(Editor's note: MTN Sports is featuring a Midland Roundtable Athlete of the Year finalist nightly leading into this year's awards banquet Wednesday, May 15, at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center. Ten graduating seniors (five boys, five girls) in the Billings area are nominated annually by coaches and activities directors before Roundtable members, a group of longtime sports enthusiasts in Billings, vote on one male and one female winner. In rare instances, the award has been shared.)
BILLINGS — When Senior High’s Piper Jette learned she was a finalist for the Midland Roundtable’s Athlete of the Year award, she admits containing herself wasn’t easy.
“It’s been a huge goal for me, so to get that text … I was with my friend, actually, and I was screaming in the car, and I called my parents,” Jette said.
Rightfully so. It’s a terrific honor, maybe eclipsed for Jette only by an improbable state volleyball tournament comeback in 2023 to edge Billings West in a nail-biting thriller.
“We played early in the morning against CMR because we had gotten swept by West the night before. Won that game, immediately went into the championship game," she recalled like it was yesterday. "West hadn’t lost yet. We swept them there then had to go into the if-necessary game right away. It went to five (sets).
“It was long and hard, but it was worth if for sure. Such a cool feeling.”
Jette is an all-state player, also earning conference honors in both basketball and track. Plus, she has that coveted invite to play in the Midland Roundtable’s All-Star Volleyball Classic on June 15.
Jette will continue her volleyball career at Montana Tech and plans to study biology. She’d like to become an optometrist and, having earned academic honors all four years in high school, that’s an achievable goal. But does it mean school comes easy?
“Some subjects. Math, not so much … it’s a grind," she said with a smile. "But yeah, I actually like school and staying engaged and stuff.”
In her free time Jette admits to enjoying a little binge watching.
“I’ve been watching Suits lately. It’s a lawyer show, so I really like that,” she said.
Maybe she shifts to law school after consuming all this legal knowledge?
“No, that seems too hard for me,” she said with a good laugh.
Jette may be underestimating herself. But that’s alright. TV lawyer dramas are often more entertaining than the courtroom itself.
Midland Roundtable Athlete of the Year
2024 Female finalists: Kourtney Grossman (West), Halle Haber (West), Torie Jamieson (Senior), Piper Jette (Senior), Breanna Williams (Skyview).
2024 Male finalists: Maclain Burckley (Senior), Tyce Casterline (Lockwood), Keyan Hernandez (West), Kyler Northrop (Central), Braden Zimmer (West).
