FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu April 13, 2016 Third Annual Yellowjacket/Battlin’ Bears Open set for Thursday in Laurel MSUB Track and Field on Facebook | MSUB Track and Field on ISSUU GNAC Track and Field Weekly Reports | TFRRS Performance Lists
The MSUB track and field teams will be competing at the home-hosted Third Annual Yellowjacket/Battlin’ Bears Open.
The MSU Billings men’s and women’s track and field teams are looking forward to hosting a home meet this week. On Thursday, MSUB and Rocky Mountain College will take over the Laurel High School track and field facility for the Third Annual Yellowjacket/Battlin’ Bears Open. BILLINGS, Mont. – On Thursday, Apr. 14, MSU Billings and Rocky Mountain College will be hosting the Third Annual Yellowjacket/Battlin’ Bears Open at the Laurel High School Sports Complex beginning at 12:30 p.m. The annual event that began in 2014 has become a welcome addition to the Yellowjacket schedule as MSUB’s lone home meet. The two Billings institutions threw together the meet last-minute two years ago after an event was cancelled in South Dakota and the YBBO has become an exciting addition to showcase local talent in the region. This year’s meet will feature student-athletes from Montana State University Billings, Rocky Mountain College, Carroll College, the University of Great Falls, and Gillette College.
“It’s great to be at home this weekend,” MSUB head coach Dave Coppock said. “I think the team is excited to compete in front of family and friends. It’s also nice not to have to travel and I think they’ll be feeling pretty good and performing well.” The Yellowjackets are coming off three straight record-setting meets during the outdoor season. At the Bauer Invitational, senior Della Lyle won both the 3,000 meter steeplechase in a record-shattering time of 11:12.14 last week while also taking first place in the 5,000 meters in 19:07.46. Lyle’s time in the steeplechase has the transfer student sitting at 19th in NCAA Division II this season and earned her the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honor. Freshman Josey Smiedala broke the MSUB record in the 400 meters last week with a fourth-place finish in 59.29. Joining Smiedala on the women’s side with a record is Janessa Williams in the triple jump. Two weeks ago, Williams cleared a distance of 36 feet and 6.75 inches, just moving beyond past the record-setting performance of teammate and fellowfreshman Shaniah Schwend. Williams and Schwend have been pushing each other in the jumps this season. Last week Williams won the triple jump in 10.97 meters and Schwend the long jump in 5.10 meters. On the men’s side, sophomore Landon Polkow broke his brother Lewis’ record in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 54.52 seconds. His winning time bettered Lewis’ time of 55.71 set in 2013. Austin Lindquist broke one of the oldest-standing MSUB men's records in the 110 meter hurdles, overtaking a 1979 time of 15.44 set by Dan Hagerman, with a finish of 15.13 at the Carroll College Open two weeks ago. At the meet this week in Laurel, MSUB will focusing on improving individual marks for the upcoming conference championships taking place May 13-14 in Monmouth, Ore. “We want to continue to push our conference marks up in the rankings as well as go after a few school records,” Coppock said. “We’ve excelled in different areas each meet and I expect we’ll see some very good performances this week, as well. We’re also trying a few new events this week. We’ll be running a Mile rather than the 1500 meters. I think it will give us a good chance to see what we can do on an actual mile outdoors. The mark will also be converted to a 1500 for qualifying purposes.” Senior Robert Peterson will competing in the mile, an event he won at the GNAC Indoor Championships and qualified for at the NCAA National Championships. Lindquist, the MSUB record-holder in the 110 meter hurdles, will be competing in the 400 meter hurdles and going up against teammate and MSUB record-holder in that event, Polkow. Lyle will be trying the 10,000 meters this week. She is the MSUB record holder in the indoor 3,000 and 5,000 meters as well as the outdoor 3,000 meter steeplechase. During the meet, MSU Billings will be honoring this year’s seniors Taylor Condon, Brielle Davis, Jinise Trueblood, Blair Street, Lyle, Peterson, and Cameron Stanek. Rocky Mountain College will be recognizing senior Colton Wood.
Live stats will not be available for the event. However, for the first time at the meet, a live video stream will be broadcast through the MSUB Stretch Internet Portal. Admission to the meet is open and free-of-charge. The event beings at 12:30 p.m. with the 10,000 meter race. Following the race, the seniors from both schools will be honored before the start of the 4x800 meter relay. The field events kick-off at 1:00 p.m. with the men’s shot put. MSU Billings/Rocky Mountain College Yellowjacket/Battlin’ Bears Open April 14, 2016 Event Schedule (Rolling) 1:00pm Shot Put Men, then Women Discus Women, then Men Javelin Men, then Women Pole Vault Men, then Women Long Jump Men AND Women (two runways) Triple Jump Men AND Women (at conclusion of long jump) High jump Women, then Men 12:30pm 10,000 meters, Mixed (M&W) 4x800 Meter Relay (Men, then Women, all track events) 4x100 Meter Relay Mile 100/110 Meter Hurdles 400 Meters 100 Meters 800 Meters 400 Meter Hurdles 200 Meters 5000 Meters 4 x 400 Meter Relay --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--