MSU gets on track for success at the Big Sky Tuner

The fans roared as the firing of a starting pistol echoed through the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. On Feb. 20, MSU track and field hit its stride at the Big Sky Tuner (BST). 

The BST marked MSU’s final indoor track and field home meet before the Big Sky Conference (BSC) Championships from Feb. 27 to March 1 in Flagstaff, Arizona. 

Lyle Weese, director of track and field and cross country, highlighted various athletes who broke school records at the meet. “Hailey Coey — who ran her second 60-meter event ever — ran the second-fastest 60-meter in the BSC this year. And then she went right back over to the long jump and she hit a [personal record (PR)] there. Every time she picks up PRs, it’s a new school record and a new conference record.”

Kyla Christopher-Moody set the new school record in the women’s mile with a time of 4:34.40. “Right behind [Christopher-Moody], Lindsey Paulson was actually less than a second off of the old school record. It was great to have a school record and then someone else right there too,” Weese said. 

Other athletes attaining new PRs included Elijah Jackman in the men’s weight throw, Coey in the women’s long jump, Millie Hubbell in the women’s 60-meter hurdles, Annie Kaul and Sophia Miller in the women’s 800-meter and Mario Oblad and Ryan Harrington in the men’s 800-meter.

Along with school records and PRs, other events — including the men’s and women’s weight throw, the men’s shot put and the men’s mile — featured standout performances. Weese noted athletes Rob McManus, Harvey Cramb and Sam Ells, who all competed in the men’s mile. Each athlete ran a time that placed them in the top 30 in the NCAA. 

According to Weese, these performances show promise for the upcoming BSC Championships. “The good thing is that we are ready and we are prepared. We have a lot of training behind us, but to be running PRs and breakout performances like this [is] just a great sign that we’re still building momentum,” he said.

Weese described the goals he set out for the team at the beginning of the indoor track season. “With our program, we want to get people into the NCAA championships, and it looks like we’re going to be able to do that. And then we want to be competitive. Our goals are to win conference championships as a team,” he said.

According to Weese, 26 men and 26 women from each team can participate in the BSC Championships. “We base [our selection] off of how we are going to be able to score the most points as a team. We try to do everything and evaluate as best as we can to recognize all of the hard work that the student-athletes are putting in, but also recognize that we’re going there to put our very best foot forward,” he said.

The track and field administration has numerous resources to support its athletes throughout the season. This includes an athletic department staff, a student-athlete academic center, weight and athletic training room personnel, a fueling station, an onsite counselor and coaching staff and the athletic administration committed to meeting the needs of student-athletes, Weese said.

Students can support the ‘Cats at the BSC Championship via ESPN+, where the events will be livestreamed from Feb. 27 to March 1. Additionally, the NCAA Track and Field Championships will be streamed on March 14 and 15. 

To find out more about MSU track and field, visit https://msubobcats.com/sports/track-field.