BILLINGS, Mont. – Montana State University Billings track and field will participate in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Indoor Championships Friday and Saturday in Nampa, Idaho. Several MSUB athletes have performed well in the 2018-19 indoor season including Isaiah Girard, who is in a tie for 18th-best in Division II for high jump and tied for No. 7 on the GNAC all-time list.
 
The Yellowjackets currently have 23 entries in this year's event, hosted by Northwest Nazarene at the Johnson Sports Center. The events will begin Friday with heptathlon and pentathlon at 9 a.m. followed by women's weight throw at 2:45 p.m. and women's 60 meter hurdle preliminaries at 2:30 p.m. Finals for running events as well as relays will be on Saturday beginning with the women's mile at 11:10 a.m. In the conference, 10 schools have track and field teams which will be all be in Nampa this weekend.
 
The Yellowjackets competed in the Jacksons Indoor Invitational two weeks ago at the same facility as this week's meet.
 
"Everyone that we are taking, the first goal is for them to go out and do their best," said MSUB head coach Jon Woehl. "Where we place against other teams will work itself out after that. I think it was really valuable to race a couple weeks ago in Nampa. Almost everyone who is competing this week for us got to go there. For our throwers, it was good for them to get to know what the ring is like and how slick it is. Then for the sprinters and distance runners, there are differences in every track, so coming back to the same place a second time gives us a chance to potentially get better times from everybody."
 
ATHLETE SUSPENSIONS: Due to a violation of team rules, the Yellowjacket track and field team has suspended 10 male and two female student-athletes. MSUB will be without the following athletes at this week's GNAC Championships: Beau Ackerman, Anne Lory Chevalier, Ivan Colmenero, Rahkei Eyer, Drake Henson, Michaela Johnson, Tyus Mendoza, Brady Ostermiller, Beau Peaslee, Kaelen Shay, Ty Stanton, and Sam Zook.
 
ASE ACKERMAN: Ackerman is entered in the men's 3,000 and 5,000 meter run for MSUB. The freshman ran a season best 4:36.07 mile time in Nampa on February 1-2 and also participated on the men's 4x400 meter relay team. Ackerman placed fourth at the Air Force Invitational in the men's 3,000 meters against Division I competition. Ackerman kicked off his college career competing in fall cross country and had a personal best 8,000 meter time of 27:55.4 at the 2018 GNAC cross country championships.
 
"Ase had hit our qualifying mark in the mile but we decided together that he had the best chance to get a lot faster in the 3K," commented Woehl. "He'll be shooting to break nine minutes there."
 
NIKKI AIKEN: Aiken has been a model of consistency in women's distance running for Montana State Billings. After cross country in the fall, Aiken spared little time setting her personal best indoor mile time at 5:35.53 at the Bobcat Preview on December 1 in Bozeman. Aiken has three top five indoor race finishes this season and came in fourth at the MSU Open in the 3,000 meters with a time of 11:09.89. Aiken is expected to enter the women's 3,000 and 5,000 meter events.
 
"Last year, she was sick leading up to her 5K and 3K at the GNAC, yet still posted her best times in both events," said Woehl. "Now that she is feeling healthy and well trained this year, she should be able to go out and track down a couple more personal bests in both events."
 
FORREST CROSS: Cross set a new career best in weight throw in his first meet of the season January 11 in Bozeman. At 15.28 meters, Cross came in second place in the event. Two weeks later, Cross posted a ninth place shot put mark of 15.78 meters in Colorado Springs at the Air Force Invite. For indoor season, Cross has historically had strong performances in both events every other meet. After slightly less impressive throws in Boise last time out, the trend would suggest another potential big meet at the GNAC Indoor Championships is coming for Cross.
 
"Forrest is really excited to go and compete and I think he'll do well," commented coach Woehl. "He's been working hard in practice on some things so I don't see any reason why he wouldn't be able to go have a good meet."
 
 
SIERRA DURBIN: Durbin is entered in the women's 800 meter race this weekend after seeing regular season competition in the 400 meters, 800 meters, distance medley relay, and 4x400 relay. In the 800 meters, Durbin has improved her time in each of four races since January 11. At the MSU Open, Durbin ran an eighth place time of 2:35.61 but was down more than five seconds at the Jacksons Invitational on February 1-2 to 2:29.13.
 
