By: Evan O'Kelly, Director of Communications
MSUB SPORTS – Pure speed comprises the strength of MSUB's all-decade sprinters, who put together some of the most memorable performances throughout the 2010s.
Five Yellowjacket sprinters were selected as representatives on the all-decade unit, with each of their names appearing in the MSUB record books.
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 |
Sam Zook – Team Captain, Athlete of the Decade
Events: Sprints
Hometown: Casper, Wyoming
Years of competition: 2014-2019 (5 seasons)
Along with Peterson, Zook is the most decorated runner in MSUB men's track and field history, and was given the nod as the Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Decade. Zook began the program's assault on the sprinting records during the spring of 2017, when he redefined short distance runners and put MSUB's sprinting program on the map nationally.
Zook ran a time of 10.52 seconds in the 100-meters at the 2017 NCAA D2 Championships, earning second-team All-American status with a 12th-place finish on the national scale. He also qualified for the 200-meters in the national meet that spring, finishing in 15th place.
He owns the MSUB outdoor records in the 100-meters and 200-meters, and the indoor records in the 60-meters and 200-meters. He was also a member of the team's 4x100-meter relay record-breaking team his senior year in 2019, giving him five total MSUB program records.
Zook was a five-time United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association all-region selection, an eight-time all-Great Northwest Athletic Conference performer, and a five-time GNAC champion. He earned four GNAC Athlete of the Week awards, was twice named the MSUB Male Track & Field Athlete of the Year, and was the athletic department's Male Athlete of the Year in 2016-17 when he earned his All-American status.
Dave Coppock (Zook's Head Coach 2014-17): "Sam was undoubtedly the greatest sprinter we've ever had at MSU Billings. He came out running strong his freshman year, but suffered an injury early in the indoor season which sidelined him for the rest of the season. From his sophomore year on, Sam progressed steadily to the national level."
Jon Woehl (Zook's Assistant Coach 2015-17, Head coach 2017-19): "Sam was an outstanding athlete as he pushed the school records to new heights and captured GNAC sprint titles. His level of competitiveness not only contributed to our team's point total at GNAC Championships but pushed his teammates to be their best."
Where is he now? Zook is at basic training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina, where he is pursuing his dreams of flying helicopters.
Kaelen Shay
Events: Sprints
Hometown: Billings, Montana
Years of competition: 2015-2019 (4 seasons)
One of the key founders of MSUB's sprinting corps that emerged over the second half of the decade, Shay was a four-year competitor who contributed both as an individual and as a member of the Yellowjackets' record-breaking relay teams.
Shay was on the cusp of breaking into 10-second territory in the 100-meters, recording a personal best of 11.06 seconds when he took second at the Yellowjacket Open his senior year in 2019. His other top marks included 22.49 seconds in the 200-meters and 6.94 seconds in the 60 meters.
A two-time GNAC champion, Shay helped MSUB make history as the 4x100-meter relay squad won the 2018 GNAC Championships title in a time of 41.54 seconds. A year later, his foursome broke the school record and defended its GNAC title, winning the 4x100-meters in 41.28 seconds.
Shay earned USTFCCCA all-region honors his senior year, and was a two-time academic all-conference selection as well.
Shay on his MSUB career: "What stood out most to me about the team I was on was our commitment to one another. Our sprint corps specifically pushed each other in literally everything we did – along with some of our other teammates. We held each other accountable."
Jon Woehl (Shay's Assistant Coach 2015-17, Head Coach 2017-19): "Kaelen was a very hard worker which led to him consistently and gradually improving over his career. He was a great leadoff leg on our 4x1 contributing to lowering our school record mark."
Dave Coppock (Shay's Head Coach 2015-17): "Kaelen developed into one of the better sprinters in the conference and was a key member on the 4x100 meter relay which took first in the 2019 championships."
Rahkei Eyer
Events: Sprints
Hometown: Boulder, Montana
Years of competition: 2017-2020 (3 seasons)
The Yellowjackets will benefit from having Eyer's record-holding presence on their roster for one more season, as his senior year is still ahead of him. Eyer turned heads as a freshman in 2018, breaking the indoor school record in the 400-meters with a time of 50.82 seconds.
Eyer earned his spot on the 4x100-meter relay squad his sophomore season, running the anchor leg to help the team break the school record and win the conference title. Eyer's personal best of 7.19 seconds in the 60-meters is just over 0.40 seconds off Zook's school record mark, as he has his sights set on more record-breaking opportunities before his career is over.
Jon Woehl (Eyer's Head Coach 2017-20): "Rahkei made an immediate impact on our team as a freshman when he first broke the school record in the 400-meters. He has been a consistent force on our team over the past several seasons and I expect him to have a stellar senior season this coming spring."
Mason Schram
Events: Sprints
Hometown: Gardiner, Montana
Years of competition: 2017-2020 (3 seasons)
Schram arrived along with Eyer, and his impact on the program has been of equal measure to his three-year teammate's. Schram had a respectable seventh-place finish in the 60-meters at the GNAC Indoor Championships as a sophomore, before running on the initial 4x100-meter relay championship team that spring.
Schram doubled down on the 4x100 team his junior year, earning USTFCCCA all-region honors after a second-straight title. He just missed out on an individual all-conference performance, when he took fourth place in the 60-meters at the GNAC Indoor Championships last winter. Schram was an academic all-conference pick and was named the MSUB Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Year at the Buzzies.
Jon Woehl (Schram's Head Coach 2017-20): "Mason came to MSUB looking to prove himself and he sure did. I've enjoyed having him on our team because his drive to be better has fueled me to be better too. We're fortunate to have him and several other all-decade athletes back this spring."
Nate Vanderby
Events: Sprints
Hometown: Manhattan, Montana
Years of competition: 2013-2018 (5 seasons)
Vanderby's career lasted for half of the decade, and had a profound impact on the shape of the sprinters shifting into the second half of the 2010s.
Vanderby's collegiate bests include 7.36 seconds in the 60-meters, 22.48 seconds in the 200 meters, and 49.12 seconds in the 400-meters. The 400-meter mark, which he set on May 2, 2015 at the Montana Open, still stands as MSUB's outdoor record in the event.
Vanderby was an all-conference performer in 2014, when he helped the distance medley relay team to a third-place finish a the GNAC Indoor Championships. The younger brother of fellow all-decade selection Tyson Vanderby, he represented the Yellowjackets for four seasons at the conference championship meets.
Dave Coppock (Vanderby's Head Coach 2013-17): "Nate came out of a very strong high school program at Manhattan and immediately stepped up the college level his freshman year. He became a major force in the 400 meters and was a key part of many relay teams."
Jon Woehl (Vanderby's Assistant Coach 2015-17, Head Coach 2017-18): "Nate was a great team leader because he led by example. All of his teammates looked up to him and it was a lot of fun to work with him."
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.
