BOZEMAN, Mont. -- The Montana Tech indoor track & field teams combined to knock off eight more program records Friday, continuing a fantastic slate of early-season achievements at Montana State's Bobcat Performance.

The Oredigger men accounted for five of those program-best marks, highlighted by the sprinters. Zach Merrifield bested his own Tech record in the 60-meter dash set earlier this season, running the distance in 6.92 seconds in the preliminary heats. Minutes earlier, Will Wagner ran 6.96-second race to tie Merrifield's previous mark in the event. Wagner then raced to third in finals, clocking in at 7.03.

Caden Caywood ran to a runner-up finish in the 200m dash at 23.01, another program-best, leading a trio of Orediggers in the top five of the event. Dom Maricelli (23.44) took third, and Drake Schlachter (23.50) placed fifth.

In the 60m hurdles, Morgan McClernan and Jacob Dolezal both reached finals with solid prelims races. McClernan went on to win the event in 8.36 seconds, and Dolezal ran second in 8.38.

The men's 4x400m relay stayed in top form. Adam Schrader, McClernan, Wagner, and Matthew Moreni ran second in 3:22.43. That altitude-converted time of 3:19.70 was also a Tech record.

Cade VanVleet highlighted the Tech men in the throwing events. The junior broke his own Tech record in the weight throw with a 17.02m heave that put him fourth in the event. He also finished runner-up in the shot put, throwing 16.61m to just miss his own program mark in that event.

Nicolo Lancini also put an event victory under his belt, triple-jumping 14.30m. That mark put the sophomore 20th on the NAIA's national leaderboard this season.

Dolezal enjoyed a great day in the field events as well. The freshman was second in the high jump (1.90m) and third in the long jump (6.58m).

For the Montana Tech women, Lily Sullivan's great day in the throws set the tone for another banner day. The freshman tossed the weight 15.09m to top her own program mark and climb to 42nd on the NAIA leaderboard this season. She was third in the event.

Kamryn Comba, the two-time reigning Frontier Conference track athlete of the week, set another Tech record Friday. The junior ran the 400m dash in 1:00.23, and her converted time of 59.55 proved the top time in Oredigger history.

MaKenzie Sheils put up a great run in the 800m, covering the four laps in 2:23.18. Her altitude-converted time of 2:20.80 also established a new Tech record.

Rylee Armstrong continued her tremendous season in the jumps. The sophomore covered 5.67m in the long jump, good enough for an NAIA 'B' standard and the seventh-longest jump in the country this season. She finished third. Armstrong also took fourth in the high jump (1.55m).

The Oredigger women also enjoyed a tremendous day in the 60m dash, led by Jadyn Vermillion's fourth-place finish at 7.83 seconds. Vermillion, Cora Pesanti, Ayla Janzen, and Grace Ekness all posted top-five times in Tech history on the day. Vermillion and Janzen also placed second and third, respectively, in the triple jump.

Olleca Severson was third in the 60m hurdles (9.13) and fourth in the 200m (27.15), and Alyssa Plant finished runner-up in the 3,000m (10:43.77).

Quinn Skaggs completed the pentathlon for the Orediggers, taking sixth with 2,074 points.

Earlier in the week, the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association ranked the Montana Tech women 33rd and the men 54th in the NAIA's first ratings index of the 2024-25 season. Saturday, Montana Tech will recognize the 2024 Frontier Conference-champion outdoor track & field teams by unveiling banners in the rafters above Kelvin Sampson Court ahead of the 4 p.m. men's basketball game versus Montana Western.

The Oredigger indoor track & field teams will return to competition next week, February 6-8, at the Riverfront Invitational in Spokane, Wash.

Visit Montana Tech athletics' home online, GoDiggers.com, anytime for up-to-the-minute news and coverage of the Orediggers. Give Montana Tech athletics a like on Facebook, and follow the Orediggers on X and Instagram at @DiggerAthletics.