(Editor's note: Montana State University news release)
BOZEMAN — Ahead of a highly anticipated cross country season for Montana State, coach Lyle Weese announced the addition of 11 distance runners to the Bobcat cross country and track and field program on Thursday.
"The program has been building momentum and that momentum is reflected in the quality of the incoming men's distance and women's distance classes," Weese said. "Both are relatively large with six new women and five new men, with one of those being a graduate student. My hope is that they can take their talent and apply it through months and years of hard work to create teams that make it to the NCAA Cross Country Championships, win conference championships, and become individual All-Americans."
Montana State's men are coming off a 13th-place finish at the NCAA Championships last November and bring back six of their top seven runners from last year, while Montana State's women bring back two all-conference honorees and four total scoring runners from a squad that finished runner-up at the Big Sky Championships in Missoula, their best result since 2017.
Montana State opens up the 2024 cross country season at home in Bozeman on Aug. 30, hosting the MSU Bobcat Twilight meet at Dyche Field. Admission is free.
A.J. Ringert, Eagle HS, Eagle, Idaho
A.J. Ringert joins the Bobcat distance program after a standout career at Eagle High School in Eagle, Idaho. The distance runner tallied three career top-10 finishes at the Idaho 5A state cross country meet, placing third last fall after a ninth-place result in 2022 and a seventh-place finish in 2021. As a senior, Ringert also took eighth at the NXR Northwest meet to cap his final high school cross country season. On the track, the Idaho native broke school records in the 3,200 (9:00.37) and the 1,600 meters (4:12.47), taking third at the state championships last year in both events and placing 14th in the 800. As a junior in 2023, Ringert placed third in the 3,200 and seventh in the 1,600 at the Idaho 5A state championships. The future civil engineering major graduated with an unweighted 4.0 GPA.
Blaise Snow, Santa Barbara Senior High, Santa Barbara, California
Blaise Snow comes to Bozeman after starring at Santa Barbara Senior High in Santa Barbara, California. During his senior cross country season, Snow earned All-CIF honors and helped the Dons to a Division II California State Championship title. The team captain for both the cross country and track and field teams ran a personal-best 3:51.09 in the 1500 at the Portland Track Festival in June, the third-fastest time in California this year and the 31st-fastest in the country. In April of this last year, Snow ran a leg on the Dons' 4x800 relay team at the Mt. SAC Invitational that finished with the fourth-fastest mark in the country at the time (7:45.47). Snow placed eighth in the 800 at the CIF state championship meet in 1:52.04.
Quinn Newman, Sentinel HS, Missoula, Montana
Quinn Newman will run for Montana State after competing for Sentinel High School in Missoula. The Treasure State product placed fifth at the Class AA state cross country championships last fall and earned All-State honors before earning runner-up accolades in both the 1600 and 3200 at the Class AA state track and field meet. Newman owns the Sentinel High school records in both the 1600 and 3200 on the track and in the 5k on the cross country course. He earned Academic All-State honors four times, was a member of the National Honor Society, and graduated with a 4.0 GPA.
Ryan Harrington, Great Falls HS, Great Falls, Montana
Ryan Harrington continues the legacy of great Montana athletes competing for the Bobcats' distance crew, coming from Great Falls High School in the Electric City. As a senior, Harrington placed second at the Class AA state cross country championships to help the Bison win the team title and went on to place 23rd at NXR Northwest Regionals. This past spring, the team captain won the Class AA state 800 meter title, also placing third in the 1600 and third in the 3200. The All-State selection owns school records in the 800 and 3200. As a junior, Harrington placed second at the state track and field meet in the 1600 and third in the 3200, and went on to take 31st in the 1600 at Nike Nationals and 17th in the 3200. The three-time All-Conference selection in soccer was also the student body vice president and a school board student representative.
Will Kelly, St. Olaf College, Golf, Illinois
Will Kelly joins the Bobcat distance program as a graduate transfer from St. Olaf College after an All-American career at the NCAA Division III level. Kelly placed fourth in the 3,000 meter steeplechase at last spring's 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, earning First Team All-American honors, and placed 26th at the 2023 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, earning All-American accolades. Kelly placed tenth in the steeplechase at the national meet in 2023 and 13th at the national cross country meet in 2022. Kelly was also named a 2023 CSC Academic All-American and earned the Dave Hauck Award from St. Olaf, the highest level of academic, athletic, and community achievement award given out.
