MSUB SPORTS – The Yellowjacket men's track and field program experienced success in all different areas throughout the 2010s decade, with multiple individuals winning Great Northwest Athletic Conference titles and qualifying for the NCAA Division II national championships.
 
"This is a great group of athletes and they've helped raise the expectations that we have for ourselves," said current MSUB head track and field coach Jonathan Woehl. "We hope to continue to raise the bar as we start the next decade."
 

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

 

---

Team Composition
The team was broken up into four major categories, based on the events athletes competed in. Among the all-decade team selections were five sprinters, four distance runners, five throwers, and five hurdlers/jumpers. Three honorable mention selections were included as well.
 

Event	Name	Years
STARTING LINEUP
Sprints	Sam Zook	2015-19
Sprints	Nate Vanderby	2013-18
Sprints	Rahkei Eyer	2017-20
Sprints	Kaelen Shay	2015-19
Sprints	Mason Schram	2017-20
Distance	Robert Peterson	2011-16
Distance	Jorey Egeland	2014-18
Distance	Chase Robinson	2009-14
Distance	Tyson Vanderby	2008-13
Hurdles	Austin Lindquist	2014-17
Hurdles	Landon Polkow	2014-17
Hurdles	Lewis Polkow	2010-14
Jumps	Isaiah Girard	2016-20
Throws	Beau Ackerman	2016-20
Throws	Brady Ostermiller	2014-19
Throws	Tanner Rottrup	2009-13
Throws	AJ Montanez	2012-14
Throws	Nels Flanagan	2014-18
Pole Vault	Cole Campbell	2013-16
HONORABLE MENTION
Throws	Forrest Cross	2016-20
Distance	Josh Panasuk	2012-17
Distance	Drew Galahan	2010-14

 

---

The sprinters on the all-decade team are anchored by team captain and Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Decade Sam Zook, who was the driving force in putting the Yellowjackets' sprint crew on the map nationally. A second-team All-American and the lone sprinter of the decade to reach the NCAA Championships, Zook holds five of MSUB's sprinting records, is a five-time United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association all-region selection, and a five-time GNAC champion.
 
Nate Vanderby, who is MSUB's record holder in the 400-meters, was the earliest sprinter selected as he began his career before Zook in the 2013-14 campaign. Kaelen Shay, who ran alongside Zook his entire career, as well as current Yellowjacket record breakers Rahkei Eyer and Mason Schram were the other sprinters selected.
 

---

The most notable runner in MSUB history was at the forefront of the all-decade distance selections, as Robert Peterson headed the list after earning Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Decade announced earlier this fall. Peterson was the first male athlete in the decade to make it to nationals, doing so both in indoor track and field and outdoor track and field.
 
Jorey Egeland, who broke into the program in Peterson's final two seasons, wound up breaking some of the former's records and earning All-American status in the steeple chase by his senior year. Tyson Vanderby and Chase Robinson, who were pioneers of the distance crew at the turn of the decade, were also all-conference selections who earned spots on the list.
 

---

The top achieving thrower during the decade isn't done with his career yet, as the Yellowjackets will have All-American Beau Ackerman on their roster for one more spring season. Ackerman's top moment came in the spring of 2018 when he placed fifth in the javelin at the NCAA Championships.
 
Nels Flanagan was an all-conference and all-region performer who excelled in the weight throw and hammer throw particularly. He owns the school records in both of those events.
 
Three more throwers who excelled in the shot put also made the all-decade list. Tanner Rottrup was a two-time all-region and two-time GNAC champion in the shot put, as he established a strong base for the throws program in the very first year of the decade. AJ Montanez followed and was a two-time all-region performer, and set the hammer throw record before Flanagan surpassed it. Ostermiller is the current record holder in the shot put, with a distance of 53-1.75 feet to his name.
 

---

A pair of brothers and the top jumper in school history are among the all-decade selections as well. Isaiah Girard is another current MSUB senior, who will be back to conclude his outstanding career. He owns three school records and is a three-time all-conference performer, while earning all-region twice as well.
 
