During his time as a player at Montana, he saw what a Final Four team looks like up close and personal. During his time as the head men’s basketball coach at his alma mater, DeCuire has coached against a Final Four team as well. 

His first exposure to what the top collegiate basketball players in the world look like up close came when DeCuire was a redshirt freshman on the 1991 University of Montana men’s basketball team.

DeCuire was sitting out that season after transferring from Chaminade (Hawaii). Kevin Kearney, Delvon Anderson and the Griz won the Big Sky Conference regular-season title that season, the first under Stew Morrill and the first since 1978 by Montana. After a pair of thrilling wins over Idaho State and Idaho in Missoula, the 23-win Griz drew a No. 16 seed in their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1975 and just the second in school history.

Back in 1975, Jud Heathcote had led Montana to a 69-63 win over Utah State for the first NCAA Tournament win in school history. Five nights later, UM took UCLA, the juggernaut of all college basketball juggernauts, down to the wire before losing 67-64 in one of the most iconic moments in the history of the university or the Big Sky.

Back to 1991. The Griz were into the Big Dance after running the table in the conference tournament, an occurrence that had been elusive for Jim Brandenburgh and Mike Montgomery after they formed the first two roots of the Heathcote coaching tree that still stands strong to this day at Montana thanks to DeCuire. The reward? A matchup against No. 1 UNLV.

UNLV entered the game with a 30-0 record and riding a 41-game winning streak. Jerry Tarkanian’s Runnin’ Rebels are still remembered as one of the greatest, most fearsome and most polarizing college basketball teams of all time. But when Montana guard Eric Jordan hit UM center Darren Engellant, leading to a layup, UNLV clung to a 17-14 lead with 12 minutes to go in the first half.

“We got off to a really good start and we thought we had a chance,” said DeCuire some 35 years later. “They had t-shirts with seat belts on it that said, ‘Buckle Up.’ And at some point in time, Larry Johnson looked at us and told us to buckle up and they were a little too much for us.”

Stacey Augmon, a 6-foot-8 slasher would be the No. 9 pick in the NBA Draft later that year on the way to playing 14 seasons in the NBA, quieted the sellout crowd at the McKay Center in Tucson, Arizona, who had become enamored with a potentially historic upset bid.

The Chicago Tribune wrote: But even the most stout of anti-UNLV forces had to appreciate the spectacular play of Augmon in the first 20 minutes.

The 6-foot-8-inch forward scored 16 points on a variety of dunks and hanging, twisting layups.

The most UNLV-like bucket of the night came with 1:20 to go in the first half.

Center Elmore Spencer grabbed a defensive rebound off a missed jump shot, fired an outlet to midcourt to Anderson Hunt, who threw a lob pass toward the basket for a Larry Johnson dunk. But instead of slamming the ball threw, Johnson flipped it to Augmon, who softly reverse dunked for a 46-28 lead.

That`s unselfishness.”

Johnson, the national college player of the year that season and the No. 1 pick in the 1991 NBA Draft, poured in 23 points after winking at the Griz bench. Augmon and future NBA point guard Greg Anthony chipped in 20 points each and UNLV raced to a 99-65 win over the Griz.

“Nevada-Las Vegas is for real,” said Morrill following the loss.

”Everyone knows that, and we found it out firsthand. To experience (playing the Rebels) up close and personal was something.”

UNLV would win three more NCAA Tournament games during that run, including the following round against Alonzo Mourning’s Georgetown Hoyas. The run would come to an abrupt halt in the Final Four when Christian Laettner hit two free throws with 12 seconds left to lift Duke past UNLV.

DeCuire got a taste while watching from the bench in 1991. The following season, Montana advanced to the NCAA Tournament again, this time under Blaine Taylor, the Missoula-made fan favorite who recruited DeCuire to Missoula.

That Griz team went 27-3 in the regular-season. The win total is still UM’s single-season record, although DeCuire has been the head coach on two 26-win teams and this year’s Griz are 25-9. 

