Montana
Montana State's Hailey Coey, Drake Wilkes set school records at Bobcat PReview season-opener
BOZEMAN — A pair of school records and a standout day in the women’s pole vault highlighted a slew of eye-popping performances from the Montana State track and field team in their Bobcat PReview season-opener inside Worthington Arena on Thursday.
Drake Wilkes’ record in the men’s 60 meters and Hailey Coey’s record in the women’s triple jump headlined the day, but the two top marks were far from the only head-turning results.
“I think across the board we’re in a really good place with our entire team which is exciting,” head coach Lyle Weese said. “We had some standout performances and events like the women’s pole vault, pretty special having three go over 13 feet in the first meet. That was really exciting. School records for Hailey in the triple jump and Drake in the 60, so it was quite a first meet.”
Wilkes, making his Bobcat debut on the track after joining the team over the offseason, made quite the first impression.
The Austin, Texas, native clocked a converted time of 6.79 to rewrite the Montana State record in the 60 meters, beating out his new teammate Noah Barbery, who set the record last year in 6.80 seconds.
In the jumps, Coey started her day with a leap of 20-00.50 in the long jump to move up to No. 3 all time. The Billings native became one of just three women in program history to clear 20 feet in the indoor long jump, joining Lacy Hinzpeter (2000) and Janet Buntin (1983).
Later, Coey outdid herself in the triple jump.
With the current school record holder, Erin Jones-Graf, watching and measuring the event, Coey’s fourth jump went 40-03.25 — breaking Jones-Graf’s record of 40-00 set in 2004.
After Coey’s celebration with teammates and coaches, Jones-Graf was the next to greet the new school record holder with a congratulatory embrace.
In the final event of the night, a trio of Bobcat pole vaulters remarkably all cleared 13 feet.
Led by Tatum Richards’ final clearance of 13-05.75, Libby Hansen and Megan Bell also cleared 13-01.75, with the jumps of all three coming in succession as they fed off each other’s energy and momentum.
Richards’ mark propels the Emmett, Idaho, product to No. 3 all-time in MSU history, with Hansen and Bell both now tied for sixth in the record books.
In the sprints, Peyton Garrison picked right up from a strong outdoor season last spring, running a blistering converted time of 7.52 in the women’s 60 meters to win the event and move up to third all-time at Montana State.
Racing alongside Wilkes’ record-breaking performance, Xavier Simpson clocked a converted time of 6.86 to tie for sixth in program history, building on his previous best time by a hundredth of a second.
Over in the throwing cage, Jenavieve Lynch unleashed a massive heave of 59-10.25 in the women’s weight throw. The second-best throw by a Bobcat since 2012 was good enough to move the Bozeman High standout up to seventh in program history.
“Today was the product of a lot of hard work for our sprints, jumps, and throws squad from this summer and fall,” Weese said. “They showed today that we’re in a really good place as a team, so we’re excited to start the indoor season so strong and think about what we can do in January and February.”
Prior to the 4×400 meter relays, the 2024 Big Sky Men’s Outdoor Track and Field championship team was honored with a tribute and the unveiling of the championship banner in the northeast corner of Worthington Arena.
For full results from the Bobcat PReview meet, click here.
MISSOULA, Mont. — The Clark Fork River has long been a defining feature of Missoula, shaping the city’s culture, economy and outdoor lifestyle.
The river is so closely tied to the area that it helped inspire the well-known book and film “A River Runs Through It.” But local conservation advocates say its importance goes far beyond scenery.
“Without the Clark Fork River, Missoula would just be another town,” said Lisa Ronald, Northern Rockies associate conservation director for American Rivers. “We wouldn’t be the River City. I think we’re known in Montana as Missoula the River City, and it’s really because of the Clark Fork River and its central role in business, in economics, in recreation, that really makes Missoula the town that it is.”
Carmen Murill, a field organizer with Wild Montana, said the river is deeply woven into daily life for people who live in Missoula.
“A lot of us would wonder what to do on a beautiful or a rainy summer day,” Murill said. “I mean, it’s really a lifeforce of town. And I think it’s pretty unique that Missoula, as a community is living and breathing on both sides of the river. It’s really like two downtowns but connected by the Clark Fork.”
Conservation groups say protecting the river begins with community involvement.
Advocates encourage residents and visitors to spend time outdoors, whether on a trail, in the woods or along the river, and to learn how they can become better stewards of the environment.
MISSOULA — Sam Forstag edged out Ryan Busse to secure the Democratic nomination in Montana’s 1st Congressional District.
Busse conceded the race to Forstag on Wednesday morning. Forstag had trailed behind Busse Tuesday evening, but he made up ground as the votes were counted into the early hours of Wednesday morning. The other two candidates in the race, Russl Cleveland and Matt Rains, are sitting at third and fourth, respectively.
Forstag leads in close race for Montana’s 1st Congressional District
Forstag spent eight years as a wildland firefighter, including four as a smokejumper, and he’s been vice president of the local National Federation of Federal Employees union. Last week, U.S. House of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, held a rally in Missoula to support Forstag’s campaign.
He told MTN on Tuesday that his campaign has been for the working class.
“We got a whole lot of people here that have been working their tail off to finally get some working-class representation in Washington,” Forstag noted. “So proud of everything we’ve done and so grateful.”
Forstag further noted he wants Montanans to be able to afford groceries, have universal free childcare and restore and expand Affordable Health Care Act subsidies.
“Hearing people’s stories and struggles and commonalities in the ways that we’re all fighting in the system that does not serve us so often, and the government serves corporations and the richest people in this country more than working people. It has been frustrating and saddening, but it has also inspired so much hope in me, like the fixes we can actually make,” he told MTN.
The 1st Congressional District covers much of western Montana, including Kalispell, Missoula, Butte and Bozeman. It is currently held by Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, who chose not to seek reelection.
By securing the nomination, Forstag is slated tol face off against Libertarian candidate Nick Sheedy and Republican candidate Aaron Flint in November.
Brian Miller won the Democratic primary Tuesday for the U.S. House seat in Montana’s eastern district.
The Associated Press called the race for Miller, an attorney in Helena, who fended off a challenge from state Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, a longtime legislator from Box Elder, and Sam Lux, a farrier from Great Falls.
In the Republican and rural eastern district, any Democrat will be an underdog, and Miller will face off against incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Troy Downing, who was unopposed Tuesday.
Libertarian Patrick McCracken is also running.
In the primary, Miller took 58% of the vote. Lux took 27% and Windy Boy took 16%, according to the Montana Secretary of State’s website.
In April, Windy Boy paused his campaign amid “serious sexual abuse” allegations raised by the Montana Democratic Party — but Windy Boy restarted his campaign and later called the allegations “political attacks.”
Miller is representing the victim of the alleged abuse and her mother, although he said he didn’t take on the role until after Windy Boy initially suspended his campaign.
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