Lewis Polkow and Landon Polkow combined to cover seven of the 10 years in the decade, each excelling as hurdlers within the program. Lewis was one of the early runners to exhibit success in the hurdles and relays, and Landon went on to set school records in the 400-meter hurdles as well as being a member of the record-breaking distance medley relay team during the indoor season.
 
Austin Lindquist became the program's top short-distance hurdlers, as he holds both the 60-meter hurdles record in indoor and 110-meter hurdles record in outdoor. Cole Campbell was also recognized on the all-decade team, after a career that saw him emerge as the best pole vaulter in school history.
 

---

   
Forrest Cross
Events: Throws
Hometown: Sundance, Wyoming
Years of competition: 2016-2020 (4 seasons)
 
Another current Yellowjacket on the roster, Cross retains one year of eligibility in his collegiate career. He has been a consistent presence on MSUB's throws unit over the last four seasons, and has progressed into his best numbers as his career has gone on. He capped off the 2020 indoor season with a mark of 48-8 feet in the shot put, giving him his highest-ever finish at a conference event in seventh place.
 
Dave Coppock (Cross's Head Coach 2016-17): "Forrest came to us from a small high school in Wyoming as a thrower and really developed into a great college level thrower. He learned to throw the hammer and weight, which have pretty steep learning curves and became competitive in the conference."
 

---

Drew Galahan
Events: Distance
Hometown: Harlowton, Montana
Years of competition: 2009-2014 (5 seasons)
 
A reliable member of MSUB's early relay teams, Galahan helped cover the middle distances on the track team in the early part of the decade. He ran a leg on the 2012 4x400-meter relay squad, which set the indoor school record with a time of 3:23.38 seconds. Galahan was a dedicated five-year member of the team, and twice earned academic all-conference selection.
 
Dave Coppock (Galahan's Head Coach 2009-14): "Drew was a key player in the 400 and 800 meters and was a main force in our 4x400 and distance medley relay teams. He helped lead our DMR to a national ranking his senior year."
 

---

Josh Panasuk
Events: Distance
Hometown: Butte, Montana
Years of competition: 2012-2017 (5 seasons)
 
Like Galahan, Panasuk was a committed member of the team over the course of five seasons. He was as consistent as they come in the middle to long distances, finishing in the top-10 at the GNAC meet in six out of the nine events that he competed in. Among his top conference performances were an eighth-place finish in the steeple chase at the 2015 GNAC Outdoor Championships, and his leg on the GNAC-champion distance medley relay team at the 2016 GNAC Indoor Championships. Panasuk was an academic all-conference selection as well.
 
Dave Coppock (Panasuk's Head Coach 2012-17): "Josh had one of the best work ethics on the team. Josh came through for us in some big meets and was on the distance medley relay team that won conference indoor his senior year."
 

---

Throughout the course of the decade, MSUB has had a total of 14 individuals and three relay team earn GNAC Championships titles. Athlete of the Decade Zook owns the most championships, with three individual titles and playing a part in back-to-back 4x100-meter relay championship squads. Peterson won three individual titles and was on the distance medley relay championship squad, while Egeland and Rottrup won two titles apiece. Egeland is also the only MSUB athlete to win one of the GNAC's special awards, when he earned Performance of the Meet after claiming both the 5,000-meters and steeple chase at the 2018 GNAC Outdoor Championships.
 
Indoor Track & Field
60 Meters – Sam Zook, 2017
Mile – Robert Peterson, 2014 & 2016
Distance Medley Relay – 2016 – Robert Peterson, Landon Polkow, Josh Panasuk, Liam McKay
Shot Put – Tanner Rottrup, 2012 & 2013
 
Outdoor Track & Field
Performance of the Meet – Jorey Egeland, 2018
100 Meters – Sam Zook, 2017 & 2019
200 Meters – Sam Zook, 2017
1,500 Meters – Chase Robinson, 2014
5,000 Meters – Jorey Egeland, 2018
Steeple Chase – Robert Peterson, 2016 & Jorey Egeland, 2018
High Jump – Isaiah Girard, 2019
Javelin – Beau Ackerman, 2018
4x100-Meter Relay – 2018 Sam Zook, Kaelen Shay, Mason Schram, Lamont Frisby & 2019 Sam Zook, Kaelen Shay, Mason Schram, Rahkei Eyer
 

---

Perhaps the top single meet during the decade was the 2018 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships, when two Yellowjackets earned All-American status on the same day. Additionally, MSUB saw its first and only first-team All-American crowned on that day. Although he did not advance to the finals, Zook made it three Yellowjackets competing at the national meet at once.
 