In 1992, Montana avenged both its league losses (89-67 at Nevada and 73-63 at Idaho) by blasting Idaho 69-52 and outlasting the Wolfpack 73-68 to punch another ticket to the Big Dance.

Like this year’s Griz, that team received a 14-seed. And like this year’s Griz, that team got sent to a regionally friendly location. The 1992 Griz played Florida State at the Boise State Pavilion in Idaho’s capital city. This year’s Griz won the Big Sky Conference title in Boise by taking apart Northern Colorado last week and will play No. 3 Wisconsin at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on Thursday.

The 1992 Grizzlies took on a Florida State team led by future NBA stars Sam Cassell, Charlie Ward and Bob Sura. Pat Kennedy was the head coach for the Seminoles, who he led to five NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the Elite Eight the following March. Six years after his final season at FSU and after a five-year stint at DePaul, Kennedy took over as the head coach at Montana in 2002. He was the only coach that did not come from Heathcote’s tree. He lasted two years before giving way to Larry Krystkowiak, a legendary Griz who helped refortify the foundation DeCuire’s program rests upon.

On the afternoon of March 19, 1992, Florida State’s speed and athleticism overwhelmed the Grizzlies early. The Seminoles took a 37-25 lead to halftime. In the second half, Montana came storming back, cutting the lead to six points on a thunderous one-handed dunk by Anderson off an assist in transition from DeCuire. After the assist, DeCuire pumped up a partisan crowd that was used to rooting against the Grizzlies as a Big Sky rival but who had aligned with Montana that day. 

On their jerseys, the Grizzlies wore black buttons pinned in honor of legendary trainer Naseby Rhinehart, a staple of UM athletics for 47 years spent pioneering an industry as one of the first black men to hold his position in Division I athletics. A team that also featured first-team All-Big Sky selections Daren Engellant and Roger Fasting — a pair of in-state products from Geraldine and Glendive, respectively — hung with the Seminoles before eventually falling 78-68.

“I remember we should’ve won,” DeCuire said back in 2018. “I remember we went into that game hoping we could keep it close as opposed to going in expecting to win. We made two runs to get ourselves back into the game.

“If we would have had that mentality to start that game, we would’ve found ourselves down the stretch with an opportunity to win. My learning experience was that you go into every game expecting to win, playing to win rather than trying to just keep things close.”

DeCuire played 21 minutes as the first man off the bench for that Griz team. He hit a pair of 3-pointers and dished out a pair of assists. Delvon Anderson, the Big Sky Conference MVP that season, scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds while Roger Fasting went 7-of-11 from the floor on the way to 17 points to go with three assists. Engellant, who was a senior on that team, scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Despite the strong performances by those standouts, Florida State rode 23 points from future NBA star Sam Cassell and saw four others, including future NBA player Bob Sura, score 14 points en route to victory. That Florida State team went to the Sweet 16 before bowing out against Indiana in the regional semifinal.

When asked what DeCuire remembered about playing against powerhouse programs during his playing days, Montana’s 11^th-year head coach said. “Runs. I remember runs. I remember the moment when we come to a timeout and everyone’s excited because we knew we belonged. I remember the moments of guys saying ‘next four minutes, next four minutes. We could, we could. We could be winners, walking away from this game if we handle these next four minutes properly.’

“So I remember being in those situations and feeling like we can make it happen. Unfortunately, that Florida State team had three NBA players on it (laughs).”

Montana’s NCAA Tournament history has featured daunting draws and chances for upsets. Heatchcote played UCLA, the eventual national champions, while Morrill played the defending national champs who made it to the Final Four. 

In 1997, Taylor led UM to the Big Dance for the second and final time. The Griz played No. 1 seed Kentucky, a team that went on to the national championship game before losing to Arizona.

In 2002, Don Holst led the Griz on an unlikely run after finishing sixth in the regular-season standings to win the Big Sky title. That team faced Oregon in the first round as a 15-seed. That Ducks team went to the Elite Eight.

In 2005, Krystkowiak’s 16^th-seeded Griz played No. 1 Washington and hung tough, losing 88-77 to a team that went to the Sweet 16.

