STORY BY MONTANA SPORTS INFORMATION
MISSOULA – Jensen Lillquist is competing for the Griz once again, and he’s picking up right where he left off. The junior earned Big Sky Conference Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors on Tuesday after winning the men’s javelin during last weekend’s Al Manuel Northwest Dual Invitational.
The meet – which pitted Montana against athletes from Eastern Washington, Idaho, Montana State and Portland State – was Montana’s first of the outdoor season, and Lillquist’s first competition since May 2016, when he finished 14th at NCAA regionals.
The Ellensburg, Wash., native redshirted a year ago, but can be a big boon for the Grizzlies in 2018 and beyond. Lillquist is a two-time NCAA Regionals qualifier and has twice medaled at the Big Sky Championships, including winning the javelin as a sophomore in 2016.
Lillquist’s top mark on Saturday (211-10) was the second-best of the young season by a Big Sky athlete. It’s within striking distance of his personal best, which is just 4 feet shy of a school record. Lillquist, an English literature major, is a two-time USTFCCCA All-Academic selection. He was also named the Big Sky Conference Field Athlete of the Week once in 2016.
