Wednesday, May 10
Greeley, Colo.
Montana
vs
Big Sky Championships
Photo by: Ryan Brennecke/UM Athletics
Grizzlies head to Big Sky Outdoor Championships
5/9/2023 3:00:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
The Montana track and field team will arrive in Greeley, Colo. this week for the 2023 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The meet will be streamed live on ESPN+, beginning with the multi-events on Wednesday and continuing through Saturday. Live results are available, and tickets are on sale for fans traveling for the event.
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In an outdoor season that began at home nearly two months ago, the Grizzlies will finally have a chance to see where they stack up against the rest of the league. There has been plenty of progress made this season under first-year head coach Doug Fraley as each week has produced a great number of PR performances.
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"The staff is real excited, the kids are real excited, and we feel like we've progressed well in all areas through the six outdoor meets and feel good about where we are at going to the conference meet," Fraley said. "Now it's just a matter of getting in there, competing hard, and trying to either hold your seed or improve on your seed."
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This meet is when the Griz will aim to put it all together with the hopes of exceeding the preseason expectations. The Big Sky coaches voted Montana eighth in the league in the preseason polls on both the men's and women's sides, which matched where Montana ended up during the indoor season.
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The top eight athletes in each event will earn points for their teams with the top three earning All-Big Sky Conference honors. Montana enter the week with plenty athletes in the top eight of the performance lists in the conference on both sides, including a collection of athletes in the hunt for individual conference championships.
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Montana puts 17 male and 17 female athletes in scoring range on the meet seeding list, which ranks everyone based on the best time or mark from the season. The key for Montana will be to hold the ground in those areas and perform up to expectations.
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The number of potential point scorers also shows the growth that Montana has made in Fraley's first season in charge.
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"It's a big improvement from the indoor season. We went into the indoor championships not really having that many people in scoring position," Fraley said. "I feel like we've advanced quite a bit during the outdoor season, which gives our team confidence in being able to go in and improve on our team finish."
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Three Montana athletes will enter the meet as either favorite or co-favorite in their events.
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Evan Todd is looking to defend his crown in the men's javelin. The junior from Kalispell won in 2022 with a throw of 224-10. He also placed fourth as a freshman at the conference meet with a mark of 208-8. This season, Todd has shown impressive consistency. In his last appearance in Pocatello, he set a new season-best with a throw of 226-7.
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He will enter this weekend atop the Big Sky leaderboard as a result, and also ranks 14th in the NCAA West Region. While his spot at regionals is already secured, adding a second conference championship to his resume would be a massive moment for Todd. He would join Jensen Lillquist (2016, 2018) and Jason Flemmer (2010-11) as two-time javelin champions for Montana.
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The event has always been a strength for the Grizzlies, and this year is no exception. One of the main challengers to Todd's crown is his own teammate Matthew Hockett. Hockett has the fourth-best throw in the league this season at 217-8. Since 2010, Montana have won six different individual titles in the event.
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Montana also has a duo in the title and All-Conference hunt in the men's pole vault. The arrival of Erica Fraley, a former U.S. Olympian in the event, has boosted the performance across the board for the Grizzlies. Included in that is Zane Johnson, who entered this year having never cleared 16-feet in the event.
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Johnson now shares the lead in the Big Sky Conference with a mark of 16-11, increasing his previous PR by more than a foot while winning three meets along the way this year. One of those wins came in the Montana Open, which featured five of the top seven Big Sky athletes in the event.
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His teammate Carson Weeden has also been on the climb for Montana. He cleared a new foot barrier two weeks ago in Pocatello at the Bengal Invitational, setting his season-best mark at 16-3.25. Weeden ranks fourth in the Big Sky.
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The women have a title contender in Holly Sudol. The two-time All-Big Sky performer heads to Greeley as the league leader in the 400-meter hurdles. She is the only athlete to break 60 seconds in the event, doing so twice at the Bengal Invitational.
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Sudol's seed time of 59.22 is over a full second ahead of Idaho State's Kyndal Martin in second place. The time is also the 33rd best in the region, and likely enough to continue Sudol's season past this week.
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"Any time you have a chance to win a conference championship is a big deal," Fraley said. "It's not an easy task, and to have three people in that position is a good thing and speaks highly about their progress during the outdoor season. We're excited about them throwing their hat in the ring and trying to win a league championship."