In 2006, Montana got one of its only favorable draws since Heathcote was the head coach, drawing a No. 12 seed and playing Nevada. The Griz drilled their former Big Sky rival 87-79 before bowing out in the second round with a 69-56 loss to fourth-seeded Boston College.

In 2010, Wayne Tinkle’s Griz earned a 14-seed and played No. 3 New Mexico. UM fought hard before falling 62-57.

In 2012 and 2013, Montana had two of its worst NCAA losses, falling 73-49 to No. 4 seed Wisconsin, a Sweet 16 squad, in 2012. The following season, Syracuse embarrassed the Griz. The Orange’s zone defense flummoxed Montana and the underdogs lost 81-34. Syracuse went to the Final Four.

That was also the case in 2018 when the Griz played Michigan, although Montana pushed the Wolverines for much of the game in a 61-47 loss. Michigan went to the Final Four. The following year, Montana played Michigan again, losing 74-55 as the Wolverines went to the Sweet 16.

DeCuire has been a part of five of Montana’s 13 trips to the Big Dance. Thursday at 11:30 a.m. MT, his squad takes on a Wisconsin team coming off a 59-53 loss to Michigan in Sunday’s Big Ten championship game. The Badgers lost three of five down the stretch of the regular season before winning three in a row in the Big Ten tournament to surge to a No. 3 seed.

“Wisconsin is right up there with the best of them,” DeCuire said. “Michigan in 2018 was a Final Four team and we walked away from that game feeling like we had a chance. I won’t say we should’ve won. They were a Final Four team. But we had all the momentum, we had a lead and they were burning timeouts. Then the power went out. That shifted the momentum. And I don’t think it was ready to be shifted.”

DeCuire made it a focus to win the first five minutes of the game in his first trip as a head coach to the NCAA. He wanted to put Michigan on its heels and force the No. 3 seed to call timeout and reassess. Three seconds into the contest, the Wolverines turned the ball over. Less than a minute in, Montana had a 5-0 lead, and just over 4 minutes in, the lead was up to 10-0. In the first 4 minutes, 16 seconds, before the Wolverines got on the board, they were 0-for-4 shooting with three fouls and two turnovers.

Montana held the lead through the first 13-plus minutes, and even when Michigan took its first lead with 3:59 to play in the half, the Grizzlies always stayed within five points and trailed by just three at the break.

With 16:45 remaining in the second half the shot clocks lost power, resulting in an 11 minute delay in the action. The Grizzlies missed 12 consecutive shots and were held without a point for 9:56. Michigan won going away and would not lose again until the Final Four. 

Even though DeCuire’s squad got a rematch the following season, he and his staff have been chomping at the bit for another chance at a Big Ten foe. That comes Thursday at 11:30 a.m. in Denver.

 “You walk away from some experiences desperate for another opportunity which is what our program has right now,” DeCuire said with a smile.  

No. 2 Montana won in thrilling fashion in double overtime to advance past North Dakota State and into the championship game of the FCS Playoffs.

The Griz ride a 10-game winning streak as they head to their 8th national title game in search of their third national championship trophy. Montana head coach Bobby Hauck has led UM to three national title games, finishing runners up in 2004, 2008 and 2009.

Video filmed & produced by Colter Nuanez, Skyline Sports. All Rights Reserved.

The Griz ride a 10-game winning streak as they head to their 8th national title game in search of their third national championship trophy. South Dakota State leads the country in scoring defense and has outscored its opponents 123-12 so far in the FCS Playoffs.

South Dakota State OL Mason McCormick, QB Mark Gronowski & LB Adam Bock participated in an NCAA sponsored press conference. SDSU head coach Jimmy Rogers also participated.

Video edited by Colter Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.

While Taylor (8:45.17) and McManus (8:47.86) will not race on Friday, the duo both earned Second Team All-America honors based on a top 16 finish. It is the second straight honor for Taylor, a Laurel native, while McManus, a product of Cashmere, Wash., garners the accolade as a freshman. 

