MSUB SPORTS – A relatively new program, being founded in 2008, the Yellowjacket women's track and field team began to establish itself over its first full decade of existence.
The all-decade team captures the top performers in each of the many categories of track and field, honoring 20 of the top athletes to have competed at MSUB.
"It was fun to be part of many of these individuals' growth at MSUB, and they've left a lasting impact on our program." – Yellowjacket track and field head coach
Recognizing the top performers from each area of track and field, the all-decade team was broken up into four sections. A total of seven distance runners, five sprinters, four jumpers, and four throwers were among the all-decade team selections. Many of the athletes chosen contributed to the team in several different areas, and they were categorized based on what their primary events were or events where they had the greatest achievements.
The program's jumps records have fallen over the second half of the decade, primarily at the hands of all-decade selections
Brenna Beckett and
Shaniah Schwend. Beckett holds the school indoor records in the long jump and triple jump, while Schwend holds the outdoor records in the same events.
"I am most proud of being a part of a program where I got to watch work put in pay off during competition. I got to witness successful performances by athletes that trained through adversity, injuries, and the busyness of college in general. Competing alongside (and against) some of my best friends highlights my list of proud moments in college. Balancing all my responsibilities during college, from school itself to practice to volunteering to working, I'm proud of the time spent representing MSUB at meets across the northwest." –
Brenna Beckett.
Janessa Williams was another top performer not only in the jumps, but the hurdles and relays as well during the last half of the decade. Her name is among the foursome on both the indoor and outdoor 1,600-meter relay records. Also included with the jumpers was Stacey Pitt, who owns the pole vault and high jump records for both indoor and outdoor track.
Early-decade sprinters Erika Halle and Justine Simons paved the way for even more success in the short distances towards the end of the decade. Simons continues to hold the indoor 55-meter record, and Halle's mark in the outdoor 200-meters has yet to be surpassed. Another important sprinter from the early years in the decade was Blair Street, who was on Simons' heels in the 55-meters and contributed significantly over the course of her four-year career.
The name that appears most in the MSUB record books is
Josey Smiedala, who was a four-year standout in the long sprints and relays. She holds six total records, including the indoor and outdoor 400-meters, the outdoor 400-meter hurdles, the indoor and outdoor 1,600-meter relay teams, and the outdoor 400-meter relay team.
"I am so grateful that I came to MSUB. I actually transferred from a D1 program to MSUB and it was the best decision I ever made. The atmosphere and attitude MSUB had was the perfect combination for me to grow. MSUB has provided me with endless opportunities including jobs, references, and lifelong friends and experiences. My experiences, and the people I have met, have shaped me into the person I am today. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to compete in collegiate athletics. It is a huge honor to be selected for MSUB's all-decade team." –
Josey Smiedala.
Michaela Johnson was an all-Great Northwest Athletic Conference performer in the 60-meter hurdles, where she set the school record as a freshman. She also holds the MSUB records for the indoor 60-meters and the outdoor 100-meter hurdles.
Singled out as one of the key behind-the-scenes members of the track and field program, former throws coach Casey Clausen played a key role on both the men's and women's programs. He was cited by former head coach Dave Coppock as being a key factor in assisting Henry in becoming the first athlete in program history to qualify for the NCAA championships. Clausen was also the primary coach for men's all-decade pick Tanner Rottrup, who won back-to-back GNAC titles in the shot put.
"Casey joined the MSUB track and field program as a graduate assistant after competing in the throws and graduating from Montana State. Casey had an outstanding career at MSU and brought that knowledge and talent to our coaching staff. Casey was responsible for making our men's and women's throws program arguably the best in the GNAC. Casey developed a number of throwers who won or placed high in the conference standings. He developed a solid training program and demanded excellence from not only the athletes he directly coached, but of the entire team. We were very fortunate to have Casey on our team!" – Dave Coppock
Moment of the Decade
May 26-27, 2016 – Recap – Lyle qualified for the NCAA Championships finals, setting the school outdoor record in the 3,000-meter steeple chase at 10:26.88 minutes in the preliminaries. Although her finals time was more than five seconds slower than her school record mark, it was enough for a ninth-place finish and second-team All-American honors. The performance stands as the lone All-American mark in MSUB women's track and field program history.
"Della reached the NCAA Championships after attaining qualifying marks in three events; the 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters, and steeplechase. Competing in steeplechase, she made the finals and ultimately attained All-American status. That was a tremendous accomplishment for Della, as well as for our track and field program. Her accomplishments gave us a lot of credibility that we could compete on a national level. I was really happy for Della in having the opportunity to experience competing in the National Championships in her final year of competition."
Della Lyle became the first All-American in program history, taking ninth place at the 2016 NCAA D2 Championships in the 3,000-meter steeple chase.
Top Events & Moments
February 19, 2011 – Recap – Knispel earned all-GNAC recognition in the weight throw, taking third place at the GNAC Indoor Championships with a toss of 50-1.25 feet.
April 23, 2011 – Recap – Stacey Pitt broke the school outdoor record in the high jump, clearing a mark of 5-5.25 feet. That was good enough for the victory at the Northwest Nazarene Invitational.
May 6, 2011 – Recap – Stacey Pitt established the school outdoor record in the pole vault, clearing a mark of 11-1.75 feet at the Montana State Tom Gage Classic. She tied for first among non-NCAA D1 competition at the meet.
