Athletes from Montana compete at NCAA West Regional

The women concluded their events at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship West First Round regional in College Station, Texas, on Saturday.

The top 48 in each event qualified to compete in Texas, but the top 12 finishers earn a trip to Eugene, Oregon, for the national championship meet June 11-14.

In the discus, Colorado State junior Klaire Kovatch (Seeley-Swan) earned the final qualifying spot by placing 12th with her throw of 54.32 meters (178 feet, 2 inches) on her second attempt. Fresno State’s Cierra Jackson earned the top mark at 61.27 meters (201-0). With her finish, Kovatch earned a second career trip back to the national meet.

The Montana State relay of Olivia Lewis (Corvallis), Peyton Garrison, Giulia Gandolfi and Caroline Hawkes ran the third heat of the women’s 4×400 relay in the final race of the meet. The top-three teams from each heat as well as the next three fastest times advanced. The Bobcats finished fourth in 3:34.31 in their heat, but were fast enough to take the final spot to advance on time and become the first MSU relay to make the NCAA championships. Arkansas earned the top time in 3:25.48. 

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Northern Arizona senior Elise Stearns (Missoula Hellgate) finished ninth in the first heat of the 5,000 in 16 minutes, 19.13 seconds. The top 12 from each heat and the next two fastest times moved on to the NCAA meet in Eugene. Montana State senior Kyla Christopher-Moody was 19th in the first heat as well in 16:41.73. Arkansas’ Paityn Noe set a new facility record with her win in 15:43.45. After the two heats were completed, Stearns finished 19th overall and Christopher-Moody was 38th out of the field of 48.

Three former Montana AA high school runners raced in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. In the first heat, Northern Arizona junior Hayley Burns (Bozeman) finished in 10:16.86 to come across sixth in her heat. In the third heat, Boise State senior Abby Kendrick (Missoula Hellgate) finished in 10:22.2 in ninth in the heat while Montana State senior Grace Gilbreth (Bozeman) ran 10:27.89 for 12th in the heat. BYU senior Lexy Halladay-Lowry won the third heat in the fastest time of the day in 9:23.03 while Burns finished 20th, Kendrick was 26th and Gilbreth was 31st overall.

Montana junior Erin Wilde (Whitefish) jumped 1.71 meters (5-7.25) in the high jump to finish in a four-way tie for 32nd overall. Wilde missed her opening attempt, but made the second before being unable to clear the second height. Nebraska’s Jenna Rogers cleared 1.84 meters (6-0.5) with the fewest misses to earn the top spot.

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