FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu August 29, 2016 2016 MSUB women’s cross country preview MSUB Cross Country on Facebook | MSUB Cross Country on ISSUU | Preview Interviews | Media Guide 2016 MSUB Women’s Cross Country Schedule | 2016 MSUB Women’s Cross Country Roster
The 2016 MSUB women’s cross country roster contains six freshmen along with six experienced athletes.
Four-year Yellowjacket Rio Frame and the MSU Billings women’s cross country team is looking forward to working on a new foundational year during the 2016 season. BILLINGS, Mont. – Next week the Montana State University Billings women’s cross country team opens its regular season with a race in South Dakota. The 2016 Yellowjackets will look to rebound from a down year with a boost of energy from a strong freshman class along with several seasoned competitors. Four-year Yellowjacket Rio Frame is set to conclude her senior season on the cross country course. A decorated member of the team, Frame has been a top-5 finisher for the ‘Jackets since she joined the team as a freshman. Last year the native of Glendive, Mont., had to contend with a mid-season injury, but the top returner has been working hard all summer and her expectations are high for her fourth and final season of competition.
“I want to improve on my season from last year,” Frame commented. “I had some injuries last year so I want to be healthy and injury-free this year. I am going to take it one race at a time and I want to improve every time I go out there and compete.” “I am really hoping Rio has a good senior year and I know that she wants to do that,” MSUB head coach Dave Coppock said. “She is a really good leader for the team. She holds people accountable and is a good example as she is dedicated to the program and training hard.” Frame was the top finisher at both the conference and NCAA west region championships for the Yellowjackets last season. She holds the fourth fastest time ever by a woman at MSUB in the 6,000 meters at 21:48 (2014) and is capable of lowering that time if she stays healthy this year. Joining Frame as an upperclassman this year is Bailey Bomar. The junior product of Billings West has been a steady performer for the ‘Jackets the last two seasons, showing improvement at each competition. Last year Bomar posted a personal best in the 6K at the NCAA west region competition with a time of 25:04.4. “She has been pretty consistent and has improved every year and should have a good season,” Coppock said on the third-year athlete. “She will be in the top-5 for us and will help our depth. I also know she has been working really hard this summer to be ready for fall competition.” MSUB seniors Ali Walker (left) and Rio Frame (right)
Returning for their second season with MSUB are Sarah Beatty and Devin McDonald. Beatty competed in all seven races for the Yellowjackets as a true freshman. She had a top-20 finish at the Yellowjacket Invitational with a time of 28:52.93. McDonald missed the first two races of the season, but finished strong. Like Beatty, McDonald had a top-20 finish at the home race, posting a time of 29:05.09 on the course at Amend Park. “Last year Sarah and Devin were really having to get used to collegiate-level competition,” Coppock commented on the two sophomores. “That experience has sunk in and got them to train harder this summer. This year they will know what to expect a little more. They are great teammates and both really positive influences on the team.” Six freshmen are set to compete this season. Josey Smiedala from Helena, Mont., redshirted last season on the cross country team, but had a standout season for the Yellowjackets in track and is expected to contribute as a top-5 runner. Nikki Aiken begins her collegiate career as a Yellowjacket a four-year letter winner from Manhattan Christian. Aiken trained with the ‘Jackets last season and did well competing as an unattached runner.
