Missouri transfer adds top-ranked speed to key track event
“It just didn’t fit for me at all,” Montgomery said. “I wasn’t comfortable in the position I was in. I did have a great first season thanks to my coaches. But other than that, I couldn’t see myself graduating from there or succeeding further in my career as far as running the 400.”
As a freshman at Missouri, Montgomery was a two-time second team All-American in the 400m. He was the SEC Champion in the indoor and outdoor 400m, breaking the Missouri school records in the process (45.78s and 45.13s).
Those numbers showed Montgomery had a strong future ahead with the Tigers, but as a sophomore, those impressive figures did not repeat. He failed to make the finals of any race at the SEC Championships, failing to qualify for the NCAAs in the process.
Why did Montgomery struggle? The Tigers were asking him to do too much. Between the indoor and outdoor seasons, Montgomery was running in ten events, regularly running in multiple at every meet. Now that he is with the Cougars, Montgomery focuses on and excels at running the 400m.
“It’s really a bit of a bonus for him,” Burrell said. “He comes here and he only has to worry about so much. Yet he gets some of the benefit of being on a team that’s really seeking high level championships.”