(MSU Billings release)
BILLINGS – The Montana State University Billings Yellowjackets track and field team will finish the indoor season at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s Indoor Championships this coming weekend in Nampa, Idaho. MSUB will have a contingent of 20 athletes competing in 46 events. Competition will take place over two days running from February 21-22.
The Yellowjackets will look to carry the momentum built this winter into Nampa in hopes of a higher finish then last year. In 2019, the MSUB men finished in ninth place overall and the women in tenth. Both the MSUB men and women will be competing in the 4 x 400m relay and the 4K distance medley for the very first time this season.
“We are looking forward to the championships as one last time to compete during the indoor season,” said head coach Jon Woehl. Overall the team has improved each week and we are expecting this week to be no different. On the women’s team we’re looking to our seniors to lead the way: Nikki, Brenna and Taylor. On the men’s team it’s the same thing: Mason, Isaiah, Forrest and Marcus are all expected to compete well.”
MSUB WOMEN:
Nikki Aiken: The senior Aiken has lead the MSUB women’s distance athletes the entire winter with seemingly new personal bests each and every weekend. She will be competing in three events for the ‘Jackets; the 3K with a qualifying and personal best time of 10:56.82, the 4K distance melody, the 4 x 400m relay and the 5K with a qualifying mark of 15:56.92.
Brenna Beckett: Beckett has been MSUB’s top finisher this winter and heads into the championships as the 11th ranked long jumper in the GNAC at 5.32m and sixth ranked triple jumper at 11.12m. In addition to competing in those two events, Beckett will be hit the track for the 4 x 400m relay and the 4K distance melody. Competing in four events along with Aiken will be the most by and athlete from MSUB.
Sierra Durbin: Durbin qualified in the 21st overall spot in the 800m run with a season best time of 2:27.55. She will be competing in the 4 x 400m relay and the 4K distance medley.
Kailee Stoppel: Stoppel will be the fourth and final member of the 4 x 400m relay and the 4K distance melody. She also qualified for the 3K with a season best 11:19.08 which is the 24th ranked time in the GNAC.
Mariah May: The sophomore has been the top performer for the MSUB women’s throw squad. She will be competing in the weight throw and the shot put this weekend. She comes in with the ninth ranked shot put attempt at 11.61m and the seventh ranked weight throw at 14.61m.
Taylor Stringari: The senior leader will also be competing in the shot put and weight throw. She is the 12th ranked shot put athlete with a throw of 11.41m and the 12th ranked weight throw competitor with a 13.56m toss.
Brynn Jolma: Rounding out the throws contingent is the freshmen Jolma. She will be competing in her first ever collegiate championships after qualifying in the weight throw. Her season best mark was 11.90m good enough for the 21st ranked throw in the event.
MSUB MEN:
Mason Schram: Schram is one of the fastest athletes in the GNAC. He ran the fourth fastest time in the 60m dash at 7.04. The 60m dash is his lone event for the championships and he will be looking for a top five finish.
Rahkei Eyer: Eyer will be competing in the 60m dash, the 200m dash and the 4 x 400m relay. He is one of the top 200m athletes as he enters with the seventh fastest time overall at 22.63. Eyer is ranked 20th in the 60m dash with a season best time of 7.21.
Kyle Patelis: Another 60m dash participant for MSUB, Patelis is the 12th ranked sprinter in the 60 with a time of 7.13. He will also be competing in the 200m dash as his qualifying time was 22.96 which ranks him in the 19th overall slot.
Tyler Rued: The freshmen from Bozeman, MT will compete in three events for MSUB. Making his championship debut in the 200m, Rued enters as the 24th ranked athlete with a qualifying time of 23.18. He will also be competing in the 4 x 400m relay and the 4K distance medley.
Isaiah Girard: Arguably MSUB’s most explosive athlete, Girard is the fifth ranked athlete competing in the high jump with a season best leap of 1.98m. He also qualified for the long jump with a season best 6.46m which was good enough for 16th overall in the GNAC. Girard will be competing in the 4 x 400m relay.
Nicholas Redgrave: Redgrave will be making his championship debut as well as running in the 4K distance medley and the 4 x 400m relay for the first time this season.
Ase Ackerman: MSUB’s leader in the distance events, Ackerman will be competing in the 3K. His season best was a qualifying time of 8:56.15 which ranks him 18th overall. He will also be competing in the 4K distance medley for the ‘Jackets.
Logan Straus: Another distance specialist for MSUB, Straus is the 25th qualifying athlete in the 3K with a time of 9:06.31. He will also be the final member of the 4K distance medley team.
Bryant Edgerton: Edgerton will be competing in the 3K and the 5K. He ran a season best time of 9:06.8 in the 3K and is the 11th ranked runner in the 5K with a time of 15:57.00.
Marcus Lindquist: The explosive senior will be competing in the long jump and the triple jump this weekend. He is the ninth ranked triple jump competitor with a mark of 13.22m and will be competing in the long jump for the first time this season.
Lucas Harper: Competing in just the long jump, Harper will look to vault himself into the top 20 as he enters with the 22nd ranked jump of the season at 6.12m.
Forrest Cross: Last but certainly not least will be the two throws athletes representing MSUB. The senior leader Cross is ranked in the top 15 in the conference in both the shot put and the weight throw. He is 10th ranked athlete in the shot put with a season best 14.89m and the 14 ranked weight throw artist with a toss of 15.16m.
Ely Kraft: The senior from Laurel, MT will also be competing in both the shot put and the weight throw. He enters ranked 23rd in the weight throw at 14.16m and 16th in the shot put at 13.63m.
FOLLOW LIVE: Live results can be found at:
http://results.tfmeetpro.com/SnakeRiverTiming/GNAC_Indoor_Championships_2020 [results.tfmeetpro.com]
