BOZEMAN — The Bozeman Gallatin boys track and field program is looking to defend last year's team title at the State AA meet this weekend in Great Falls.
Nash Coley, a national talent and Montana State signee, has had a senior season for the Raptors full of breaking records. He returns this weekend to state to defend a few individual titles of his own.
Coley is a reigning state champion in the 300-meter hurdles, the 400-meter dash and the 400-meter relay. That relay group helped clinch a share of the team title last season — the Raptors tied with Helena Capital for the top spot on the podium — and most recently set a meet record at the Eastern AA divisional meet Saturday with a stellar time of 3:20.7.
“I am, and I’m 90% sure they are, too, just watching them compete with me," Coley said when asked if he still thinks about clinching a state title in his final event with his teammates as they look ahead to this year's meet. "We’re all really excited for it."
Coley and Co. also became back-to-back divisional champions on Saturday. He snagged first-place finishes in the 300-meter hurdles, 110-meter hurdles and the 400 relay at the meet.
He continues to be part of history with the Raptors, as the school opened its doors just four years ago.
"It feels great that we are now the reigning champions from last year as well," Coley said. "I definitely think that everyone putting in the work is what made it happen."
This season, Coley has notched personal bests in both hurdles events. He had a stellar finish of 37.3 seconds in the 300-meter hurdles at the Skor Dekam meet in Helena on April 27, which is also a school record. In the 110-meter hurdles at the Billings Invite on April 13, he finished with a time of 14.54.
Next year, he joins the reigning Big Sky Conference champions, staying in Bozeman to compete for the Bobcats' track and field program.
"It was actually really simple," Coley said of his commitment process. "I had a buddy sign there this last year. I had my brother that signed there two years ago, and then just, I’ve seen the team. I’ve seen the coaches, and so I was just hammering down the times until I could eventually make it on."
His future teammate at MSU and the reigning Big Sky champion in the 400-meter hurdles, Janis Pohl, has already started to offer advice and mentorship.
"I'm very excited. He has high expectations for me already," Coley said with a laugh.
If Coley has proven anything in high school, it's that he can live up to high expectations.
