By: Evan O'Kelly, Director of Communications
MSUB SPORTS – A select group of standout athletes earned spots on the men's track and field all-decade team through their specialty events within hurdles and jumps.
Combining speed, timing, and jumping abilities into one, the group of hurdlers selected each had a standout career with the 'Jackets. A total of three hurdlers, one jumper, and one pole vaulter were picked for the all-decade team.
This Week's Schedule
| Day |
Release |
| Monday, November 16, 2020 |
Hurdlers & Jumpers |
| Tuesday, November 17, 2020 |
Throwers |
| Wednesday, November 18, 2020 |
Distance Runners |
| Thursday, November 19, 2020 |
Sprinters |
| Friday, November 20, 2020 |
Full All-Decade Roster |
Isaiah Girard
Events: Jumps
Hometown: Dillon, Montana
Years of competition: 2016-2020 (4 seasons)
The top jumper of the decade, Girard still has eligibility for the outdoor track and field season whenever the sport resumes. He earned his spot on the all-decade team by making the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association all-region lists in both his sophomore and junior seasons.
Girard's first of three all-Great Northwest Athletic Conference accolades came during his sophomore season, when he took third place in the high jump at the GNAC Indoor Championships. He followed that by breaking the MSUB record during the outdoor season with a mark of 6-7.5 feet, which again placed him third in the conference.
Girard earned another all-conference nod his junior year in the high jump, and was a GNAC Athlete of the Week selection. Girard holds the MSUB outdoor record in the high jump at 6-9.75 feet, and the indoor records in both the high jump at 6-9.0 feet and the long jump at 22-11.25 feet.
Girard on his fondest MSUB memories: "Some of my fondest memories at MSUB include spending time with my friends and teammates as well as my experiences athletically. Traveling to track meets have been some of the best memories of my life. My accomplishments are very fond memories but the friends and good times have a special place in my heart because those friends and memories have carried me further than any amount of training alone could do. I believe that my friends and memories with them have given me an edge both athletically and in life because without their support, I would not be where I am today."
Jon Woehl (Girard's Assistant Coach 2016-17, Head Coach 2017-20): "Isaiah is so much fun to work with and has consistently improved every season. One of the things I admire most about him is he brings his best to every meet. It doesn't seem to matter if it's a big or small meet, he is going to do the best he can every meet. Looking forward to his final season this coming spring."
Dave Coppock (Girard's Head Coach 2016-17): "Isaiah was a joy to have on the team. He brought a lot of passion to his main event, the high jump, but he was able to compete in a number of other events including the long jump and sprints. It was fun to watch his journey to be the top high jumper in the conference by his senior year."
Where is he now? Girard is in the final year of completing his art education degree at MSUB, and will compete in his senior outdoor track and field season.
Lewis Polkow
Events: Hurdles/Sprints/Relays
Hometown: Billings, Montana
Years of competition: 2010-2014 (4 seasons)
A four-year standout for the Yellowjackets, Polkow contributed right away his freshman year in 2010-11 and never looked back.
Polkow was a key member of MSUB's relay teams in addition to his individual competition in the 400 meters and 400-meter hurdles. As a senior in the spring of 2014, Polkow ran his collegiate best in the 400 meters with a mark of 50.55 seconds at the Yellowjacket Open.
One of the signature performances of his career came at the 2013 GNAC Outdoor Championships, where he just missed out on the podium after taking fourth place in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 55.75 seconds.
In addition to his contributions on the track, Polkow was a top student ambassador for MSUB as a three-time academic all-conference pick and being named the department's Scholar Athlete of the Year at the Buzzies in 2014.
Dave Coppock (Polkow's Head Coach 2010-14): "Lew was probably one of the most dynamic athletes I've ever coached. He brought a lot of enthusiasm to the team in practice and meets. He had a tremendous work ethic that I felt really inspired the rest of the team."