Â
Montana has plenty more athletes that could find themselves on or atop the podium by Saturday. There are 17 on each side that enter the meet in scoring range, but there are also 14 total Grizzlies who currently reside in the 9-12 range of the league performance lists.
Â
For the Griz to exceed the preseason expectations, getting a few of those athletes into finals and potentially scoring range will be the key. The top nine advance to finals, giving those who advance through the prelims a fantastic opportunity at scoring some points for their team.
Â
Fraley said that his team feels good, but they also know there are no guarantees. Just because you're seeded in the top eight doesn't mean you're already through to finals, and likewise those on the outside shouldn't be resigned to ending their meets early. It's why all 10 teams are meeting in Greeley, to settle it on the track.
Â
"The thing that we're emphasizing to our kids is that you have to work hard to get into the finals. Once you're in a final, anything can happen," Fraley said. "There is a lot of attrition that takes place at a conference meet. If you make it into the finals you can improve your standing, but the hardest part is getting there."
Â
The meet will begin on Wednesday morning with the combined events. Montana will have four athletes competing in the women's heptathlon, including Morgan Radtke, an All-Big Sky performer in the indoor pentathlon.
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Whitney Morrison, Ainsley Shipman and Brooke Stayner will join Radtke in the multi-events, hoping to set the tone for the Grizzly women.
Â
"If those four ladies compete well, all of them could have the potential to score," Fraley said. "The multi is a bit of a mystery because you will have some athletes entered that haven't competed in a multi this spring, so it's a little bit harder than the other events to project, but the four women that we're sending are really good athletes. They've been training well, they've been competing well, and we see it as a great opportunity to jump start our women's team at this championship."
Â
Fraley said there are several areas which will be key for Montana. The potential for double-digit point totals out of single events is there with the javelin and the 100m on the men's side. The women have multiple potential point scorers in the high jump, javelin and hammer. The pole vault, for both men and women, could also be a key area, and the two relays are always important.
Erin Wilde is ranked third in the women's high jump and has the potential to become All-Big Sky in the event as just a freshman. The men have a top-three performer in Noah Ramirez, who could be All-Conference in the shot put while also being a potential point scorer in the hammer.
Â
In addition to those, the Griz have several standouts in both the 100/110m and the 400m hurdles. Sudol is a favorite, but Stayner is also seeded in the scoring area for the women's 400m hurdles. Cutter Thatcher made huge strides in Pocatello and enters seeded fifth, and Adam Maxwell will have a chance at points entering in the eighth spot.
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The men's 110-meter hurdles feature school record holder Jaydon Green, who has the third-fastest time in the Big Sky this year and a great shot at receiving All-Conference honors.
Â
The weather in Greeley is expected to be adverse with high winds and a greater than 50 percent chance of rain on three of the four days. For Fraley and his team, who competed through snow and shine at three Missoula meets, it shouldn't be a problem.
Â
"I've been really pleased how our team has executed under less than ideal conditions during the early outdoor season. We're going to be in Colorado for four days, so anything can happen," Fraley said. "You can get afternoon squalls, rain, cold. I think we're ready for that. Our kids have done a great job in the way they have handled that this year and I wouldn't expect anything different."
Â
The projections can be made and the seed times and lists analyzed thoroughly, but none of that matters when the starting gun sounds or you step into the ring. The emotions of the meet will hopefully produce the best out of Montana's athletes, and Fraley said he is expecting a good contingent of Grizzly fans in attendance as they have been all season long. The months of lead-up are over. It's time to go.
Â
"You get worn out with projections leading up to this meet and you get to the point where you say let's go start this meet and see what happens. That's where we are at," Fraley said. "We feel really good about our team. My staff has done an amazing job coaching their areas this year and now is where the rubber meets the road." Â
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In an outdoor season that began at home nearly two months ago, the Grizzlies will finally have a chance to see where they stack up against the rest of the league. There has been plenty of progress made this season under first-year head coach Doug Fraley as each week has produced a great number of PR performances.
Â
"The staff is real excited, the kids are real excited, and we feel like we've progressed well in all areas through the six outdoor meets and feel good about where we are at going to the conference meet," Fraley said. "Now it's just a matter of getting in there, competing hard, and trying to either hold your seed or improve on your seed."
Â
This meet is when the Griz will aim to put it all together with the hopes of exceeding the preseason expectations. The Big Sky coaches voted Montana eighth in the league in the preseason polls on both the men's and women's sides, which matched where Montana ended up during the indoor season.