Hamilton and Taylor ran in the opening heat which went out slow. Both Bobcats established themselves at the front of the pack early. “Duncan and Levi did a good job getting through the traffic early and getting in a good, solid position,” said MSU Dale Kennedy Director of Track and Field Lyle Weese. “Duncan did what he needed to advance to the finals, and Levi just came up short over the final 800-meters. 

“Levi had an incredible season,” Weese added. “He faced some setbacks during the early season but continued to do the tough work and finished being a Second Team All-American.” 

McManus, running in the faster second heat and his first NCAA meet, started strong for the first ½ of the race, before falling back. “Rob ran really well, but the I think he got a little discouraged. He made a nice move late, but couldn’t quite get there,” Weese said. “Rob also had an outstanding first season and I’m excited to see where he can take this.” 

All five automatic qualifiers in the second heat posted faster times than Hamilton. Eastern Kentucky’s Abdelhakim Abouzouhir notched the top mark of Wednesday’s event in 8:35.41. 

Kalispell product Ben Perrin completed MSU’s opening day at the national championships placing 23^rd in the 10,000-meters in a time of 29:58.53. For his efforts, Perrin was named Honorable Mention All-America. Stanford’s Ky Robinson won the 10K title in 28:10.96. 

“Ben did a really nice job positioning himself in the first ½ of the race,” Weese said. “It was a strong field that set an early fast pace. I think the heat was more of an impact for the athletes in the 10K and it was a challenge for Ben. He didn’t quite have it in the second half, but he gave it his best chance for a possibility of success. 

“Ben, like Levi and Rob, really had an outstanding outdoor season,” Weese added. “All three of them gained valuable experience competing in the NCAA championship and they will play an important role in our future successes.” 

MSU drew a No. 14 seed and a matchup with Big XII powerhouse Texas Tech. The third-seeded Red Raiders made 10 straight shots to open up a 30-9 lead on the way to a halftime advantage of 52-25 and a final score of 97-62. Texas Tech moves on to face No. 11 Notre Dame, a 78-64 winner over No. 6 Alabama in the second game here on Friday.

Photo attached of Duncan Hamilton courtesy of the Big Sky Conference

STILLWATER, Okla. – Montana State’s Duncan Hamilton completed his four-day span participating on the national stage with his appearance at the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Monday, March 15, at the Oklahoma State Cross Country Course.

After claiming a Second Team All-America showing on Friday in the men’s mile at the NCAA Track and Field Championships, Hamilton placed 110th in the field of 251 runners in the 10-kilometer cross country race Monday.

The Bozeman native raced along with the front of the pack for a majority of the championship race. He sat among the top 50 runners in the individual standings through the first half of the meet moving up to as high 38th at the 5,000m split. He was positioned at 59th heading into the final 2,000 meters and eventually took 110th crossing the finish line in 31 minutes, 36.3 seconds. Hamilton finished less than a minute off an All-American pace.

Hamilton’s 110th-place showing was the Bobcat men’s program’s best individual finish since Jake Turner took 101st at the 2014 championship. He was the 11th Montana State men’s runner to compete in the NCAA Cross Country Championship and the fourth to do so individually.

“Duncan had an incredible winter of accomplishments competing in two NCAA Championships,” said Lyle Weese, Montana State’s director of track and field and cross country. “It was awesome seeing him out there with some of the best in the NCAA. I know he is already excited about his next opportunity to compete during the outdoor track and field season.”

Hamilton and the rest of the Bobcat program look forward to the start of the outdoor track and field season. The outdoor season is set to culminate with the Big Sky Conference Track and Field Championships being held in Ogden, Utah, from May 12-15.

In one of the final races of the day, Trouard entered with a seed time of 13:47.86 and a national ranking of second in the men’s 5,000 meters. The senior added a first-team All-American honor to Northern Arizona’s tally and ended the event in fourth with a time of 13:55.46. Trouard also won a national championship during the indoor season, claiming the top spot at the national indoor meet in the 3,000 meters.

