Track & Field Splits Up Between Don Kirby Elite Invitational and Husky Classic This Weekend

Friday, February 13

Albuquerque, N.M.

TBA

Montana State University

Don Kirby Elite Invitational - Day 1

Photo by: Bobcat Creative Services

Track & Field Splits Up Between Don Kirby Elite Invitational and Husky Classic This Weekend

2/12/2026 5:23:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Don Kirby Elite Invitational - Schedule Husky Classic - Schedule Don Kirby Elite Invitational - Heat Sheets Husky Classic - Heat Sheets

Bobcats set to face elite competition in penultimate week of regular season

By: Pershelle Rohrer

BOZEMAN, Mont. --- The Montana State track & field team is set to split up for the first time this season, sending the distance runners and throwers to the Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash., while the remainder of the team competes at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M.

Both meets will run on Friday and Saturday with Chase McGee and Jordan Lasher set to kick off competition for the Bobcats at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational in the B section of the men's pole vault at 10:30 a.m. MT. Xavier Simpson, Drake Wilkes, Noah Barbery, and Malikye Simpson will take the track first in Albuquerque for the men's unseeded 200-meter dash at 2 p.m. MT. At the Husky Classic, Easton Hatleberg, Matt Furdyk, and Ben Parks will open field competition in the men's shot put at 2 p.m. MT. A slew of women's 3,000m runners will compete at 3:45 p.m. MT, including Madi Siana, Eva Koos, Hannah Perrin, Niamh Motley, and Claire Rutherford.

Both meets will be live streamed, with the Husky Classic available on RunnerSpace.com and the Don Kirby Elite Invitational airing on FloTrack. Both services require a paid subscription to view this weekend's competition.

Husky Classic Broadcast Info (RunnerSpace+):
Friday (2 p.m. MT) – https://bit.ly/4tEjmwQ
Saturday (11 a.m. MT) – https://bit.ly/4aw9VGK

Don Kirby Elite Invitational Broadcast Info (FloTrack):
Friday and Saturday – https://bit.ly/46NT5lD

Live results from the Husky Classic will be available here. Results from the Don Kirby Elite Invitational can be accessed here.

"Other than the Big Sky Conference Championships, the competitions this weekend are the biggest focus of the indoor season," Dale Kennedy Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Lyle Weese said. "This weekend will be a big indicator of what type of teams we will take into the Big Sky Conference Indoor Championships.

"The sprints, hurdles, vaulters, and jumpers will be going to Albuquerque for the Don Kirby Invite. This will be a great opportunity to both go up against elite competition and compete on a facility that is known for a fast track and fast runways.

"The distance and throwers will be heading to the Husky Classic in Seattle. For the distance runners, having a chance to compete at sea level and at an elite distance meet is always a highlight of the indoor season. For the throwers, the field at the meet isn't quite as elite as in some previous years, but it will be good for them to compete in a new environment. It is also fairly easy travel with direct flights each way. They should, hopefully, come off the trip ready for a great finish to their indoor season."

The Competition: Both meets will feature competitors from a slew of programs as teams travel from around the country to compete in Seattle and Albuquerque. The Bobcats will compete against fellow Big Sky Conference schools, Power Four teams, professional competitors, and more as they look to post strong marks ahead of the Big Sky Indoor Championships.

Bobcat Competitors: 26 Bobcats – 13 men and 13 women – will travel to Albuquerque for the Don Kirby Elite Invitational. Ethan Anderson, Barbery, Trystin Chapel, Nash Coley, Billy Cunningham, Lasher, McGee, Peyton Nelson, Destiny Nkeonye, Malikye Simpson, Xavier Simpson, Stryder Todd-Fields, and Wilkes will represent the Bobcats on the men's side, and Tilde Bjerager, Hailey Coey, Giulia Gandolfi, Peyton Garrison, Libby Hansen, Caroline Hawkes, Millie Hubbell, Olivia Lewis, Tamia Ramos, Brooke Reuter, Tatum Richards, Jadyn VanDyken, and Jaeden Wolff are set to compete for the Bobcat women in New Mexico.

Seventeen men and 15 women will represent the Bobcats at the Husky Classic. The men include Eli Boppart, Harvey Cramb, Sam Ells, Jackson Fagerlin, Furdyk, Will Giesen, Ryan Harrington, Hatleberg, Holmquist, Niko Mann, Rob McManus, Quinn Newman, Mario Oblad, Parks, AJ Ringert, Ben Saelens, and Blaise Snow. The women's competitors are Sydney Brewster, Emma Brensdal, Samantha Geraets, Maggie Hillis, Annie Kaul, Koos, Jenavieve Lynch, Sydney Mattfeldt, Kalei Moravitz, Motley, Perrin, Rutherford, Siana, Katilyn Skinner, and Jada Zorn.

Last Time Out: Montana State hosted its third home meet of the season last Friday, Feb. 6, at the Kennedy-Stark Athletic Center as 12 teams competed in Bozeman at the Carignan Classic. Three Bobcats bettered their spots on the program all-time top-10 list, and seven Bobcats earned event wins in the one-day meet. Hatleberg posted a throw of 18.35 meters/60 feet, 2.50 inches to win the shot put and move to No. 4 in program history en route to Big Sky Men's Field Athlete of the Week honors. Moravitz improved her No. 5 800m time in program history with a converted time of 2:08.69, and Koos bettered her own No. 7 mark in the mile with a winning time of 4:46.67. Other Bobcat winners included Brewster (women's shot put), Harrington (men's mile), Ells (men's 3,000m), and Lynch (women's weight throw).

Up Next: Montana State returns home for the regular-season finale at the Kennedy-Stark Athletic Center on Thursday, Feb. 19, hosting the Big Sky Tuner. The Bobcats will then open postseason competition at the Big Sky Indoor Championships in Pocatello, Idaho, on Feb. 26-28.

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For the latest news, updates, and behind-the-scenes coverage of the Montana State track & field program, follow the Bobcats on Twitter and Instagram at @MSUBobcatsTFXC. Information on the Montana State athletic program can be found online at msubobcats.com or by following the Bobcats on Twitter at @MSUBobcats, Instagram at @MontanaStateBobcats, and on Facebook at Montana State Bobcats.