BOZEMAN – Six Montanans are competing in this week’s NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships this week, and two of them are Montana State Bobcats.
Senior sprinter Amanda Jaynes will be competing in the 400-meter hurdles. It’s the first NCAA outdoor championships for Jaynes, who runs her first heat on Thursday. But she’s dedicated the hours to get to the championships in Eugene, Ore., and now she’s ready to prove she belongs.
“I’m a firm believer of what you put in is what you get out, so coach giving me the tools that I can take to myself and say, ‘I can do this, I know how to do it.’ Without him and without a strong mentality, I don’t think I could have succeeded this far,” said Jaynes.
Also headed Oregon for his first outdoor championship is another senior, Kyle Douglass. The Missoula Sentinel graduate will be throwing discus on Friday, and he knows he wouldn’t have gotten this far without support.
“The last month has been crazy track-wise. I couldn’t have asked more out of my senior year, and I couldn’t take any of the credit myself,” said Douglass. “The coaches have been phenomenal this season, both mentally and physically. And my teammates, I love those guys and I couldn’t thank them enough.”
Men’s discus begins Friday June 8 at 6:05 p.m. (MST). As for Jaynes, there are three heats being run on Thursday June 7 at 6:30 p.m. (MST). The top two from each heat will advance to the finals, as well as the two next best times. The 400 hurdles championships will begin Saturday June 9 at 5:32 p.m. (MST).
