By: Evan O'Kelly, Director of Communications
MSUB SPORTS – Five of the fastest Yellowjackets in program history were tabbed for the women's track and field all-decade sprints team.
Eleven of the all-time program record marks contain the names of the five sprinters on the list, as they represent some of the top achievers MSUB has ever seen.
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 |
Michaela Johnson
Events: Sprints, Hurdles
Hometown: Billings, Montana
Years of Competition: 2016-2020 (4 seasons)
Johnson still possesses one season of outdoor eligibility, as her final contributions to the track and field program are yet to come.
Johnson's career got off to an impressive start, when she earned all-conference honors as a freshman at the 2017 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Indoor Championships. Johnson raced to a time of 8.96 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles, claiming third place in the conference finals. Her best 100-meter time of 12.58 seconds, along with a school-record breaking mark of 49.18 seconds in the 4x100-meter relay, both came at the Montana Open during the 2017 outdoor season.
During her sophomore year, Johnson set school records for both the 60-meters and 60-meter hurdles, both coming at the Bobcat Indoor Invitational in 2018. She took second in the 60-meter hurdles at 8.90 seconds, and broke the record in the 60-meters at 7.93 seconds.
Later in the spring of 2018, Johnson topped the school record in the 100-meter hurdles, running a time of 14.61 seconds to take second at the Montana Open. Johnson is a three-time academic all-GNAC selection and was named the MSUB Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Year at the 2018 Buzzies.
Dave Coppock (Johnson's Head Coach 2016-17): "Michaela was a talented sprinter and hurdler right from the start of her freshman year. She placed third in the 60m hurdles in the GNAC Indoor Championships her freshman year."
Jon Woehl (Johnson's Assistant Coach 2016-17, Head Coach 2017-20): "Immediately as a freshman she was one of the best hurdlers in the GNAC. It's been so much fun seeing her improve as an athlete and grow over her time at MSUB. I'm very excited to have her as one of our current leaders on the team."
Josey Smiedala
Events: Sprints, Hurdles
Hometown: Helena, Montana
Years of Competition: 2015-2019 (4 seasons)
A four-year standout on the track, Smiedala also played a part in rewriting the MSUB record books. In just the fourth meet of her collegiate career, Smiedala ran a time of 59.04 seconds in the 400 meters, taking third place at the Mountain State Games and establishing the MSUB record in the process.
During the outdoor season her freshman year, Smiedala set another 400-meter record with a mark of 59.29 seconds at the Bauer Invitational.
Perhaps her most productive season was her sophomore year in 2017, when she played a part in four school records. First up was the 4x400-meter relay mark of 4:02.28 minutes, which she helped her team claim at the 2017 GNAC Indoor Championships. The relay unit set two more records at the Montana Open, in the 4x100-meters at 49.18 seconds and in the 4x400-meters at 3:56.93 minutes during the outdoor season.
Smiedala also had a big performance at the Yellowjacket Open, where she broke the school record in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:05.65 minutes, and ran her career-best 100-meter time of 13.04 seconds. Smiedala was a four-time academic all-conference pick and was tabbed the MSUB Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Year in 2017.
Smiedala on her MSUB career: "When I finished my fourth and final year as a Yellowjacket, I completed 13 years of running competitive track and field. Both of my parents were D1 college athletes, and I was in it for the long haul since the moment I was born. Through two knee surgeries, lots of tape and physical therapy, and many setbacks, I never gave up. I wouldn't have made it through my college athletic career if it wasn't for Tom Ebel taking care of me every day so that I could make it to practice in one piece."
Dave Coppock (Smiedala's Head Coach 2015-17): "Josey brought a lot of talent to us in the long sprints, 400 hurdles, and 800 meters. Although she struggled with some injuries, she was a big help on the relays and was a part of the school record 4x400 at one point."
Jon Woehl (Smiedala's Assistant Coach 2015-17, Head Coach 2017-19): "Josey is one of the most resilient and gritty competitors I've had the privilege to coach. She had tremendous range from the 200 to the 800 including the 400m hurdles. She always brought out the best in her teammates."
Where is she now? Smiedala is a new student event specialist in the admissions office at MSUB. She is also working towards her master's degree in healthcare administration with an expected graduation date of May, 2021.
Erika Halle
Events: Sprints
Hometown: Manhattan, Montana
Years of Competition: 2008-2011 (3 seasons)
A three-year standout on the track for the 'Jackets, Halle was among the first great Yellowjacket sprinters of the decade. Although she contributed primarily as a sprinter, Halle also competed in the long jump during the early years of her collegiate career.
Her best meet came in the spring of 2010, at the Montana Open. Her marks of 25.44 seconds in the 200-meters and 59.51 seconds in the 400-meters were both personal bests, with the former still standing as the MSUB all-time record. She was also a member of the 4x100-meter relay team that won its heat at that event.
Halle competed in four GNAC Championships during her career, with her top performance being a fourth-place finish in the 200-meters at the 2010 GNAC Indoor Championships.
Halle was a two-time academic all-conference selection, and earned a GNAC Athlete of the Week honor during her career.
Dave Coppock (Halle's Head Coach 2008-11): "Erika transferred from a DI program and gave us an immediate boost in the sprints and jumps. With Erika, we had a really solid core of sprinters and were able to compete with a lot of the DI teams we encountered."
Blair Street
Events: Sprints
Hometown: Clyde Park, Montana
Years of Competition: 2012-2016 (4 seasons)
A team leader in sprints of all varieties throughout a steady four-year career, Street consistently delivered personal bests from the time she was a freshman through her senior campaign. She qualified for seven GNAC Championships during her career, and recorded her first career win in just her second collegiate meet in 2013.
Street established four PRs over the span of six meets during her freshman and sophomore seasons, including the 55-meters, 60-meters, 100-meters, and 400-meters.
One of her top performances came during her senior year in the spring of 2016, when she won both the 100-meters and 200-meters in her final home meet. Street was an academic all-conference performer during her track career as well.
Street on her favorite MSUB memories: "We all came from different school sizes and classes. Rivals became teammates and we all had a common goal in mind. We all wanted to be the best athletes we could be and we learned from each other."
Dave Coppock (Street's Head Coach 2012-16): "Blair was one of the top sprinters we've had in the program. She was an extremely hard worker and consistent performer. She was a big part of our success in the relays."
Where is she now? Street lives in Ridgecrest, California, where she is the senior rangeland management specialist for the Bureau of Land Management.
Justine Simons
Events: Sprints
Hometown: Laurel, Montana
Years of Competition: 2008-2012 (4 seasons)
Like Halle, Simons was a key member of the early-decade sprints unit competing in six conference championship meets throughout her four-year career.
Up for competition in sprints of any length, Simons etched her name in the school record books in her sophomore season at the Chadron State Alumni Open. Taking second place in the 55-meters, Simons posted a time of 7.62 seconds which still stands as the all-time mark in that event.
Simons continued to progress steadily throughout her career, setting personal bests in the outdoor 100-meters and 200 meters during her sophomore season at the Black Hills State Yellow Jacket Open, and in the indoor 400-meters during her junior year at the Mountain State Games.
In addition to the leadership she provided on the track, Simons was a three-time academic all-conference selection.
Dave Coppock (Simons' Head Coach 2008-12): "Justine was a big part of the team not just in her sprint events, but as a team leader. She had a number of school records at one point and was a solid performer in the conference. Best of all, she had a great sense of humor and always boosted the team morale."
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.
