By: Evan O'Kelly, Director of Communications
MSUB SPORTS – Athletes who reshaped the women's track and field record book include the jumpers on the all-decade list.
The selections include three jumpers who each competed during the second half of the 2010s, as well as the top pole vaulter to compete at MSUB.
This Week's Schedule
| Day |
Release |
| Monday, November 23, 2020 |
Hurdlers & Jumpers |
| Tuesday, November 24, 2020 |
Throwers |
| Wednesday, November 25, 2020 |
Sprinters |
| Thursday, November 26, 2020 |
Distance Runners |
| Friday, November 27, 2020 |
Full All-Decade Roster |
Brenna Beckett
Events: Jumps, Sprints
Hometown: Broadview, Montana
Years of competition: 2016-2020 (4 seasons)
A current Yellowjacket coming off her best season yet, Beckett maintains eligibility to compete in a final outdoor season after four strong years in the program.
Steadily progressing throughout her career, Beckett had a memorable indoor season last winter. Competing at the Dave Little Alumni Mile on Jan. 25, she broke the school records in the long jump at 17-5.5 feet and in the triple jump at 36-5.75 feet.
Beckett kept on her PR pace, running her best ever time in the 200-meters two weeks later at 27.05 seconds at the Jacksons Invitational. In addition to her record-setting jumps, Beckett has been a valuable member of the sprinting group. She is on three of the four record-holding relay teams, including the indoor and outdoor 1,600-meters as well as the outdoor 400-meters.
Beckett is a three-time academic all-Great Northwest Athletic Conference selection and last season was picked as the MSUB Female Track & Field Athlete of the Year at the Buzzies.
Beckett on her fondest MSUB memories: "Time spent studying science in the library! Jokes, countless (literally) hours on the bus with teammates, meeting friends that will last a lifetime, and learning more about who I am and who I want to be and getting equipped to get there. The opportunities MSUB provided led me to find my passion and impacted my future career. God guided me to MSUB where I was able to find an undergraduate and a graduate program that align with His purpose for my life."
Jon Woehl (Beckett's Assistant Coach 2016-17, Head Coach 2017-20): "Brenna has an outstanding capacity for what she can do at a high level on and off the track. She's an excellent student and someone all of her teammates look up to. We're very lucky to have her back for one more outdoor season this spring."
Dave Coppock (Beckett's Head Coach 2016-17): "Brenna developed into a great, versatile athlete and was competitive in the jumps and long sprints. She was a key member of our women's school record breaking 4x400-meter relay team."
Where is she now? Beckett works as a paraeducator and mental health worker for Yellowstone Academy/Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch. She is also student teaching at Huntley Project, with plans to begin her master's degree in clinical rehabilitation and mental health counseling next spring.
Janessa Williams
Events: Jumps, Hurdles
Hometown: Clancy, Montana
Years of Competition: 2015-2019 (4 seasons)
Feature Story: New Faces: MSUB Women's Track & Field Freshmen Shaniah Schwend & Janessa Williams
A two-sport athlete at MSUB, Williams was recruited for track and field and wound up as a four-year member of the Yellowjacket women's basketball team as well.
Like Beckett, Williams was a key contributor to the program in multiple facets. She stood out as a jumper, hurdler, as well as a member of the school's record-breaking relay teams. Her biggest contributions came during the 2017 season, when the 4x400-meter relay squad set the indoor record at 4:02.28 minutes, before topping the outdoor mark with a time of 3:56.93 minutes.
Williams capped her career on a high note, winning the triple jump at the University of Providence open in the spring of 2019 with a personal-best leap of 36-11.5 feet. An excellent student as well, Williams was a three-time academic all-GNAC pick in both track and field and basketball.
Jon Woehl (Williams' Assistant coach 2015-17, Head Coach 2017-20): "I have a lot of great memories of working with J over her time at MSUB. She's very competitive and was able to continue to improve as a triple jumper while balancing track and basketball."
Dave Coppock (Williams' Head Coach 2015-17): "Janessa was a versatile dual-sport athlete who helped us in the sprints, jumps, and relays."
Shaniah Schwend
Events: Jumps, Sprints
Hometown: Bridger, Montana
Years of Competition: 2015-2019 (4 seasons)
Schwend entered MSUB's program the same year as Williams, and had an equally profound impact for the Yellowjackets.
Schwend's standout moment came in the sprint of her junior year, at the Dickinson State Blue Hawk Games. She set the school outdoor records in both the long jump at 17-7 feet and the triple jump at 37-0.5 feet, and helped the 4x100-meter relay team to a second-place finish at the meet.
Schwend competed in six GNAC Championships meets throughout her career, and was a three-time academic all-conference selection. She was named the MSUB Female Track & Field Athlete of the Year as a senior in the spring of 2019.
Jon Woehl (Schwend's Assistant Coach 2015-17, Head Coach 2017-19): "Niah had a great career and pushed her teammates to be at their best. It was fun going to meets and seeing her and J and Brenna go back and forth in the jumps. It seemed like the more events she did at a meet the better she was."
Dave Coppock (Schwend's Head Coach 2015-17): "Shaniah was a very versatile athlete competing in the sprints and jumps. She was competitive in both the horizontal and vertical jumps, and also ran legs on the relays."
Stacey Pitt
Events: Pole Vault, Jumps, Sprints
Hometown: Kalispell, Montana
Years of Competition: 2010-2013 (3 seasons)
A jack of all trades, Pitt contributed to the Yellowjacket lineup in all facets throughout her career. Her most notable events were the pole vault and the high jump, where she still holds the school records for both indoor and outdoor track.
Pitt established the indoor pole vault record in 2012, clearing a height of 11-7.75 feet. That came a year after she set the outdoor record, with a mark of 11-1.75 feet. She also set the outdoor high jump record in 2011 at 5-5.25 feet, and broke the indoor high jump mark her senior year with a leap of 5-3.75 feet.
Pitt was a six-time GNAC Championships participant, and had a pair of fourth-place finishes in the pole vault.
Dave Coppock (Pitt's Head Coach 2010-13): "Stacey was very versatile across a lot of running and jumping events, but her best events were the pole vault and high jump. She eventually hit a provisional NCAA qualifying mark in the high jump."
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.
