Serex breaks program record at Beach Invitational

Thursday, April 17

Azusa, Calif.

Montana

Bryan Clay Invitational

University of Montana athletes compete in the Al Manuel Invitational in Missoula on Saturday, March 29, 2025.

Photo by: Ryan Brennecke/ University of Montana

4/19/2025 7:52:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

By: Montana Sports Information

Samantha Serex made the most of her return to California for the Beach Invitational. The transfer from UCLA was back in the Golden State with the Grizzlies, and had a career day in the women's pole vault.

Serex, already the indoor school record holder for Montana, broke the outdoor record on Saturday afternoon with a mark of 13-5.25. It breaks the former record held by teammate Shealyne McGee.

She did it in impressive fashion, opening her day with a clearance at 11-11.75 and missing just once on her way to the school record. When she reached the potential record-setting bar, she didn't hesitate, clearing it on her first attempt.

Serex finished 4^th overall in the event and moves into second place in the Big Sky Performance list with the mark. She beat the current league leader Libby Hansen from Montana State in Saturday's competition.

The mark also puts her inside the bubble for an NCAA First Round appearance as she slides into a tie for 37^th in the West.

"It was a great performance from Sam today, one that will likely punch her ticket or give her a really good chance at the NCAA First Rounds," head coach Doug Fraley said. "I'm really happy for her coming back to Southern California for the first time since competing at UCLA and getting an outdoor PR and breaking the school record."

McGee finished in 16^th place in the event with a mark of 12-5.5. It was a good day overall for the Montana vaulters as the men also had a couple of big efforts.

Carson Weeded finished in 7^th place with a new outdoor PR of 16-8.25. Weeden has improved in every meet this outdoor season after missing some time with injuries during indoors.

Corbin Luce had a new lifetime best mark, clearing 16-4.5 to place 11^th. Weeden moves into 2nd in the Big Sky performance lists and Luce 4^th with their performances at Long Beach.

"It was a good day for Carson and Corbin to both get outdoor bests," Fraley said. "Those guys are inching up the conference leaderboard and getting closer, another bar or two and those guys are in the First Round mix. Good day for our vaulters, Erica's crew did a good job over there."

Lily Meskers had one of the best performances on the track for Montana, finishing in 6^th in the women's 400-meter with a new personal best time of 54.72 seconds.

Meskers moves into the top four in the Big Sky Conference with her time. It's the first time this season that she has run the 400-meter distance, having only raced the 100 and 200-meter distances in the first two meets.

The junior reached the finals at the Big Sky Championships in the event last season.

Meskers then helped the women's 4x400m relay team to an impressive time in the final race of the day. The Grizzlies ran a time of 3:42.12 to finish 2^nd overall in the event and move into 2^nd in

"Lily had a great day and a good week out west. It culminated with a lifetime best in the 400m today and anchoring a really good effort by our women's relay team. I'm very pleased with the output today from her."

Montana had some PRs across the board in other event areas. Rileigh McGree had a 200m PR of 25.28, and a couple of men's field athletes had personal bests in the long jump (Caiden Sekuterski, 23-6) and shot put (Alex Shields, 54-7.5).

Scout Nadeau continued to make progress in the women's shot put, recording a PR for the second time this week with a throw of 45-6.25.

"I think the thing that I'm most pleased with for our team broadly is that our kids were working hard and competing hard," Fraley said. "Whether they had a good meet Thursday or not, everybody on this trip was grinding hard today to make adjustments and improvements. I was really pleased with the work ethic and competitiveness of our team."

The Grizzlies will return home next weekend for the Montana Open. They will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday, and then close out the regular season with trips to Pocatello, Idaho for the Bengal Invitational and Bozeman for the Tom Gage Classic.

"It's another step in the progression of the outdoor season," Fraley said. "I feel like the kids competed hard and we made progress in a lot of areas and that's what this trip is about. This trip is simply another spoke in the wheel."

MEN'S RESULTS
100m- Malaki Simpson (10.96, 29^th), Cooper Hewett (10.96, 30^th), Karsen Beitz (11.03, 34^th)
200m- Karsen Beitz (21.60, 12^th), Braden Ankeny (21.89, 22^nd)
400m- Ty Ferguson (48.26, 14^th), Braden Ankeny (48.40, 16^th)
400mH- Cutter Thatcher (55.31, 22^nd)
High Jump- Patrick Kremer (6-8, 9^th)
Pole Vault- Carson Weeden (16-8.25*, 7^th), Corbin Luce (16-4.5*, 11^th), Kevin Swindler (15-4.5, 21^st)
Long Jump- Caiden Sekuterski (23-6*, 7^th), Gordon McMillion (22-1, 21^st)
Shot Put- Alex Shields (54-7.5*, 22^nd)
Javelin- Matthew Hockett (213-0, 4^th)

WOMEN'S RESULTS
100m- Tara Ohlwiler (12.08, 12^th)
200m- Rileigh McGree (25.28*, 29^th)
400m- Lily Meskers (54.72*, 6^th), Sophia Clark (56.12, 15^th), Claire Hutchison (56.92, 23^rd)
100mH- Jayel Dovichak (14.03, 14^th), Ainsley Shipman (14.65, 34^th)
4x400m Relay- Clark, Hutchison, Ohlwiler, Meskers (3:42.12, 2^nd)
High Jump- Erin Wilde (5-6, 6^th)
Pole Vault- Samantha Serex (13-5.25*^, 4^th), Shealyne McGee (12-5.5, 16^th), Molly Chambers (11-11.75, 21^st)
Shot Put- Scout Nadeau (45-6.25*, 20^th), Morgan Thomas (40-4.25, 44^th)
Discus- Morgan Thomas (137-0, 42^nd)
Javelin- Ella Moodry (121-11, 17^th)

BRYAN CLAY INVITATIONAL
1,500m Invite- Lane Cole (3:54.59, 129^th)
1,500m Open- Truman Thompson (3:54.54, 110^th)

^School Record
*PR