BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas — A history making relay wrapped up the Montana State track and field team's week at the NCAA West First Rounds on Saturday.
In dramatic fashion, the Bobcat women's 4x400 meter relay team grabbed the very last ticket to Eugene out of the final heat of the night, becoming the first-ever relay in school history to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Before the joy, however, there were nerves.
Initially, the Cats thought their time of 3:34.31, the second-fastest race in school history, had put them 13th —one spot out of punching one of the 12 tickets to Eugene.
Yet, a team directly ahead of MSU was disqualified and a protest was filed — so the quartet of Olivia Lewis, Peyton Garrison, Giulia Gandolfi, and Caroline Hawkes were stuck in limbo while the big board inside E.B. Cushing Stadium continuously ran the results of the race on a loop.
Finally, after the entire facility had emptied out and after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, the results were made official. The Bobcats were headed to Eugene, Ore.
It was an incredible effort for a Montana State squad that had been unable to field a relay at the Big Sky Championships due to injury.
Helping save the day on Saturday was Hawkes, a junior from San Clemente, Calif., who took the baton in seventh place out of eight teams before tearing off an incredible 51.98 second split as the anchor — roaring back to pass three teams and place Montana State fourth in a stacked heat and one spot out of an automatic qualifier but in position to snag the last time qualifier.
The Cats finished ahead of Texas, Oklahoma State, Stanford, BYU, and plenty of other high-pedigree teams to secure their bid and continue a special season.
Lewis, a freshman from Corvallis, started things off before handing the baton to Garrison, a junior from New Castle, Colorado. From there it went to Gandolfi, a junior from Faenza, Italy, and then to Hawkes, the 10-time All-Big Sky honoree.
Thanks to Billings junior Hailey Coey punching her ticket to nationals in the long jump on Thursday, the 4x400 meter relay team's qualification means the Bobcats will have multiple entries on the women's side at the NCAA Outdoor Championships for just the fourth time in school history (2015, 2012, 2006).
Those five will join Harvey Cramb (1,500 meters) and Rob McManus (3,000 meter steeplechase) in Eugene from June 11-14, marking four total entries and seven student-athletes who will don the Blue and Gold on the biggest stage in the sport.
Earlier in the day, two Bobcat distance standouts capped memorable tenures with another appearance at the NCAA Regional meet.
In the 3,000 meter steeplechase, Bozeman native Grace Gilbreth closed out a memorable career finishing 31st with a time of 10:27.89.
The school record-holder ends her time in the Blue and Gold with two All-Big Sky honors in cross country and a pair of bronze medals in the steeplechase at the Big Sky Championships.
In the 5,000 meters, graduate student Kyla Christopher-Moody closed out her career placing 38th with a time of 16:41.73.
Christopher-Moody, a native of Royal Oak, Michigan, set four school records this year in the indoor mile, indoor 3,000 meters, outdoor 1,500 meters, and outdoor 5,000 meters.
Seven Montana State track and field athletes advance to compete at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, held June 11-14 at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
This marks the fourth straight year Montana State has sent at least three qualifiers to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The four Bobcat entries at the national meet are tied for the third-most in program history, behind only the five in 2023 and 2022. The Cats also qualified four entries to the national meet in 2015.
