter account posted something like "6 MSU men go sub4 indoors in the mile***!!!" and people (including the scientific brain geniuses at the LRC Altitude Conversion Police) threw a fit bc the the times were all ***converted lolol
Just saw the team scores for the women! NAU wins by over 100 pts! Good lord the Big Sky sucks. NAU needs to move to a better conference. NAU women won the 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500, 5000, 10,000, 400H, Steeple, 4x1, and 4x4. So they win all running events except the 100 hurdles? Haha this has to be a joke!
1. NAU 240.5
2. MSU 134.5
3. Weber 81
4. Idaho 72.5
5. Sacramento St 68.5
6. Idaho St. 67
7. Montana 59
8. Eastern Wa 52
9. No Colorado 42
Another interesting fact Portland State scored 0 pts. Do they still have a track team?
Bozeman is a cool little town, reminds me of Flagstaff, and being that it's almost at 5000 feet is a great destination for distance runners. Duncan Hamilton (who now runs for Bowerman) is proof of that and they've gotten some talented international runners.
Montana State has the same problem as Wyoming - it's in the middle of friggin nowhere. At least in Flagstaff you're 90 minutes from Phoenix.
Coach Weese is doing a solid job there, a really good dude too. Watched an interview with him and he seemed so proud of winning and what it meant to the program and all the former athletes that have been there. If NAU had won Smith would have just tossed the trophy in the box where he keeps the dozens of other Big Sky trophies and started preparing for regionals.
This post was edited 10 minutes after it was posted.
Bozeman is a cool little town, reminds me of Flagstaff, and being that it's almost at 5000 feet is a great destination for distance runners. Duncan Hamilton (who now runs for Bowerman) is proof of that and they've gotten some talented international runners.
Montana State has the same problem as Wyoming - it's in the middle of friggin nowhere. At least in Flagstaff you're 90 minutes from Phoenix.
Coach Weese is doing a solid job there, a really good dude too. Watched an interview with him and he seemed so proud of winning and what it meant to the program and all the former athletes that have been there. If NAU had won Smith would have just tossed the trophy in the box where he keeps the dozens of other Big Sky trophies and started preparing for regionals.
They have a really nice women’s recruiting class and the men’s is small, but good. They have a transfer, and 8:59, 9:00, 9:00 boys from Montana, Idaho, and Montana. They graduate Richtman from their top 7.
Honestly, Sahlman had a very impressive anchor leg on the 4x4. I’d love to know his split. But he likely would have done more for the team had he ran the 5000 instead.
Overall it was a crazy exciting meet! Love to see conference upsets at home facilities.
What was his split?! I'm frothing at the mouth to know
Does anyone know why NAU basically pretends that the steeplechase doesn't exist? If you are a distance-focused program trying to win a conference title it seems strange to give up such a huge point swing in a distance event.
NAU honestly choked. Besides Nico and Colin the rest of the team choked. It’s like everyone is hurt or running poor
Cael Grotenhuis had a great meet for NAU. His 10000 was insane.
No skin in the game...BUT, I'm chuckling thinking back to Feb when the MSU T&F Twitter account posted something like "6 MSU men go sub4 indoors in the mile***!!!" and people (including the scientific brain geniuses at the LRC Altitude Conversion Police) threw a fit bc the the times were all ***converted lolol
How does winning the conference meet validate claiming your guys ran four minute miles when they didn't?
You don't get to call yourself a four-minute miler just because you've run 3:42 1500, and that's a far more reliable conversion. You have to actually run the time.
Maybe the men should think about beating Montana State before they change conferences. LOL
This is the first time in 19 yrs Montana State wins conference lol and did it by 1 point. NAU wins every year not only in outdoor track but indoor and cross country. Trust me NAU dominates the Big Sky in track/cross and it’s not even close.
No Drew Bosley? Can any NAU distance guy run the Steeple?
Nope, the last 4 outdoor seasons they have 2 total attempts at the Steeple per TFRRS (by people who are no longer on the team either.)
They just do not run it as a school for some reason.
I think they just realize they'll never win an outdoor national team title because of their lack of sprints jumps and field, so might as well focus on individual track results to prep for XC.
No Drew Bosley? Can any NAU distance guy run the Steeple?
Nope, the last 4 outdoor seasons they have 2 total attempts at the Steeple per TFRRS (by people who are no longer on the team either.)
They just do not run it as a school for some reason.
I think they just realize they'll never win an outdoor national team title because of their lack of sprints jumps and field, so might as well focus on individual track results to prep for XC.
mens steeplechase clearly isn't a priority for them at the moment though I suspect as Smith morphs them from solely being a XC school to an all around Track and Field school they'll fix that. they hired a sprinters coach last season which was a huge deal for them. I've seen a lot more sprinters/jumpers/etc...being recruited in the past year. Used to just nothing but road runners.
they're still a very young program when it comes to T&F - the fact that they were even in the conversation for a possible podium spot at this years NCAA Indoor Championships against powerhouses like Arkansas, Florida, and Texas speaks volumes to how much better their program has gotten.
meanwhile on the women's side Karrie Baloga looks like she's serious about steeplechase. she crushed the Big Sky outdoors plus getting to train on the same track as US Steeplechase champion Krissy Gear must be inspiring. .
I wonder if when Drew Bosley turns pro he follows Beamish's route and gives steeplechase a try. he could be great at it. he might be the best all around athlete on NAU's team - bodes well for a solid steeplechaser.
This post was edited 9 minutes after it was posted.
Does anyone know why NAU basically pretends that the steeplechase doesn't exist? If you are a distance-focused program trying to win a conference title it seems strange to give up such a huge point swing in a distance event.
Karrie Baloga will easily qualify for the SC nationals so what do you mean NAU pretends the SC doesn’t exists?
Just saw the team scores for the women! NAU wins by over 100 pts! Good lord the Big Sky sucks. NAU needs to move to a better conference. NAU women won the 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500, 5000, 10,000, 400H, Steeple, 4x1, and 4x4. So they win all running events except the 100 hurdles? Haha this has to be a joke!
1. NAU 240.5
2. MSU 134.5
3. Weber 81
4. Idaho 72.5
5. Sacramento St 68.5
6. Idaho St. 67
7. Montana 59
8. Eastern Wa 52
9. No Colorado 42
Another interesting fact Portland State scored 0 pts. Do they still have a track team?
Boise State and felt the same way. Now they are at the bottom of the mountain west. Not that that would happen to NAU, but recruiting isn’t as easy when you are in a conference with schools with big budgets
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