REVIEW: MSUB women's track and field

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu June 10, 2016 Broken records and an All-American highlight MSUB women’s track and field season MSUB Track and Field on Facebook | MSUB Track and Field on ISSUU MSUB Women’s Track & Field Records | TFRRS Performance Lists

Senior Blair Street is part of a 400 meter MSUB record-holding relay team.

Eight school records and an All-American are part of an exciting finish to the Yellowjacket track and field season.

BILLINGS, Mont. – Eight school records were broken at MSU Billings and one student-athlete broke through into the national spotlight during the 2015-16 women’s track and field season.

Five seniors led the Yellowjacket squad through the history-making year at Montana State University Billings and none was more influential than transfer Della Lyle.

A native of Buffalo, Wyo., the 6-foot-one graduate student joined the ‘Jacket team for her final season of athletic eligibility after competing for the University of Redland in California during her undergraduate campaign. Lyle worked her way through the school record book, crushing five school records and obliterating the time in the 3,000 meter steeplechase at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

After provisionally qualifying for the national meet in three events: 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters, and the steeplechase, Lyle was selected for the steeplechase to the Division II Nationals in Bradenton, Fla. During the opening heat, the senior clocked-in a time of 10:26.88, finishing fifth and qualifying for the national title race with the 11th fastest time. That time is the fourth fastest in Great Northwest Athletic Conference history, and set a new standard at MSUB. With her advancement into the finals, Lyle became the first Yellowjacket women’s track athlete to compete for a NCAA Division II national title. In the finals, Lyle placed ninth in 10:33.17, just one spot off the podium, becoming the first MSUB women’s track All-American with a Second-Team finish.

“Della had a major impact on the women’s team and was our highest scorer for both GNAC indoor and outdoor championships,” MSUB head coach Dave Coppock said. “Prior to transferring to MSUB, she had some really good distance marks, and by the time she finished her season here, she had improved significantly in all the distances, so I’m satisfied we were able to do as much as we could to help her succeed. It was a huge thrill for all of us that she made the NCAA Championships as well as becoming our first female All-American.”

Lyle was clutch for the Yellowjackets throughout the indoor and outdoor season. The distance runner collected numerous titles and accolades as a one-year competitor. She was a GNAC Athlete of the Week Apr. 4-10 for her dualtitles in the 3,000 meter steeplechase and the 5,000 meters at the Bauer Invitational. She not only broke, but shattered five individual school records and recorded the fourth-fastest time in GNAC history in the steeplechase. Finishing with seven points during the indoor conference championships and 10 points for MSUB during the outdoor conference championships, Lyle earned both the GNAC Indoor Female Newcomer of the Year and the GNAC Outdoor Female Newcomer of the Year honor. She was named USTFCCCA all-west region during the outdoor season by being ranked in the top-5 in the west region in the steeplechase.

A tremendous student in the classroom, Lyle was also named a GNAC all-academic team selection for both indoor and outdoor and was recently announced as a CoSIDA Division II Academic All-District 8 Track & Field/Cross Country Team honoree.

Pursuing her master’s degree in psychology, Lyle has a cumulative grade point average of 4.00, and is eligible for the Academic All-America team to be announced in late June.

On the track, Lyle kicked-off her commanding season with a win in the 5,000 meters and early record at the Yellow Jacket Holiday Open. In January, Lyle competed in the 3,000 meters, setting another early-season record. Lyle continued to drop her times, ultimately pulling through at the conference championships. She scored six individual points for MSUB finishing fourth in the women's 5,000 meters, shattering the MSUB school record with a finish of 17:41.12. On Day 2, Lyle placed eighth in the women's 3,000 meter race smashing another MSUB record with a season's best time of 10:07.26.

She was also a member of the women’s Distance Medley Relay team that placed seventh for two more points.

