
Elena Carter (center)
Photo by: Kyle Cajero
Two School Records Fall, MSU Makes Podium Eight Times on Day Two of the Big Sky Indoor Championships
2/25/2023 1:42:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
MOSCOW, Idaho – Standout Montana State track and field sprinter/hurdler Elena Carter's swan song couldn't have been scripted much better.
Competing in her final track and field meet before she plans on redshirting for the rest of the spring and training for her final collegiate outdoor track season, the Helena Capital alumna had a day to remember on the first day of the Big Sky Indoor Track & Field Championships, held in the Kibbie Dome on Friday.
Within the span of several hours, Carter broke her own school record in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.33 seconds, then won her first Big Sky Conference title in the long jump. Few Bobcats, much less Big Sky athletes, had as much success on a prelim-heavy day one, yet Carter could say she did.
Carter toed the line in heat three of the 60-meter hurdle prelims, got into the blocks, then burst out once the gun sounded.
The race was only close until the second hurdle.
Running alone out front, Carter powered her way over the remaining hurdles and stopped the clock at 8.33 seconds. Once she crossed the line she immediately looked up, saw her time and — for the first time that afternoon — was breathless.
"Mid-season, I was feeling really tired and it was really hard to run," Carter said. "I was kind of worried going into the race, so once I saw I PRed, I got really excited. I didn't know how well I was running until the very end."
From there, Carter did what she usually does during track meets. With virtually no time to process what happened in her last event, think about fatigue, or take a moment to herself, Carter ran over to the long jump runway to begin part two of her busy day.
Her first attempt of 5.71m (18-8.75) put her in pole position, then she hit 19 feet even on her second attempt. Nobody was within a foot of her until the third jump, then the finals came and went with no other jumper breaking 19 feet. Carter's fifth jump of 5.86m (19-2.75) ended up being her longest leap en route to winning her first indoor Big Sky long jump title.
"Each jump, I was focusing on doing the little things right," Carter said. "I wasn't super happy with how it went, but I'm still excited to win. I knew that until the very last jump, there was always the possibility of somebody popping off. So I was trying to keep my mind right and compete the entire time."
Carter's points in the long jump were just one part of a solid first-day showing for the Bobcats. Right now, MSU is in first place with 46 points, while Weber State (39 points) and Northern Arizona (35 points) are within striking distance. It's worth noting the Bobcats were picked third in the preseason poll.
Along with Carter, Macy White was the only other Bobcat to set a school record in the prelims. After running consistently in the 7.52-to-7.53-second range throughout the season, White broke through in a particularly fast first heat with a time of 7.49 seconds — one-hundredth of a second faster than her own school record set last year. She and fellow Bobcat Jaeden Wolff will run again in tomorrow's finals.
LIVE FROM THE PODIUM
Elsewhere in the field events, the Bobcats got a boost from two silver medals from Leah Klein in the weight throw and Maisee Brown in the pole vault.
Competing in her final guaranteed indoor track and field meet, Klein made the cut for finals handily, yet she ran into some difficulties by fouling off the next two attempts. Down to her final throw, and situated in fourth place, Klein uncorked a throw of 18.66m (61-2), which not only moved her all the way up into second place, but also gave her the first throw over 60-feet in her career. Klein's mark is third all-time in MSU history and only a few inches off of current throws coach Jen Allen's second-best mark on the Bobcats' top-10 leaderboard.
Out on the runway, Maisee Brown cruised through her first four heights by clearing on her first attempt each time. As the bar moved from her starting height of 3.67m (12-0.5) to 4.02m (13-2.25), the field whittled from 13 competitors down to four, yet Brown and eventual champion Savannah Schultz of Eastern Washington were the only two vaulters to clear the 4.02m bar on their first attempt.
But Brown's early perfection paid off. Despite bowing out at the 4.12m (13-6.25) bar, she earned the silver medal by virtue of having fewer misses than EWU's Hally Ruff, who took third. Brown's showing was not only a personal best that moved her up to fourth all-time at MSU, but also shattered her previous best finish in any Big Sky Conference meet — a seventh-place showing during last year's indoor conference championships.
