Montana State University
Don Kirby Elite Invitational
Wilson, Garrison, Coey Break School Records Over “Memorable Weekend” for Montana State Track and Field
2/15/2025 9:33:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
Bobcats bring back three new school records and a bevy of top-ten marks from trips to Albuquerque and Seattle this weekend
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Montana State track and field continued a memorable winter competing at two high-level meets in Albuquerque and Seattle this weekend, setting three new school records.
Colby Wilson broke his own school and Big Sky Conference record in the pole vault, Peyton Garrison and Jaeden Wolff broke the school record in consecutive heats in the 200 meters, and Hailey Coey smashed her own school record in the triple jump to cap an unforgettable showing for the 'Cats at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Over on the coast, Montana State's distance stars shined with head-turning marks in the mile and 3,000 meters at the Husky Classic in Seattle, Washington, with the Bobcat throwers also turning in a strong showing that was highlighted by a meet win in the women's weight throw.
"It was great seeing these student-athletes have these opportunities and then capitalize on them with breakthrough performances," head coach Lyle Weese said. "There were so many indicators that we are still building and getting stronger as we head toward the indoor conference championships."
On Friday, the dynamic duo of Peyton Garrison and Jaeden Wolff teamed up to accomplish something spectacular.
After sleeping in the airport due to weather-related delays on the way to Albuquerque, the pair broke the school record in consecutive heats in the women's 200 meters the following afternoon.
First, Wolff clocked a converted 23.81 in her heat, besting the previous program lead of 23.89 set by Chantel Jaeger in 2015.
Yet, the junior from Billings would hold the school record for all of two minutes.
In the very next heat, Garrison blazed a converted 23.49, shaving more than three-tenths of a second off Wolff's mark to set a new school record.
The junior from New Castle, Colorado, would end up with the fastest time out of 101 competitors at the Don Kirby Elite Invite, one of three Bobcats to finish in the top-ten.
Wolff's time landed her at fifth, while junior Caroline Hawkes clocked a converted 24.13 to place tenth for the meet and move up to No. 5 all-time in program history.
Over the span of 30 minutes, three of the five fastest 200 meter races ever run by Montana State women occurred at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
It wasn't the last top-ten mark that Hawkes would set. Saturday, the native of San Clemente, California, missed out on a school record in the 400 meters by just one one-hundredth of a second.
Hawkes' converted time of 53.24 narrowly put her behind the 53.23 second record that has been held by Christine Otte since 1998.
Later on Friday in Albuquerque, it was the Colby Wilson show on the pole vault runway.
Dealing with similar travel delays as the sprinters, Wilson didn't get to Albuquerque until the morning of his event. Yet, the three-time Big Sky champion proceeded to have a meet for the ages.
After clearing 5.45 meters (17-10.50) on his third attempt, the native of Olympia, Washington, took a stab at 5.55 meters (18-02.50).
On his second try, Wilson cleared the bar with plenty of room to spare, breaking his own school and Big Sky Conference record that he set on the same runway in Albuquerque back in 2023 (18-01.25).
But the high-flyer wasn't done yet—a few minutes later, Wilson took aim at a bar set at 5.60 meters (18-04.50). On the third and final try, Wilson cleared the mark and let out a yell that could be heard from Bozeman.
Wilson had twice broken his own Big Sky Conference record and finished with a new mark more than three inches better than the previous best—one that now sits as the No. 5 mark in NCAA Division I this year and almost certainly guarantees a trip to the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in March.
"It's been a long time coming," Wilson said. "It meant more to me this time because it felt bigger than breaking my record. It felt more like a testimony to myself being able to keep pushing and keep showing up. Confidence has been up and down the last couple years and with it being my last year I've felt some personal pressure to achieve all these things I've been shooting for the last five years. When I made 5.55 and 5.60 I saw my mom crying in the stands because she has seen my emotions and frustration around the vault and knew it meant more than the height. After I was done competing I broke down when hugging my parents because I felt this weight lift off of me."
On Saturday, Hailey Coey took advantage of favorable runways in Albuquerque to launch herself towards yet another school record—breaking her own mark with a five-inch PR.
The junior from Billings finished with a mark of 40-08.25, with all three of her jumps in the event going at least 40-02.25--all better than the school record coming into the season by two-plus inches.
The jumper has now broken the long jump school record twice this season, including the Big Sky record, and the triple jump school record twice this season.
Back in Seattle on Friday, the distance crew was busy putting together a haul of head-turning races at sea-level.
In the men's 3,000 meters, Rob McManus finished his race in 7:54.78, the new No. 5 all-time mark in program history behind some of the biggest names in Montana State track and field lore: Duncan Hamilton, Ben Perrin, Shannon Butler, and Lyle Weese.
Right behind him was Sam Ells, clocking a time of 7:54.84 to climb to No. 6 all-time in program history.
And in the mile on Saturday, McManus was one of two Bobcats to run a sub-4 minute mile, joining sophomore Harvey Cramb in accomplishing the feat.
McManus dipped under at 3:59.25, with Cramb less than a second behind at 3:59.98.
In the women's 3,000 meters, Kyla Christopher-Moody shined with a near-school record performance.
Her time of 9:13.46 was just 0.15 seconds off the school record set by Jennifer Cleary in 1993, but was good enough for ninth at the Husky Classic in a stacked field of some of the best distance runners in the West.
The graduate student from Royal Oak, Michigan, wasn't done.
On Saturday, less than 20 hours after a heroic 3,000 meters, Christopher-Moody ran the second-fastest indoor mile in school history, finishing in 4:42.83 to place 14th.
In the men's 5,000 meters, graduate student Will Kelly ran an impressive 14:05.79, the new No. 7 all-time mark in MSU history and the fourth-fastest race since 2012.
Also competing in Seattle were the throwers, who put together several solid performances—none bigger than Jenavieve Lynch's win in the weight throw. The product of Bozeman High recorded a mark of 60-06.75, the new sixth-best throw in school history and the third-best since 2006.
UP NEXT
Montana State track and field returns home for the final regular season meet of the indoor campaign.
The Big Sky Tuner will be hosted at Worthington Arena on Thursday, a last outing before the 2025 Big Sky Indoor Track & Field Championships in Flagstaff, Arizona, from Feb. 27-March 1.
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