HELENA — Montana Tech's Abby Clark continued her title-winning trend Sunday while the Orediggers' Cade VanVleet also added to his championship résumé at the Frontier Conference outdoor track and field meet at Vigilante Stadium.
Clark won the title in the women's long jump for the second consecutive season. A senior from Fort Benton, Clark won with a jump of 5.49 meters (18 feet).
The victory came on the heels of Clark's fourth straight Frontier Conference heptathlon title, which she captured at the Trudnowski Open in Helena on April 17.
Meanwhile, VanVleet won his second straight Frontier discus crown. A junior from Noxon, VanVleet prevailed in the event with a throw of 49.7 meters (163 feet).
On Thursday in Great Falls, VanVleet won the men's hammer throw for the third consecutive year. VanVleet's toss was marked at 55.72 meters (182-9¾), a season-best for him.
Other conference champs on Day 1 in Helena included Montana Western's Olivia Heiner in the women's 10,000 meters with a personal-best time of 40:34.99, and Montana Tech's Alyssa Jany in the women's 3k steeplechase with a 11:28.4 clocking.
Providence's Tatiana Martinez was the winner in the women's discus, marking a heave of 45.38 meters (148-10½). Jenna Jordan of Montana Tech took home the title in the women's javelin with a throw of 41.39 meters (135-9½).
Freshman Brynn Wandle of Carroll College was the pole vault champion with a height of 3.35 meters (10-11¾).
The women's 4x800-meter relay team from Rocky Mountain College was victorious in that event on Sunday, outpacing the field with a time of 9:28.34 and edging Carroll College at the finish line. The Battlin' Bears relay team is made up of Grace Timm, Maya Pearcy, Kallyn Wilkins and Tyne Stokes.
On Thursday in Great Falls, Providence's Lauren Cima won the championship in the women's hammer throw with a mark of 52.6 meters (172-6¾).
On the men's side, Rocky freshman Trystin Chapel beat the field to claim the long jump crown with a leap of 7.31 meters (23-4¾). Carroll's Reuben Hornby, meanwhile, won the men's javelin with a toss of 59.79 meters (196-2), his season-best throw.
The 3k steeplechase was won by Carroll's Brycen Gardner with a time of 9:20.03. The men's 4x800 relay was won by the Fighting Saints' quartet of Wyatt Ehredt, Peter Rehberger, Luke Decker and Jack Jensen in 7:57.99.
With a time of 33:02.01, Montana Tech's Benjamin Zerr was the men's 10,000 meters champion, while Carroll's Josh Smalley had PR of 5.0 meters (16-4¾) to take home the pole vault crown.
The Frontier Conference championship meet concludes Monday at Vigilante Stadium. The NAIA national championships are slated for May 21-23 in Marion, Ind., hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University.