From there, the women's distance runners raked in even more points for the Bobcats, as Camila Noe capped off her indoor track and field 5K career with a bronze medal in the women's 5,000 meters.
Less than an hour later, MSU's new-look distance medley relay of Kendra Lusk, Giulia Gandolfi, Ava Weems and Lindsey Paulson nearly broke another school record en route to their third-place finish. In a relay that boasted one returner (Lusk), two freshmen (Gandolfi and Paulson) and a graduate transfer (Weems), the Bobcats gradually worked their way up until Paulson got the baton in the anchor leg. The freshman from Belt, MT pulled her way into second, battled with Portland State's Alexandra Barbour and the duo crossed the line less than three-tenths of a second apart to give MSU the bronze. Their time of 11:37.10 was less than one second off of the school record of 11:36.16 set in 2013.
MEN'S DISTANCE MEDLEY RELAY COMES FROM BEHIND TO WIN TITLE
Shortly before the lady Bobcats toed the line for their distance medley relay, Montana State freshman Sam Ells was nervous.
Or, to quote Chris Bianchini: "so nervous, underlined."
Or, to quote Ells himself: "I was nervous, all caps."
Few could blame the true freshman, who was enlisted to run the 1,200-meter leg of the distance medley relay — a distance somewhere between the all-out blitz of an 800-meter run and a calculated, fast distance race like the mile — during his first Big Sky Conference track meet.
But with veterans like Bianchini, Levi Taylor and Duncan Hamilton also toeing the line in the men's distance medley relay, the talented freshman overcame his first conference meet nerves, put together a sold leadoff leg and eventually wrapped up day one of the conference meet with his first gold medal.
"Once we got going, I felt really confident," Ells said. "We were controlled through the first part of the race, but then I laid down the hammer. I gave everything I had to keep it close."
The true freshman got the ball rolling on the first leg, then the rest of the Bobcats strategically took down the rest of the field in an exciting, come-from-behind distance medley relay win in 9:45.98. MSU's distance medley relay team wound up winning by nearly five seconds over second-place Idaho, which took the lead early, fended off NAU and Weber State, but didn't account for the ground made up by MSU's three veterans.
No stranger to running on Big Sky Conference champion relay teams, sixth-year senior Chris Bianchini — who was part of another come-from-behind relay win in MSU's indoor 4x400 relay last spring — summed up the race thusly:
"I was so proud," Bianchini said. "I knew Sam was so nervous because this was his first conference race ever. We've kind of adopted him as our son on the team. To see him go out there and battle with the caliber of athletes he battled with, to see Levi get out of his comfort zone and run an 800 and to see Duncan with two more events to run tomorrow have that much courage to go that hard and put the team first was good to see."
After Bianchini and Taylor's legs gained ground on the front three teams, Hamilton picked off the remaining teams one by one on a tactical mile anchor leg. Taking cues from what he heard in the crowd, Hamilton put on several timely surges each time he moved up the ladder.
"I made sure to pass decisively when I caught up to people," Hamilton said. "I took a quick breather when I caught up to them, then made a quick surge past them. All the other coaches were yelling "latch on, latch on," so I knew that's what they were trying to do. If I surged for the next 200 meters after passing them, then I could prevent them from latching on.
Hamilton's last leg looked relaxed and smooth. During Hamilton's second lap, Taylor turned to Ells as they were along the back corner, smirked and assured the freshman that they'd get the win. Bianchini harkened Hamilton's performance to that of Drake Schneider — another strong relay closer in recent MSU history.
"When Duncan came around the first lap, I yelled at him that the race was wide open," Bianchini said. "I knew he would have it. It reminded me of handing off the baton to Drake Schneider [in the 4x400 relay]. As soon as the baton is in their hands, I have absolutely no doubt what's going to happen."
Hamilton would pass Idaho's Shea Mattson along the backstretch of the penultimate lap, then cruised a sub-four-minute mile split and stopped the clock at 9:45.98 — the sixth-fastest time in MSU history.
A STAR IS BORN
Earlier that day, the first standout for the men's team came courtesy of freshman Garret Coley, who ended the final day of the men's heptathlon with a bang.
