New Season - who to watch?

[Buffalo.Rider]

Well the track season is just getting underway. Fun to watch the Bison football team cap a great season with a national championship. But now time to think about track and field. NDSU has some excellent athletes, be fun to see how they do. I am curious, who do you all think are some of the men and women to watch this year.

[ndsansa]

I'm biased being from Minot, but I think Morgan Milbrath is going to be fun to watch. She was a 3 sport athlete in high school, so I'm curious to see how much time she cuts training just for track.

[Castor Troy]

Well the track season is just getting underway. Fun to watch the Bison football team cap a great season with a national championship. But now time to think about track and field. NDSU has some excellent athletes, be fun to see how they do. I am curious, who do you all think are some of the men and women to watch this year.

I am excited to see how Jerome Begin does in the long hurdles. He ran 52.41 as a sophmore. I am also hoping for Lexi Boschee to turn things around. Paige Strattioti and Antoinette Goodman should also help lead the way.

[Buffalo.Rider]

There are quite a few good athletes. Here are some who have impressed me.

Women's side:
Maddie McClellan - 3000m and 3000m Steeplechase
Ashely Tingelstad and Morgan Mildreth will be an interesting pair in the 400m.
Emily Lesser in the weights, already has a couple outdoor records.
Sierra Rosenau in the javelin, a Soph yet already has the school record.

Men's side:
Donte Smart - 400m (his strongest race, IMHO) Could he go 46?
Heppner - 800 and 1500 meter times. He could push the school record 800m, might get in mid 3:40s in 1500.
Lilliford in Heptathlon (indoors) and Decathlon (Outdoors)

[sambini]

Has Morgan Milbrath healed from her hamstring injury in the spring?

[Buffalo.Rider]

Has Morgan Milbrath healed from her hamstring injury in the spring?

Don't know, but unless it has been reinjured, it should have healed a few months ago.

Today she is running the 200m and a leg in one of the 4x400 relays.

[Buffalo.Rider]

Bison off to a good start. With one event done, Emily Lesser throws 2nd all-time best indoors in the Weight Throw today (if my math is correct).

.

[Castor Troy]

Has Morgan Milbrath healed from her hamstring injury in the spring?

She is fully healed but running not particularly fast. Give her time to gain some strength and she is going to be awesome.

[sambini]

She is better outdoors correct?

[Castor Troy]

She is better outdoors correct?

I would think so since she is quite tall. The 60 is too short and those turns are pretty sharp in the 2 and 4.

[Buffalo.Rider]

Andy Lilleford currently has the best Heptathlon score in the NCAA.
Granted it is early in the season, but still impressive.
(as seen on trackandfieldnews.com today, 1/22/14).

[Castor Troy]

http://www.gobison.com/news/2014/1/25/wtf_0125143846.aspx

Paige runs a blazing fast 600 and the men throwers keep proving that they are the strength of the team.

[Buffalo.Rider]

Since the 600 is not as common as the 400 and 800, I do not have as good an understanding of what makes for a good time, but the fact that she broke the school record held by Laura Hermonson (who ran a 2:01 800, got 2nd in the NCAA outdoor her senior year) says an awful lot. Great job P. Stratioti.

Maddi ran a pretty good 3000. Some good 400 performances by the women as well ... couple 55s.

I should add ... I have been pretty impressed on both the women's and the men's side on how many Fr and So are doing really well. I don't just mean the few who are getting into the all-time Top 10 ranks (and there has been an impressive number of these, especially on the women's side), but also those who have good times, distances, heights for a Fr or So - showing promise for their final two years. Overall NDSU (in my opinion) does a really good job developing its athletes so they improve, and when they show good improvement over their high school bests in their first and second years, that is a good sign and a good trajectory.

[tony]

How is Brecca Wahlund doing? I know she took first in the Summit League Cross Country championships this fall, but I don't think she ran in the NCAA regionals.

[Buffalo.Rider]

How is Brecca Wahlund doing? I know she took first in the Summit League Cross Country championships this fall, but I don't think she ran in the NCAA regionals.

I did a quick look ... appears she did not participate in the Jack Johnson meet this past weekend.

[Buffalo.Rider]

http://www.gobison.com/news/2014/1/25/wtf_0125143846.aspx

Paige runs a blazing fast 600 and the men throwers keep proving that they are the strength of the team.

Castor Troy certainly got this right ... both men's and women's throwers are doing a superb job so far this year. Fun to see.