A pair of Flathead Valley distance runners will compete in Eugene, Oregon at the NCAA Division I track and field championships June 6-9.
Zach Perrin and Makena Morley, both now running for the University of Colorado, qualified for the elite field that features the top collegiate runners in the nation. Morley and Perrin will each be part of the national championships field for a second time.
Perrin, who will compete in the 5,000-meters, is a Flathead High School grad and former state champion who won the Pac-12 5K championship in 2017. This year, Perrin owns the nation’s seventh-fastest time in the event (13:37.06), which he ran at Stanford’s Cardinal Classic. Perrin finished 11th in the 5K at last year’s national championships, earning second team All-America honors.
One of the most decorated runners in Montana high school history, Morley will run the 10,000-meters at the NCAA championships and is looking to improve on a 17th-place finish as a freshman. Morley won multiple state championships in track and cross country at Bigfork High School and has a top time of 33:42.64 in the 10K this year.