Yeakey’s school record leads Montana on Day 1 of OSU High Performance meet

Photo by: Derek Johnson

Yeakey’s school record leads Montana on Day 1 of OSU High Performance meet

5/1/2021 11:25:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

By: Montana Sports Information

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Competing in the highly competitive OSU High Performance meet, featuring athletes from more than 50 schools across the western United States, Montana held its own and then some on Friday. Overall, seven of Montana's 11 athletes recorded personal bests on the first day of the meet.

Senior Brent Yeakey stole the show by not only winning the men's discus (180-9), but setting a school record in the process. His top throw topped Brandon Forson's 2013 record of 177-9. Yeakey now owns Montana records for the men's outdoor discus, men's outdoor shot put and men's indoor shot put.

The throw moves him into third place in the Big Sky this season with a PR of more than 8 feet. He beat out competitors from across the country, including several from Oregon of the Pac-12, plus the current Big Sky leader in the discus. The throw currently ranks 27^th in the NCAA West Region and is within NCAA Regionals qualifying standards.

Montana went 1-2 in the men's discus, a field that featured 22 throwers, with freshman Matt Ward finishing second with a PR of nearly 7 feet (175-6). The throw ranks fourth in the Big Sky this season. He also was within a foot of a PR in the men's hammer, placing fifth, with a top mark of 184-11.

Sophomore Jansen Ziola will be competing in six events this weekend, in preparation for the heptathlon at the Big Sky Championships later this month. She is also one of the league's top long jumpers, though, and it showed on Friday.

Ziola finished second in the women's long jump (18-11.75) on Friday and sixth in the 400-meter hurdles (1:03.14). Ziola currently ranks second in the Big Sky in the long jump, and just four other league athletes have jumped 18-11.75 – her distance on Friday – this season. Ziola's time in the 400-meter hurdles was a PR and ranks seventh in the Big Sky this season.

Teammate Holly Sudol, a freshman, also PR'd in the women's 400-meter hurdles, finishing seventh with a time of 1:03.55, which would rank ninth in the Big Sky this season. Sophomore Quincy Fast PR'd in the men's 1,500 meters (3:49.15), as did freshman Beatrix Frissell in the women's 5,000 meters (17:08.39) and freshman Morgan Radtke in the women's 200 meters (26.53).

On the women's side, junior Tanessa Morris finished fourth in the hammer with a respectable throw of 190-11, within 28 inches of her personal best, which leads the Big Sky Conference this season. Senior Holly Houston placed fourth in the discus (149-11). Sophomore Peterson Bohannon placed fourth in the men's long jump, coming close to a PR with a top jump of 22-11.75.

Day 2 of the OSU High Performance meet will take place all day on Saturday, with live results available online.

Women's 200 meters – Jaree Mane (26.01, 17^th); Morgan Radtke (26.53, 25^th)
Women's 400-meter hurdles – Jansen Ziola (1:03.14, 6^th); Holly Sudol (1:03.55, 7^th)
Men's 1,500 meters – Quincy Fast (3:49.15, 8^th)
Women's 5,000 meters – Beatrix Frissell (17:08.39, 24^th)
Men's discus – Brent Yeakey (180-9, 1^st); Matt Ward (175-6, 2^nd)
Women's discus – Holly Houston (149-11, 4^th)
Women's hammer – Tanessa Morris (190-11, 4^th)
Men's hammer – Matt Ward (184-11, 5^th)
Women's long jump – Jansen Ziola (18-11.75, 2^nd); Jaree Mane (16-9.25, 9^th); Morgan Radtke (16-3, 16^th)
Men's long jump – Peterson Bohannon (22-11.75, 4^th)