Â
The top eight athletes in each event will earn points for their teams with the top three earning All-Big Sky Conference honors. Montana enter the week with plenty athletes in the top eight of the performance lists in the conference on both sides, including a collection of athletes in the hunt for individual conference championships.
Â
Montana puts 17 male and 17 female athletes in scoring range on the meet seeding list, which ranks everyone based on the best time or mark from the season. The key for Montana will be to hold the ground in those areas and perform up to expectations.
Â
The number of potential point scorers also shows the growth that Montana has made in Fraley's first season in charge.
Â
"It's a big improvement from the indoor season. We went into the indoor championships not really having that many people in scoring position," Fraley said. "I feel like we've advanced quite a bit during the outdoor season, which gives our team confidence in being able to go in and improve on our team finish."
Â
Three Montana athletes will enter the meet as either favorite or co-favorite in their events.
Â
Evan Todd is looking to defend his crown in the men's javelin. The junior from Kalispell won in 2022 with a throw of 224-10. He also placed fourth as a freshman at the conference meet with a mark of 208-8. This season, Todd has shown impressive consistency. In his last appearance in Pocatello, he set a new season-best with a throw of 226-7.
Â
He will enter this weekend atop the Big Sky leaderboard as a result, and also ranks 14th in the NCAA West Region. While his spot at regionals is already secured, adding a second conference championship to his resume would be a massive moment for Todd. He would join Jensen Lillquist (2016, 2018) and Jason Flemmer (2010-11) as two-time javelin champions for Montana.
Â
The event has always been a strength for the Grizzlies, and this year is no exception. One of the main challengers to Todd's crown is his own teammate Matthew Hockett. Hockett has the fourth-best throw in the league this season at 217-8. Since 2010, Montana have won six different individual titles in the event.
Â
Montana also has a duo in the title and All-Conference hunt in the men's pole vault. The arrival of Erica Fraley, a former U.S. Olympian in the event, has boosted the performance across the board for the Grizzlies. Included in that is Zane Johnson, who entered this year having never cleared 16-feet in the event.
Â
Johnson now shares the lead in the Big Sky Conference with a mark of 16-11, increasing his previous PR by more than a foot while winning three meets along the way this year. One of those wins came in the Montana Open, which featured five of the top seven Big Sky athletes in the event.
Â
His teammate Carson Weeden has also been on the climb for Montana. He cleared a new foot barrier two weeks ago in Pocatello at the Bengal Invitational, setting his season-best mark at 16-3.25. Weeden ranks fourth in the Big Sky.
Â
The women have a title contender in Holly Sudol. The two-time All-Big Sky performer heads to Greeley as the league leader in the 400-meter hurdles. She is the only athlete to break 60 seconds in the event, doing so twice at the Bengal Invitational.
Â
Sudol's seed time of 59.22 is over a full second ahead of Idaho State's Kyndal Martin in second place. The time is also the 33rd best in the region, and likely enough to continue Sudol's season past this week.
Â
"Any time you have a chance to win a conference championship is a big deal," Fraley said. "It's not an easy task, and to have three people in that position is a good thing and speaks highly about their progress during the outdoor season. We're excited about them throwing their hat in the ring and trying to win a league championship."
Â
Montana has plenty more athletes that could find themselves on or atop the podium by Saturday. There are 17 on each side that enter the meet in scoring range, but there are also 14 total Grizzlies who currently reside in the 9-12 range of the league performance lists.
Â
For the Griz to exceed the preseason expectations, getting a few of those athletes into finals and potentially scoring range will be the key. The top nine advance to finals, giving those who advance through the prelims a fantastic opportunity at scoring some points for their team.
Â
Fraley said that his team feels good, but they also know there are no guarantees. Just because you're seeded in the top eight doesn't mean you're already through to finals, and likewise those on the outside shouldn't be resigned to ending their meets early. It's why all 10 teams are meeting in Greeley, to settle it on the track.
Â
"The thing that we're emphasizing to our kids is that you have to work hard to get into the finals. Once you're in a final, anything can happen," Fraley said. "There is a lot of attrition that takes place at a conference meet. If you make it into the finals you can improve your standing, but the hardest part is getting there."