May 25, 2018 – Recap – Ackerman became the first and only first-team All-American in MSUB history, taking fifth place in the javelin at the 2018 NCAA D2 Outdoor National Championships.
 
May 25, 2018 – Recap – Egeland earned All-American honors in the steeple chase, running a time of 9:13.92 minutes to finish in 11th place at the NCAA D2 Outdoor National Championships.
   

---

 
January 21, 2011 – Recap – Reece Easterling set the school record in the rarely-run 55-meter hurdles. Finishing eighth at the Montana State Open, Easterling clocked a time of 8.37 seconds which is the current school record.
 
February 18, 2012 – Recap – MSUB's 4x400-meter relay team set the school record at the GNAC Indoor Championships. The foursome of Rory Bauer, Reiley Winebrenner, Logan Mossey, and Drew Galahan took fourth place in the event, running a time of 3:23.38 minutes.
 
February 8, 2013 – Recap – Rottrup won the shot put at the Idaho State Open, unleashing a heave of 53-5 feet to break the school indoor record. His record-breaking toss came on his sixth and final attempt, and it was more than half a meter longer than his next-best throw that day.
 
May 3, 2014 – Recap – Campbell set the school record in the pole vault at 14-5.25 feet, taking seventh place and third among non-Division I opponents at the Montana Open.
 
May 10, 2014 – Jamon Rodrigues took ninth place at the GNAC Outdoor Championships in the 10k, running a time of 31:42.67 minutes which still stands as the all-time school record.
 
January 10, 2015 – Recap – Peterson broke the indoor school record in the 3,000-meters, running a time of 8:28.68 minutes in the opening meet of the 2015 season.
 
March 13, 2015 – Recap – Peterson finished in 10th place in the preliminaries at the NCAA D2 Indoor National Championships. He became the first MSUB track athlete to participate in the national meet.
 
May 2, 2015 – Recap – Vanderby broke the school record in the outdoor 400-meters, as he took third place at the Montana Open. His time of 49.12 seconds stands as the all-time Yellowjacket mark.
 
May 9, 2015 – Recap – Peterson took third place in the 1,500 meters at the GNAC Outdoor Championships. His time of 3:51.58 minutes is the all-time MSUB record in the event. He then helped the Yellowjacket 4x400-meter relay team break the school record, with a time of 3:21.60 minutes. Joining Peterson on the record-breaking squad were Vanderby, Tyler Delaney, and Cameron Stanek.
 
February 6, 2016 – Campbell set the school indoor record in the pole vault, clearing a height of 14-5.25 feet at the Mountain State Games in Idaho.
 
February 19, 2016 – Recap – The distance medley relay squad set the school record with a time of 10:06.41 seconds, which was good enough to claim the title at the GNAC Indoor Championships. Peterson, Landon Polkow, Panasuk, and Liam McKay were the foursome that claimed the title, crossing the line with more than a full second to spare ahead of second-place Simon Fraser University.
 
February 27, 2016 – Recap – Peterson qualified for the NCAA D2 Indoor National Championships, running the mile in a time of 4:07.67 minutes to break the school record.
 
March 11, 2016 – Recap – Peterson took 14th place at the NCAA D2 Indoor National Championships, running a time of 4:09.15 minutes in the mile race.
 
April 9, 2016 – Recap – Polkow won his heat of the 400-meter hurdles at the Bauer Invitational, running a school-record time of 54:52 seconds.
 
April 30, 2016 – Recap – Peterson won the 800-meters at the Montana Open in record-breaking fashion, as his time of 1:53.18 minutes was the fastest in MSUB outdoor history.
 
May 26, 2016 – Recap – Peterson represented the Yellowjackets at the NCAA D2 National Championships, placing 13th in the steeple chase.
 
February 18, 2017 – Recap – Lindquist raced to a record-breaking time of 8.51 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles. That was good for a seventh-place finish at the GNAC Indoor Championships.
 