Earlier in the day, Montana State’s senior Kyle Douglass placed 17th, just outside second-team honors, with a mark of 53.91m (176-10) to collect honorable mention All-American accolades. The Bobcat standout was the first men’s thrower to qualify for the national championship meet since 2005. Douglass, the third Bobcat ever to compete at the NCAA Championships in the discus, earned honorable mention All-America accolades for his appearance in Eugene. He narrowly missed out on Second Team All-America honors, with Kentucky’s Noah Castle recording a throw of 177-00 to place 16th overall.

Pair of Montana State seniors will perform on college track’s biggest stage

Armstead, Sacramento State’s only entry in the NCAA finals, battled with the best to finish seventh and earn first-team All-American honors. Armstead surged into the first team with a season-best leap of 16.17m (53-0.75). Furthermore, Armstead is the first Big Sky athlete to place in the top eight at the NCAA Finals in the men’s triple jump since 1990.

The fourth and final day of Big Sky track & field competition at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships will feature NAU’s Ashley Taylor in the women’s 800m. Taylor will race tomorrow (June 9) at 4:44 p.m. (PT).

NAU’s Andersen takes second in the nation in the women’s hammer throw

Brooke Andersen placed second in the nation in the women’s hammer throw, Ashley Taylor won her heat to advance to the finals of the women’s 800-meter race and Helena McLeod set a new personal best to finish 20th in the country in the women’s long jump as the Northern Arizona University track and field program competed at the second day of the NCAA Outdoor National Championships at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field on Thursday.

Andersen got the day started as she posted a best toss of 72.87 meters in the hammer to finish second overall and earn first team All-American honors. It is the second consecutive year that the redshirt-senior has been named the NCAA’s runner up in the event despite improving her mark by 14 feet from nationals the year before. Andersen was edged out by Ole Miss’s Janeah Steward for the championship by just five centimeters.

The result ended one of the most storied NAU careers as Andersen will go down as the Northern Arizona and Big Sky Conference record holder along with being recognized as one of the best performers in the event in NCAA history. She recorded the second-best throw in the history of the sport earlier this season.

“Brooke concludes her career at NAU as not just one of the best throwers of the history of the school and conference but as one of the best throwers in the history of Division I track and field ever in this event,” director of track and field Michael Smith said. “Her performance today was just one piece of such an incredible career. She made us very proud with her series today.”

“When you’re coming to the biggest meet of the year and you find a way to access your best at a meet like this it’s just a massive accomplishment and something to be very proud of. I know Brooke had her eyes on an NCAA title but that performance she put in today, competing like that and the way she went about doing it was incredible. Being an NCAA runner up is a fantastic accomplishment that she worked so hard for. To get even better than last year’s NCAA performance in the way that she has says so much about her and throws coach Nathan Ott and what they’ve been through. They have my utmost respect.”

Taylor was next for the Lumberjacks and advanced to Saturday’s finals of the 800-meter race after winning her heat with a time of 2:05.65.

The senior hit the last lap bell in seventh place and went on a charge over the race’s last 400-meters. Taylor was forced to the outside of the pack and then outkicked the field down the back stretch to claim the heat’s victory.  Her second 400-meter split came in .74 seconds faster than any other competing athlete. 

“The rounds require composure and that’s the attribute that allowed Ashley to advance through that semifinal,” Smith said. “We’ve talked about her being new to the event and the piece that can be challenging there is experience but in some ways maybe that’s leading her to have such control and not overthink what’s occurring.”

“Being in her second NCAA final in two attempts is a great honor,” Smith added, referencing her fourth-place finish in the event at the indoor national championships.

McLeod concluded the evening for the Lumberjacks with a 20th-place finish in the long jump with a new personal best of 6.07 meters. 

She was just the second women’s long jumper in the program’s history to qualify for the Outdoor National Championships and was named an All-American honorable mention with her performance.

“What a massive honor it is to qualify for the national championships with the best athletes in Division I,” Smith said. “At an even higher level to come here and execute despite a heighten environment is just huge for an athlete.”

“The big thing for Helena at her age and the place that she’s in is getting experience at this level,” Smith concluded. “She’s come so far in a year and the way she executed jumping a personal record at the biggest meet of the season, it doesn’t get better than that. This is just the start for her and she made us very proud today.”

