GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Death, taxes, and Abby Clark on the podium at an NAIA championship track & field meet.
Clark, one of the most decorated student-athletes in Montana Tech history, began her swan song in collegiate track & field with another All-America title on the opening day of the 2026 NAIA indoor championships, taking third in the pentathlon at the Alachua County Sports & Events Center in Gainesville, Fla.
She did so in record-breaking fashion, topping her own program record in the combined event with a total score of 3,609.
It was the third All-America honor in the pentathlon for the graduate student's career and her sixth-career trip to the podium at an NAIA national meet.
Clark began the day with 848 points in the 60-meter hurdles, crossing the line in 9.30 seconds for the fourth-fastest time of her collegiate career. She followed that by tying for the win in the high jump, clearing 1.68m to add 830 points to her total.
She added 533 points in the shot put with a 10.05m throw and another 726 in the long jump, leaping 5.59m, before capping off the multi with a 2:31.66 800m run, adding 672 points to her tally.
The score bested Clark's previous program record, set at the 2025 indoor national meet, by 14 points.
Clark wasn't the only Oredigger in action on the opening day of the national meet.
Sophomore Ayla Janzen toppled her own program record in the triple jump, leaping 11.64m to finish 12th in her second-career indoor nationals appearance.
The women's 4x800m relay of Terryn Chirrick, Mya Green, Kamryn Comba, and Amy Broek teamed up for a 24th-place finish, completing the circuits in 9:41.25; and the men's 4x400m relay of took 26th as Adam Schrader, Morgan McClernan, Konnor Gregerson, and Matthew Moreni combined to finish in 3:19.70.
Freshman Ricky Williams also competed in the men's high jump.
With the six points Clark earned in the pentathlon, Montana Tech's women sit tied for ninth in the team standings at the meet.
Montana Tech will look to add to that total on Day 2 of the meet Friday. Clark, Janzen, and Jadyn Vermillion will get things started at 10 a.m. MST in the women's long jump. McClernan will compete in the men's 60m hurdles preliminary heats at 10:50 a.m., and Cade VanVleet will begin his nationals competition in the men's weight throw at 1 p.m.
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