April 13, 2017 – Recap – Zook set the all-time school record in the 100-meters, winning the Yellowjacket Open heat in 10.42 seconds. At the same meet, Lindquist ran a school-record time of 14.98 seconds to win the 110-meter hurdles.
 
April 22, 2017 – A week after setting the 100-meter record, Zook set the 200-meter record with a time of 21.04 seconds to win his heat at the Jack Christiansen Invitational.
 
May 26-27, 2017 – Recap – Zook represented the 'Jackets at the NCAA D2 Outdoor National Championships, earning second-team All-American with a 12th-place finish in the 100 meters. He also competed in the 200-meters, taking 15th place.
 
December 2, 2017 – Recap – Zook set the school record in the 60-meters, running a time of 6.78 seconds to win the title at the Montana State Bobcat Preview.
 
January 19, 2018 – Recap – Then-freshman Rahkei Eyer set the school indoor record in the 400-meters, with a time of 50.82 seconds at the South Dakota State Invitational. Egeland also set an indoor school record that day, running the 5,000-meters in a time of 14:51.40 minutes to take second place. Although his time of 8:47.05 minutes was well off the school record, Egeland won his heat in that event as well.
 
January 28, 2018 – Recap – Flanagan won the weight throw at the Colorado Mines Invitational, with a throw of 58-8 feet. He set the school indoor record on his third attempt of the day.
 
February 3, 2018 – Recap – Zook set his second record of the indoor season, this time cruising to a time of 21.65 seconds in the 200 meters. He took fourth place at the University of Colorado, and was the top Division II finisher among 53 total competitors in the event.
 
April 14, 2018 – Recap – Flanagan broke Montanez's school record in the hammer throw, with a distance of 174-4 feet. He claimed the title among nine competitors, including four NCAA D1 opponents.
 
April 28, 2018 – Recap – Ackerman established the school record in the javelin, with a throw of 226-10 feet. The mighty heave was enough to claim the title at the highly-competitive Drake Relays.
 
May 12, 2018 – Recap – Egeland won the 5,000-meters at the GNAC Outdoor Championships, breaking Peterson's school record with a time of 14:47.88 minutes to earn his team 10 points.
 
January 20, 2019 – Recap – Girard took second place in the long jump among a field of 18 competitors at the Chadron State Open. His leap of 22-11.25 feet stands as the school indoor record.
 
January 25, 2019 – Recap – Drake Henson took second place in the 800-meters at the highly-competitive Air Force Invitational in Colorado. He set the school indoor record in the event, posting a time of 1:56.00 minutes.
 
February 2, 2019 – Recap – Eyer tied his own indoor record in the 400-meters, once again posting a time of 50.82 seconds this time at the Jacksons Invitational in Nampa, Idaho. At the same meet, Girard broke the school indoor record in the high jump, with a mark of 6-9 to finish in second place in the event.
 
March 30, 2019 – Recap – Ostermiller set the school record in the shot put with a throw of 53-1.75 feet. He won among a field of 16 competitors at the Yellowjacket Open.
 
April 20, 2019 – Recap – Girard won the high jump at the Montana State Open, clearing a school-record height of 6-9.75 feet.
 
May 10, 2019 – Recap – The Yellowjackets claimed the title at the GNAC Outdoor Championships, winning the 4x100-meter relay in a school record time of 41.28 seconds. Zook, Schram, Shay, and Eyer were the quartet of all-decade selections on the championship team.
 
"The most important factor of my entire career for me has been the people that surround me. My family, my coaches, my closest friend and my teammates are vital individuals in my life. My entire life, track and field has been a cornerstone of my life and being the youngest of three, I never expected that my career would blossom into what it became. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to come to MSUB and build my track career. The privilege to compete at a collegiate level was something that didn't seem possible and I will always be extremely grateful and honored to be granted that privilege. My experience as a student-athlete at MSUB is one of the most enriching experiences of my life and will always fill my heart with fond memories, feelings of appreciation, and happiness. Thank you to everybody that I love and MSUB for guiding me to a career that will forever leave me speechless. Go Jackets!" – Isaiah Girard.
   

---

About the All-Decade 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.