ISAIAH GIRARD: Girard has primarily focused on high jump and long jump over the course of the indoor track season and his results have been outstanding. Girard set the MSU high jump record by clearing 6' 9" in Nampa on Feb 1-2 and took second place. The mark was good enough to slide him into 14^th place among NCAA Division II high jumpers in the nation. Girard's best long jump mark is 22' 11.25" set at the Chadron State Invitational. He is entered in both events this weekend.
 
MARK HOVLAND: After earning GNAC player of the week at the beginning of February, Hovland has only gotten better in the mile run. At the Jacksons Invitational, Hovland ran a personal best 4:23.95 and finished ninth in the event. He has run the seventh fastest mile time in the GNAC this season and is just shy of the NCAA Division II provisional mark of 4:11.12. Five distance runners from Simon Fraser make up the top-10 GNAC mile times.
 
"Mark has been able to go and focus in on the mile for Saturday," said Woehl. "When he has one event that he is able to hone in on, that is generally when he performs his best."
 
 
MARCUS LINDQUIST: An under the radar junior, Marcus Lindquist has quietly put together a good indoor season in triple jump and long jump for the Yellowjackets and is expected to be included in both events on Friday. Last time out, Lindquist put up a triple jump distance on 44' 0", good for fourth place. He is currently seventh in the conference in triple jump after posting a converted distance of 44' 1.25" at the Bobcat Preview on December 1.
 
KYLE MCLAUGHLIN: Men's 800 meter distance will be held down by junior Kyle McLaughlin this weekend, though he has seen competition this season in the 800 meters, 400 meters, distance medley relay, and 4x400 meter relay for MSUB. This will be the fourth time McLaughlin runs the 800 meters during indoor season and he has hovered between 2:02 and 2:04 in finish times. McLaughlin also set a personal best in the 400 meters at the Air Force Invitational with a time of 54.47.
 
HANNAH NESSAN: Nessan is entered in the women's shot put and weight throw field competitions for MSU Billings. She is No. 7 in the conference for weight throw with a distance of 45' 11.75" and has a realistic chance to crack the top five. In shotput, Nessan is 14^th with a season best heave of 35' 6.75" at the Bobcat Preview.
 
KYLE PATELIS: Patelis ran a career best 23.06 time in the men's 200 meters in Nampa on Feb 2. He will see action in the 200 meter and 60 meter dash this weekend as well. Patelis, a freshman who graduated from Billings West High School has made a good impression in his first season with the team and ran in third place at the Chadron State Invitational in the 60 meter hurdles. Pastelis' best 60 meter time is 7.12 seconds.
 
MASON SCHRAM: Shram joins Patelis in both the 60 meter dash and 200 meter dash events. Schram crossed the line in 7.03 seconds at the MSU Open in the 60 meters and is currently sixth in the conference behind Kaelen Shay's first place time of 6.96 seconds. In the 200 meters, Schram is No. 12 with a personal best 22.83 seconds at the Air Force Invitational.
 
TAYLOR STRINGARI: Stringari comes in with a season best weight throw of 39' 8.75" at the Bobcat Preview in December. She will also compete in the women's shot put, where she will try to top a mark of 37' 1.25" which placed her 11^th in the conference in the event.
 
HAILEY STEINBEISSER: Steinbeisser joins the field of three MSUB women to draw into the GNAC Championships in women's shot put and weight throw. So far Steinbeisser has the longest shot put throw of the trio, having recorded a mark of 38' 3.5" at the Bobcat Preview in December. She ranks No. 8 in the GNAC for shot put and No. 9 for weight throw and has set career bests in both events this winter.
 
"Hailey, Taylor, and Hannah have been having some good practices as of late," Woehl said of the three women's throwers. "They've hit the standard we had set to make the GNAC Championships so they all know they belong there. They have done it in practice and I feel good marks are coming for them so I wouldn't be surprised if we set more personal bests this weekend."
 
KAILEE STOPPEL: Stoppel is expected to compete in the women's 800 meter race despite having run only longer distance races and relays during her freshman campaign so far. Stoppel turned in a personal best 400 meter time of 1:05.93 at the Air Force Invitational to finish 19^th. She has been a notable freshman distance runner whose top mile time is 5:46.79.
 
 
Late entries may increase or decrease the number of total events the Yellowjackets participate in at the GNAC Indoor Championships.
 
GNAC COMPETITION: Last season, Concordia took the men's trophy from Alaska Anchorage for its first title and it appears another handoff may be in store in 2019. The GNAC features depth across the spectrum of teams and Central Washington and Simon Fraser seem well prepared to potentially claim first place. Seattle Pacific and Central Washington shared the women's team title last season and both are in contention for the trophy again this season.
 
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