Montana returns to Spokane to conclude regular season

Friday, February 14

Spokane, Wash.

Montana

Whitworth Invite

Photo by: Torrey Vail

Montana returns to Spokane to conclude regular season

2/13/2025 2:33:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Performance List

By: Montana Sports Information

Whitworth Indoor Invitational
Friday & Saturday / Feb. 14-15 / Live Results

The Montana track and field team will finish up the regular season this weekend in Spokane at the Whitworth Invitational. It will be the team's third and final trip to The Podium as they make the final tune-ups before the Big Sky Championships.

Montana will have the next weekend off before taking off to Flagstaff for the Big Sky Indoor Championships.

Spokane and The Podium have treated the Grizzlies well so far this season in the first two meets, particularly last weekend at the Riverfront Invite. The Grizzlies broke two school records, tied another, and had near-misses on an additional two school records during the meet.

This will be another chance for the top athletes on Montana's roster to solidify their positions in the Big Sky standings heading into the postseason.

"We're excited to go back to Spokane and continue the progress that we made last week and to this point in the regular season," head coach Doug Fraley said. "For a lot of people who have established their marks, it's just one more opportunity to go out and compete and hone their craft."

There is also a portion of Montana's roster that is still looking to earn a place on the travel roster for Flagstaff.

Montana has 17 individuals on the men's side and 16 on the women's side that are currently in the top 10 of the league standings. There are several athletes that are in the top five (6 men, 4 women) that will be looking at potential All-Conference spots in Flagstaff.

For the others, this meet in Spokane is the final chance to post a result that will earn them a place at the Indoor Championships.

"For some kids, it's a do-or-die meet. We have a few spots on each side that we're still undecided about on who is going to the Conference Championship meet in Flagstaff," Fraley said. "For those kids, this is a big meet to see if they can hit a performance that will get them on the travel roster."

The Grizzlies were picked 5^th on the men's side and 9^th on the women's side in the Big Sky Preseason Poll. It was the highest preseason position for the men since 2015, and Fraley is looking to get as many athletes into scoring contention at the end of the month as he can.

"We're looking for those people that are on the fringe or outside of the top 10 in the league standings right now to see who can make a move and potentially get themselves into that top 10 and win a trip to Flagstaff."

Braden Ankeny broke the Montana school record last weekend in the men's 200m with a time of 21.49. It's the 4^th best time in the Big Sky this season.

On the women's side, Lily Meskers came within a hundredth of a second of the school record in the 200m and then anchored the women's 4x400m relay team to a school record. The team won't run in Spokane, but Meskers and several other top sprinters will be in action.

Erin Wilde also will look to continue her perfect indoor season. Wilde, a junior from Whitefish, tied the women's high jump record with an indoor PR of 5-10. She's won every meet that she has competed in this indoor season, and has three Big Sky championships already in her trophy case.

Montana will also get some athletes back on the track that had to sit out last weekend with minor injuries.

"I'm looking forward to seeing a couple of our top people that we held out last weekend who are healthy again," Fraley said. "I'm looking forward to getting them one last touch before the conference championships, which is always important."

The Grizzlies will also have a competitor in the heptathlon for the first time this season as freshman Oliver Simianer will make his Grizzly debut.

MEN'S ENTRIES
60m- Cooper Hewett, Teagun Holycross, Karsen Beitz, Malaki Simpson, Brody Thornsberry, Gordon McMillion
200m- Karsen Beitz, Teagun Holycross, Braden Ankeny, Malaki Simpson, Taylor Johnson, Jay Beagle, Ty Ferguson, Brody Thornsberry, Easton Brotherson, Gordon McMillion
400m- Jay Beagle, Braden Ankeny, Taylor Johnson, Ty Ferguson, Adam Maxwell
800m- Keagen Crosby, Morgan Amano
Mile- Lane Cole
5,000m- Carson Steckelberg
60mH- Easton Brotherson
DMR- One squad
High jump- Patrick Kremer, Zachary Travis, Adam Maxwell
Pole vault- Carson Hegele, Carter Petersen, Corbin Luce
Long jump- Gordon McMillion, Caiden Sekuterski, Patrick Kremer, Brody Thornsberry
Triple jump- Caiden Sekuterski
Shot put- Alex Shields, Donaven Humphries, Wade Rykal
Weight throw- Donaven Humphries, Tyler Bates
Heptathlon- Oliver Simianer

WOMEN'S ENTRIES
60m- Tara Ohlwiler, Brooke Zetooney, Lily Meskers, Rileigh McGree, Ainsley Shipman,
200m- Lily Meskers, Brooke Zetooney, Tara Ohlwiler, Sophia Clark, Rileigh McGree, Isabelle Berry, Jayel Dovichak
400m- Sophia Clark, Claire Hutchison
800m- Libby Hartz
3,000m- Iris McKean, Shay Pederson
60mH- Jayel Dovichak, Whitney Morrison, Kensey Gault, Ainsley Shipman, Isabelle Berry
High jump- Erin Wilde, Whitney Morrison, Madison Kremer
Pole vault- Samantha Serex, Shealyne McGee, Emma Weeden, Molly Chambers, Chesnee Lawrence, Hannah Moses
Long jump- Ainsley Shipman, Rileigh McGree, Kensey Gault
Shot put- Scout Nadeau, Cathlene Van Zyl, Morgan Thomas, Whitney Morrison, Kensey Gault
Weight throw- Savana Ramirez, Morgan Thomas, Scout Nadeau