Â
The meet will begin on Wednesday morning with the combined events. Montana will have four athletes competing in the women's heptathlon, including Morgan Radtke, an All-Big Sky performer in the indoor pentathlon.
Â
Whitney Morrison, Ainsley Shipman and Brooke Stayner will join Radtke in the multi-events, hoping to set the tone for the Grizzly women.
Â
"If those four ladies compete well, all of them could have the potential to score," Fraley said. "The multi is a bit of a mystery because you will have some athletes entered that haven't competed in a multi this spring, so it's a little bit harder than the other events to project, but the four women that we're sending are really good athletes. They've been training well, they've been competing well, and we see it as a great opportunity to jump start our women's team at this championship."
Â
Fraley said there are several areas which will be key for Montana. The potential for double-digit point totals out of single events is there with the javelin and the 100m on the men's side. The women have multiple potential point scorers in the high jump, javelin and hammer. The pole vault, for both men and women, could also be a key area, and the two relays are always important.
Erin Wilde is ranked third in the women's high jump and has the potential to become All-Big Sky in the event as just a freshman. The men have a top-three performer in Noah Ramirez, who could be All-Conference in the shot put while also being a potential point scorer in the hammer.
Â
In addition to those, the Griz have several standouts in both the 100/110m and the 400m hurdles. Sudol is a favorite, but Stayner is also seeded in the scoring area for the women's 400m hurdles. Cutter Thatcher made huge strides in Pocatello and enters seeded fifth, and Adam Maxwell will have a chance at points entering in the eighth spot.
Â
The men's 110-meter hurdles feature school record holder Jaydon Green, who has the third-fastest time in the Big Sky this year and a great shot at receiving All-Conference honors.
Â
The weather in Greeley is expected to be adverse with high winds and a greater than 50 percent chance of rain on three of the four days. For Fraley and his team, who competed through snow and shine at three Missoula meets, it shouldn't be a problem.
Â
"I've been really pleased how our team has executed under less than ideal conditions during the early outdoor season. We're going to be in Colorado for four days, so anything can happen," Fraley said. "You can get afternoon squalls, rain, cold. I think we're ready for that. Our kids have done a great job in the way they have handled that this year and I wouldn't expect anything different."
Â
The projections can be made and the seed times and lists analyzed thoroughly, but none of that matters when the starting gun sounds or you step into the ring. The emotions of the meet will hopefully produce the best out of Montana's athletes, and Fraley said he is expecting a good contingent of Grizzly fans in attendance as they have been all season long. The months of lead-up are over. It's time to go.
Â
"You get worn out with projections leading up to this meet and you get to the point where you say let's go start this meet and see what happens. That's where we are at," Fraley said. "We feel really good about our team. My staff has done an amazing job coaching their areas this year and now is where the rubber meets the road." Â
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| Big Sky Championship Entry List | Seed | Big Sky Rank | |
| Men's 100m | Cooper Hewett | 10.57 | 4th |
|  Teagun Holycross  | 10.63 | 6th | |
| Men's 200m |  Teagun Holycross  | 21.58 | 8th |
|  Cooper Hewett | 21.61 | 9th | |
| Xavier Melice | 22.02 | 15th | |
| Men's 400m | Paul Johnstone | 48.64 | 10th |
| Â Ty Ferguson | 48.84 | 12th | |
| Â Taylor Johnson | 48.87 | 13th | |
| Â Jay Beagle | 49.54 | 16th | |
| Men's 800m | Will Dauenhauer | 1:53.38 | 13th |
| Â Casey Crouch | 1:53.99 | 14th | |
| Men's 1,500m | Truman Cowan | 3:50.47 | 12th |
| Â Rogelio Mares | 3:50.74 | 13th | |
| Men's 5,000m | Maxwell Scott | 14:24.98 | 16th |
| Â Rogelio Mares | 14:34.50 | 22nd | |