During the GNAC Outdoor Championships, Lyle posted all 10 points for the Yellowjacket women’s team. Setting two more

Jinise Trueblood was named to the CoSIDA Division II Academic All-District 8 Track & Field/Cross Country Team

MSUB records, she was the runner-up in the steeplechase and placed seventh in the 5,000 meters. As a top-3 finisher in the steeplechase, Lyle earned an all-conference result as the only women’s Yellowjacket athlete this year to achieve that feat.

Helping Lyle lead the team were five upperclassmen. Blair Street and Jinise Trueblood were four-year members of the MSUB women’s track and field team. Street finished her Yellowjacket career with a personal-best time in the outdoor 200 meters at the Montana Open in 26.09. She qualified for both the GNAC indoor and outdoor championships in multiple events with her highest-finish a 10th place result in the 100 meters in 12.96. Street leaves MSUB a member of the 400 meter relay team that set the school record in 2015 of 49.33. She was an academic all-conference honoree this season and was named the Female Student-Athlete Advisory Committee award winner at the Buzzie Awards.

Trueblood was a dual-competitor in both cross country and track. A tremendous student, the six-time academic allconference honoree graduated this spring with a 3.99 cumulative grade point average in health and human performance and joined Lyle as a CoSIDA Division II Academic All-District 8 Track & Field/Cross Country Team honoree this season. She placed 16th during the GNAC Indoor Championships in the 5,000 meters in 20:39.72 and had a season-best time in the outdoor 5,000 meters at the Montana Open in 20:20.66.

Taylor Condon was also a member of the academic all-conference team. A transfer from Black Hills State University and like Trueblood, also competed for the cross country team. The elementary education major was a member of the 4x800 meter relay team that won the event at the Yellowjacket/Battlin’ Bears Open in her hometown of Laurel, Mont., in 11:36.97.

Completing a sweep, Brielle Davis was also named a member of the GNAC all-academic team as all five of this year’s MSUB seniors earned a place on the all-conference list. Coming off a highly competitive cross country season, Davis finished her track career in style. She placed fourth in the 1,500 meters in a personal-best time of 5:11.04. At the Tom Gage Open, Davis turned-in a personal best 12:24.41 in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.

“We are really going to miss our seniors, especially after we’ve spent so much time together training, traveling and competing,” Coppock said. “They’re all been through highs and lows during their time here, but when they look back, I think they’ll have some great memories. They’re all good students and it will be great to see what they do beyond graduation.”

Taylor Condon was a member of the relay team this season.

The lone junior on the squad, Frame battled a nagging injury that she nursed during the fall cross country season. The sixth member of the MSUB GNAC all-academic team, Frame posted a season-best 10:40.00 in the 3,000 meters at the GNAC Indoor Championships for a 19th place finish.

The sophomore class had two athletes in track athlete Bailey Bomar and pole vaulter Amanda Nichols. In her first year of eligibility, Bomar was named to the GNAC all-academic team with a 3.30 cumulative grade point average in psychology.

Qualifying for the GNAC Indoor Championships, Bomar placed 15th in the 5,000 meters in 20:02.21. Primarily a distance

competitor her freshman season, Bomar expanded her outdoor repertoire with the 800 and 1500 meters. She turned-in a time of 5:29.08 in the 1500 meters and 2:43.14 in the 800 meters at the Montana Open. Building on her success from last season, Nichols placed sixth at the GNAC Indoor Championships at height of 10-2.50 meters in the pole vault and completed a season-high 10-6.0 meters at the Mountain State Games.

Competing for the first time was the largest class in nine freshmen: Sarah Beatty, Becky Gerst, Bessie Gondwe, Cate Klaudt, Devin McDonald, Shaniah Schwend, Josey Smiedala, Nikki Terkildsen, and Janessa Williams.

Storming through their opening collegiate season was the trio of Smiedala, Schwend, and Williams. All three qualified for the Indoor and Outdoor GNAC Championships in their inaugural year as a Yellowjacket. Smiedala set two school records in the indoor 400 meters with a time of 59.29 and the outdoor 400 meters in 59.04. She won the 400 meters at the Dave Little Alumni Mile and placed 14th at the GNAC Outdoor Championships in the 800 meters in 2:21.83.

