Her uneasiness heading into college came from her lack of experience in the sport. Most Division I track and field student-athletes have spent several years learning the different disciplines that take place in a meet.
Reovan's high school experience consisted of just her senior year and featured a total of seven meets.
The Great Falls High School graduate spent her childhood and a majority of her prep career focusing on softball. She was a three-year letter winner in the sport heading into her senior season, but made the switch to track and field for the Bison.
"It was a huge decision for me," Reovan said. "I played softball my whole life and things just weren't working out the way I wanted them to. I just wanted to try track and see how it worked out."
Her decision paid off almost immediately.
Reovan's first appearances in track and field for Great Falls High were in sprint events. It was just a matter of time though until the Bison coaching staff helped lead Reovan to where her future would be in the sport.
"I thought more I was going to do sprints and stuff because when I was younger I did gymnastics and I was faster in events like the vault," Reovan said. "I really didn't like the 200 though when I was working on sprints. Our jumps coach said that I should try the triple jump even though I didn't think I'd like it, but it got me out of the 200. We just practiced it on a Friday, and I was shown the footwork, then that Saturday I competed in it and the rest was history."
By the end of that spring, Reovan claimed bronze medals in both the long jump and triple jump at the MHSA Class AA State Track and Field Championships. She even broke the Great Falls school record in the triple jump that had been set 21 years prior. It allowed her an opportunity at the Division I level that months prior couldn't have been predicted.
That led to a fall full of adjustments. Not only was Reovan expected to get use to life as a freshman at college, but now was going to be working daily out of season in a sport she'd just been introduced to.
It took some time, but Reovan has got things down as a member of the Bobcat track and field squad.
"It was all just kind of new and like everybody comes in pretty experienced while I came in feeling like I didn't know anything at all," Reovan said of that first fall in Bozeman. "I feel like now I have a lot more knowledge on jumping overall. I realized that we're all working and all learning. From then to now, I've seen a lot of improvement and I just know it's going to get better which is exciting."
She's made big steps since becoming a Bobcat.
Reovan made appearances at the Big Sky Conference Indoor and Outdoor Championships as a freshman before breaking out as a sophomore during the 2019-20 indoor season. She joined MSU's all-time indoor top 10 in the triple jump at the start of February with a then personal-best leap of 37 feet, 10.50 inches. She'd top that with a jump of 38 feet at the Big Sky meet which is the seventh best mark in program history. She also broke her lifetime best at the conference championships in the long jump, completing a mark of 18-00.25 for a sixth-place overall finish.
Her improvement is noticeable to the Bobcat coaching staff.
"It's a lot of fun working with Twila because she's seen such improvement," said Dustin Cichosz, MSU's jumps coach. "She always has those jumps that we wish would have marked like most jumpers do and we see these big things coming. She puts in the work like even though she's not very experienced, she'll do almost every rep to the point where I have to tell her to stop. She has kind of an unknown cap on what she can do. She's exponentially getting better in practice and she's coming back almost like a veteran that's done track for eight years."
Reovan certainly would have been one of many athletes that would have benefitted from an outdoor season had it not been canceled. Instead, she's continuing to get better this fall being comfortable within the confines of MSU's Track and Field Complex.
"It's very exciting because I know I have the determination of where I want to be," Reovan said. "I'm hoping that (my development) slowly progresses. I was so excited for the outdoor season because during indoors I felt like I was just getting my routine down and getting into it. Stuff happens, but I'm really excited for our next season."
While she waits for track and field to return, the business management major continues to stay focused on work in the classroom and training on the oval. She completed the spring semester as a member of MSU's Dean's List and has been recognized on the Big's Sky's All-Academic Team each season she's been eligible. As Reovan remains committed, her goals she has set for herself can continue to be a possibility.
"I really wasn't expecting to do track here," Reovan said. "I really like it. I've grown to really love the triple and long jump. I really just want to do great and get better, so I've been working really hard. From the first time I triple jumped to now, I've seen so much improvement.
"In the next upcoming seasons, I'd really like to finish in the top three of a conference meet and get or at least get to 40 feet. I have some big goals to reach and just want to try to leave a mark here."
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October 07, 2020 at 05:49AM
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Twila Reovan Greatly Improving in Short Time in Track & Field - Bobcats Athletics
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