FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Tuesday, April 11, 2017 Yellowjacket track hosts spring meet Thursday
MSUB’s men’s and women’s track and field teams host their spring open meet on Thursday at Laurel High School. BILLINGS, Mont. – Hosting their lone home meet of the spring season on Thursday, the Montana State University Billings men’s and women’s track and field teams will head to Laurel High School for the Yellowjacket-Battlin’ Bear Open. Six total teams will participate in the event, which will kick off with field events at 1 p.m. and running events at 1:30 p.m. “This week will be a good chance for us to push some marks down a little bit, especially in the sprints since it’ll be pretty warm,” said MSUB head coach Dave Coppock. “I think some of our distance runners will have a shot at dropping down, and we are looking forward to seeing what our throwers can do.” For the Yellowjackets, Beau Ackerman will enter the meet coming off progress in each of his last two performances in the javelin. The sophomore launched a toss of 197-04 feet last weekend, which stands as the top mark in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference so far this season. The throw was also good for a provisional national qualifier, and it stands as the fourth-best throw in the NCAA west region this season.
Brady Ostermiller will throw the shot put and discus this week, leading the team in each category with marks of 49-0.25 feet and 147-04 feet, respectively. Sprinting star Sam Zook is entered in the 100-meters where he’ll try to improve on his school-record entry time of 10.46 seconds. The junior will also anchor the Yellowjackets’ 4x100-meter relay team, along with Kaelen Shay, Ackerman, and Braden Rykal. It will be one of three events that Rykal will run Thursday afternoon, as the freshman is also set for the 200-meters with an entry time of 22.95 seconds, and the 100-meters with a time of 11.14 seconds. In other field action on the men’s side, freshmen Chuck Carr and Marcus Lindquist will highlight MSUB’s jumping crew. Carr holds the team’s best marks in both the high jump (2.03 meters) and long jump (6.59 meters), and Lindquist enters the long jump at 6.42 meters. The reigning GNAC Runner of the Week, Jorey Egeland, will lead MSUB’s distance team, as the junior is set to run in both the 800meters and 1,500-meters. Egeland is coming off a win in the steeplechase last Saturday in South Dakota, where he rolled to a personal-best time of 9:22.51. Senior Josh Panasuk will join Egeland in both the 800 and 1,500, and Senior Jacob Marshall will run the 5k in his final home meet seniors Garrett Love and Jacob Marshall will lead a group of four on Thursday. runners in the 5,000-meters in their final home meet as Yellowjackets. “We have been putting in a lot of miles as distance runners, and we are all going hard right now so it is pretty exciting,” said Marshall. “When I started here five years ago we didn’t have a home track meet, so it’s pretty awesome to have that now and invite everyone over.” On the women’s side, MSUB’s lone senior Rio Frame will participate in a pair of races in her last outdoor home meet. The Glendive, Mont., native will enter the 800-meters with a time of 2:41.73 and the 1,500-meters with a mark of 5:15. “I’m excited that all our family and friends can come out and watch us compete,” said Frame. “It has gone by fast, and I can’t believe this is my last season as a Yellowjacket. I’m just taking it all in, and I’m definitely going to miss it.” Frame will be joined in both races by Ella McKenzie, Sarah Beatty, and Nikki Aiken, the latter of which is coming off a strong performance last Saturday. Aiken posted a personal-best in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in South Dakota, running a time of 12:11.13 to win the heat. MSUB’s women’s throws squad will also be back in action, with freshman Kassadee Kuoha leading the team in the discus with an entry mark of 35.78 meters. Abbie Lohof will throw both the discus and shot, as will Taylor Stringari. Hailey Steinbeisser will be busy on Thursday, throwing the shot, discus, and javelin, and making an appearance in the 100meters.
Freshmen Halie Warren and Jamie Orme are each doubled up with the high jump and 4x100-meter relay, the former also set to compete in the long jump with an entry mark of 4.71 meters. South Dakota Mines, Carroll College, Rocky Mountain College, University of Great Falls, and Montana Western will each be represented at the meet on Thursday. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--