Griz ready for moving weekend at WSU Open

Thursday, February 2

Spokane, Wash.

Montana

WSU Open

Jay Beagle, Xavier Melice at Spokane Indoor Challenge (1.14.23)

Photo by: Torrey Vail

1/31/2023 12:41:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Schedule of Events Watch ($)Live Results

By: Montana Sports Information

The midway point for Montana track and field has arrived. The calendar has turned to February. The postseason is right around the corner. For head coach Doug Fraley and the Grizzlies, that means it's time to start locking in for a run to the Big Sky Indoor Championships.

There have been great results in the first half of the schedule. Now, after having a week of for rest, Montana is looking to improve on their performances as they head back to Spokane and The Podium for the WSU Open. The meet will span three days, beginning with multi-events on Thursday and continuing through Saturday.

"The way I look at indoor track is once the calendar hits February you're either moving forward, or you're getting passed up," Fraley said. "I've always considered the first weekend in February as moving weekend. You will see that when you look at the conference list, the national list and things like that. You get a lot better idea of where you actually stand in those rankings when the calendar turns to February."

The Grizzlies will have plenty of opportunities for good competition at the WSU Open. Hosted by the Pac 12 Cougars, there will be several teams from that conference there along with six Big Sky schools. It should provide all the Grizzlies, regardless of event or flight, a strong test.

It should also give Montana a feel for where they stand within the landscape of the Big Sky Conference.

"This is a really important next two weeks in terms of our top athletes solidifying their positions within the Big Sky and the athletes that are on the bubble so to speak for whether or not they are going to make the conference roster," Fraley said. "These two weeks are very important to them as well."

There are several athletes that have already made their mark on the conference list this season. Brooke Stayner (1^st), Whitney Morrison (3^rd) and Ainsley Shipman (8^th) are all currently in scoring positions in the Big Sky lists for the pentathlon. Holly Sudol is fourth in the 400-meter race, and Katie Whitehurst is fifth in the Big Sky after the pair both won their respective event at the Lauren McCluskey Memorial Open.

The Grizzlies have also been great in the pole vault with four athletes, all sophomores, currently making up the top 10 in the Big Sky. There are several more top 10 performances so far, including Erin Wilde in the high jump, Ariel Clark in the weight throw and Shipman in the triple jump. For Wilde, she has the best mark of any freshman in the high jump.

On the men's side, Jaydon Green is second in the Big Sky in the 60-meter hurdles following his school record performance at the last event. Zane Johnson, who recently broke the 16-foot mark in pole vault, ranks fourth in the Big Sky in that event. Cooper Hewett is seventh in the 60-meter.

Montana's strongest event is the 400 meter, where they make up three of the top 10 in the Big Sky and should only improve as they return to full strength. Jason Upton (10^th in the long jump and triple jump) and Noah Ramirez (10^th in shot put, 12^th in weight throw) are both potential point scorers in multiple events.

There is one overarching theme for the Grizzlies on both sides, and it can be best summed up by looking at the Big Sky performance list for the men's high jump. There are three Grizzlies in the top 11 currently, but none of them are in a scoring position for the moment. It's true of many events, where Montana are competitive but will need to make some slight improvements before the end of the month.

"How well we do ultimately as a team in conference is going to be not only our top people continuing to move up the rankings, but those that are outside the top 10 breaking through," Fraley said. "That means at the conference meet they will be potential scorers for us."

There are a couple of events in particular this week that should provide a good test for Montana against some of the Big Sky's best, including the pole vault.

"The pole vault is going to be a really good event this weekend because every school in the Big Sky that pole vaults is going to be at the Podium," Fraley said. "So essentially your top 20 men and women in the conference rankings will be there. It will be exciting for our kids to get in and really mix it up with the best in the Big Sky to get a good measuring stick."

Another event that Fraley is looking forward to is the men's 400 meter. The Grizzlies will have a couple of athletes competing that have been injured and not at 100 percent in Paul Johnston and Xavier Melice. They should help bolster a Montana team that already has three of the top 10 performers in the conference.

