FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Montana had limited expectations entering the Big Sky indoor championships this weekend, picked in the preseason poll to finish fifth and ninth in the league on the men’s and women’s sides, respectively.
Head coach Doug Fraley’s squads blew those expectations out of the water in a fantastic meet inside the Walkup Skydome, finishing third on the men’s side and fourth on the women’s.
The Grizzly men scored 69 points to finish in third. It’s the most points and the best finish for the Montana men’s team since 2014. They also finished third that year behind 87 total points.
The women had their best showing since 2017 when they finished second at the conference meet, scoring 66.5 points for fourth. They also had two Big Sky champions in the same meet for the first time since 2019.
“It means the world to our program. At some point when you’re building a program, you’ve got to get validation through team finishes. I feel like we’re starting to get in that area where we are getting some validation with what we’re doing in the program.
“We’re just really proud and very excited with the improvements that we’ve had in the last three indoor seasons.”
It’s become the expectation that whenever Erin Wilde enters a high jump competition, she will leave it with the win. The Big Sky championship was no exception.
The junior from Whitefish entered Saturday with three Big Sky titles already to her name, and had not lost a competition yet this season.
A competitive field pushed Wilde to new heights, as she broke the Montana school record and became the first female in school history to clear the 6-foot mark. She did it on her first attempt, winning her fourth straight conference crown — two indoor and two outdoor — with the best jump of her career.
“Erin knows how to get it done at championship meets and it was just awesome to watch her not only win her fourth consecutive Big Sky title but do it in style with a new PR, school record, and joining the 6-foot club,” Fraley said.” That’s a huge milestone for women’s collegiate high jump, and it’s fantastic.”
Wilde’s mark ties her for 17th in the country, putting her among the nation’s elite in the event. The top 16 athletes are selected to participate at the Indoor NCAA national championships.
Montana's Whitney Morrison won the Big Sky women's pentathlon on Thursday with a with a score of 3,877.
