(Editor's note: MSUB Athletics release)
SPEARFISH, S.D. – Posting a handful of notable marks over the weekend, the Montana State University Billings men’s and women’s track and field teams completed their second outdoor meet of the season at the Yellow Jacket Spring Open hosted by Black Hills State University at Lyle Hare Stadium.
“The whole team did really well this weekend,” MSUB head coach Jonathan Woehl said. “We had a lot of personal bests and we are looking great going into our home meet this Thursday.”
Isaiah Girard topped a field of nine competitors in the high jump, posting a mark of 6-6.75 feet to finish just three feet off his personal best and school record height of 6-9.75 feet. “I’m really proud of Isaiah on his performance today,” Woehl said on the senior’s victory in the event. “He’s coming off an injury and he’s setting himself up well to excel in upcoming meets.”
Kendall Lynn finished in fourth place in the triple jump, posting a leap of 36-7.75 feet. It was the second-longest triple jump mark in school history, as Lynn finished just 0.75 feet shy of the school record of 37-0.5 feet held by Shaniah Schwend.
Joleen Pollat took third place among 22 competitors in the shot put, with a heave of 41-0.25 feet. That mark ranks the freshman third in MSUB history in the event, behind only former Great Northwest Athletic Conference champions Leeza Henry (47-2.5 feet) and Anica Knispel (46-0.75 feet).
Jordan Cookman, who broke the school record in the javelin last week in her collegiate debut, was the team’s top finisher in the event with a throw of 114-06 feet to take third place among a field of 19 throwers. “Our freshmen are looking incredibly good coming out of their second outdoor meet, especially Kendall in the triple jump, Joleen in the shot put, and Jordan in the javelin,” Woehl said. “I am very excited to see how we do in the coming weeks leading up to conference.”
Carson Jessop took second in the steeple chase, posting a time of 9:56.01 minutes which was 10 seconds off his personal best. He also established a PR in the 800 meters, running a time of 2:04.40 minutes to take third place among a field of 19 competitors. Nick Redgrave was just over one second off his PR in the 1,500 meters, finishing fourth with a mark of 4:31.28 minutes.
Kailee Stoppel hit a personal best in the steeple chase, running a time of 12:37.11 minutes as the sole female competitor in the race. Ally Whitmer led the way for MSUB in the 1,500 meters, with a time of 5:20.90 minutes to take sixth place. Stoppel took sixth in the 800 meters with a time of 2:32.86 minutes, while Whitmer posted a mark of 2:44.16 minutes in the event.
Ase Ackerman took third place in the 5k, running a time of 15:52.80 minutes to shatter his PR by more than 18 full seconds. Logan Straus took fifth in a personal-best time of 15:57.40, and Bryant Edgerton finished sixth with a mark of 16:42.48 minutes.
The men’s 4x100-meter relay squad of Bryce Olson, Mason Schram, Payden Lynn, and Rahkei Eyer took second place with a time of 43.28 seconds. Schram took fifth in the 100 meters in 10.93 seconds, as he was just 0.06 seconds off his personal best mark in the event. Schram and Eyer finished in ninth and 10th, respectively, in the 200 meter dash as each eclipsed the 23-second mark.
Coming off a personal best and school record in the hammer throw last week, Taylor Stringari once again led the team as she finished in sixth with a mark of 146-5 feet. Stringari also led MSUB in the discus, taking sixth place at 108-9 feet.
THE BUZZ: Girard was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Athlete of the Day.
NEXT UP: The Yellowjackets host their second outdoor meet of the 2021 spring season, coming up on Thursday afternoon at Lockwood High School.
