Distance group leads Montana in Moscow

Saturday, January 29

Moscow, Idaho

Montana

Idaho Team Challenge

1/30/2022 1:55:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Online Results

By: Montana Sports Information

MOSCOW, Idaho – Led by Montana's distance runners, the Grizzlies had a solid showing Saturday at the Idaho Team Challenge. The Grizzlies were competing against Big Sky foes Eastern Washington and Idaho.

Montana swept the 3,000 meters races, with sophomore Joel Mendez winning the men's race (8:28.44) and sophomore Beatrix Frissell coming away on top on the women's side (10:07.83). While Montana won both races, the team also showed depth, with Montana claiming four of the top-five times in the men's race and two of the top-three times in the women's competition.

Following Mendez, Maxwell Scott (8:43.52, third), Ellis McKean (8:46.45, fourth) and Quincy Fast (8:49.29, fifth) were shortly behind. Olivia Lackland Henry placed third in the women's competition (10:13.01).

Most of those runners, though, also double-dipped, competing – and excelling – in the mile.

Fast placed second out of 17 runners in the men's race, trimming nearly 4 seconds off of his previous best for a time of 4:10.77. In that race, Montana had five of the top-seven runners, with each one recording career-best times in the event. Montana took three of the top-five spots in the women's competition, led by freshman Bridget Boyle (5:07.51) and Lackland Henry (5:08.15, fourth), who were competing in the event for the first time as collegiate athletes.

"Our distance runners had a very good day," head coach Clint May said. "Almost everyone competed in two events, a tough task in a meet that only covers 3 hours. Joel's double is arguably the best double for a Griz distance runner in well over a decade."

May isn't exaggerating, with Mendez being just the third Griz runner over the past decade to run the 3,000 meters in under 8:30. Even more impressive, he is the only known Griz runner (online records date back to 2005) to have run an 8:30 3,000-meters race and compete in the mile on the same day.

The Grizzlies had several additional highlights on Saturday, including Emma Normand, who won the women's 60 meters with a personal-best time of 7.64. Her previous best had come last week in Bozeman (7.70). Normand, a junior from Bend, Oregon, also was Montana's top runner in the 200 meters, placing fourth at 25.43, right in line with her personal best.

After finishing third in the prelims of the 60-meter hurdles, sophomore Ailsa Gilbert shaved off 14-hundredths of a second to win the finals with a top time of 8.97. It marked the first time in the sophomore's career that she has eclipsed 9 seconds. Gilbert had a busy day, also competing in the long jump and triple jump.

"Ailsa Gilbert was particularly strong," May said. "She started the day with a very good series of jumps in the long jump, followed by a winning run in the 60-meter hurdles. Going under 9 seconds was great to see."

Another busy athlete was freshman Whitney Morrison, who competed in four events and recorded personal bests in the high jump and shot put.

On the men's side, Paul Johnstone (22.30, second) and Jason Upton (22.75, third) were two of the top runners in the men's 200 meters. Johnstone was also the Grizzlies' top finisher in the 400 meters (48.49, third).

Additional personal bests came from Ty Ferguson in the men's 400 meters; Casey Crouch in the men's 800 meters; Mikenna Ells and Katie Whitehurst in the women's 800 meters; and Emma Zimmerman in the women's pole vault.

"It was an all-around solid day," May said. "Several athletes reached lifetime-best marks."

