FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Friday, April 7, 2017 Preview: MSUB track heads to SD Mines Invite Saturday
MSUB’s track and field team heads to the Bauer Invitational on Saturday, hosted by South Dakota School of Mines. BILLINGS, Mont. – Set for its third meet of the outdoor season this weekend, the Montana State University Billings men’s and women’s track and field teams are headed east for the Bauer Invitational hosted by South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City, S.D. Action will kick off Saturday morning at 11 a.m., with both the running and field events getting underway simultaneously. “We are hoping to get some times down in different events every week, and we are looking for different people to step up,” said MSUB head coach Dave Coppock. “We want to get our men’s 4x100 relay started, and continue to improve in the throws.” MSUB’s women’s squad will travel a heftier slate of competitors, after tapering off last week with a smaller group. The ‘Jacket women are entered in a dozen running events for Saturday, including both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays. Shaniah
Schwend, Josey Smiedala, Michaela Johnson, and Savannah Merritt will stack up in the 4x100, the latter three each scheduled to run in three different races. Johnson, MSUB’s top sprinter so far this year, will also compete in the 100-meters and the 100-meter high hurdles. Merritt will run both the 100-meters and 200-meters, and Smiedala will represent the ‘Jackets in the 200-meters and 400-meters. The Yellowjacket women’s distance runners will compete in a variety of events as well, with senior Rio Frame and sophomore Sarah Beatty on the shorter distances in the 800meters and 1,500-meters. Junior Kelby Wegner will run the 5k and her first 10k of the spring, while Bailey Bomar and Nikki Aiken are each entered in the 3,000-meter steeple chase. The versatile Janessa Williams will put her talents on display in three different areas throughout the afternoon. Williams will help fill out the Yellowjackets’ 4x400 squad, tackle the 400-meter intermediate hurdles, and bring her team-best entry mark of 11.14 meters into the triple jump. Freshmen Jamie Orme, Halie Warren, Brenna Beckett, and Shelby Browning are all among the competitors for MSUB in the high jump, long jump, and triple jump.
Freshman Kassadee Kuoha enters Saturday’s meet with a team-best mark of 35.30 meters in the discus.
Taylor Stringari and Kassadee Kuoha headline the throws squad, as the former enters the meet with a team-best 11.48 meters in the shot put and the later with a team-best in the discus at 35.30 meters. Hailey Steinbeisser is the lone Yellowjacket entered in the javelin, and also has the team’s best entry mark in the hammer throw at 34.11 meters. “We have had a pretty good (outdoor) season so far, and we came out of indoor pretty strong as a whole,” said Stringari. “At this meet, I want to increase my distance in shot put and get back up to the 37s and maybe hit 38. In disc, I want to increase by 10 feet and get into the top-10 for conference.” MSUB’s momentum in the throws department carries over to the men’s side as well, after a pair of stellar performances by the Yellowjackets last week. Beau Ackerman, who won the javelin at the Tom Benich Invite last Sunday in Colorado, enters the meet with a team-best mark of 55.10 meters. Brady Ostermiller placed in the top-10 in the shot put among a competitive field of Division I athletes last week, and brings his team-high 14.98-meter entry mark into Saturday’s meet. Ostermiller also has the top distance in the discus at 44.92 meters, while Beau Peaslee is MSUB’s top competitor in the hammer throw at 39.79. After a successful 3,000-meter steeple chase run by junior Jorey Egeland last week, the Yellowjackets will continue to focus on their presence in the distance races on Saturday. Egeland leads a trio of MSUB runners into the steeple with a time of 9:38.91, and he’ll be joined by senior Josh Panasuk and sophomore Tyus Mendoza. “I think it’s going to be a good meet,” said Panasuk. “Jorey ran really well last week, and hopefully we can work together along with Tyus and get some provisional times.”
MSUB will also enter three runners in the 10k, with seniors Jacob Marshall and Garrett Love and sophomore Ivan Colmenero taking on the longest race of the day. Veterans Mark Hovland and Liam McKay will headline the group of middle-distance runners, the duo holding the toptwo times in the 800-meters at 1:59.91 and 1:58.62, respectively. Hovland will be the lone ‘Jacket entered in the 1,500meters, while McKay will also compete in the 400-meter dash. A packed squad of five Yellowjackets will compete in the 200-meter dash, which will be headlined by school recordholder Sam Zook (21.48). Zook will also lend the ‘Jackets a hand in the relays, and will make his debut as the anchor in the 4x100 this weekend. Freshman Braden Rykal will spike up for both the 100-meters and 200-meters, and Kyle McLaughlin is set to run the 200meters and 400-meters for the ‘Jackets. Senior Austin Lindquist is entered in both the 110-meter high hurdles and the 200-meters, and brother Marcus Lindquist will take on the long jump and triple jump. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--