After a top-three showing in the 60-meter hurdles (8.57 seconds) and a setback in the pole vault — Weber State's trio of Caleb Whitney, Jed Smith and Reece Gardner all raked in 800 points in the event — Coley toed the line of the 1,000-meter dash sitting in third place. Coley had been in the top three ever since the long jump, yet now less than 200 points separated himself from third and fifth place.
Instead, Coley used a tactical race to ensure his place on the podium and achieve a personal goal of his: a score of 5,000 points in his first-ever indoor heptathlon.
With Weber State's Smith making an early move to separate himself from the field, Coley worked his way up into second place by nearly three seconds going into the bell lap. Then he turned on the jets. Along the backstretch, Coley overtook Smith — whose lead looked nearly insurmountable — and used a 44.33-second final 300-meter lap to cruise to a 3-second win.
POINTS ON THE BOARD
Ben Perrin was the only other medalist on the men's side with his third-place showing in the men's 5,000 meters. Taking out the 5K with NAU's Drew Bosley and Nico Young, Perrin was in third place before making an assertive move after the first mile to take the lead. Perrin would eventually take home the bronze with a time of 13:53.03, marking the second time he's medaled in the indoor 5K and the third time he's had a top-four finish in the event indoors.
Despite sitting in fifth place with 29 points, the men's team might have more points available tomorrow.
Sprinters Xavier Simpson (60-meter dash), Stryder Todd-Fields (200-meter dash) and Chris Bianchini (800 meters) all made finals in their respective events, while several Bobcats have marquee events coming up. Defending pole vault champion and current Big Sky Conference indoor record holder Colby Wilson will compete tomorrow, as well as Hamilton twice (mile, 3,000 meters), triple jumper Ian Fosdick, and weight thrower Matt Furdyk. Not to mention Perrin will double back in the men's 3,000 meters, Ells and Taylor are seeded in the top 10 of the men's mile, and the MSU 4x400-meter relay comes in with the second-fastest time behind NAU.
NAU's men's team is in the lead with 52.5 points, while Idaho (45), Idaho State (31.5), and Weber State (31) round out the rest of the top five. Like the women's team, MSU's men were ranked third in the preseason coaches' polls.
Tomorrow's field events start with the men's weight throw at 11:15 a.m. MT, while the first track event for the Bobcats will be the men's mile at 12:25 p.m. MT. The meet will be live streamed on ESPN+; live stream and live stat links can be found on the men's and women's track teams' schedule pages at msubobcats.com.
MEDAL ROUNDUP
All the medalists at the meet. Medals are awarded to the top three individuals and relays.
All the new top-10 program records set at the meet.
Competing in her final track and field meet before she plans on redshirting for the rest of the spring and training for her final collegiate outdoor track season, the Helena Capital alumna had a day to remember on the first day of the Big Sky Indoor Track & Field Championships, held in the Kibbie Dome on Friday.
Within the span of several hours, Carter broke her own school record in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.33 seconds, then won her first Big Sky Conference title in the long jump. Few Bobcats, much less Big Sky athletes, had as much success on a prelim-heavy day one, yet Carter could say she did.
Carter toed the line in heat three of the 60-meter hurdle prelims, got into the blocks, then burst out once the gun sounded.
The race was only close until the second hurdle.
Running alone out front, Carter powered her way over the remaining hurdles and stopped the clock at 8.33 seconds. Once she crossed the line she immediately looked up, saw her time and — for the first time that afternoon — was breathless.
"Mid-season, I was feeling really tired and it was really hard to run," Carter said. "I was kind of worried going into the race, so once I saw I PRed, I got really excited. I didn't know how well I was running until the very end."
8.33 ??
— Montana State TF/XC (@MSUBobcatsTFXC) February 24, 2023
Elena Carter breaks the school record in the 60-meter hurdles and moves on to the finals with the fastest time of the day!#GoCatsGo pic.twitter.com/E6GCrCxF8F
From there, Carter did what she usually does during track meets. With virtually no time to process what happened in her last event, think about fatigue, or take a moment to herself, Carter ran over to the long jump runway to begin part two of her busy day.
