April 22, 2023 – BOZEMAN, Mont. – Montana State’s track and field teams found success competing at two separate meets on Saturday afternoon. MSU All-America standout Duncan Hamilton produced the top time in the nation in the 3000-meter Steeplechase with a time of 8:25.17 at Eastern Kentucky’s Rick Erdmann Twilight Invitational, while four Bobcats took top honors at the Montana Open in Missoula.
In one of the most anticipated NCAA races of the weekend, Hamilton, a Bozeman High product, held off Georgetown’s Parker Stokes and EKU’s Abdelhakim Abouzouhir. Hamilton was the 2022 NCAA runner-up, while Stokes finished third. Saturday’s race also featured 2022 NCAA champion and EKU alum Ahmed Jaziri and 2022 British steeple champion and EKU alum Jamaine Coleman. Coleman finished ninth, while Jaziri did not complete the race.
Rob McManus and Levi Taylor also finished in the top 10 for MSU. McManus posted 8:42.93 – the third best mark in the Big Sky Conference this spring, while Taylor clocked a season-best 8:54.85.
Camila Noe guided the Bobcat women’s distance contingent, placing second at 5000-meters in a time of 16:14.29, the ninth best mark in the league to date.
Aside from its distance corps, the rest of the Bobcats competed at Dornblaser Field in Missoula, with four athletes winning events.
Leah Klein unleashed a toss of 150-00 (45.73) in the discus, moving her into second on the Big Sky performance list. Giulia Gandolfi posted a season-best 1:02.34 to capture the 400m hurdles title, the fourth best mark in the Big Sky. Freshman Hailey Coey took the long jump with a leap of 19-03.25 (5.87) to move atop the Big Sky list and into seventh all-time at MSU. And MSU’s men’s 4×400-meter relay team comprised of Michael Swan, Jr., Sean Jackson, Noah Barbery, and Xavier Simpson who posted a winning time of 3:18.06, the fifth best mark in the league.
Other notable performances included Anna Trudnowski, who finished third in the high jump, clearing the bar at 5-05.75 (1.67)- the fifth best mark in the conference; Madison Smith, who registered a season-best 55.74 at 400-meters, moving her into the Big Sky’s top 10; long jumper Taylor Brisendine, who went 18-09.25 (5.72) to place third with the league’s fifth best mark; Peyton Garrison, who placed second in the 100-meters with a season-best 12.26; and Gracey Carter, who finished second in the javelin with a season-best toss of 139-09.
Weekend Results:
EKU Rick Erdmann Twilight (Richmond, Ky.)
Men’s 3000 SC- 1. Duncan Hamilton 8:25.17
4- Rob McManus 8:42.93
8- Levi Taylor 8:54.85
10- Owen Smith 9:05.69
13- Sam Ells 9:11.85
