Griz take fast start to Bozeman for Bobcat Challenge

Friday, January 23

Bozeman, Mont.

Montana

MSU Bobcat Challenge

Photo by: Torrey Vail

Griz take fast start to Bozeman for Bobcat Challenge

1/22/2026 2:19:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Live Results Performance List

By: Montana Sports Information

You couldn't have asked for a much better return from the holiday break than what head coach Doug Fraley and the Montana track and field team delivered last week in Spokane. Three school records, 15 event wins, and 15 more top three finishes highlighted the Spokane Indoor Challenge.

The Grizzlies will now take that momentum on the road to Bozeman to compete in the MSU Bobcat Challenge. The meet will begin on Friday afternoon with a heptathlon and pentathlon. The first events of the main meet will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Friday night. The meet resumes Saturday morning at 10:15 a.m.

The sprint group had the strongest showing at the season opening meet with three school records falling. Tara Ohlwiler broke her own record in the 60m and both the men's and women's 200m records fell at The Podium.

Callie Wilson ran a 24.10 in her first collegiate 200m to break an 18-year old record and Karsen Beitz ran a 21.41 to improve upon his own program mark.

The Grizzlies also had the Big Sky Conference Field Athlete of the Week in Erin Wilde. The senior from Whitefish won the Spokane Indoor Challenge with a jump of 5-10.75 to win her 10^th straight indoor meet dating back to 2024.

"We felt good about the start that we got off to last weekend to open the regular season," head coach Doug Fraley said. "It's great to have that meet under our belt going into a meet with much greater competition this week. Last weekend's rust-buster will set us up well to compete against a high level of competition this week."

Fraley and company will now make the journey to Bozeman to try to build on the momentum from Spokane. They will be competing in some very strong fields with only Montana State, Idaho State, and Wyoming in attendance.

The meet will be smaller than the first of the season for Montana, but the competition should be fierce with three teams inside the top five of the preseason poll in the Big Sky Conference and a Wyoming team that is competitive in the Mountain West.

"We are very excited to go to a meet where the structure is four D-I teams, and four good D-I teams," Fraley said. "Meets like this used to be very common in the past but not so much so these days, but they are really some of the best track meets that you can go to because you have four programs that cover all the events. There isn't a single event over two days that is weak, so this is a great opportunity for our team."

The have already claimed several school records, but more could very easily fall this season as the Grizzlies progress through the year. Kevin Swindler attempted a record jump in the men's pole vault and narrowly missed.

The 60m and 200m records on the women's side are far from safe with Ohlwiler and Wilson in action again, and Wilde could certainly extend her own record in the high jump on the right day.

But enough talk of records.

Montana will also see the multis competing for the first time this season in Bozeman as they compete in the first heptathlon and pentathlon this season. Oliver Simianer will compete on the men's side while Brooke Stayner returns from a redshirt season and competes alongside Kensey Gault on the women's side.

Fraley is excited to get the multis back into the fray and see where they stand following the long break.

"We're excited about getting the multis going in an actual heptathlon and pentathlon," Fraley said. "That's a strong area for our team that we definitely lean on so to get them a January multi at a good facility with good competition is going to be fun."

The Grizzlies also have plenty of athletes populating the top 10 of the Big Sky Conference performance list at this stage. While it's early, it's encouraging for Fraley and his staff that 20 women and 21 men currently reside inside that top 10.

There are several conference leaders at this stage. Patrick Kremer in the high jump and Swindler in the pole vault top the league's list on the men's side, along with Beitz and his record-setting time.

Wilson and Wilde lead the 200m and high jump, respectively, on the women's side and Sophia Clark joins them as the Big Sky leader in the 400m.

It's been a good start, but with a high level of competition in Bozeman this week Fraley is hoping for even more good times and marks.

"We want to continue focusing on the process under the pressure of competition," Fraley said. "That's what we want to be able to do this week. If we're able to really focus on our execution and use the excitement of the good competition, we will make more gains this week.

"The bottom line is that we want to be progressing in our execution each week," Fraley said. "Some weeks that leads to better times and distances and some weeks it doesn't, but it's all part of the process."

The Grizzlies will have a week off following this meet before returning to action on Feb. 6. The multi-athletes will head to Spokane for the Riverfront Multis while the rest of the squad will return to Bozeman for the Carignan Classic.

2026 SCHOOL RECORDS
Montana has set three school records already this season with their sights set on more. Here are the records broken this season.