Her first attempt of 5.71m (18-8.75) put her in pole position, then she hit 19 feet even on her second attempt. Nobody was within a foot of her until the third jump, then the finals came and went with no other jumper breaking 19 feet. Carter's fifth jump of 5.86m (19-2.75) ended up being her longest leap en route to winning her first indoor Big Sky long jump title.
"Each jump, I was focusing on doing the little things right," Carter said. "I wasn't super happy with how it went, but I'm still excited to win. I knew that until the very last jump, there was always the possibility of somebody popping off. So I was trying to keep my mind right and compete the entire time."
Carter's points in the long jump were just one part of a solid first-day showing for the Bobcats. Right now, MSU is in first place with 46 points, while Weber State (39 points) and Northern Arizona (35 points) are within striking distance. It's worth noting the Bobcats were picked third in the preseason poll.
Along with Carter, Macy White was the only other Bobcat to set a school record in the prelims. After running consistently in the 7.52-to-7.53-second range throughout the season, White broke through in a particularly fast first heat with a time of 7.49 seconds — one-hundredth of a second faster than her own school record set last year. She and fellow Bobcat Jaeden Wolff will run again in tomorrow's finals.
Another school record goes down in the prelims!
— Montana State TF/XC (@MSUBobcatsTFXC) February 25, 2023
Macy White runs a 7.49 in the 60-meter dash to break the school record by one-hundredth of a second!#GoCatsGo pic.twitter.com/qZmvl9O54o
LIVE FROM THE PODIUM
Elsewhere in the field events, the Bobcats got a boost from two silver medals from Leah Klein in the weight throw and Maisee Brown in the pole vault.
Competing in her final guaranteed indoor track and field meet, Klein made the cut for finals handily, yet she ran into some difficulties by fouling off the next two attempts. Down to her final throw, and situated in fourth place, Klein uncorked a throw of 18.66m (61-2), which not only moved her all the way up into second place, but also gave her the first throw over 60-feet in her career. Klein's mark is third all-time in MSU history and only a few inches off of current throws coach Jen Allen's second-best mark on the Bobcats' top-10 leaderboard.
Out on the runway, Maisee Brown cruised through her first four heights by clearing on her first attempt each time. As the bar moved from her starting height of 3.67m (12-0.5) to 4.02m (13-2.25), the field whittled from 13 competitors down to four, yet Brown and eventual champion Savannah Schultz of Eastern Washington were the only two vaulters to clear the 4.02m bar on their first attempt.
But Brown's early perfection paid off. Despite bowing out at the 4.12m (13-6.25) bar, she earned the silver medal by virtue of having fewer misses than EWU's Hally Ruff, who took third. Brown's showing was not only a personal best that moved her up to fourth all-time at MSU, but also shattered her previous best finish in any Big Sky Conference meet — a seventh-place showing during last year's indoor conference championships.
From there, the women's distance runners raked in even more points for the Bobcats, as Camila Noe capped off her indoor track and field 5K career with a bronze medal in the women's 5,000 meters.
Less than an hour later, MSU's new-look distance medley relay of Kendra Lusk, Giulia Gandolfi, Ava Weems and Lindsey Paulson nearly broke another school record en route to their third-place finish. In a relay that boasted one returner (Lusk), two freshmen (Gandolfi and Paulson) and a graduate transfer (Weems), the Bobcats gradually worked their way up until Paulson got the baton in the anchor leg. The freshman from Belt, MT pulled her way into second, battled with Portland State's Alexandra Barbour and the duo crossed the line less than three-tenths of a second apart to give MSU the bronze. Their time of 11:37.10 was less than one second off of the school record of 11:36.16 set in 2013.
MEN'S DISTANCE MEDLEY RELAY COMES FROM BEHIND TO WIN TITLE
Shortly before the lady Bobcats toed the line for their distance medley relay, Montana State freshman Sam Ells was nervous.
Or, to quote Chris Bianchini: "so nervous, underlined."
Or, to quote Ells himself: "I was nervous, all caps."
Few could blame the true freshman, who was enlisted to run the 1,200-meter leg of the distance medley relay — a distance somewhere between the all-out blitz of an 800-meter run and a calculated, fast distance race like the mile — during his first Big Sky Conference track meet.
