Diggers Dominate – Tech Men and Women repeat as Frontier Track and Field Champions

The following is a release from the Montana Tech Sports Information Department:

BUTTE, Mont.- The Orediggers of Montana Tech are once again Frontier Conference Champions in Track and Field.

Battling stiff competition and ever-present stiff winds, the Orediggers put together an incredible day two to run away with the competition.

The men’s team led by 6.5 points after day one (and only took the lead on the last event of the day) and exploded on day two to post a staggering 301.5 points. Carroll College finished second with 171 points, Rocky Mountain ended the event with 83.5 points in third place, Providence grabbed fourth place with 80 points, and Montana Western ended with 36.

The true battle of the meet was on the women’s side of the scorebook. Montana Tech led by 19 after day one, and all the women’s teams had significant firepower ready to score points on Monday. Only 44 points separated first and fourth place.

Montana Tech not only held on to their lead, but they also never let anyone get close, as they finished the meet with 221 points. Carroll College wrapped up second place with 173.5, Rocky was third with 152, Providence grabbed fourth with 114.5, and Montana Western was fifth with 3 points.

If we count the heptathlon as a single podium, the Oredigger women took home nine first-place trophies (if you want to break the heptathlon into the seven different events, the tally of first-place finishes balloons to 15)

Abby Clark started the Conference Championship as the heptathlon champion. She was a long way from finished, she would add a 200m title, as well as a high jump, AND a long jump title. She also ran a leg of the champion 4x100m relay team.

Abby wasn’t the only Frontier Conference champ coming into the meet, Alyssa Jany also entered with one title under her belt, the 3000m steeplechase. Alyssa added to her tally with a win in the 10,000m, she also finished second in the 5,000m behind her teammate Alyssa Plant. Plant took home the win in the 5k and was second in the 10k.

Another victory for the Orediggers was Kamryn Comba, who took home first place in the 800m, with a time of 2:23.79

Every Oredigger contributed to the win. In the events that Montana Tech did not win, the Orediggers clogged the podium. Like the women’s 100m hurdles, Orediggers Olleca Severson, Dadyn Vermillion, and Abby Clark went 2,3,4.

In the Javelin, Tyra Opperman finishes third with a throw of 40.92m, that distance is an A standard throw (14^th longest throw in the country), so Tyra has qualified for Nationals. Teammate Jenna Jordan finished fourth, adding four points.

In the triple jump, Jadyn Vermillion finished second, Rylee Armstrong wrapped up fourth, and McKenzie Sheils leapt to sixth, all scoring points. Every Oredigger Contributed.

On the men’s side, same story, different names.

The Oredigger men’s team posted 10 wins over the two-day meet, with Cade VanVleet climbing to the top of the podium three times. Cade won the shot put, the discus, and the hammer throw, all in spectacular fashion. He won the shot put with a throw of 16.91m (a new PR), far surpassing the A standard of 15.85m. That throw is the 6^th best in the country this year. He also hit a new PR in the hammer throw, marking 55.70m. That throw landed him in at No. 14 in the country. He also took home gold in the discus, with a throw of 47.92m, just .08 shy of the B Standard.

Other Oredigger victories went to Morgan McClernan in the 110m hurdles. Dom Maricelli won an incredibly competitive 200m, he also finished third in the 100m.

The Orediggers swept the top of the podium in the 400m. Adam Schrader won in a time of 51.02, Tucker Christiansen finished second, and Carter Henke took home third place. 24 points for the Diggs in one race.

Freshman Nicolo Lancini, who’s track resume is already bulging out of the binder, added a pair of Frontier Conference championships, his first in the long jump, and a second in the triple jump. (Unfortunately, his mark of 14.73m in the triple won’t be official due to the wind. But, it would have been an A standard, and it would have been the 9^th best jump in the country) Drake Schlachter placed second in the long jump, and Skyler Peterson fifth. Peterson also placed third in the triple, and Cameron Tobiness fourth.

Adam Schrader took down the 400m hurdles, with Morgan McClernan taking second, and Jacob Buckingham crossing in fifth.

The Oredigger 4 x 100, and 4 x 400 relay teams also took home the gold.

Ian Barville ran a brilliant race in the 800m to take the title with a time of 1:56.02.

Benjamin Zerr, placed second in the 5000m, and fourth in the 10,000m.

Montana Tech put four athletes on the podium for the Javelin, Colter Ball In second, Andrew Tallon in fourth, Jadon Bingham in fifth, and Will Sanguins in sixth.

The Women’s Track Athlete of the Meet award was won by Alyssa Jany. With wins in the Steeplechase and the 10,000m, and a 2^nd place finish in the 5,000m. She tallied 28 points during the meet.

The Women’s Field Athlete of the Meet award was won by Abby Clark. She won the heptathlon, long jump, and high jump. Abby reached 46.5 points, which is an individual meet record.

The Men’s Track Athlete of the Meet was won by Adam Schrader. Adam took home first place in the 400m, as well as the 400 hurdles. He was runner-up in the 110 hurdles and ran the leadoff leg on the winning 4 x 400 team. He totaled 30.5 points in the meet.

The Men’s Field Athlete of the Meet was won by Cade VanVleet. Cade won the shot, discus, and hammer throw. His mark in shot (16.91m) and hammer (55.70m) are both Frontier Conference Meet records.