Fans can watch the action live on the ESPN family of networks.

First-team All-American honors will be awarded to those athletes from individual events and relay teams that finish 1st through 8th, while those who place 9th through 16th will be named to the second-team. Honorable mention will be given to those who finish 17th through 24th.

The Big Sky Conference didn’t land a first-team All-American selection until the end of the day, but what a thrilling men’s 10,000-meter race it turned out to be. The league had three participants in the event, including Northern Arizona’s senior Matt Baxter, sophomore Tyler Day and Southern Utah’s senior Mike Tate. The Lumberjack distance duo of Day and Baxter went fourth and fifth, respectively. Day clocked a time of 28:39.03 and Baxter recorded a time of 28:39.35. Day and Baxter now rank sixth and eighth all-time in Big Sky history and both received first-team All-American honors for finishing in the top eight.

Tate of Southern Utah placed 20th in the 10,000m with a time of 30:14.75 to collect honorable mention All-American accolades.

Northern Arizona’s Freshman Luis Grijalva got the day started with a 17th-place finish in the men’s 1,500m. Grijalva recorded a time of 3:49.85, which earned him honorable mention All-American status.

Just after the men’s 1,500m, Weber State senior Jordan Cross recorded a 20th-place finish in the men’s steeplechase and ran a time of 9:00.82 to earn honorable mention All-American honors.

Northern Colorado’s junior Alex Wesley, UNC’s first NCAA Finals competitor since 2013, finished 14th in the men’s 400m with a time of 45.91 to garner second-team All-American accolades. Wesley’s time was a personal best and ranks fifth all-time in Big Sky history.

Southern Utah’s sophomore Tre James got his first taste of the NCAA Finals after a 24th-place showing and a time of 21.28. James collected honorable mention All-American honors for his efforts.

The second day of Big Sky track & field competition at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships will begin tomorrow (June 7) with the women’s hammer throw at 1:30 p.m. (PT). In all, the conference will be represented tomorrow by four athletes across four events.

Fans can watch the action live on the ESPN family of networks.

First-team All-American honors will be awarded to those athletes from individual events and relay teams that finish 1st through 8th, while those who place 9th through 16th will be named to the second-team. Honorable mention will be given to those who finish 17th through 24th.

At last year’s championships, the Big Sky Conference sent a total of eight athletes. However, the conference improved that number by six to send 14 athletes to Eugene this outdoor season.

Wednesday (June 6) marks the first day of the NCAA finals and will feature a host of Big Sky track athletes. Northern Arizona’s freshman Luis Grijalva will get things started as he competes in the men’s 1,500m. Grijalva will enter the event ranked 11th nationally.

Shortly after the men’s 1,500m, Weber State’s senior Jordan Cross will compete in the steeplechase. Cross will look to battle for first-team All-American status as he currently ranks seventh overall in the event.

Later on, Northern Colorado’s Alex Wesley will be the first Bear to compete at the NCAA championships since 2013 as he will contend in the men’s 400m.

Southern Utah’s Tre James, the Big Sky Men’s Most Valuable Athlete and Outstanding Performer will race in the men’s 200m, becoming the first Big Sky male athlete to compete at nationals in the 200m since 2008.

A trio of 10,000-meter runners will round out the first day of Big Sky track action, including Northern Arizona’s senior Matt Baxter, sophomore Tyler Day and Southern Utah’s Mike Tate. Tate ranks second in the nation in the 10,000m and will look to seize the individual title. Baxter and Day are also in the hunt for first-team All-American honors and an individual championship. Baxter slots fifth in the nation while Day ranks sixth in the country.

The second day of competition (June 7) will begin with a historic opportunity for Northern Arizona’s senior hammer thrower Brooke Andersen. The native of Vista, Calif., has a chance to not only become an individual champion, but also set the NCAA women’s hammer throw record in the process. Andersen, who has already recorded a mark of 74.20m (243-5) this year, just needs to top the distance of 74.53m (244-6) to claim the all-time NCAA record.