Women's 60 meters – Emma Normand (7.64, 1^st/5); Catie Buck (7.89, 5^th)
Women's 200 meters – Emma Normand (25.43, 4^th/12); Catie Buck (26.11, 7^th); Camryn Dezember (26.56, 8^th)
Women's 400 meters – Abby Harmon (59.76, 4^th/6)
Women's 800 meters – Carly Dahms (2:17.79, 4^th/13); Mikenna Ells (2:19.66, 6^th); Katie Whitehurst (2:20.83, 9^th); McKinlee Mihelish (2:28.65, 12^th)
Women's mile – Bridget Boyle (5:07.51, 3^rd/11); Olivia Lackland Henry (5:08.15, 4^th); Beatrix Frissell (5:09.52, 5^th); McKinlee Mihelish (5:45.22, 11^th)
Women's 3,000 meters – Beatrix Frissell (10:07.83, 1^st/5); Olivia Lackland Henry (10:13.01, 3^rd)
Women's 60-meter hurdles (prelims) – Ailsa Gilbert (9.11, 3^rd/9); Whitney Morrison (9.52, 6^th); Morgan Radtke (9.95, 8^th)
Women's 60-meter hurdles (finals) – Ailsa Gilbert (8.97, 1^st/8); Whitney Morrison (9.58, 5^th); Morgan Radtke (9.85, 7^th)
Women's 4x400-meter relay – A: Katie Whitehurst, Camryn Dezember, Abby Harmon, Mikenna Ells (3:59.00, 2^nd/7); B: Whitney Morrison, Morgan Radtke, Bridget Boyle, Jaree Mane (4:04.61, 4^th)
Women's high jump – Whitney Morrison (5-0.25, 3^rd/6); Jaree Mane (5-0.25, 5^th)
Women's long jump – Ailsa Gilbert (17-11.75, 2^nd/3)
Women's triple jump – Ailsa Gilbert (36-7, 4^th/6)
Women's pole vault – Shealyne McGee (11-7.75, 5^th/9); Emma Zimmerman (11-7.75, 7^th); Molly Chambers (11-1.75, 8^th); Jadyn Campbell (10-8, 9^th)
Women's shot put – Ariel Clark (39-8.5, 6^th/10); Whitney Morrison (36-7.5, 9^th); Morgan Radtke (32-4.75, 10^th)
Women's weight throw – Ariel Clark (51-2.75, 2^nd/11); Tanessa Morris (48-1.25, 4^th); Kaitlyn Gallo (foul)

Men's 200 meters – Paul Johnstone (22.30, 2^nd/13); Jason Upton (22.75, 3^rd)
Men's 400 meters – Paul Johnstone (48.49, 3^rd/9); Ty Ferguson (50.28, 6^th)
Men's 800 meters – Casey Crouch (1:56.75, 6^th/7); Will Dauenhauer (1:57.57, 7^th)
Men's mile – Quincy Fast (4:10.77, 2^nd/17); Joel Mendez (4:13.47, 4^th); Maxwell Scott (4:17.98, 5^th); Ellis McKean (4:20.70, 6^th); AJ Eckmann (4:23.56, 7^th); Ben Vanderbosch (4:25.57, 10^th)
Men's 3,000 meters – Joel Mendez (8:28.44, 1^st/9); Maxwell Scott (8:43.52, 3^rd); Ellis McKean (8:46.45, 4^th); Quincy Fast (8:49.29, 5^th); AJ Eckmann (8:54.95, 8^th)
Men's 60-meter hurdles – Jaydon Green (9.02, 6^th/6)
Men's 4x400-meter relay – Ty Ferguson, Will Dauenhauer, Paul Johnstone, Casey Crouch (3:29.11, 3^rd/4)
Men's high jump – Alfred Peterson (6-5.5, 2^nd/4)
Men's long jump – Jason Upton (21-0.75, 5^th/12)
Men's triple jump – Zane Johnson (43-5, 1^st/1)
Men's pole vault – Zane Johnson (14-10, 2^nd/7); Carson Weeden (14-10, 3^rd)
Men's shot put – Brent Yeakey (54-6.5, 2^nd/10); Noah Ramirez (50-5.25, 5^th); Colton Root (42-3.25, 9^th)
Men's weight throw – Matt Ward (58-1.75, 3^rd/8); Noah Ramirez (53-6.5, 5^th); Colton Root (47-4.5, 8^th)