BILLINGS — The Midland Roundtable announced the 10 Athlete of the Year finalists Monday, with Billings West taking half of the nominations for the annual awards given to Billings' best senior athletes.
The boys nominees are:
Josh Erbacher - West
Erbacher will go down as one of the best quarterbacks at a school that has had a lot of great ones. In his senior season, Erbacher became West's all-time passing yards leaders, breaking John Edwards' record. Erbacher led the Bears to the 2018 state title as a junior and finished with a 23-3 record as a starter. He was also a second-team all-state basketball player. Erbacher will continue his football career at Rocky Mountain College.
Cade Tyson - West
Tyson was a four-year varsity basketball player, earning second-team all-state honors as a junior and first-team all-state as a senior. The point guard helped lead the Bears to a third-place finish in 2018-19 and a 19-3 record his senior season. Tyson earned a scholarship to play basketball at Rocky Mountain College.
Connor Ryan - West
Ryan earned three varsity letters in football and track and field, as well as two in basketball during his career. He was a member of West's 2018 state football championship team and a member of the 2019 400-meter relay state champion team. Ryan earned a scholarship to play football at Montana State.
Julius Mims - Skyview
Mims earned three varsity letters in three different sports during high school: football, basketball, and track and field. He won the 2019 state high jump title and helped lead the Falcons to the 2020 Class AA state basketball co-championship after winning the Eastern AA divisional. Mims will play basketball at North Idaho College next year.
Owen Smith - Senior
Smith won four varsity letters in cross country and three in track with his senior season canceled. He was named all-state in both sports as a junior and will run for Montana State in both sports, as well.
The girls nominees are:
Olivia Moten-Schell - Central
Moten-Schell is a four-year letter-winner in volleyball and basketball, helping the Rams to two state volleyball championships and the 2020 State A basketball co-championship. She was named first-team all-state all four years of her basketball career, and first-team all-state in her final three basketball seasons. She has received multiple scholarship offers in both sports, but her college future is still undecided.
Jordan Roe - Skyview
Roe was named the Montana Gatorade Women's Soccer Player of the Year as a junior after helping the Falcons to the program's first State AA title. The Falcons reached the title game again her senior year. Roe scored 48 career goals, sixth in Montana Class AA history, and recorded 43 assists, second in Montana AA history. She will play soccer at MSU Billings.
Maddie Albrecht - West
Albrecht is a four-year letter-winner in basketball and three-year varsity athlete in track and field. Albrecht was named second-team all-state as a sophomore in basketball and first-team all-state as a junior and senior. She helped lead the Bears to the State AA basketball co-championship and won two 400-meter relay state championships in track. Albrecht will play basketball for Lehigh University.
Willa Albrecht - West
Like her twin sister, Albrecht earned four varsity letters in basketball and three in track. She was also named a second-team all-state basketball player as a sophomore and first-team all-state as a junior and senior, where she helped lead the Bears to the State AA co-championship. Willa also ran on both 400-meter state championship relays. She will play basketball at Montana.
Elena Vandersloot - Senior
Vandersloot is a four-year cross country and three-year track and field letter-winner. She was named all-state in cross country her final three seasons while helping the Broncs to three consecutive podium finishes. Vandersloot will run for Montana State.
The Midland Roundtable Athlete of the Year banquet will be held May 13 at 7 p.m. with just nominees present at this time. Organizers are still discussing whether family will be allowed, but it is closed to the public.
The event will be live-streamed on the Midland Roundtable Facebook page.
AMP Montana is the event's sponsor.