Fellow Lumberjack Helena McLeod will compete in the women’s long jump while teammate Ashley Taylor will appear in the women’s 800m later on. Taylor will be right in the mix for All-American honors as she enters the race ranked 12th overall. Taylor is also the first female Big Sky athlete to qualify for nationals in the 800m since 2012.

Rounding out Thursday’s Big Sky representatives is Montana State’s Amanda Jaynes. Jaynes will compete in the women’s 400m hurdles.

Pair of Montana State seniors will perform on college track’s biggest stage

The third day (June 8) will commence with Montana State’s senior Kyle Douglass and the men’s discus event. Douglass enters the competition ranked 15th in the country.

Sacramento State’s senior triple jumper Darius Armstead will compete shortly after the men’s discus. Armstead holds an 11th-place ranking going into the event.

Northern Arizona’s Andy Trouard will conclude action on Friday with an entry in the men’s 5,000m. Trouard ranks second in the country in that competition and will look to add another individual title to his resume.

First-team All-American honors will be awarded to those athletes from individual events and relay teams that finish 1st through 8th, while those who place 9th through 16th will be named to the second-team. Honorable mention will be given to those who finish 17th through 24th.

The first of two Big Sky gold medals for the Montana State senior in Moscow, Idaho would’ve brought her to tears if she wasn’t rendered speechless by the result.

“It was nerve-wracking and I felt like I had a lot of pressure on my shoulders to perform like I knew I could perform and had performed the previous parts of the season but I also had a lot of confidence knowing I have the ability to perform as well,” Jaynes said. “I had been working for the 100 hurdles for four years and when I won that, I wish I could’ve had tears but I didn’t. I was in shock. I finally had one of my goals I had been working for four years.

“To bounce back and win the 400 hurdles, it was really motivating on to the next rounds.”

At the NCAA West Regional Outdoor championships in Sacramento last weekend, the emotions again began with shock in the 100 hurdles, although this time the feeling was the shock that accompanies disappointment. A runner ended up in Jaynes’ lane, causing her to sputter to a 39^th-place finish in the 48-athlete field.

If the thrill of the Big Sky gold in the short hurdles ignited Jaynes to earn a regional championship berth in the long hurdles, the disappointment of the short hurdles at the West Regional motivated Jaynes to ensure her career would not end before she reached college track and field’s biggest stage.

In the national quarterfinals of the 400 meter hurdles that serves as the regional championship race, Jaynes pushed threw, posting a time of 58.22 seconds to punch a ticket to this week’s NCAA Outdoor National Championship meet in Eugene, Oregon.

“Having a disappointing race in the 100 hurdles, you can’t control outside factors with people falling in your lane or anything like that,” Jaynes said. “But to be able to go to Eugene after having that bad race and not letting it effect me is rather exciting.

“I don’t know what to really expect at nationals. I know it is going to be a different level of competition than I’ve ever experienced in my four years. I’m just excited to get an opportunity to run in Eugene against the likes of Sidney McGlaughlin.”

McGlaughlin, a sophomore at Kentucky, is one of the premier young track athletes in the world. She became the youngest American female track Olympian in nearly 40 years when she qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games.

Jaynes, one of two MSU athletes competing in Eugene along with senior thrower Kyle Douglass, and the rest of the 24-runner 400-meter field will race in the first semifinal at 7 p.m. on Thursday night. She will be running in the first lane of the third heat. She is just the 10^th Montana State woman track star to advance to the NCAA Championship meet.

“Right when you are in the blocks, you realize you are here and you have to compete and you don’t know how well you are going to do and you have to have that moment,” Jaynes said. “You also have to think about nothing. The less you think about it, the less nervous you are going to get because then you stop fixating on it. For me, the weeks leading up to these meets, I try not to think what it will be like to race there and I just think what it is to race, what I have to do to race well.

“Once I start to compete, it all melts away.”

Jaynes — who attended Missoula Sentinel for her freshman and sophomore years before earning six medals at the Washington 4A state track meet her junior and senior years at Steilacoom High, including a state title in the 300 hurdles as a senior — said she has spent the time between the regional meet and the national meet trying to keep her normal routine. She’s been prioritizing training, weight lifting, rest and recovery, proper nutrition and hydration.

