2019 track & field seniors

6/17/2019 12:44:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

By: Montana Sports Information

Montana's track & field program had a large senior class in 2019. The Grizzlies had plenty of team success during their careers, with the women finishing second at a Big Sky Championship twice, and the men palcing second once and fourth in 2019. More so, though, was the success of the individuals, both on the track and in the classroom.

Below is a look at Montana's 17 graduating senior student-athletes:

Jessica Bailey competed in nine Big Sky Championships across indoor, outdoor and cross country. She is a three-time point-scorer, including in 2017 when she placed third in the steeplechase and qualified for NCAA Regionals. She also qualified for Regionals three times in cross country. Bailey has earned 12 Academic All-Big Sky honors – every possible semester – and graduated with a degree in health and human performance. She is a native of Rapid City, South Dakota.

Charlie Bush competed in his eighth Big Sky Championship last month, and has scored four times, including in the pole vault each of the past two springs, and the heptathlon twice in indoor. He was heavily involved with Montana's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and is an eight-time Academic All-Big Sky recipient. Bush, a native of Poway, California, received his degree in health and human performance.

Hana Feilzer finished her career as one of Montana's most-decorated athletes, holding school records in the weight throw and hammer throw. She qualified for NCAA Regionals in the hammer throw three times, and reached nationals in 2019, earning All-America honorable mention consideration with a 17^th place finish. Feilzer is a three-time Big Sky champion, doing so in both the hammer (twice) and weight throw. Her performance at the 2019 outdoor Championships earned her the meet's Outstanding Performer title. Feilzer was named the Big Sky Athlete of the Week a school-record seven times, including four times in 2019. She is a seven-time Academic All-Big Sky honoree who earned her degree in sociology. Feilzer is a Missoula native, graduating from Big Sky High School.

Maddie Foulk twice competed at the Big Sky Championships in the javelin, finishing as high as 10^th place. She competed in 17 meets for the Grizzlies during her career, including a second-place finish last spring at the WAR XI in Spokane. Foulk is a three-time Academic All-Big Sky honoree, graduating with a degree in health and human performance. She is a native of Big Timber, Montana.

Megan Franz competed at the Big Sky Championships in four different events across indoor, outdoor and cross country. During the 2017 indoor season, she scored in the 800 meters, and did so again in her final meet, placing seventh in the 800 meters at the 2019 outdoor championship. She has won an event four times, including the 1,500 meters in the 2017 Montana Open. Franz is a 10-time Academic All-Big Sky honoree, graduating with a degree in biology. She is a native of Tigard, Oregon.

Kayla Holmes won a Big Sky title in the discus in 2016. That year, she also qualified for NCAA Regionals. She reached the podium three times during her career in the discus, in addition to a sixth-place finish in 2019 in the shot put. Holmes is a native of Plains, Montana, who graduated with a degree in communication studies.

Jensen Lillquist qualified for NCAA Regionals in the javelin all four of his collegiate seasons, finishing as high as 14^th on two occasions. He is a four-time All-Big Sky performer in the javelin, twice winning conference titles, in addition to a runner-up performance in 2019. Lillquist also earned four Academic All-Big Sky letters. The native of Ellensburg, Washington, completed his master's degree in English literature.

Maryn Lowry, a graduate transfer from Iowa State, made the most of her lone season with the Grizzlies, placing third in the 1,500 meters at the Big Sky Championship and qualifying for NCAA Regionals. She won two individual races this past spring, and in April was named the Big Sky Athlete of the Week. At Iowa State, she competed at the Big 12 Championships six times in the 800 meters and 1,500 meters. Lowry earned academic honors six times across both schools and completed her master's degree in health and exercise science.

Dillon May competed for Montana's track and cross country teams, playing a major role in the team's distance events. He competed in the steeplechase and 5,000 meters at the 2017 and 2018 Big Sky Championships. In cross country, May qualified for NCAA Regionals as a senior in 2018. He is a four-time Academic All-Big Sky honoree, who earned his degree in mathematics. May is a native of Maple Valley, Washington.

Erika McLeod did it all for the Grizzlies, holding school records in the pentathlon and the 4x400-meter relay. At the 2019 indoor Championships, she set a Big Sky record in the pentathlon, qualifying for the NCAA Championships with a score that ranked 11^th in the nation. In her final collegiate meet, at the 2019 outdoor Championships, she went out on top by winning the heptathlon for the second time. During her illustrious career, she scored 17 times across seven different events. She is a six-time Big Sky champion – three times in the pentathlon, twice in the heptathlon and once in the long jump – and was named the meet's Outstanding Performer three times and Most Valuable Athlete once. In April, she was named Montana's Grizzly Cup award-winner, given to the athletic department's top all-around student-athlete. McLeod is a native of Butte, Montana.

Alex Mustard is a four-time All-Big Sky performer, scoring in three separate events. At the 2019 outdoor Championships, he scored in both the 100 meters and 4x100-meter relay, and in 2016, he qualified for NCAA Regionals in the 200 meters, finishing 30^th. Mustard graduated with a degree in finance and has earned Academic All-Big Sky recognition every semester. He is a Missoula native, graduating from Big Sky High School.

Karsten Pease competed at eight Big Sky Championships throughout his career, twice scoring in the 800 meters. He is a seven-time Academic All-Big Sky honoree, receiving recognition each of the past seven semesters. Pease, a native of Mill Creek, Washington, received his degree in computer science.

Matt Quist is a five-time All-Big Sky performer in the high jump, placing third twice in indoor and second three times during outdoor – including in 2019, his final collegiate meet. Quist twice qualified for NCAA Regionals, finishing 16^th in 2017. He is a three-time Academic All-Big Sky honoree and graduated with a degree in political science. Quist is a native of Bigfork, Montana.

Mariah Ray competed in the javelin for the Grizzlies, throwing in nine meets throughout her career. Her top performance came at the 2016 Montana State Open, when she placed sixth. Ray earned Academic All-Big Sky recognition in 2017 and graduated with a degree in sociology. She is a native of Park City, Montana.

Sterling Reneau is a three-time Big Sky Conference champion, winning an individual title in the 400 meters and two relay championships in the 4x400. During his final collegiate race, at the 2019 Championships, he helped Montana not only win the 4x400-meter relay, but set a school record in the event. Reneau qualified for NCAA Regionals in 2016, in the 400 meters, and is a seven-time Academic All-Big Sky honoree. The Missoula native who attended Sentinel High School graduated from Montana with a degree in health and human performance.

Nolan Staats has been a key member of Montana's jumps teams, competing in 25 meets in the long jump and triple jump. He won the triple jump at the 2016 Last Chance Qualifier and Montana Open. Staats is a three-time Academic All-Big Sky honoree and graduated with a degree in management. He is a Missoula native and a 2015 graduate of Sentinel High School.

Morgan Sulser competed in eight Big Sky Championships, scoring in the 60-meter hurdles, 4x100-meter relay and 100-meter hurdles twice. She is an eight-time Academic All-Big Sky honoree, and graduated with a degree in education. Sulser is a native of Billings, Montana.