MISSOULA — Standing at 5-foot-8, Erin Wilde competes in a sport that offers a unique perspective.
"Oh yeah, I put the bar up there all the time and just look at it and I'm like, that's the one," the Montana senior said. "That's myself. I'm going to jump over that right now. But sometimes I wish I was a little bit taller. So, I put the bar higher and I'm like, that's where I should be."
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That, of course, is high jump, a sport Wilde has excelled at for many years. She's wrapping up a decorated career with the Montana Grizzlies this outdoor track and field season.
"I was just trying to keep a positive mindset. It's like really bittersweet for a senior to leave no matter who it is," Wilde said. "And I think just spending time with my friends and the people I practice with all the time is a big thing for me. I'm definitely going to miss it, but I'm super grateful for what they've given me and the opportunities I've had."
The Whitefish native is a six-time Big Sky Conference champion in high jump, having won three indoor titles from her sophomore year on and every outdoor conference meet since she's been on campus. She is the seventh woman in Montana history to win six conference championships and just the second to do it in the same event.
Earlier this month, she eclipsed the 6-foot mark in the outdoor high jump, as she broke her own school record and became the first woman to clear six feet at Dornblaser Field.
That mark ranks fifth in the NCAA West Region, and she's done so while competing through scoliosis, as she's adapted and not slowed down.
"I'm super proud of myself, that's all I can really say about that," Wilde said. "It's been a crazy thing for me. Dealing with a lot can be hard with track because it's all so mental. But after I got over that obstacle and that hurdle, it was more like, this is like what I want to do because I love it. I love the sport. I love the people. I love high jumping.
"I would say there was a lot of beauty in the struggle I had to deal with. A lot of discipline that I didn't have before that I learned a lot throughout the years."
There's pressure with the target firmly on Wilde's back, but she's learned to embrace that challenge.
"(UM vertical jumps coach) Erica (Fraley) told me to be who I am ever since my freshman year," Wilde said. "So we just kind of sing and dance and listen to our favorite music, and you do what you do to stay happy. And for some people, that's like shutting down being by themselves. But for me, that's more like skipping, dancing, having fun."
More history could be in store for Wilde, as she aims for title No. 7, a third trip to the NCAA West regional and, of course, the ultimate prize of a potential trip to the NCAA championships to cap it all off. She's looking to be the second woman ever to win four outdoor Big Sky titles, and Wilde would be the first to win the high jump championship seven times should she reach that.
"Knowing like I'm someone that some people look up to, it makes me happy that I've become that person because there's definitely been people I look up to," Wilde said. "And I've always wanted to be a role model for like my brother and other people. Staying like smiling and knowing that like this is for fun, this is like who I want to be is more of a positive thing."
