POCATELLO, Idaho — For the third time in as many meets, Sydney Brewster broke her own school record in the shot put to lead a group of 10 Montana State winners in 12 events at the Stacy Dragila Invite, hosted by Idaho State, at the ICCU Dome on Friday.
Brewster recorded a monster throw of 16.81 meters/55 feet, 2 inches to win her event in Pocatello, marking one of nine Bobcat improvements to the program’s all-time top-10 list at the meet. Five of those marks came from field events while four were set on the track as the Bobcats left Pocatello with a plethora of impressive marks.
“It was important for our team to see the facility with it hosting the Big Sky Indoor Championships in a few weeks,” Dale Kennedy director of track and field and cross country Lyle Weese said. “Every indoor facility is unique, so getting on it and getting a level of comfort was important to be prepared for the championship meet.”
The women’s shot put crew put up a trio of impressive marks to lead the Cats in the field events. Brewster set a new school record for the third time this season with a winning mark of 16.81m/55-2.00. The mark came on her third attempt and helped vault her to No. 13 in the nation this year. Emma Brensdal also improved her standing on the MSU all-time top-10 list with her runner-up performance, recording a throw of 15.51m/50-10.75 to move to third on the list. The mark also came on her third try. Maggie Hillis cracked the top five with a throw of 14.33m/47-0.25 to place fourth in Pocatello.
“Another highlight day for Sydney Brewster,” Weese said. “She is off to a spectacular start this indoor season. Maggie Hillis had a big breakthrough in the shot put. Between her, Sydney Brewster and Emma Brensdal, they form an elite shot put crew.”
Xavier Simpson clocked a converted time of 6.79 in the 60-meter dash to win the event and match teammate Drake Wilkes’ No. 2 time in program history. He also won the prelims with a time of 6.88. Noah Barbery finished third in the event with a time of 6.91, and Preston Wysocki crossed the line close behind in 6.95 to take fourth place.
“Xavier Simpson put together a great race in the 60,” Weese said. “He has been building momentum all fall and at the start of the season, and that momentum certainly continued today.”
Tatum Richards impressed in the pole vault, clearing five-straight bars for a top clearance of 4.13m/13-6.50 to win the event in Pocatello. She improved on her own No. 3 mark in program history, while Libby Hansen finished second with a mark of 4.03m/13-2.50 to move to sixth in Montana State history indoors.
“Tatum and Libby performed really well in the women's vault,” Weese said. “It is early in our season, but it was a great sign to see them clearing some high bars.”
Jenavieve Lynch won the weight throw for the third time in as many meets to open the season, improving her own No. 3 mark in school history to 19.08m/62-7.25 on her fifth throw. Sydney Mattfeldt helped the Cats complete the 1-2 sweep with a mark of 16.55m/54-3.75 on her sixth and final attempt.
Tilde Bjerager improved from No. 4 to No. 3 in program history in the 60-meter hurdles, clocking a converted time of 8.52 to lead the field in the prelims before taking home the crown in the finals with a time of 8.45. Millie Hubbell and Sabine Brueck also reached the finals, placing third and fifth with respective times of 8.78 and 9.36.
“Tilde had a really nice day in the 60 hurdles and then a good 400,” Weese said.
Stryder Todd-Fields cracked the program’s all-time top-10 list in the 400m, crossing the finish line in a converted time of 48.28 to win the event in Pocatello. Friday marked his season debut in the event.
Montana State’s 400m runners took six of the top seven spots in the event, with four of those runners posting converted times under 57 seconds. Giulia Gandolfi took over the No. 10 spot in the school record books with a winning time of 54.97, Caroline Hawkes finished runner-up with a time of 55.25, Bjerager crossed the line in 55.93, and Peyton Garrison posted a 56.43 to round out the top four finishers in the event.
The Bobcat men took the top three spots in the long jump as Trystin Chapel posted a winning mark of 7.17m/23-6.75 on his second attempt, Destiny Nkeonye leaped 7.01m/23-0.00 on his sixth try, and Billy Cunningham recorded a fourth-attempt mark of 6.56m/21-6.25.
On the women’s side, Tamia Ramos followed with a long jump win of her own with a leap of 5.78m/18-11.75, a mark she reached on her first and second attempts. Sabine Brueck joined her in the top five with a jump of 5.40m/17-8.75 to place fourth. Ramos also won the triple jump with a sixth-attempt mark of 12.03m/39-5.75.
Jaeden Wolff crossed the finish line in a converted 7.57 to win the women’s 60m after clocking a 7.66 in the prelims. Brooke Reuter finished third in the finals with a time of 7.82, and Ave Roberts clocked a 7.89 for fourth place. Later in the day, Wolff won the 200m with a time of 24.98 as Hubbell finished third (25.59) and Reuter placed fourth (25.71).
Full results from the Stacy Dragila Invite are available here.
The Bobcats will return to the Kennedy-Stark Athletic Center next Friday, Feb. 6, to host the Carignan Classic in their first meet of February. The Cats will then split up between the Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash., and the Don Kirby Elite Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., on Feb. 13-14 before hosting the Big Sky Tuner in Bozeman to mark the regular-season finale.