But with veterans like Bianchini, Levi Taylor and Duncan Hamilton also toeing the line in the men's distance medley relay, the talented freshman overcame his first conference meet nerves, put together a sold leadoff leg and eventually wrapped up day one of the conference meet with his first gold medal.
"Once we got going, I felt really confident," Ells said. "We were controlled through the first part of the race, but then I laid down the hammer. I gave everything I had to keep it close."
The true freshman got the ball rolling on the first leg, then the rest of the Bobcats strategically took down the rest of the field in an exciting, come-from-behind distance medley relay win in 9:45.98. MSU's distance medley relay team wound up winning by nearly five seconds over second-place Idaho, which took the lead early, fended off NAU and Weber State, but didn't account for the ground made up by MSU's three veterans.
No stranger to running on Big Sky Conference champion relay teams, sixth-year senior Chris Bianchini — who was part of another come-from-behind relay win in MSU's indoor 4x400 relay last spring — summed up the race thusly:
"I was so proud," Bianchini said. "I knew Sam was so nervous because this was his first conference race ever. We've kind of adopted him as our son on the team. To see him go out there and battle with the caliber of athletes he battled with, to see Levi get out of his comfort zone and run an 800 and to see Duncan with two more events to run tomorrow have that much courage to go that hard and put the team first was good to see."
After Bianchini and Taylor's legs gained ground on the front three teams, Hamilton picked off the remaining teams one by one on a tactical mile anchor leg. Taking cues from what he heard in the crowd, Hamilton put on several timely surges each time he moved up the ladder.
"I made sure to pass decisively when I caught up to people," Hamilton said. "I took a quick breather when I caught up to them, then made a quick surge past them. All the other coaches were yelling "latch on, latch on," so I knew that's what they were trying to do. If I surged for the next 200 meters after passing them, then I could prevent them from latching on.
Hamilton's last leg looked relaxed and smooth. During Hamilton's second lap, Taylor turned to Ells as they were along the back corner, smirked and assured the freshman that they'd get the win. Bianchini harkened Hamilton's performance to that of Drake Schneider — another strong relay closer in recent MSU history.
"When Duncan came around the first lap, I yelled at him that the race was wide open," Bianchini said. "I knew he would have it. It reminded me of handing off the baton to Drake Schneider [in the 4x400 relay]. As soon as the baton is in their hands, I have absolutely no doubt what's going to happen."
Hamilton would pass Idaho's Shea Mattson along the backstretch of the penultimate lap, then cruised a sub-four-minute mile split and stopped the clock at 9:45.98 — the sixth-fastest time in MSU history.
"It was really cool to get Sam a conference gold on his first race," Hamilton said. "He's one for one in Big Sky Conference races so far."What a finish for the men's DMR!
— Montana State TF/XC (@MSUBobcatsTFXC) February 25, 2023
Sam Ells, Chris Bianchini, Levi Taylor and Duncan Hamilton give MSU a win in 9:45.98!#GoCatsGo pic.twitter.com/vUElXMwXG1
A STAR IS BORN
Earlier that day, the first standout for the men's team came courtesy of freshman Garret Coley, who ended the final day of the men's heptathlon with a bang.
After a top-three showing in the 60-meter hurdles (8.57 seconds) and a setback in the pole vault — Weber State's trio of Caleb Whitney, Jed Smith and Reece Gardner all raked in 800 points in the event — Coley toed the line of the 1,000-meter dash sitting in third place. Coley had been in the top three ever since the long jump, yet now less than 200 points separated himself from third and fifth place.
Instead, Coley used a tactical race to ensure his place on the podium and achieve a personal goal of his: a score of 5,000 points in his first-ever indoor heptathlon.
With Weber State's Smith making an early move to separate himself from the field, Coley worked his way up into second place by nearly three seconds going into the bell lap. Then he turned on the jets. Along the backstretch, Coley overtook Smith — whose lead looked nearly insurmountable — and used a 44.33-second final 300-meter lap to cruise to a 3-second win.
The time was just enough to nudge him over his goal of a 5,000-point score; the true freshman finished with 5,007 points, which ranks ninth all-time at MSU.DON'T COUNT OUT GARRET!
