BILLINGS, Mont. – Relying on the experience of returners during the 2018-19 season, the Montana State University Billings men's golf team had a handful of strong performances throughout the year.
 
The Yellowjackets completed the season with a scoring average of 306.57 strokes per round, ranking sixth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. "The men's team made great strides throughout the season," said first-year MSUB head coach Jeff Allen. "The level of competition that we play at is very eye-opening, and I feel that they really started to adapt to it nicely towards the end of the year. They were playing their best golf as a team in the last few events of the year, so I am encouraged that they will all take that as motivation into the summer and continue to work hard and get better. It is exciting that we have five returners who all saw very considerable tournament action last year, and I look forward to what we can get accomplished next season with that experience throughout the lineup."
 
MSUB's campaign was highlighted by a team score of 864 at the Rocky Mountain College Invitational, on October 1-2, 2018 at Peter Yegen Golf Club in Billings. MSUB's final mark at the event was the fourth-best three-round team score in program history, with the team posting scores of 286-287-291 in the season-best performance.
 
Another notable score came at the Yellowjacket Fall Invite at Lake Hills Golf Club on September 10-11, 2018. The 'Jackets finished with a team score of 882 (292-288-302), which was the 13th-best three-round team score in school history.
 
Junior Garrett Woodin was the team's lead player all season long, as he topped the squad with a scoring average of 75.39 strokes per round. That was the 19th-best season scoring average in school history, and Woodin played in all 28 rounds and 10 events in his third year in the program. Woodin had a team-best seven rounds at par or better, while posting one top-10 finish and one top-five finish.
 
Woodin's best single-round score of the year was a 69, achieved on April 9, 2019 at the Western New Mexico University Mustang Invitational at Palm Valley Golf Club. It was one stroke off his personal best of 68, and it helped Woodin match his personal three-round best with a 215 at the event. Woodin also had a 215 at the Yellowjacket Fall Invitational, where he posted his best finish of the season in tying for fourth place. 

"Garrett did a nice job throughout the year," Allen commented on the team's most experienced player. "He is a student of the game and understands how to manage his game and perform in tournaments. I think Garrett has made the most improvement with his mental approach to the game, and carries a nice demeanor about him on the golf course. I am confident that he will have motivation this summer leading into his senior season."
 
Caleb Trost had a solid sophomore campaign on the course, ranking second on the team with a scoring average of 76.46 strokes per round. Like Woodin, Trost competed in all 28 rounds and 10 events during his second year in the program. He made par or better in six different rounds, while logging a top-five finish.
 
Trost's best single-round score was a 2-under-par 70 in the second round of the Yellowjacket Fall Invitational. That was one off of his career best of 69, and led him to his top finish of the year with a tie for fourth place at 215 (74-70-71). Trost's career-best three-round score came less than a month later, at the RMC Fall Invite where he posted a 213 (72-70-71), and matched his season-low single-round mark as well. Trost's third 70 of the year came at the 2019 GNAC Championships in the second round at the Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course on April 22. Trost was MSUB's top finisher at the conference event, tying for 14th place with a three-round score of 221 (74-70-77).
 
"Caleb worked hard this season on the weaker areas of his game, and really started to develop into a complete player," said Allen. "He has a fearless approach to the game, which is exactly what you want to see in a player. He got himself into the mix at the GNAC Championships, and that really motivated him. I could definitely tell he didn't want the year to end, because he really was playing well. He's a hard worker and loves to play, so I am excited about what he will accomplish this summer and next season."
 
Newcomer Payton Stott had an impact in his first season with the 'Jackets, after transferring from Utah Valley University. Stott ranked third on the team with a scoring average of 77.36 strokes per round, and competed in 25 of 28 rounds on the year. Stott posted a par-or-better score in four rounds, with one top-10 finish and a season-low of 70 at the Fifth Annual MJGA Collegiate on March 9 in Las Vegas.  

Stott's best tournament performance on the year was at the Yellowjacket Fall Invitational, where he tied for ninth place with a three-round total of 220 (72-76-72). "Payton is a high-quality player, with an almost unlimited amount of talent," said Allen. "He didn't quite have the year that he is capable of, so I look forward to seeing him play to his potential next season."
 
Sophomore Riley Kaercher ranked fourth on MSUB's team, with a stroke average of 79.76 while competing in 25 of 28 rounds throughout the year. Kaercher's second season with the 'Jackets was highlighted by the team's best single round of the year, when he made a personal-best 3-under-par 68 in the second round of the RMC Fall Invitational on October 1. That led to his best collegiate three-round score of 216 (75-68-73), and it was his lone par-or-better score of the year.
 
Kaercher represented the 'Jackets as an academic all-conference selection as well. "Riley really made a lot of improvements physically this year," Allen commented. "He got a lot stronger in the weight room throughout the season, and that allowed him to gain considerable distance in his game. Once he adapts to that new style of play, he will really be a quality player. He has the ability both physically and mentally to shoot some low scores, and will continue to be a huge part of this team."
 
Sophomore Logan Martin was MSUB's fifth player this season, in his first year with the 'Jackets after transferring from Rocky Mountain College. Martin logged a scoring average of 80.46 strokes per round, and competed in all 28 rounds and 10 events in 2018-19. Martin's best score of the season was a 1-over-par 72 at the RMC Fall Invite on October 2. That led him to a three-round score of 220 (73-75-72), which represented his best tournament score of the season.
 
"Logan is another player that was playing his best golf at the end of the season," Allen said. "He works hard on his game and will continue to get better with time. He adds high-quality depth to our roster with his ability to perform well on difficult golf courses. I am excited because I believe he will continue that trend."
 
MSUB's other notable team score was an 889 at the WNMU Spring Invitational, marking the 20th time in school history the team eclipsed a three-round total of 890. Overall the team's scoring average of 306.57 was 10th best in school history. The Yellowjackets took fifth place among the six-team field at the GNAC Championships, posting a three-round score of 904 (301-300-303).