Montana State University
Pacific Coast and Beach Invite
California Dreaming: MSU Track and Field Caps Big Weekend in Los Angeles
4/14/2024 6:16:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
Bobcats make their mark in Southern California at Beach and Bryan Clay Invitationals on Saturday
LOS ANGELES – More strong distance marks for the Montana State track and field team on Saturday put a bow on a successful weekend in Southern California, as the Bobcats finished competition at the Beach Invitational in Long Beach and the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa.
The Cats added to their tally of program top-ten bests, with a handful making a dent in the 1,500 meters just a short while after a standout 48 hours in the 3,000 meter steeplechase and the 5,000 meters.
To read a recap of Thursday and Friday's results and view marks, visit here.
Late on Saturday at Cougar Athletic Stadium in Azusa, Kyla Christopher-Moody won her heat of the 1,500 meters in a blazing time of 4:22.97, narrowly missing on the school record with the fastest race by a Bobcat since 2010. Only Holly Stanish in 1998 (4:22.88) and Holly Haug (4:22.97) have run faster in the event.
Teammates Mya Dube (4:25.40) and Ava Weems (4:29.18) also cracked the top-ten in program history with their personal-bests, with Dube improving on her No. 4 mark and Weems slotting in at No. 10.
For the No. 25-ranked Montana State men, Harvey Cramb continued what has been an outstanding freshman season with a head-turning 3:40.67 to win his invitational heat of the 1,500 meters on Saturday at the Bryan Clay Invite in Azusa, the third-fastest mark in program history. Only program legends Duncan Hamilton (2023) and Christian Soratos (2015) have run faster races.
Rob McManus, who qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials on Thursday by breaking 8:30.00 in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, placed sixth in Cramb's heat of the 1,500 meters. The junior crossed the line in 3:42.56, the sixth-fastest time in school history.
Down in Long Beach on the second day of the Beach Invitational, the Montana State men's 4x100 relay team of Stryder Todd-Fields, Noah Barbery, Sean Jackson, and Xavier Simpson placed third with a time of 40.60, the second-fastest mark in program history.
Simpson, a sophomore from Portland, Oregon, took advantage of a big tailwind to run 10.38 (+3.9) to take 13th in the men's 100 meters. Though above the wind limit of +2.0 to qualify for what would have been a school-record time, the mark does survive the +4.0 threshold as a potential regional qualifying time. The time is the second-fastest in the Big Sky this season.
Using a similar tailwind, Elena Carter ran a blistering 13.48 (+2.4) to take fourth in the 100 meter hurdles. The 2022 Big Sky Outdoor champion will similarly take that mark, which would be a school record-breaking time if not for the wind, to hope to qualify for regionals.
Billings native Jaeden Wolff placed seventh in the 100 meters with a just-legal mark of 11.63 (+2.0), moving up to No. 2 all-time in program history behind only teammate and Helena product Elena Carter, who ran 11.59 in 2022.
In the jumps, Destiny Nkeonye tacked on another inch to his personal-best in the long jump with a leap of 24-05.50, improving on his No. 3 spot in the program's all-time top ten.
To view full results from the Beach Invitational (sprints, jumps, throws), visit here.
To view full results from the Bryan Clay Invitational (distance), visit here.
UP NEXT
Montana State will send a small contingent of athletes to the Montana Open next weekend in Missoula at Dornblaser Field. Competition begins Friday, April 19, and continues through Saturday, April 20.
#GoCatsGo
Players Mentioned
