Big Sky Conference Championships - This Week in Bozeman

[TomCat88]

The final race:

That’s freaking amazing. The guy from UM(?) looked like he was going to pass MSU’s Jett Grundy at the finish but you could see him hit the wall about 10-15 meters short.

[wbtfg]

This feels bigger than the us beating Russia in lake placid.

[CatBlitz]

Holy ****** what a race.

[CodyCat]

Of all the really cool things that have happened in 23-24, that may have been the coolest. Holy cow!

I was thinking that. The athletic department already had their end of year banquet since graduation was today, but this has to be the event of the year. Especially winning in this dramatic fashion, AND dethroning quite a dynasty...at least for this year.

The interesting thing about track is, that a team can beat another team in a relatively small meet like this. 815 points spread between 11 teams gives you some high scores. Then you get to a meet against 200 teams or whatever, and only the elite of the elite are going to score. MSU will score points in the steeplechase and maybe sneak a couple more here and there, but NAU could pile up some points at the national level. I've won divisional meets because my teams had depth but maybe didn't win many events. Then a team that gets 3rd at divisionals with 8 golds and not much else, can go to state and still get those 6 or 7 golds and win the meet because scores are much lower the more teams you get there. So I don't say that to diminish what MSU did this weekend...I say it to say MSU could potentially say they beat one of the best teams in the country.

There's been some Class C meets where one kid wins the championship for his/her school. I think Todd Reich from Hot Springs did that. The NCAA national meet is more about individual performance. This is like Gonzaga getting knocked off in the WCC Tournament. Almost never happens! Whatever-I want to see that 4X400 race on the big screen at Gold Rush!

That would be soooo epic to have that play at Gold Rush!!! How do we get that happen???

[RICO CAT]

Of all the really cool things that have happened in 23-24, that may have been the coolest. Holy cow!

I was thinking that. The athletic department already had their end of year banquet since graduation was today, but this has to be the event of the year. Especially winning in this dramatic fashion, AND dethroning quite a dynasty...at least for this year.

The interesting thing about track is, that a team can beat another team in a relatively small meet like this. 815 points spread between 11 teams gives you some high scores. Then you get to a meet against 200 teams or whatever, and only the elite of the elite are going to score. MSU will score points in the steeplechase and maybe sneak a couple more here and there, but NAU could pile up some points at the national level. I've won divisional meets because my teams had depth but maybe didn't win many events. Then a team that gets 3rd at divisionals with 8 golds and not much else, can go to state and still get those 6 or 7 golds and win the meet because scores are much lower the more teams you get there. So I don't say that to diminish what MSU did this weekend...I say it to say MSU could potentially say they beat one of the best teams in the country.

There's been some Class C meets where one kid wins the championship for his/her school. I think Todd Reich from Hot Springs did that. The NCAA national meet is more about individual performance. This is like Gonzaga getting knocked off in the WCC Tournament. Almost never happens! Whatever-I want to see that 4X400 race on the big screen at Gold Rush!

That would be soooo epic to have that play at Gold Rush!!! How do we get that happen???

So awesome! I was on the edge of my seat. Need to definitely give them some love on the new scoreboard.

[vike_king]

Earlier on Saturday, an NAU runner false started in the 110 meter finals. Had he not, and finished last, there would have been a tie for the team score. Last place in a finals race of 8 is worth 1 point.

A lady from Northern Arizona about broke a handrail when he false started.

Who knew that would be so important.

[MSU01]

Earlier on Saturday, an NAU runner false started in the 110 meter finals. Had he not, and finished last, there would have been a tie for the team score. Last place in a finals race of 8 is worth 1 point.

A lady from Northern Arizona about broke a handrail when he false started.

Who knew that would be so important.

Also, Jett Grundy won the 400m by millimeters earlier in the day. Another two points MSU wouldn't have won without getting.

[kennethnoisewater]

Earlier on Saturday, an NAU runner false started in the 110 meter finals. Had he not, and finished last, there would have been a tie for the team score. Last place in a finals race of 8 is worth 1 point.

A lady from Northern Arizona about broke a handrail when he false started.

Who knew that would be so important.

Also, Jett Grundy won the 400m by millimeters earlier in the day. Another two points MSU wouldn't have won without getting.

It's fun to do that, and you could do it on just about every event. NAU can too, obviously. Every point matters so much. You're right about your examples, but everybody who finished 4th instead of 5th can say that extra effort was the difference. And NAU has to go home thinking "3 more inches in the shotput" or "just a little more kick in the 800" would have made a difference.

[AFCAT]

I've watched that last race probably 20 times now. For the first five viewings, I thought those announcers were talking over one another and then I realized that there are two separate announcing teams calling the race and they must have been sitting within a few feet of each other.

[Catfanatic84]

I've watched that last race probably 20 times now. For the first five viewings, I thought those announcers were talking over one another and then I realized that there are two separate announcing teams calling the race and they must have been sitting within a few feet of each other.

Thanks for clearing that up....I was confused too.....what an amazing finish...

Congrats to the men's and women's track teams for an outstanding season!

[vike_king]

I've watched that last race probably 20 times now. For the first five viewings, I thought those announcers were talking over one another and then I realized that there are two separate announcing teams calling the race and they must have been sitting within a few feet of each other.

Thanks for clearing that up....I was confused too.....what an amazing finish...

Congrats to the men's and women's track teams for an outstanding season!

I bet one of the voices was the PA guy. He was doing play by play at times.

[Montanabob]

Earlier on Saturday, an NAU runner false started in the 110 meter finals. Had he not, and finished last, there would have been a tie for the team score. Last place in a finals race of 8 is worth 1 point.

A lady from Northern Arizona about broke a handrail when he false started.

Who knew that would be so important.

if every point matters we need a few more deca and hepa runners.

[saintcat40]

@Montanabob I don’t think you want to overdo the decathlon and pentathlon athletes. They only score 10 points for a win, just like every other event. Yet many athletes who could be in the decathlon or heptathlon score points in multiple individual events. The deca/hepta take so much out of a person that it is difficult to come back strong in the individual events later.

[AFCAT]

I hope MSU sells a Big Sky track champions t-shirt and hoodie. MSU didn't sell a t-shirt or hoodie for the basketball team championship this year, just a March Madness shirt. I was able to purchase a basketball champions shirt on eBay though.

[TomCat88]

Lost in the mayhem:

[BelgradeBobcat]

Lost in the mayhem:

I really gotta hand it to that kid for the griz that pushed Grundy, but for all his effort and a great race-he's gonna be posterized forever.
But he really put it all out there.

[kennethnoisewater]

Lost in the mayhem:

I really gotta hand it to that kid for the griz that pushed Grundy, but for all his effort and a great race-he's gonna be posterized forever.
But he really put it all out there.

Yeah that was a hell of an effort. Would have been a giant F-you to the Bobcats...got all the help they needed from NAU only to lose to an unlikely team--and your bitter rival at that.

[BelgradeBobcat]

I would guess there will be mural sized version of this on a wall in the Fieldhouse.

[AFCAT]

I would guess there will be mural sized version of this on a wall in the Fieldhouse.

The second best thing in that photo is that most of the spectators are living in the moment and don’t have their phones out videoing the race finish.

[CatBot]

I would guess there will be mural sized version of this on a wall in the Fieldhouse.

The second best thing in that photo is that most of the spectators are living in the moment and don’t have their phones out videoing the race finish.

That's a great point. The pic almost looks like a throwback.