Griz to honor seniors at Montana Open

Friday, April 24

Montana

Montana Open

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Photo by: Casandra Evans/University of Montana

4/22/2026 12:05:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Live Results Performance List Meet Schedule

By: Montana Sports Information

Montana Open
April 24-25 / Dornblaser Field / Live Results / Schedule / Tickets

TICKETS
The Montana Open will be a ticketed event with a $10 all-in ticket. A portion of the proceeds will help support the track and field/cross country programs. Tickets can be purchased online ahead of time at this link, or on the day of the meet at the soccer ticket box office to the north of the track. Tickets will only be required for Saturday's events.

GSA members and kids 12-and-under will get into the event for free.

SENIOR DAY
The Grizzlies will be celebrating Senior Day on Saturday with 21 student-athletes competing in the final home event of their careers. The group, which were the first class of freshmen under head coach Doug Fraley back in 2022, have ushered in a new era of Grizzly track and field.

Montana was predicted to finish in the bottom third of the conference both indoors and outdoors during this group's first year. Now, the Grizzlies are coming off two straight 3^rd place finishes for both the men and women as they have risen to compete at the top of the league.

"It's hard to believe that some of these athletes are fourth- and fifth-year performers," Fraley said. "We are really proud of this group, they have accomplished a lot for this program, and we're looking forward to recognizing them Saturday at the meet."

The seniors will be honored following the national anthem at 11:45 a.m.

PREVIEW
Track meets at Dornblaser Field are turning into can't miss events this season, and fans of Montana track and field will have just one final opportunity to watch the Grizzlies in action as they host the Montana Open this Friday and Saturday.

The last time Montana competed at home, five school records and three Dornblaser Field records fell. They will be looking for even more success this weekend as they gear up for the closing stretch of the season.

It's been a big year for Montana, including a highly productive trip to California for the Grizzlies last weekend. There are currently three women and nine men that rank inside the top 48 in the NCAA West Region, which is the cut line for qualification into the NCAA First Round.

While there were some high-level performances in California, a large portion of the Grizzly roster remained home for training and will be itching to get back into competition this week after an off weekend.

"It will be great to be at home this week after a long weekend in California," Fraley said. "Everybody loves competing at home, so our athletes are excited for one more shot at Dornblaser. It's also exciting for the athletes that didn't travel to California. They've gotten in a good two-week training block and they're raring and ready to go get back into action."

The 21 seniors competing in their final home meet have helped change the culture of the program in four years under Fraley and his staff. There have been Big Sky Champions, All-Conference performers, and several key leaders for the team that have come from this group.

They began their careers in a period of uncertainty for Griz track and field but have helped take the program to new heights. They will leave behind a strong legacy in the history of the program.

"This is the group that bought in from the beginning," Fraley said. "When we came in as a new staff and charted the direction we wanted to go, these are the individuals that said, 'We're on board, let's go get better.'

"These athletes have taken accountability measures for themselves and for their teammates and elevated this team to where it is now," Fraley continued. "We're really grateful because they've done a tremendous amount for the team culture and the level of program we have now."

The top-ranked Grizzly in the regional rankings will be competing in her final home event as Erin Wilde says goodbye to Dornblaser Field. The senior from Whitefish has won six Big Sky Championships in the high jump and is currently tied for 11^th in the entire NCAA in the event.

She broke the Dornblaser Field record and extended her own program mark by clearing 6-0 at home the last time out. The women's high jump is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The men's shot put event will also feature a school record holder and, if the last home meet is any indication, it could be the rowdiest atmosphere of the weekend. Alex Shields broke the program record with a throw of 59-8.5 at the Al Manual Invitational.

Shields ranks 25^th in the West and is on top of the Big Sky performance list in the event entering the week. Freshman Astin Brown is also in the top 48 in the region and ranks 3^rd in the Big Sky with a best throw of 57-10.25.

The Grizzlies currently have 24 women and 24 men that rank inside the top 10 of the Big Sky Conference, many of whom will be competing over the weekend. But this weekend is just as much about the Grizzlies who are trying to rise the ranks and clinch a spot on the conference roster.

Montana travels to Idaho State next weekend for the two-day Bengal Invitational, which is the final big precursor meet for the Grizzlies.

"This is an important meet for a lot of people on our roster because they're competing for spots to go to Pocatello for a big meet next week," Fraley said. "That gives them the ability to continue on and try to make our conference roster."

The Big Sky Championships, hosted by Portland State at Mt. Hood Community College, will be held on May 13-16. The Grizzlies were picked to finish 3^rd on the men's and women's side in the league's Coaches' Poll.

The action begins on Friday at 12:00 p.m. with the women's hammer. The hammer and javelin throw competitions will take place on Friday with all track events on Saturday beginning with the women's steeplechase at 12:05 p.m.

SPRING SOCIAL
The Grizzly track and field program will be hosting a spring social event on Friday, April 24 from 7-9 PM following the conclusion of the throwing events at Dornblaser Field. The social will be held at The Still Room in Missoula.

Tickets are $75 and can be purchased at this link. The event will feature interviews with current athletes and coaches, heavy appetizers, a free drink, and a silent auction, with proceeds going to the track and cross country programs at Montana.

MONTANA OUTDOOR SCHOOL RECORDS IN 2026
The following school records have been broken this outdoor season.