BUTTE -- Montana Tech's track & field teams got the indoor portion of the 2025-26 season started under open skies, posting a handful of program records and NAIA national qualifying marks over the first two meets of the season in the Montana Tech Fall Series on the Charlie Merrifield Track this fall.
NAIA rules allow teams to compete outdoors for indoor qualifying marks during the 24-week indoor season window that began September 1.
In the first meet of the fall series September 26, a pair of Oredigger men's records fell. Sophomore Zach Merrifield won the 60-meter dash in 6.80 seconds to break his own record in the event. Sophomore Matthew Moreni also toppled his own Tech record in the 200m dash, coming in first at 21.85 seconds.
Senior Jadyn Vermillion and sophomore Ayla Janzen set the pace for the Montana Tech women at the meet, both winning a pair of events. Vermillion raced a new personal best in the 60m dash (7.70) and notched an NAIA 'B' qualifying standard in the long jump (5.74m), while Janzen's 60m hurdles (9.35) was good enough for the win, as was her 11.01m triple jump. Junior Rylee Armstrong posted a win in the high jump, clearing 1.49m.
On October 7, more Oredigger records went down. Vermillion leapt 6.08m to win the women's long jump, becoming the first-ever Montana Tech woman to clear the six-meter mark and punching her ticket to NAIA indoor nationals with an 'A' standard mark. The senior from Myrtle Creek, Ore. also broke the Tech record in the 60m dash, stopping the watches at 7.68 seconds.
Armstrong and sophomore Emma Konen tied for the win the high jump (1.46m), and Janzen again won the 60m hurdles at 9.46.
Senior Konnor Gregerson also broke a program record, his in the men's 400m dash (49.97) on the way to winning the event. Merrifield won the 60m dash again, as did Moreni in the 200m, and senior Adam Schrader won the 60m hurdles in 8.52.
Several Oredigger athletes, competing unattached so as not to use a season of eligibility, also posted 'B' standard times and marks at the meets.
Montana Tech begins the indoor portion of the indoor track & field season Thursday, December 4 in Bozeman at Montana State's Bobcat PReview meet.
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