Schwend and Williams both competed in the jumps and on the relay teams together while Schwend added the 200 meters and Williams the hurdles. At the Montana State Open in March, Schwend broke the MSUB outdoor triple jump record with a distance of 34 feet and 1.25 inches.

Surpassing that just a week later, Williams landed a jump of 36 feet and 6.75 inches at the Carroll College Open.

Both women continued to improve their times and jumps throughout the season. Schwend placed 11th in the triple jump at the GNAC Outdoor Championships in 34 feet and 3 inches and 12th in the long jump in 16 feet and 0.25 inches. Williams competed in five events during the indoor Brielle Davis was a dual-sport athlete for MSUB. conference championships and three events during the outdoor conference championships for the most from a Yellowjacket this year. A multi-event competitor, Williams posted a top-time of 28.17 in the 200 meters and 9.77 in the 60 meter hurdles during the indoor season. Outdoors, Williams continued her success in the jumps and hurdles. She was 13th in the triple jump at the GNAC Indoor Championships in 33 feet and 10.75 inches.

“We are really proud of this group of freshmen, who all had broken the previous records in their respective events,” Coppock commented. “Shaniah and Janessa alternated breaking the MSUB triple jump record, ultimately setting a new mark by nearly three feet. Josey has a great future in the 400 and 800 as well.”

Beatty, Gondwe, Klaudt, McDonald, and Terkildsen competed for MSUB on the track. Beatty posted a top-10 time in the mile during the Yellow Jacket Holiday Open in eighth place in 6:26.94. A sprinter, Gondwe, dropped her times throughout the year. She finished with a top time in the 200 meters of 28.59 and 1:05.81 in the 400 meters. Klaudt showed her range competing in the 800 meters up to the 5,000 meters. She had a top time in the 800 meters of 2:50.75 and 5:48.46 in the 1500 meters. McDonald posted a time of 2:42.76 in the 800 meters and was a member of the relay teams. Terkildsen ran 6:29.18 in the mile and 1:24.91 in the 400 meters. Gerst was the lone female member of the field

team this season. She set both of her personal-bests during the opening meet of the season at the Yellow Jacket Holiday Open of 42 feet and 7 inches in the weight throw, and 28 feet and 3.5 inches in the shot put. She redshirted the outdoor season.

“We had a particularly small squad this season, but had some great individual performances, highlighted by a trip to the NCAA National Championships and eight new school records,” Coppock said. “We, of course, lose some talented seniors, but we have a very strong core group returning and our largest-ever recruiting class coming in for the 2016-17 season.

We’re really excited to see where the team takes us next year.”

Della Lyle made history becoming the first female track All-American for MSU Billings.

2015-16 MSUB Women’s Track and Field Records: Name Year Hometown Event Josey Smiedala Fr. Helena, MT Indoor 400m Della Lyle Sr. Buffalo, WY Indoor 3,000m Della Lyle Sr. Buffalo, WY Indoor 5,000m Josey Smiedala Della Lyle

Fr. Sr.

Helena, MT Buffalo, WY

Outdoor 400m Outdoor 5,000m

Della Lyle

Sr.

Buffalo, WY

Outdoor 10,000m

Della Lyle

Sr.

Buffalo, WY

Janessa Williams

Fr.

Clancy, MT

Outdoor 3,000m Steeplechase Outdoor Triple Jump

Meet Mountain State Games Mountain State Games GNAC Indoor Championships Bauer Invitational GNAC Outdoor Championships Yellowjacket/Battlin’ Bears Open 2016 NCAA Division II National Championships Carroll College Open

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Time/Distance 59.04 10:19.90 17:41.12 59.29 16:60.74 36:51.66 10:26.88 36-6.75