Landon Polkow
Events: Hurdles/Sprints/Relays
Hometown: Billings, Montana
Years of competition: 2014-2017 (3 seasons)
Just like his older brother, Landon Polkow was among the program's top hurdlers and sprinters during the decade. He competed for three solid seasons with the 'Jackets, and his name appears twice in the program record books.
Polkow set the school record in the 400-meter hurdles for outdoor track, running a time of 54.52 seconds in 2016. The signature moment of his career however came on the relay squad, where he and three teammates won the GNAC Indoor Championship title in the distance medley relay with a time of 10:06.41 minutes in 2016. That mark also stands as the school record.
Polkow's other collegiate bests include times of 23.21 seconds in the 200 meters and 51.28 seconds in the 400 meters.
Dave Coppock (Polkow's Head Coach 2014-17): "Landon was an extremely talented long hurdler and gave us some depth in the 400 meters. He was a key member on a number of relay teams."
Jon Woehl (Polkow's Assistant Coach 2015-17): "Landon was tough as nails and had the ability to push himself to the limit. Not just a good athlete, he was a great teammate."
Austin Lindquist
Events: Hurdles/Jumps/Sprints
Hometown: Missoula, Montana
Years of competition: 2014-2017 (3 seasons)
Lindquist entered the program with a bang, tying the school record for the 60-meter hurdles during his very first indoor season. His first two wins as a Yellowjacket came during the 2016 outdoor season, when he claimed the long jump and 110-meter hurdles titles at MSUB's home event. He also ran a collegiate personal-best of 1:02.14 minutes in the 400-meter hurdles.
Lindquist's specialty however came in the short hurdles, where he owns two of MSUB's school records. The first came at the 2017 GNAC Indoor Championships, where he ran a school-record time of 8.51 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles to take seventh place. He followed that with a victory at MSUB's home meet during the spring of his senior season, where he ran a school-record pace of 14.98 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles.
Lindquist on what stood out about his MSUB team: "Our track team my senior year had a lot of studs: Robert Peterson,
Sam Zook, Della Lyle,
Jorey Egeland, and tons more. It was awesome to see all of them break records and it made me proud to be a part of such a great team."
Dave Coppock (Lindquist's Head Coach 2014-17): "Austin joined us as a transfer from a DI program and we were extremely fortunate to have him on our team. Austin immediately stepped into a leadership role and helped coach some of the younger athletes."
Jon Woehl (Lindquist's Assistant Coach 2015-17): "I enjoyed working with Austin and helping him improve as a hurdler. He was a student of the sport. I'm not sure I know anyone who knows more about hurdling than Austin but even with that huge knowledge base he was coachable and I think that's what led to his improvement in the high hurdles."
Where is he now? Lindquist resides in Denver where he is a media content strategist for Denver 7 News.
Cole Campbell
Events: Pole Vault
Hometown: Hardin, Montana
Years of competition: 2013-2016 (3 seasons)
The top pole vaulter in program history, Campbell mastered his specialty event over the course of his career at MSUB.
His first standout performance came at the University of Montana Open in the spring of 2014, where he broke the school outdoor record with a height of 14-5.25 feet. The following week, Campbell earned all-GNAC honors by taking third place in the pole vault at the 2014 GNAC Outdoor Championships.
After redshirting during the 2014-15 year, Campbell got back to his record breaking ways in 2016. In the penultimate indoor meet of the season, Campbell matched his mark of 14-5.25 feet, which also stands as MSUB's indoor record.
Dave Coppock (Campbell's head Coach 2013-16): "Cole did a great job for us in the pole vault, despite the fact that we had less than ideal training conditions. He managed to make all-conference in the GNAC."
About the MSUB All-Decade Team Project
The top student-athletes from each of Montana State University Billings' current varsity athletic teams from 2010-2019 have been selected, and 14 all-decade teams will be revealed throughout the course of the fall of 2020. Each sport's all-decade team is comprised of the top-performing student-athletes, with weight given to individual athletic achievement and accolades, team achievement, academic achievement, as well as community service. For more information on MSUB's all-decade project, and to view each sport's all-decade teams, view the all-decade project webpage online here.