“Amanda is a little concerned about being the 22 seed,” longtime MSU track and field head coach Dale Kennedy said. “Those are just numbers. She’s got a lane, she’s got a great opportunity. I’m quite confident she can run faster than she’s ran previously.

“Amanda has made a claim that she belongs at this level and has lit the record book on fire.”

For Jaynes, her most recent sprint triggered locking in the mindset it takes to sprint 400 meters while jumping over hurdles. For Douglass, himself a Missoula Sentinel graduate, the past experiences and shortfalls led him to securing a chance on the biggest collegiate stage in his sport.

“The previous two years, my season ended (at the West Regional) in Kansas and then Texas last year and I never made it to Oregon,” said Douglass, the Big Sky champion and national meet qualifier in the discus. “The experience of those two meets probably helped as much as anything with this one in Sacramento.

“When I got to the meet, I had already been there 100 times because of the years before and the practice leading up to it. It’s relaxed me quite a bit. The nerves were still there but it relaxed me.”

Douglass did more than just win the Big Sky championship and stamp a regional seed with his 192-foot, five-inch throw in Moscow. He also gave himself a third straight chance to earn a spot in Eugene. With a throw of 182-05, he secured a spot at nationals and also solidified himself amongst the long line of decorated throwers at Montana State.

He will be the first MSU discus thrower to compete in the NCAA Outdoor Championships since 2005 when Josh Henigman finished 14th. He’s the third Bobcat to advance to the meet in the discus with future Olympian Lance Deal the first to do so in 1984 when he placed eighth.

“Honestly, I can’t take credit for any of it,” Douglass said. “God has blessed me with amazing coaches. Coach Mike Carignan laid the foundation for this year even though he’s not here anymore (retired after last season) and Jen Allen has done a great job. And my teammates – they’ve been awesome, so supportive. I’m still getting support even though a lot of their seasons ended. It’s a great program to be a part of. Everyone loves everyone here. I can’t take credit for any of it. It’s all been a gift.”

The men’s discus final begins at 6:05 p.m. on Friday. Douglass is in the first of two heats. The seven-time All-Big Sky performer is the No. 15 seeded thrower and will need a top-eight finish to earn first-team All-American honors.

“Kyle has just been so consistent,” Kennedy said. “Certainly, a 190-foot throw should land him in the top eight to be a First Team All-American. It’d definitely put him in the top 16.”

Regardless of how this weekend plays out for Montana State’s two national championship-caliber seniors, both will be remembered as among the Bobcats’ best to ever compete on the track or in the circle.

Jaynes has earned All-Big Sky honors on nine different occasions. She is Montana State’s all-time record holder in the indoor 60-meter hurdles (8.50 seconds) along with the 100 hurdles (13.66) and the 400 hurdles (57.66) in outdoor. She has five gold medals from the Big Sky meet and will gun for one last accolade, hoping to see her performance accelerated by the elevated field of competition.

“I think it’s 50/50; you can run at that higher level but you risk your body not being ready for it,” Jaynes said. “At the same time, if you are mentally and physically prepared, I think the higher pace of running with these faster girls could push me to run faster than I’ve ever ran.”

Douglass is a two-time Big Sky champion who owns seven conference medals. He finished his indoor career with the third-best shot put throw in school history (60 feet, 5.25 inches). His top marks in the discus (192-05) and the shot put (60-01.25) are the second-best marks in Bobcat annals. With one more good throw, Douglass has a chance to add one more title to his decorated resume: All-American.

“I couldn’t feel more blessed to be in this position,” Douglass said. “I didn’t do any of this on my own. I’ve had constant support. I know it’s been a gift. I’m just trying to enjoy it and have some fun. Practice has been going well so I’m just trying to soak it in. No matter what happens next Friday, I’ve had fun and I’ve had the people around me that have meant the most to me. And I’ve gained a lot from this program both on the track and off the track.”

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