BILLINGS — The Montana State Billings athletic department announced the next class of inductees into the Yellowjacket Hall of Fame and Distinction on Friday.
The 2013-14 women’s basketball team is set to be honored as a group at the ceremony, becoming the third team to be inducted into the hall of fame. Alongside them, three individuals will be inducted: longtime Yellowjacket cross country and track and field coach Dave Coppock, and a pair of distinguished donors in Jody and Cyndy Desin.
“I’m truly excited for this induction class, and to have the opportunity to celebrate the great accomplishments and contributions of our inductee,” said MSUB athletic director Michael Bazemore.
“Early on in my career I had the opportunity to work with all of these individuals, and it brings a smile to my face being able to think back on those memories. I look forward to the ceremony as it’s always a great time to celebrate our history and Yellowjackets Athletics overall!”
The 2013-14 MSUB women’s basketball team still ranks as one of the most successful groups in both the department and program’s history. With a team consisting of 15 players, all of whom were from Montana, the squad finished the year with an overall record of 25-8, along with a 15-3 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play to collect the GNAC championship after taking the regular season title.
In postseason action, the Yellowjackets would advance on to the Sweet Sixteen and West Regional championship of the NCAA Division II tournament. The team set a number of program records at the time, including total wins (28), conference wins (15), total points (2,426), 3-pointers made (258) and rebounds (1283), all records that remain top five in program history.
The team also put together one of the most impressive season full of individual accolades in school history, with Bobbi Knudsen being named GNAC player of the year, Janiel Olson receiving GNAC defensive player of the year, Chelsea Banis earning GNAC newcomer of the year, and Kevin Woodin receiving his first of four GNAC coach of the year awards.
The Yellowjackets' full 2013-14 roster is listed below, with a designation for those who have also been inducted to the Yellowjacket Hall of Fame and Distinction as individuals. The team was coached by Woodin, who was assisted by Nate Harris and Jenny Heringer:
Austin Hanser, Quinn Peoples, Courtney Henry, Britta Young, Alisha Breen*, Bobbi Knudsen*, Janiel (Olson) Begger*, Brandy Kumm, Monica Grimsrud, Chelsea Banis, Tenika Capouch, Annie DePuydt, Marissa Van Atta, Kayleen (Goggins) Schultz*, Kasie Christensen.
A legendary figure in the Billings running community, Dave Coppock is forever tied to the history of cross country and track and field at MSUB.
Coppock arrived as a volunteer assistant in 1989, and assisted in the founding of the cross country as a sponsored sport at MSUB. He was the first head coach of the program, helping build both the men’s and women’s programs from the ground up.
He was pivotal in reviving track and field at MSUB, helping reintroduce the program for the 2007-2008 season. Coppock wase a key figure in spearheading the effort to bring the NCAA DII West Region Cross Country championships to Billings, helping the department host it’s first ever Division II regional event when the department won the rights to host in 2014 for the first time.
MSUB also hosted in 2016 under Coppock’s tenure, and has gone on to host three more times in the past eight years (2018, 2022, 2024), where Coppock has continued to assist in the operation of the meet. Since stepping away from coaching, Dave and his wife Renee created the Dave and Renee Coppock Track & Field Cross Country Endowed Scholarship, starting with a groundbreaking $50,000 donation to attract and retain student-athletes in both programs, with the goal to grow the endowment to $100,000.
Under Coppock’s guidance, MSUB produced 32 all-conference track performers, five all-region runners in cross country, 17 NCAA D-II national provisional qualifiers, two automatic qualifiers, and two NCAA appearances, 10 conference champions and a pair of U.S. Olympic marathon trial qualifiers.
Both the men’s and women’s track teams produced a record number of all-conference and GNAC champions during his tenure, along with a women’s team championship in 2006 when MSUB was a member of the Heartland Conference. Coppock's teams over the years have placed as high as second in the Pacific West Conference (twice) and fifth in the NCAA West Region, along with having been ranked as high as No. 16 in the nation.
Being inducted in the honor and distinction category, Jody and Cyndy Desin have been heavily involved in supporting the Billings community as a whole, while being steadfast supporters of both Yellowjacket Athletics and MSUB.
Jody and Cyndy have frequently contributed to scholarship funds and various fundraising projects for MSUB Athletics. The pair can frequently be seen at Yellowjacket basketball games, with Jody often times shooting photos on the sidelines. Jody and Cyndy also have two sons who have been student-athletes at MSUB, with their son Matt being a member of the men’s golf team, and another son Danny playing men’s basketball for the Jackets.
The Yellowjacket Hall of Fame and Distinction class of 2026 will be inducted and recognized next year on Friday, Feb. 20 in a ceremony at the Double Tree Hotel in Billings, before being celebrated again the following evening at the men’s and women’s basketball games.