“I think Nikki will really make an impact on the team,” Coppock said on the freshman. “I know she has worked really hard over the last year. I think she will be ready to step up and has the potential to be a top-3 runner. She worked hard to keep herself in shape last year and is ready to be a member of the team. Josey redshirted last year, struggling with injuries before we even started. She has been trying to work this summer and could help us out in the top-5.” Joining the team as true freshmen are Lydia Foster, Ella McKenzie, Krysten Mossburg, and Catrina Schuchard. Foster is from Gillette, Wyo., McKenzie is a native of Livingston, Mont., Mossburg hails from Libby, Mont., and Schuchard comes to MSUB from Harlowton, Mont. Coach Coppock expects the quartet to work hard on adjusting to collegiate competition this year. “I want to bring them along slowly at first to see what they can do. After a few weeks we will see where they fit in the lineup. Hopefully, they can fill in our top-7 to help our depth.” Looking to make waves for the team this year are transfers Kelby Wegner and Ali Walker. Wegner competed for two seasons at Spokane Community College while Walker is joining MSUB from the University of Wyoming. “I am looking forward to seeing what Kelby can do,” Coppock said. “She had quite a lot of experience at SCC and we’ll see where she can fill in to add to our top-5 team depth. Ali has a lot of potential. She is transferring from the University of Wyoming. She has a lot of potential to run at a high level in the conference and region. She is a very strong runner and has a lot of training volume, and I know she works very hard and that will help influence the team.” On the team’s goals this season, Coach Coppock wants to see better team results than last season’s last place finish at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships. MSUB averaged almost three minutes behind first-place Alaska Anchorage and will need to drop its team times by almost two minutes to move into the middle of the pack this year. “We had a really down year in 2015,” Coppock said. “This year the athletes are coming back in a lot better shape than last year. We have a lot of newcomers, but with their talent the team has the ability to get back to the middle of the conference and middle of the region around 15th. The team will have to put together several weeks of uninterrupted training with few injuries and illnesses to reach that goal.” The team has three meets on the road to open the 2016 season. First up is a race hosted by South Dakota Mines on Sept. 2 followed by an event at Black Hills State on Sept. 9. The Yellowjackets stay in-state for a race in Bozeman hosted by Montana State on Sept. 17. “The event at Mines will be the team’s first test,” Coppock said. “It is a familiar place for the team, but all three opening races will be a good measure of where the team is at and what they want to accomplish the rest of the season. At the beginning of the season, both meets are fairly low-key so it should be a good entry into the season. By the time we travel to Bozeman it will be a good meet in a more competitive setting.” On Sept. 23, the ‘Jackets will have a chance to preview the west region championship course as MSUB returns to hosting duties in Billings for the NCAA west region championship at Amend Park. The Yellowjacket Invitational will serve as the preview as the team will run the course in an initial competition on Saturday. “We will run a 6K which gives everyone a good idea what to expect and how they want to run the course and to get some experience for the big race on Nov. 5.” The team will next run a very hilly and tough course this year at the Colorado University-hosted Rocky Mountain Shootout on Oct. 1. The ‘Jackets will see some very good NCAA Division II competition from multiple regions at the course at Buffalo Ranch in Boulder, Colo. Back in Billings the following week, MSUB will host a tune-up race on Oct. 8 at Riverfront
Park before heading to the GNAC Championships hosted by Western Washington on Oct. 22 at Lake Padden Park in Bellingham, Wash. “If everything goes well this season we should be peaking the last two weeks of the season on our home course in front of our home crowd,” Coppock said. “The key to success for our women this year is consistent quality training. They will need to stay healthy for an extended period of time in order to train to the level they need to be at to move up in the conference finish.” 2016 MSUB Cross Country Schedule September 2: South Dakota Mines Invitational | Rapid City, S.D. | 10 a.m. September 9: Yellow Jacket Invitational | Spearfish, S.D. | Spearfish Canyon Country Club | 10 a.m. September 17: Montana State Invitational | Bozeman, MT | Bridger Creek Country Club | 9 a.m. September 23: NCAA West Region Preview Meet and Yellowjacket Invitational | Billings, MT | Amend Park | 10 a.m. October 1: Rocky Mountain Shootout | Boulder, CO | Buffalo Ranch | 9 a.m. October 8: Yellowjacket Open | Billings, MT | Riverfront Park | 10 a.m. October 22: GNAC Championships | Bellingham, WA | Lake Padden Park | 10 a.m. November 5: NCAA Division II West Region Championships | Billings, MT | Amend Park | 11 a.m. November 19: NCAA Division II National Championships | Saint Leo, FL | 11 a.m. All times local. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--