BUTTE — For Bozeman Gallatin senior Jack Murray, the record-breaking discus throw he unleashed at last season's Class AA state track and field meet was a long time coming.
"It was amazing, it was a great experience," said Murray of his all-class-record heave of 198-01, which smashed the previous all-class mark of 193-07 that was set by Missoula Hellgate's Dan Tabish in 1982 and narrowly eclipsed last season by Kalispell Glacier's Aiden Krause (193-08).
Tabish's colossal toss held for over four decades and it's anyone's guess how long Murray's record will stand.
"It was kind of the culmination of everything I had worked toward the last four or five years," he continued. "It was definitely a big moment for me and my career and opened a lot of doors going into the recruiting process."
One of those doors led him to sign with Idaho State's track and field program, and Murray's college-ready ability was on full display at the 2025 Swede Dahlberg Invitational in Butte where he won the discus by over 10 feet (168 feet) and shot put by nearly five feet (55 feet).
"I'm really excited, I think it's a great opportunity," said Murray of joining the Bengals this fall. "I love the area. Being able to do that and continue the sport I love is a big deal to me."
He's already qualified for state this year in both discus and shot put and, after winning the discus title in historic fashion last season, he'll be looking to defend that title and pursue another medal in shot put after taking fifth place in that event at the 2024 state gathering.
"I think it's gonna take a lot of drilling and just the basics over and over to kind of get back into that tempo and put up some big marks," said Murray. "I'd love to get a double title. It would be great to do both this year."
And there's another title he has his sights set on — the Class AA team championship as the Raptor boys eye a state three-peat.
"It'd be the third in a row which would be amazing to see and I love to see the team succeed," said Murray. "Hopefully we can make something happen this year. We've got a good group of young guys."
