Men's Track and Field
Hunter, Craig
Craig Hunter
- Title:
- Assistant Coach (Pole Vault/Multis)
- Email:
- craig.hunter@msubobcats.com
Craig Hunter enters his fourth season on the Bobcat coaching staff in 2024-2025, leading Montana State's pole vaulters and jumpers while assisting with the team's multi's group.
Under Hunter's direction, Colby Wilson broke both the Montana State and Big Sky Conference indoor pole vault record on Jan. 28, 2023, clearing 5.52m (18-01.25) and broke the Big Sky outdoor championship meet record on May 10, 2024, clearing 5.42m (17-09.25). Wilson was crowned the Big Sky Conference champion at the indoor championships in 2022 and 2024 and the Big Sky Conference champion at the outdoor championships in 2024. The vaulter earned All-American status after the 2022 outdoor season, placing 20th at the NCAA Championships while being just the second Bobcat pole vaulter in program history to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Hunter also oversaw the development of pole vaulter Maisee Brown, who finished second at both the 2023 and 2024 Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Championships, third at the 2023 Big Sky outdoor championships and second at the 2024 Big Sky outdoor championships, twice qualifying for the NCAA West Regional. Brown currently ranks second on Montana State's Indoor Top 10 list (13-09.25) and second on Montana State's Outdoor Top 10 list (13-09.00).
Additionally, Hunter worked closely with 2022 Big Sky outdoor champion and NCAA West Region qualifier Alex Hellenberg, who sits fourth on Montana State's Outdoor Top 10 list (13'4.5").
In the multi-events, Hunter coached Nicola Paletti to a sweep of the men's multi's in 2024 at the Big Sky Championships, winning gold in the indoor heptathlon and gold in the outdoor decathlon--the first Bobcat man in program history to win both in the same year.
Hunter helped develop Shelby Schweyen into a Big Sky champion in the indoor pentathlon in 2024, with Schweyen and Paletti becoming the first duo of Bobcat multi-event athletes to win gold at the same Big Sky Conference championships meet. Schweyen went on to earn silver at the 2024 Big Sky Outdoor Championships in the heptathlon.
Hunter also coached Hunter Nicholson to a third-place finish at the 2022 Big Sky Indoor championships in the heptathlon and a fourth-place finish at the 2023 Big Sky Outdoor championships in the decathlon, while Garrett Coley placed third at the 2023 Big Sky Indoor championships in the heptathlon.
Stepping in to lead the entire jumps group during the 2024 season, Hunter coached Destiny Nkeonye to a silver medal in the triple jump at the 2024 Big Sky Indoor Championships and bronze medals in both the long jump and triple jump at the 2024 Big Sky Outdoor championships, leading to an NCAA West Regional appearance. Ian Fosdick also earned a bronze medal in the triple jump at the 2024 Big Sky indoor meet, qualifying for the outdoor NCAA West Regional meet, where he placed 28th.
Under Hunter's direction, Jayden Smith earned a silver medal in the high jump at the 2024 Big Sky Outdoor Championships, while Hailey Coey earned silver and Elena Carter a bronze medal in the long jump.
Prior to coming to Bozeman, Hunter spent the previous two seasons as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Alabama specializing with the Tide's pole vaulters. He also spent a year coaching the jumps events at The College of Jersey following an All-America college career at the University of Connecticut.
Hunter's last two years at Alabama were capped in June of 2021 with vaulter Ryan Lipe earning First Team All-America honors by taking sixth at the NCAA Championships in Eugene. Lipe broke Alabama's outdoor pole vault record – which had been held since 1972 – this outdoor slate as he increased his lifetime best to 18 feet, 4.50 inches (5.60m) over the course of the season. Lipe earned three medals at SEC Championships in three possible opportunities under Hunter's tutelage. He also aided in the development of Jacob Spotswood whose top exploits came in the multis. Spotswood, who cleared 17 feet in the vault during his college career, claimed First Team All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March with a program-record 5,715-point total in the heptathlon.
Hunter's tenure at Alabama focused on overseeing the full development of pole vaulters which included workout planning, technical coaching and academic success. His year at The College of Jersey was spent working primarily with the pole vault, event but he also assisted with technical coaching in high jump, long jump and triple jump.
The MSU coach jumped into the coaching ranks after a highly successful college career for the UConn Huskies.
UConn's former record holder in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault, Hunter was a three-time All-American for the Huskies. He claimed a bronze medal at the American Athletic Indoor Championships as a freshman in 2014 and eventually made five total podium appearance at conference meets. Hunter was a two-time First Team All-America performer with his best showing a fourth-place finish at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships that came from a personal-best clearance of 17-10.50 (5.45m).
