Todd nearly breaks school record as Griz impress on day two in California

Thursday, April 11

Azusa, Calif.

Montana

Bryan Clay Invitational

Evan Todd of the Montana Grizzlies competes in the javelin throw during the Montana Open track and field event in Missoula on Friday, April 21, 2023.

Photo by: Ryan Brennecke/UM Athletics

Todd nearly breaks school record as Griz impress on day two in California

4/12/2024 9:35:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

By: Montana Sports Information

It was a bounce back day for the Montana track and field team in California on Friday with some stellar performances highlighting a small group in action. There were a dozen Grizzlies in action on Friday and seven of them recorded a PR in their event.

The biggest performance of the day came in the men's javelin. Evan Todd has a very long and impressive resume at the collegiate level as the two-time defending Big Sky Conference champion in the event. There had been one thing missing from that list, however. A 70-meter throw.

He finally broke that mark on Friday with a new personal-best throw of 232-2, or 70.78 meters. He came within four inches of the Montana school record and now has the second-best throw in program history.

It also is a top 25 mark in the NCAA this season and the 11^th-best in the West Region. The throw also meets the minimum standard to qualify for the 2024 USA Olympic Trials.

"That was the performance of the day from our squad just looking at it not only from a conference standpoint, but a regional and potentially national standpoint, by going over 70 meters," head coach Doug Fraley said. "That gets you in the top echelon of collegiate javelin throwers."

The field was loaded in Long Beach with many of the best throwers in the west, and particular out of the Big Sky, participating. Todd finished 6^th overall but 2^nd among D-I throwers. He also edged out many of the top athletes in the Big Sky.

"For him to do that in what we were really calling the Big Sky preview in the men's javelin and to be the top person in the league in that event was just awesome," Fraley said. "He's been trying to hit that 70-meter mark for several years now, so for him to do it in a big meet and against the best guys in the Big Sky was just really outstanding."

He wasn't the only Grizzly with a big PR. At the Bryan Clay Invitational over at Azusa Pacific, Montana had five out of the five athletes competing record new personal records. It started in the morning as Whitney Morrison and Brooke Stayner wrapped up the heptathlon that began Thursday.

Morrison recorded new personal best marks in three of the seven events, and smashed her previous record in the overall event by over 300 points. Morrison finished 3^rd in a competitive group that included last year's Big Sky runner-up Eliana Coburn of Sacramento State.

The Missoula native topped Coburn with her score of 4,928. She ran a PR time of 2:22.77 in the 800 to cap off what was a very impressive multi-event. She has dealt with plenty of heartbreak in her Grizzly career, including injuries and an unlucky trip on a hurdle at the Indoor Championships.

She proved over the last two days that she's one of the top athletes in the conference, recording the top multi score in the conference this season.

"Whitney had a lot of PRs in the multi. This is really the first year that Whitney has been what we would consider fully healthy in her collegiate career," Fraley said. "She's been developing in those events and was able to come out in a great setting and put it all together for a massive PR in the heptathlon. It's what we were hoping for coming in with her and she delivered on it big time."

Brooke Stayner also upped her previous best in the heptathlon with a score of 4,765, which is now the third-best in the conference this season. The sophomore was steady through the first five events before busting out PR marks in the final two.

She improved on her previous best in the javelin, and then ran an impressive 2:19.44 in the 800 for the new overall PR.

"It was just a good, steady as she goes multi for Brooke," Fraley said. "She just had a lot of very good, solid performances and capped it off with a big PR for her in the heptathlon 800. For her to improve like that is a really good performance."

A trio of Grizzlies ran the 800 at the Bryan Clay Invitational as well.

On the men's side, freshman Henry Ballinger continued an excellent debut season for Montana with a great 800. In a tune-up for tomorrow's 1,500, which is his stronger event, Ballinger went out and ran a 1:50.84 to win his heat.

He becomes the fifth-fastest 800 runner for Montana since 2000, and jumps to 3^rd in the Big Sky as a result of the performance. In an event that featured 235 of the best runners from around the country, the Grizzly freshman finished 9^th.

"He's one of those athletes that is truly an 800 or 1,500 guy, they are both really strong. But for him to run with that many good 800 runners and finish as high as he did is very impressive. He ran a great race and won his section with over a second PR. It was a really big time performance from a freshman."

His teammate Lane Cole also ran a new career-best time at 1:55.12. Cole and Ballinger will both run in the 1,500m race tomorrow evening in an event that will feature over 800 total runners.

Katie Whitehurst ran a career-best time in the highly competitive women's 800m at the Bryan Clay Invitational. In a field of 238 runners, Whitehurst finished in 57^th with a time of 2:11.68. It's a new PR by nearly a full second and moves her into 7^th in the Big Sky this season.

"We had three kids run the 800 and we had three PRs, which is really why you go to the Azusa meet," Fraley said. "For multis and mid-distance running, we've had five athletes competing there and we've had five PRs. It was kind of the primer race for those two guys to run 1,500-meters tomorrow so we're really excited about those races tomorrow evening."

Patrick Kremer recorded a PR for Montana back the Beach Invitational with a mark of 23-0.75 in the long jump. The Grizzlies also had good performances from both men and women in the weight throw, as well as Lea Moose (javelin) and Molly Chambers (pole vault).

"All in all it was a really good day," Fraley said. "We felt like we got some momentum today and we're looking forward to finishing things off well tomorrow."

Montana will wrap things up tomorrow at the Beach Invitational with Ballinger and Cole running late at the Bryan Clay. The Grizzlies return home next weekend for the Montana Open.

BRYAN CLAY INVITATIONAL RESULTS
Women's 800m- Katie Whitehurst (2:11.68*, 57^th/238)
Men's 800m- Henry Ballinger (1:50.84*, 9^th/235), Lane Cole (1:55.12*, 148^th)
Heptathlon- Whitney Morrison (4,928*, 3^rd), Brooke Stayner (4,765*, 6th)
100mH- Morrison (14.60*, 895), Stayner (14.74, 876)
High Jump- Morrison (5-2.25, 712), Stayner (5-2.25, 712)
Shot Put- Morrison (34-7.75, 566), Stayner (30-6.25, 484)
200m- Morrison (25.77*, 817), Stayner (25.83, 812)
Friday's Heptathlon Events
Long Jump- Morrison (17-4.25, 640), Stayner (17-1.5, 620)
Javelin- Morrison (104-5, 512), Stayner (90-4*, 430)
800m- Stayner (2:19.44*, 831), Morrison (2:22.77*, 786)

BEACH INVITATIONAL RESULTS
Women's Pole Vault- Molly Chambers (11-10, 8^th)
Women's Hammer- Ariel Clark (181-3, 21^st), Savana Ramirez (174-3, 25^th)
Women's Javelin- Lea Moose (131-0, 32^nd/44)

Men's Long Jump- Patrick Kremer (23-0.75*, 2nd
Men's Hammer- Walker McDonald (173-9, 43^rd/56)
Men's Javelin- Evan Todd (232-2*, 6^th/43)