"We are going to get some really good competition in the 400 meters. That's an area we need to continue to excel at if we're going to do well in the Big Sky Championships," Fraley said. "A couple of guys that have been dinged up in that event are coming back. I'm looking for those guys to be able to get in and race with confidence. They are real difference makers for us if they can get it going."

After entering three athletes in the women's pentathlon in Idaho, there will be just one Grizzly this weekend. Morgan Radtke is set to compete in the multi-event for the first time this season, while the others will focus on individual events.

"I'm excited for Morgan. She's been training really well," Fraley said. "Morgan is really looking forward to going out and competing and I think has a really good chance of setting a personal best."

The Grizzlies will have just one more event in the regular season following this weekend. They travel to Bozeman on Feb. 10 for the Bobcat Performance Meet. The Big Sky Indoor Championships are Feb. 23-25 in Moscow, Idaho.

WSU Open Entry List
Men's 60 meters – Teagun Holycross, Jason Upton
Men's 200 meters – Paul Johnstone, Xavier Melice, Taylor Johnson, Teagun Holycross, Cutter Thatcher, Jay Beagle, Ty Ferguson, Porter Coffield
Men's 400 meters – Paul Johnstone, Taylor Johnson, Cutter Thatcher, Ty Ferguson, Jay Beagle, Xavier Melice, Adam Maxwell
Men's 800 meters – Will Dauenhauer, Casey Crouch, Colin Shaules, Cooper Morris, Brady Woods
Men's Mile – Rogelio Mares, Lane Cole, Cooper Morris, Brady Woods
Men's 3,000 meters – Maxwell Scott, Nathan Carter
Men's 5,000 meters – Maxwell Scott
Men's 60-meter hurdles – Jaydon Green, Porter Coffield
Men's 4x400 meter relay – Two squads
Men's 4,000-meter distance medley relay – One Squad
Men's High Jump – Alfred Peterson, Patrick Kremer
Men's Pole Vault – Zane Johnson, Carson Weeden, Carter Petersen, Carson Hegele
Men's Long Jump – Jason Upton, Gordon McMillion, Alfred Peterson, Patrick Kremer, Dylan Zink
Men's Triple Jump – Jason Upton, Dylan Zink
Men's Shot Put – Noah Ramirez
Men's Weight Throw – Noah Ramirez

Women's 60 meters – Audrey Smith
Women's 200 meters – Holly Sudol, Lily Meskers, Audrey Smith
Women's 400 meters – Holly Sudol, Lily Meskers, Mikenna Ells, Katie Whitehurst, Whitney Morrison
Women's 800 meters – Katie Whitehurst, Brooke Stayner
Women's Mile – Bridget Boyle
Women's 3,000 meters – Beatrix Frissell, Kayla Ingraham, Jaylyn Hallgrimson, Iris McKean
Women's 5,000 meters – Beatrix Frissell, Kayla Ingraham
Women's 60-meter hurdles – Ailsa Gilbert, Whitney Morrison, Kara Mattson, Ainsley Shipman
Women's 4x400 meter relay – Two Squads
Women's 4,000-meter distance medley relay – One squad
Women's High Jump – Erin Wilde, Whitney Morrison, Ainsley Shipman
Women's Pole Vault – Shealynne McGee, Aly Tekippe, Emma Zimmerman, Molly Chambers, Ani Smith
Women's Long Jump – Ailsa Gilbert, Aly Tekippe, Whitney Morrison, Kara Mattson, Brooke Stayner, Perry Paffhausen
Women's Triple Jump – Kara Mattson
Women's Shot Put – Ariel Clark, Madi Arneson, Whitney Morrison, Morgan Radtke, Brooke Stayner, Ainsley Shipman
Women's Weight Throw – Ariel Clark, Savana Ramirez
Women's Pentathlon – Morgan Radtke