EUGENE, Ore. — Montana State distance runner Rob McManus fell short of reaching first- or second-team All-America status for the fourth consecutive season Wednesday at the NCAA outdoor track and field championships.
Montana pole vaulter Kevin Swindler, meanwhile, also finished his season making his first appearance at the championship meet as the Grizzlies' lone competitor.
McManus ran a time of 9:04.31 in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase at the University of Oregon's historic Hayward Field, placing 12th in his heat and 24th among the 24 competitors in the prelims, good for honorable mention All-America status.
Kentucky's Collins Kiprop Kipngok placed first in McManus' heat — and the prelims overall — with a time of 8:24.39. The top 12 advanced to Friday's finals (the top five in each heat and the next two best times).
A graduate athlete from Cashmere, Wash., McManus advanced to his fourth consecutive NCAA championships by clocking a time of 8:40.57 to place 15th in the steeplechase at the NCAA First Round meet in Fayetteville, Ark. The three-time All-American placed eighth overall in the event at the NCAA championships in 2025.
McManus entered the meet ranked 15th in the nation in the steeplechase, with his season-best time of 8:31.85 coming at the Bryan Clay Invitational in April.
In the men's pole vault finals on Wednesday, Montana's Swindler cleared the first bar at 5.20 meters (17-0¾ feet) and later vaulted over 5.35 meters (17-6½) but was unable clear 5.50 meters (18-0½) in the third round, which would have been a personal best and a school record.
He finished alongside 10 competitors who topped out at 5.35 meters and was listed as coming in 21st place among 24 vaulters. Swindler came into the NCAA championships ranked 21st nationally.
Nebraska’s Dyson Wicker won the title with a jump of 5.85 meters (19-2¼ feet).
Swindler, a junior from Tigard, Ore., qualified for the NCAA championships by jumping 17-7½ feet at the First Round meet in Fayetteville. That jump matched the program record he set at the regular season finale at the Bengal Invitational in Pocatello, Idaho.
Several other Treasure State athletes will compete at the NCAA championships on Thursday, including Montana State's Sydney Brewster in the women's shot put and the Bobcats' Tilde Bjerager in the women's 400 hurdles, as well as the MSU women's 4x400 relay team of Bjerager, Peyton Garrison, Giulia Gandolfi and Caroline Hawkes.
Bozeman native Hayley Burns will compete for Northern Arizona in the women's 1,500 meter prelims Thursday while Missoula Hellgate grad Abby Kendrick of Boise State will take part in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase prelims.
Others with Montana ties scheduled to compete during the four-day meet include Helena High alum and Baylor University athlete Logan Todorovich in the women's heptathlon (beginning Friday) and Seeley-Swan product and Colorado State thrower Klaire Kovatch in the women's discus on Saturday.
