(Editor's note: MSUB Athletics release)
BILLINGS— Montana State University Billings head cross country and track coach Jonathan Woehl has announced the first four signings of the 2022 recruiting class.
The recruits include in-state athletes Toree Manning of Billings, Gracie Bradley of Colstrip and Tasha Dedmore of Park City; plus out-of-state signee Alyssa Sanchez of Albuquerque, N.M. All four athletes will enroll as freshman in the fall of 2022.
Of this group, Manning will compete in both cross country and track, whereas Bradley, Dedmore and Sanchez will only compete in track.
Gracie Bradley
Hometown: Colstrip, Montana
Previous School: Colstrip High School
Event: Hurdles
A four-sport varsity athlete for Colstrip High School and a two-time all-state selection in track, Gracie Bradley is one of the top returning hurdlers in Montana going into her senior track season.
Last spring as a junior in track, Bradley went undefeated in the regular season running the 300 meter hurdles, then set her new personal best by running a 46.22 and taking second at the MHSA Class B State Track & Field meet. All told, Bradley won nine races competing in the 100, 200, 100-meter high hurdles and the 300 meter hurdles — plus she anchored Colstrip's 4x100 meter team to two wins last year.
Prior to her junior season, Bradley qualified for the state meet in six events — the 100, 400, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, plus the 4x100 meter and 4x400 meter relays — as a freshman in 2019. She set her 100 meter PR in the prelims with a 13.13, then placed 10th in the finals. Bradley then placed eighth in the 400 meters and sixth in the 100 high hurdles with a 16.43. Racing against future MSUB teammate Kendall Lynn, Bradley took fourth in the 300 meter hurdles. In the relays, Bradley helped Colstrip place second in the 4x100 and fifth in the 4x400.
In cross country this past fall, Bradley was Colstrip's top finisher at the MHSA Class B State Cross Country Championships. She covered the 5-kilometer course at the University of Montana Golf Course in 22:12.91, which was good for 27th overall. Her 5K personal best is a 21:43.4, which she set at the Shepherd Invitational this September, and Bradley has qualified for state two times in her career.
Outside of cross country and track, Bradley has played four years of varsity basketball and two years of varsity volleyball for Colstrip High School. Bradley, who has been point guard for Colstrip's girls basketball team for the past four years, helped the Colts make the Class B state tournament as a sophomore in 2019-20. In the classroom, Bradley was an athletic and academic all-state selection in basketball in all three years.
Woehl on Bradley: "I'm excited to add Gracie to our team. She's an outstanding, all-around athlete, excels at any sport she does and she's tough as nails. She'll be a great fit for our team."
Bradley on choosing MSUB: "I chose MSUB because the location is good, I like the coaches, my scholarship offer was good and the school has my major."
Tasha Dedmore
Hometown: Park City, Montana
Previous School: Park City High School
Event: Sprints/Jumps
Joining her Park City High School track teammate Garrett McMillen, Tasha Dedmore is a four-sport athlete with experience running both cross country and track. Dedmore, who specializes in the triple jump, will join MSUB's sprints and jumps squads in fall 2022.
Entering her senior season next spring, Dedmore has qualified for the MHSA Class C state meet twice in her career. She placed 23rd in the 800 meters as a freshman in 2019, then 23rd in the triple jump as a junior in 2021. The 2020 high school track season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Outside of track, Dedmore has competed for Park City's cross country, volleyball and basketball teams. This past season in cross country, Dedmore was Park City's No. 2 runner at the MHSA Class C State Cross Country Championships, at which the Panthers placed third. Additionally, Dedmore has three seasons of varsity volleyball experience as Park City's right-side hitter, plus she is currently playing on Park City's varsity basketball team.
Woehl on Dedmore: "I'm looking forward to working with Tasha as she joins abother Park City alum, Garrett McMillen, in our sprints and jumps squads. She has the tenacity to improve as she focuses on track and field in college."
Dedmore on choosing MSUB: "I chose MSUB because ever since my freshman year, my goal was to compete and attend college in Billings. So I did everything I could to get there."
Toree Manning
Hometown: Billings, Montana
Previous School: Skyview High School
Event: Distance/XC
A local recruit out of Skyview High School, Toree Manning has competed under former Yellowjacket distance runner Mary Owen ('14) for the past three years and counting. Manning is a team captain at Skyview and has been named Falcon of the Year. So far, Manning is the only recruit who will be on the cross country and track teams starting in fall 2022.
This fall, Manning was the Falcons' top finisher in four of the nine regular-season races. She ran her personal-best 5K at the MHSA Class AA State Cross Country Championships in 20:33.56 — good for 24th place out of 108 runners. Manning qualified for the state cross country race in all four years.
On the track, Manning is going into her senior year with personal bests of 6:07.94 in the 1,600 meters and 13:03.69 in the 3,200 meters.
Outside of athletics, Manning is a member of the National Honor Society.
Coach Woehl on Manning: "It's been fun watching Toree improve over the years. I remember when she came and ran at one of our summer cross country race series when she was in eighth or ninth grade. Coach Mary Owens at Skyview told me to keep an eye on her. She worked very hard over the summer and had her best cross country season this fall."
Manning on choosing MSUB: "I chose MSUB because it has great athletics and a great athletic training program. I also like that it's in town and close to home."
Alyssa Sanchez
Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Previous School: Cottonwood Classical Prep
Event: Sprints
Coming to MSUB from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Alyssa Sanchez enters her senior season of track after placing fifth at state in the 200 meters last year. Additionally, she ran the lead leg on the Coyotes' 4x100, 4x200 and sprint medley relays — all of which placed third or better at the NMAA 3A State Championships. Her efforts helped Cottonwood Classical Prep win a district team title and a runner-up finish at state.
A team captain for the past two years, Sanchez primarily runs the 100 and 200 meters, plus she is a mainstay on Cottonwood Classical Prep's 4x100, 4x200, 4x400 and sprint medley relays. She made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2019 by running legs on all four relays at the state meet and helping the Coyotes make the finals in three of them.
Woehl on Sanchez: "With her background as a multi-sport athlete, I see a promising future for Alyssa. She'll be a great fit in our sprints squad. I'm looking forward to getting to work with her next year."
