(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 — One could say Lockwood’s Tyce Casterline is a trailblazer. He’s been a pillar for some of the first varsity teams at one of Montana’s newest high schools.
“It was difficult at times, kind of weird," Casterline admitted of starting from scratch at Lockwood High School. "But it was good in the end.”
As with any new school, the Lions took their fair share of beatings.
But Casterline was part of three athletic teams building from ground zero in track, basketball and football. And the reward for his senior season? Leading Lockwood to its first ever Class A football playoff appearance.
That led to a football scholarship at Rocky Mountain College — and to becoming the Midland Roundtable’s first ever finalist from the new school.
“I was a little bit shocked … excited," he said. "My sophomore year, I came to the (Athlete of the Year) banquet. We brought eight of us from Lockwood just to kind of watch everyone.”
Now, in a day where everyone seems to love the highlight-reel one-handed Odell Beckham Jr. catches, this finalist isn’t concerned with that flashiness.
“No. I mean, maybe (I’ll) mess around in free time with a one-handed catch, but, no," he said. "I’ll focus on two hands for now."
There he is, today’s rare sports fundamentalist. Maybe it’s because his dad coached him in youth baseball and football … and mom was his youth basketball coach. Tyce couldn’t escape his parents and it shows in his work ethic.
So, if he had the choice between living in the mountains (leave me alone), or island beach bum (let's party), the quiet, reserved Casterline says he'd sort of split the difference.
“I think a big lake house would be nice. I’d like that a lot. I like boating, surfing, all that,” he said.
Considering his high school accomplishments — which include a 4.0 GPA — Casterline may be on his way to earning that lake house.
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).