| Â Truman Cowan | 14:57.44 | 30th | |
| Men's 10,000m | Â Maxwell Scott | NT | NR |
| Men's 110mH | Jaydon Green | 14.20 | 3rd |
| Â Adam Maxwell | 15.41 | 12th | |
| Men's 400mH | Cutter Thatcher | 53.26 | 5th |
| Â Adam Maxwell | 55.17 | 8th | |
| Men's steeple | Cooper Morris | 9:16.26 | 12th |
| Men's 4x100m | One squad | 41.00 | 4th |
| Men's 4x400m | One squad | 3:13.06 | 2nd |
| Men's high jump | Patrick Kremer | 6-7 | t8th |
| Â Alfred Peterson | 6-7 | t8th | |
| Men's pole vault | Zane Johnson | 16-11 | t1st |
| Â Carson Weeden | 16-3.25 | 4th | |
| Men's long jump | Jason Upton | 24-3 | 5th |
| Â Jethro Thorne | 22-11.75 | 10th | |
| Â Gordon McMillion | 22-7 | 12th | |
| Men's shot put | Noah Ramirez | 57-0.75 | 3rd |
| Men's discus | Walker McDonald | 158-6 | 11th |
| Men's hammer | Noah Ramirez | 183-2 | 6th |
| Â Walker McDonald | 171-8 | 14th | |
| Men's javelin | Evan Todd | 226-7 | 1st |
| Â Matthew Hockett | 217-8 | 4th | |
| Â Everett Fred | 197-11 | 10th | |
| Women's 100m | Audrey Smith | 12.19 | 10th |
| Women's 400m | Mikenna Ells | 55.98 | 7th |
| Â Lily Meskers | 56.39 | 10th | |
| Â Cosley Bruno | 58.57 | 15th | |
| Women's 800m | Katie Whitehurst | 2:14.81 | 17th |
| Â Mackenzie Morgan | 2:15.36 | 18th | |
| Women's 5,000m | Kayla Ingraham | 17:43.10 | 25th |
| Â Olivia Lackland Henry | 17:48.94 | 26th | |
| Women's 10,000m | Kayla Ingraham | NT | NR |
| Â Olivia Lackland Henry | NT | NR | |
| Women's 100mH | Brooke Stayner | 14.36 | 8th |
| Â Ailsa Gilbert | 14.64 | 9th | |
| Â Ainsley Shipman | 15.23 | 14th | |
| Â Kara Mattson | 15.53 | 16th | |
| Women's 400mH | Holly Sudol | 59.22 | 1st |
| Â Brooke Stayner | 1:02.78 | 7th | |
| Women's 4x100m | One squad | 46.52 | 4th |
| Women's 4x400m | One squad | 3:46.90 | 5th |
| Women's high jump | Erin Wilde | 5-8 | 3rd |
| Â Morgan Radtke | 5-6.5 | t6th | |
| Â Whitney Morrison | 5-1 | 18th | |
| Women's pole vault | Shealyne McGee | 12-8.25 | 5th |
| Â Aly Tekippe | 12-6.75 | 6th | |
| Â Emma Zimmerman | 12-2.5 | 8th | |
| Â Molly Chambers | 12-0.75 | 10th | |
| Women's long jump | Kara Mattson | 18-3 | 12th |
| Â Ailsa Gilbert | 18-0.25 | t15th | |
| Â Perry Paffhausen | 17-11 | 18th | |
| Women's triple jump | Ailsa Gilbert | 37-10.75 | t13th |
| Â Ainsley Shipman | 37-10.75 | t13th | |
| Women's discus | Madi Arneson | 139-10 | 13th |
| Women's hammer | Kaitlyn Gallo | 178-11 | 5th |
| Â Savana Ramirez | 172-9 | 7th | |
| Women's javelin | Lea Moose | 142-9 | 4th |
| Â Kylie Frohlich | 138-6 | 6th | |
| Â Autumn Morse | 134-0 | 10th | |
| Â Tatum McNamara | 122-0 | 14th | |
| Women's heptathlon | Morgan Radtke | 4,754 | 2nd |
| Â Whitney Morrison | 4,467 | 6th | |
| Â Ainsley Shipman | NP | NR | |
| Â Brooke Stayner | NP | NR | |
Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track and Field
Throws
/ Men's Track and Field
Javelin
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Men's Track and Field
Throws
/ Men's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Men's Track and Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Men's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Jumps/Hurdles
/ Women's Track and Field
Jumps/Hurdles
/ Men's Track and Field
Throws
/ Men's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Men's Track and Field
Javelin
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
Javelin
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Multi-events
/ Women's Track and Field
Javelin
/ Women's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Men's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
/ Men's Track and Field
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Multi-events/Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
Multi-events
/ Women's Track and Field
Multi-events
/ Women's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track and Field
Throws
/ Men's Track and Field
Multi-events
/ Men's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Men's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track and FieldGriz Football Weekly Press Conference 11/3/25
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