BOZEMAN, Mont. – For the first time in nearly two years, Montana competed in an indoor track & field meet, traveling to Bozeman, Montana, for a dual meet against Montana State.
Despite so many newcomers, the Grizzlies held their own.
Of the 50 Montana athletes who competed on Friday, 32 were competing in their first indoor track meet, including 22 of which who are freshmen who made their collegiate debuts.
Several newcomers had fantastic starts to their collegiate careers, including Catie Buck – a former Griz soccer player – who won the women’s 60 meters in her first college track meet (7.72). For comparison, her time would have ranked second on the team in 2020, Montana’s most-recent indoor season.
The Grizzlies had eight of the 10 participants in the event, but went 1-2-3 and had four runners finish in under 8 seconds. On the men’s side, redshirt freshman Cooper Hewett ranked second out of eight runners, finishing in 6.94 seconds, which is the best men’s 60-meters time since 2019.
Buck also finished third in the women’s 200 meters (26.63), while freshman Camryn Dezember placed in the top five of both the women’s 60 meters (7.91) and 200 meters (26.85). Winning the 200 meters was junior Emma Normand (26.29).
Montana won both 400 meters races, with junior Abby Harmon winning the women’s side (1:00.06) and freshman Jay Beagle clocking in first on the men’s side (51.85), followed by fellow Griz freshmen Brandon Jones (52.53, second) and Ty Ferguson (53.00, third).
Other winners from the day included sophomore Quincy Fast (1:54.78 in the men’s 800 meters); junior Jansen Ziola (18-11.25 in the women’s long jump); and sophomore Jason Upton (22-5.75 in the men’s long jump).
Ziola, who has scored at the Big Sky Championships 10 times already in her decorated career, was competing in an indoor meet for the first time in nearly three years, after redshirting in 2020 and having the 2021 season canceled. Still, her long-jump mark of 18-11.25 tied a personal best and would have won a Big Sky title at the 2020 indoor conference meet, the most-recent indoor Championships.
The Grizzlies will now have six weeks before their next competition, allowing Friday to be used as a starting point and barometer before the heart of the season gets underway.
Women’s 60 meters – Catie Buck (7.72, 1st/10); Emma Normand (7.74, 2nd); Jansen Ziola (7.82, 3rd); Camryn Dezember (7.91, 5th); Audrey Smith (8.12, 7th); Destiny Santiago (8.31, 8th); Grace Denman (8.48, 9th); Whitney Morrison (8.50, 10th)
Men’s 60 meters – Cooper Hewett (6.94, 2nd/8); Teagun Holycross (6.96, 3rd); Jason Upton (7.12, 6th); Gordon McMillion (7.75, 8th)
Women’s 200 meters – Emma Normand (26.29, 1st/12); Catie Buck (26.63, 3rd); Camryn Dezember (26.85, 4th); Morgan Radtke (27.22, 6th); Audrey Smith (27.62, 8th); Destiny Santiago (28.07, 9th); Grace Denman (28.72, 11th)
Men’s 200 meters – Cade Johnstone (22.50, 3rd/9); Cutter Thatcher (22.96, 5th); Teagun Holycross (23.02, 6th); Jason Upton (23.08, 7th)
Women’s 400 meters – Abby Harmon (1:00.06, 1st/3)
Men’s 400 meters – Jay Beagle (51.85, 1st/6); Brandon Jones (52.53, 2nd); Ty Ferguson (53.00, 3rd).
Women’s 800 meters – McKinlee Mihelish (2:25.41, 2nd/6); Mikenna Ells (2:26.09, 3rd); Katie Whitehurst (2:26.17, 4th); Mackenzie Morgan (2:27.32, 5th)
Men’s 800 meters – Quincy Fast (1:54.78, 1st/6); Casey Crouch (2:01.72, 4th); Josh Haynes (2:03.12, 6th)
Women’s 60-meter hurdles – Jansen Ziola (8.87, 3rd/7); Carlee Fryberger (9.09, 4th); Ailsa Gilbert (9.16, 5th); Morgan Radtke (9.61, 7th)
Women’s high jump – Jaree Mane (4-10.5, 5th/5)
Men’s high jump – Alfred Peterson (6-0, 1st/1)
Women’s long jump – Jansen Ziola (18-11.25, 1st/9); Carlee Fryberger (16-10, 5th)
Men’s long jump – Jason Upton (22-5.75, 1st/6); Alfred Peterson (18-2.5, 6th)
Women’s triple jump – Morgan Radtke (36-11.5, 3rd/7); Ailsa Gilbert (35-7.25, 5th); Whitney Morrison (34-11.25, 6th); Kolby Gibbs (33-7.5, 7th)
Women’s pole vault – Shealyne McGee (11-9.75, 2nd/8); Molly Chambers (11-3.75, 4th); Emma Zimmerman (11-3.75 (4th); Jadyn Campbell (10-10, 6th)
Men’s pole vault – Carson Weeden (14-1.25, 4th/5); Zane Johnson (NH)
Women’s shot put – Ariel Clark (41-2.5, 5th/8); Savana Ramirez (36-2.25, 7th); Whitney Morrison (32-11.75, 8th)
Men’s shot put – Brent Yeakey (52-1.25, 2nd/9); Noah Ramirez (51-1, 3rd); Colton Root (43-11.75, 7th)
Women’s weight throw – Tanessa Morris (53-0.75, 2nd/10); Ariel Clark (52-3.75, 3rd); Kaitlyn Gallo (48-3.25, 4th); Savana Ramirez (48-2.75, 5th); Emilie Hinrichs (46-1.25, 6th); Erin Murphy (39-3.25, 8th)
Men’s weight throw – Matt War