February 11, 2012 – Recap – Stacey Pitt won the pole vault at the rock & Jock Indoor Open, setting the school indoor record at 11-7.75 feet.
February 18, 2012 – Recap – Henry and Knispel took second and third in the shot put at the GNAC Indoor Championships, each earning all-conference honors. Henry's toss of 44-8.25 feet stands as the indoor school record. Knispel meanwhile also earned all-conference in the weight throw, where she set the school record at 50-1.25 feet and took second place.
March 3, 2012 – Henry set the outdoor school record in the shot put, with a throw of 47-2.5 feet to take second place at the D1 UNLV Track Classic. At the same meet, she set the school record in the discus, with a throw of 146-5 feet to take third place.
May 12, 2012 – Knispel earned all-conference honors in the hammer throw, with a mark of 149-2 feet to take third place. The throw still stands as the all-time school record in the event. At the same GNAC Championships meet, Henry earned all-conference honors in both the shot put and discus as she finished second in both events.
December 6, 2012 – Recap – Stacey Pitt set the indoor record in the high jump, taking first place at the Black Hills State Yellow Jacket Open with a height of 5-3.75 feet.
January 25, 2013 – Recap – Shelby Martinell set the school record in the rarely-run 55-meter hurdles, racing across the line in 8.83 seconds at the Montana State Open.
May 11, 2013 – Recap – Corrie Holm earned all-conference recognition by taking third place in the discus at the GNAC Outdoor Championships.
April 5, 2014 – Recap – Courtney Henry set the school record in the javelin with a throw of 119-9 feet, in her first-ever collegiate meet.
May 10, 2014 – Holm became the first and only athlete in program history to win a GNAC title, as she claimed the discus with a throw of 143-4 feet at the GNAC Outdoor Championships. Nocona Frame established the school record in the 1,500-meters, running a time of 4:35.75 minutes to take fifth place at the GNAC Outdoor Championships.
February 21, 2015 – Recap – Brianna Gray set the school indoor record in the 200 meters, running a time of 25.81 in the preliminaries at the 2015 GNAC Indoor Championships to earn a spot in the finals. Nocona Frame was another record breaker at the event, as her mile time of 5:04.83 minutes was the best in school history and was good for a seventh-place finish.
April 24, 2015 – Recap – Amanda Nichols tied Pitt's outdoor record in the pole vault, as she won the title at the Carroll College Trudnowski Open with a height of 11-1.75 feet.
February 6, 2016 – Smiedala broke the indoor school record in the 400-meters, with a time of 59.04 seconds to place third at the Mountain State Games.
February 20, 2016 – Recap – Lyle smashed the school indoor record in the 3,000-meters, running a time of 10:07.26 minutes at the GNAC Championships. Lyle also topped the school record in the 5,000-meters at the same meet, with a mark of 17:41.12 minutes to finish in fourth place.
April 9, 2016 – Recap – Smiedala took fourth place in the 400-meters at the Bauer Invitational, setting the outdoor school record with a time of 59.29 seconds. Lyle's assault on the 3,000-meter steeplechase also began at this meet, as she broke the mark for the first of three times in succession leading up to the NCAA Championships.
April 14, 2016 – Recap – Lyle took down the school record in the 10k at the Yellowjacket Open, winning the event by nearly two full minutes with a time of 36:51.66 minutes.
May 14, 2016 – Recap – Lyle set the school record in the 5,000-meters, taking seventh place at the GNAC Outdoor Championships with a time of 16:50.74 minutes.
February 11, 2017 – Recap – MSUB's 4x400-meter relay team of
Jewlz Collins, Smiedala, Williams, and Beckett broke the school record and took second place at the Mountain State Games with a time of 4:03.25 minutes.
"One of my favorite memories was when the women set the 4x4 record indoor at Pocatello. We had talked all week about breaking it and then they went out and executed perfectly." – Jon Woehl.
February 18, 2017 – Recap – Johnson took third place in the 60-meter hurdles, earning all-conference honors at the 2017 GNAC Indoor Championships.
April 13, 2017 – Recap – Smiedala won the 400-meter hurdles at the Yellowjacket Invitational, establishing the school record of 1:05.65 minutes in the process.
April 29, 2017 – Recap – It was a big day for MSUB's relay teams, as the 4x100 and 4x400 records both fell at the Montana Open. Johnson, Katie Eastburn, Beckett, and Smiedala were on the 400-meter relay squad at 49.18 seconds, while the quartet of Williams, Eastburn, Beckett, and Smiedala topped the 1,600-meter relay mark at 3:56.93 minutes.
February 2, 2018 – Recap –
Michaela Johnson set the school indoor record in the 60-meters, racing to a time of 7.93 seconds to take fourth place at the D1 Montana State Bobcat Invitational. She then topped the school best in the 60-meter hurdles, finishing in a time of 8.90 seconds as the same meet.
April 14, 2018 – Recap – Johnson broke the school record in the 100-meter hurdles, taking second place at the Montana Open with a time of 14.61 seconds.
April 20, 2018 – Recap –
Shaniah Schwend took down a pair of outdoor records at the Dickinson State Blue Hawk Games. Her marks of 17-7 feet in the long jump and 37-0.5 feet in the triple jump continue to hold up as the best in school history.
January 25, 2020 – Recap – Beckett established a pair of MSUB indoor records, winning both the long jump and triple jump at the Dave Little Alumni Mile. Her marks of 17-5.5 feet in the long jump and 36-5.75 feet in the triple jump stand as the best in program history.
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.