For the second time in her collegiate career, Seeley Lake native Klaire Kovatch is headed to her sport’s biggest stage after clinching another trip to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon from June 11-14.
Kovatch, now a junior at Colorado State, earned her trip by placing 12th in the discus at the West Regional meet in College Station, Texas this past weekend. Her throw of 178-2 on her second attempt was good enough to earn the 12th and final qualifying spot from the regional meet.
The Seeley-Swan high school graduate will be seeded 23rd out of 24 throwers at nationals later this month, however her top throw of the season would put her inside of the top 10 competitors; She set a career-best mark of 190 feet in the discus while winning a Mountain West Conference title in the event just two weeks prior.
The top seeded thrower for women’s discus at nationals this year is Louisville senior Jayden Ulrich who registered a toss of 212 feet, 7 inches at regionals.
Kovatch previously advanced to Outdoor nationals in 2023 as a redshirt freshman, finishing 21st overall in Eugene that season with a mark of just under 170 feet.
Prior to her time at Colorado State, Kovatch won three class C state titles in the discus at Seeley-Swan. She likely would have won four if not for COVID cancelling her junior season. She was also named the Montana Gatorade Girls Track & Field Player of the Year for 2020-21.
Kovatch will be in action on the final day of the NCAA Championships, with the women’s discus throw scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 14.