Hunter closed out his UConn career in 2018 by winning his lone pole vault conference title at the AAC Outdoor Championships. He made it to the NCAA Outdoor Championships for a final time that June and finished 16th overall at historic Hayward Field.
Under Hunter's direction, Colby Wilson broke both the Montana State and Big Sky Conference indoor pole vault record on Jan. 28, 2023, clearing 5.52m (18-01.25) and broke the Big Sky outdoor championship meet record on May 10, 2024, clearing 5.42m (17-09.25). Wilson was crowned the Big Sky Conference champion at the indoor championships in 2022 and 2024 and the Big Sky Conference champion at the outdoor championships in 2024. The vaulter earned All-American status after the 2022 outdoor season, placing 20th at the NCAA Championships while being just the second Bobcat pole vaulter in program history to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Hunter also oversaw the development of pole vaulter Maisee Brown, who finished second at both the 2023 and 2024 Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Championships, third at the 2023 Big Sky outdoor championships and second at the 2024 Big Sky outdoor championships, twice qualifying for the NCAA West Regional. Brown currently ranks second on Montana State's Indoor Top 10 list (13-09.25) and second on Montana State's Outdoor Top 10 list (13-09.00).
Additionally, Hunter worked closely with 2022 Big Sky outdoor champion and NCAA West Region qualifier Alex Hellenberg, who sits fourth on Montana State's Outdoor Top 10 list (13'4.5").
In the multi-events, Hunter coached Nicola Paletti to a sweep of the men's multi's in 2024 at the Big Sky Championships, winning gold in the indoor heptathlon and gold in the outdoor decathlon--the first Bobcat man in program history to win both in the same year.
Hunter helped develop Shelby Schweyen into a Big Sky champion in the indoor pentathlon in 2024, with Schweyen and Paletti becoming the first duo of Bobcat multi-event athletes to win gold at the same Big Sky Conference championships meet. Schweyen went on to earn silver at the 2024 Big Sky Outdoor Championships in the heptathlon.
Hunter also coached Hunter Nicholson to a third-place finish at the 2022 Big Sky Indoor championships in the heptathlon and a fourth-place finish at the 2023 Big Sky Outdoor championships in the decathlon, while Garrett Coley placed third at the 2023 Big Sky Indoor championships in the heptathlon.
Stepping in to lead the entire jumps group during the 2024 season, Hunter coached Destiny Nkeonye to a silver medal in the triple jump at the 2024 Big Sky Indoor Championships and bronze medals in both the long jump and triple jump at the 2024 Big Sky Outdoor championships, leading to an NCAA West Regional appearance. Ian Fosdick also earned a bronze medal in the triple jump at the 2024 Big Sky indoor meet, qualifying for the outdoor NCAA West Regional meet, where he placed 28th.
Under Hunter's direction, Jayden Smith earned a silver medal in the high jump at the 2024 Big Sky Outdoor Championships, while Hailey Coey earned silver and Elena Carter a bronze medal in the long jump.
Prior to coming to Bozeman, Hunter spent the previous two seasons as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Alabama specializing with the Tide's pole vaulters. He also spent a year coaching the jumps events at The College of Jersey following an All-America college career at the University of Connecticut.
Hunter's last two years at Alabama were capped in June of 2021 with vaulter Ryan Lipe earning First Team All-America honors by taking sixth at the NCAA Championships in Eugene. Lipe broke Alabama's outdoor pole vault record – which had been held since 1972 – this outdoor slate as he increased his lifetime best to 18 feet, 4.50 inches (5.60m) over the course of the season. Lipe earned three medals at SEC Championships in three possible opportunities under Hunter's tutelage. He also aided in the development of Jacob Spotswood whose top exploits came in the multis. Spotswood, who cleared 17 feet in the vault during his college career, claimed First Team All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March with a program-record 5,715-point total in the heptathlon.
Hunter's tenure at Alabama focused on overseeing the full development of pole vaulters which included workout planning, technical coaching and academic success. His year at The College of Jersey was spent working primarily with the pole vault, event but he also assisted with technical coaching in high jump, long jump and triple jump.
The MSU coach jumped into the coaching ranks after a highly successful college career for the UConn Huskies.
UConn's former record holder in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault, Hunter was a three-time All-American for the Huskies. He claimed a bronze medal at the American Athletic Indoor Championships as a freshman in 2014 and eventually made five total podium appearance at conference meets. Hunter was a two-time First Team All-America performer with his best showing a fourth-place finish at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships that came from a personal-best clearance of 17-10.50 (5.45m).
Hunter closed out his UConn career in 2018 by winning his lone pole vault conference title at the AAC Outdoor Championships. He made it to the NCAA Outdoor Championships for a final time that June and finished 16th overall at historic Hayward Field.
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