Madilyn Siana, Santiago HS, Rancho Cucamonga, California
Madilyn Siana comes to Bozeman after a standout career at Santiago High School in Rancho Cucamonga, California. As a senior, Siana helped Santiago win its first CIF and state championship title in cross country, setting a record on the state course. Siana placed 24th individually at the state meet in a personal-best 5k time of 18:13, and went on to compete at NXN with the Sharks. The team captain was recognized for being the fastest in both the Inland Empire and Riverside County for her grade level three years in a row, and in her senior track season the Sharks won their first league championship and moved on to CIF prelims, where she ran a personal-best 10:53 in the 3200.
Ada Nelson, Cody HS, Cody, Wyoming
Ada Nelson joins the Montana State distance program after a standout career at Cody High School in Cody, Wyoming. In all, Nelson was a part of 11 state titles across her indoor and outdoor track and field career, collecting five individual crowns while being part of six relay winners. Nelson wrapped up her senior track season this past spring with state titles in the outdoor 800 and 1600 and state titles in the indoor 800 and 1600, getting under the 5-minute mark in the mile with a personal-best time of 4:59.47. Her junior year, Nelson set the state indoor record in the 800 meters and won three state titles indoors (800, 4x800 relay, and 4x400 relay). Nelson also earned All-State honors in volleyball, holding the highest hitting percentage in the state of Wyoming (.463). Ada is the daughter of Mike Nelson, who competed for Montana State in alpine skiing from 1992-1996.
Niamh Motley, Craighead Diocesan School, Christchurch, New Zealand
Niamh Motley signs with Montana State out of Christchurch, New Zealand, where she was a national champion in the 2,000 meter steeplechase. Motley also placed first at the New Zealand U20 championships in the 2,000 meter steeplechase and second in the 1,500 meters. The distance runner was also the Under 20 South Island cross country champion, Under 20 Canterbury cross country champion, and the Aoraki cross country champion, placing 16th at the New Zealand Secondary School cross country championships. As a junior, Motley placed fourth in the 2,000 meter steeplechase and fifth in the 1,500 meters at the New Zealand Secondary School Championships. The Bobcat also starred in netball and volleyball.
Larkin Galle, Anaconda HS, Anaconda, Montana
Larkin Galle comes to Bozeman after a decorated career at Anaconda High School in Anaconda. The distance runner's senior year saw her broke a school record in the mile that had stood since 1978, and she was named All-State in track and field in two different events. Galle also was a team captain in volleyball and basketball and earned All-State accolades in volleyball. The Treasure State native graduated in the top-ten in her class and was a consistent Academic All-State honoree. Galle earned All-Conference honors in track and field all four years in high school.
Sophia Miller, Hellgate HS, Missoula, Montana
Sophia Miller is one of five Treasure State distance runners to sign with the Bobcats, and comes to Bozeman out of Hellgate High School in Missoula. Miller helped lead Hellgate to the Class AA state title in cross country last fall, and a runner-up finish at the Class AA state track and field meet this past spring. Miller ended her career with a state title in the 800 meters, and exits Hellgate with the school record in that event (2:12.67). Miller also placed second in the 400 meters, sixth in the 1600 meters, and was a member of the third place 4x400 meter relay team for the Knights to help her squad finish second overall last season. The member of the National Honors Society also placed fifth in the 1600 at the state meet as a junior, and sixth in the 800 as a sophomore. Miller lettered two years in basketball for the Knights, helping lead them to a state runner-up finish last winter.
Kaitlyn Skinner, Hellgate HS, Missoula, Montana
Kaitlyn Skinner joins the Bobcat distance group after a productive career at Hellgate High School in Missoula. The two-time Class AA state champion in the 1600 meters also helped the Knights to back-to-back state titles in cross country, placing 15th to earn All-State honors as a senior before going on to compete at Nike Cross Regionals. Last spring, the current Bobcat place third in the 800 meters and third in the 4x400 meter relay at the state meet in addition to her second crown in the 1600 meters. Skinner's junior year began with a seventh place finish at the Class AA cross country meet and a 5k personal-best of 19:21.01, and continued into track season with a fifth place finish at the state meet in the 800 and a fifth place finish in the 4x400 meter relay. Skinner, whose mother Loreen ran track for the Griz from 1985-89 and whose aunt Rachel ran at Oregon from 1985-87, was heavily involved at Hellgate in organizations such as Model U.N., student government, HOSA Future Health Professionals, and others while graduating magna cum laude and earning Academic All-State all four years in high school.
