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Best Track Female Athlete a GRIZ

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http://www.gogriz.com/news/2017/2/26/womens-track-and-field-mcleod-named-championships-outstanding-performer.aspx

McLeod named championships’ Outstanding Performer
2/26/2017

Montana junior Erika McLeod (BUTTE) was named the meet's Outstanding Performer at the conclusion of the 2017 Big Sky Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday at Pocatello, Idaho.

McLeod was recognized for her performance in winning Thursday's pentathlon with 3,955 points.

Her total came up 14 points shy of the championships record and moved her up to No. 3 on the all-time pentathlon scoring list behind Montana State's Carley McCutchen (4,056) and Montana's Lindsey Hall (3,969).

Southern Utah's George Espino, who won the 800 meters in a time of 1:49.34, was named the men's Outstanding Performer.

Northern Arizona swept the Most Valuable Athlete awards, which go to the performers who score the most points at the championships.

Shanice McPherson scored 22 points, with a victory in the long jump, a second-place finish in the 60 meters and fifth-place showing in the 200 meters.

Tyler Day totaled 23 points. He swept the 3,000 and 5,000 meters, and finished sixth in the mile.

McLeod, named both the Outstanding Performer and Most Valuable Athlete at the 2016 indoor championships, scored 17 individual points at the championships, 19 if she is credited with two of the eight points Montana won for its runner-up finish in the 4x400-meter relay.

After winning the pentathlon on Thursday, McLeod finished fifth in the long jump on Friday. On Saturday she placed sixth in the 200 meters and ran the anchor leg for the second-place relay team.

She also competed in the triple jump on Saturday, finishing 13th.

"Multi-event athletes get pounded throughout the entire meet. They have their one or two days of multi-events competition, then they have two days of open competition. That can start to wear on an athlete," said coach Brian Schweyen.

"You're not only having to stay on top of your game as you go from one day to the next to the next, you're battling a rundown body and athletes who might be competing in just a single event."


Montana has won eight post-meet awards at Big Sky indoor championships since 2011. All have been won by multi-event athletes.

Hall won Most Valuable Athlete honors in 2011 and Outstanding Performer accolades in 2014. McLeod swept those two awards last year.

Austin Emry earned co-MVA honors in 2013, and he swept the awards in 2014.

"Multi-event athletes are counted on by a lot of teams, and Erika is no different for us," said Schweyen. "She's been a huge part of the women's team the last two years."

The Montana women finished second at the championships, despite scoring a program-record 102 points.

Northern Arizona used final-day titles in the 400 meters, mile and 3,000 meters, plus runner-up finishes in the 60 meters and mile, to score 75 points on Saturday and finish at 114 for the championships.

Sammy Evans, who finished second in the long jump on Friday, won her fifth Big Sky title by going a school-record 42-0 in the triple jump on Saturday to win the event by nearly two feet.

Evans wraps up her indoor career with 50 points scored at the winter championships. She three times won the triple jump, twice finished second in the long jump and placed fifth in the triple jump as a freshman.

That total ranks fourth in women's program history behind Hall (105.5), Loni Perkins (58) and Kris Schmitt (54).

The Montana men's team tied for sixth with 50 points.

Sterling Reneau won his first Big Sky title, claiming the 400 meters in a time of 47.81. He also ran a leg of the winning 4x400-meter relay, along with Callum Macnab, Jordon Wallin and Dylan Reynolds. It was the first time the Grizzlies have won the event at the indoor championships.

The outdoor track and field season begins on March 25 at the Montana State Open in Bozeman.
 
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