— Montana State TF/XC (@MSUBobcatsTFXC) February 24, 2023
The freshman guns down Jed Smith on the final lap to win the 1,000 meters in the men's heptathlon! pic.twitter.com/WKyN6LKRSL
POINTS ON THE BOARD
Ben Perrin was the only other medalist on the men's side with his third-place showing in the men's 5,000 meters. Taking out the 5K with NAU's Drew Bosley and Nico Young, Perrin was in third place before making an assertive move after the first mile to take the lead. Perrin would eventually take home the bronze with a time of 13:53.03, marking the second time he's medaled in the indoor 5K and the third time he's had a top-four finish in the event indoors.
Despite sitting in fifth place with 29 points, the men's team might have more points available tomorrow.
Sprinters Xavier Simpson (60-meter dash), Stryder Todd-Fields (200-meter dash) and Chris Bianchini (800 meters) all made finals in their respective events, while several Bobcats have marquee events coming up. Defending pole vault champion and current Big Sky Conference indoor record holder Colby Wilson will compete tomorrow, as well as Hamilton twice (mile, 3,000 meters), triple jumper Ian Fosdick, and weight thrower Matt Furdyk. Not to mention Perrin will double back in the men's 3,000 meters, Ells and Taylor are seeded in the top 10 of the men's mile, and the MSU 4x400-meter relay comes in with the second-fastest time behind NAU.
NAU's men's team is in the lead with 52.5 points, while Idaho (45), Idaho State (31.5), and Weber State (31) round out the rest of the top five. Like the women's team, MSU's men were ranked third in the preseason coaches' polls.
Tomorrow's field events start with the men's weight throw at 11:15 a.m. MT, while the first track event for the Bobcats will be the men's mile at 12:25 p.m. MT. The meet will be live streamed on ESPN+; live stream and live stat links can be found on the men's and women's track teams' schedule pages at msubobcats.com.
MEDAL ROUNDUP
All the medalists at the meet. Medals are awarded to the top three individuals and relays.
- Women's long jump: Elena Carter, 5.86m (19-2.75), Big Sky Champion
- Men's distance medley relay: Sam Ells, Chris Bianchini, Levi Taylor, Duncan Hamilton; 9:45.98, Big Sky Champions
- Women's pole vault: Maisee Brown, 4.02m (13-2.25), runner-up
- Women's weight throw: Leah Klein, 18.66m (61-2), runner-up
- Women's distance medley relay: Kendra Lusk, Giulia Gandolfi, Ava Weems, Lindsey Paulson, 11:37.10, third place
- Women's 5,000 meters: Camila Noe, 16:36, third place
- Men's 5,000 meters: Ben Perrin, 13:53.03, third place
- Men's heptathlon: Garret Coley, 5,007 points, third place
All the new top-10 program records set at the meet.
- Women's 60-meter hurdles: Elena Carter, 8.33 — New school record
- Women's 60 meters: Macy White, 7.49 — New school record
- Women's distance medley relay: Lusk/Gandolfi/Weems/Paulson, 11:37.10 — 2nd all-time at MSU
- Women's weight throw: Leah Klein, 18.66m (61-2) — 3rd all-time at MSU
- Women's 200 meters: Macy White, 24.27 — 4th all-time at MSU
- Women's pole vault: Maisee Brown, 4.02m (13-2.25) — 4th all-time at MSU
- Men's 60 meters: Xavier Simpson, 6.89 — 6th all-time at MSU
- Men's distance medley relay: Ells/Bianchini/Taylor/Hamilton — 6th all-time at MSU
- Men's 200 meters: Stryder Todd-Fields, 21.86 — 8th all-time at MSU
- Men's heptathlon: Garret Coley, 5,007 points — 9th all-time at MSU
- Women's 400 meters: Caroline Hawkes, 55.72 — 9th all-time at MSU
Players Mentioned
Big Sky Preview
Friday, February 11
Track and Field Big Sky Championships
Monday, February 18
Coach Kennedy - Feb. 11, 2013
Tuesday, February 12
Coach Kennedy - Feb. 4, 2013
Tuesday, February 05