MSUB SPORTS – Part of the all-decade project involved selecting the top games, moments, and individual performances from each of the 13 athletic programs throughout the 2010s.
 
Upon the conclusion of the all-decade project, the top moment from each of MSUB's sports teams was selected and then ranked to create a list of the top moments from 2010-2019. In addition to the list of the top-13 moments from the decade, a section is dedicated to other key moments including team championships and other noteworthy individual accomplishments.
 

Day	Release
Monday, December 7, 2020	Moments of the Decade #13-11
Tuesday, December 8, 2020	Moments of the Decade #10-8
Wednesday, December 9, 2020	Moments of the Decade #7-5
Thursday, December 10, 2020	Moments of the Decade #4-2
Friday, December 11, 2020	Moment of the Decade

 

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Rank	Moment	Sport	Date
#1	West Region Champions	Women's Basketball	March 12, 2018
#2	'Jackets Win GNAC Tournament	Men's Basketball	March 3, 2012
#3	Softball Claims First-Ever GNAC Tournament Title	Softball	May 2, 2015
#4	MSUB Wins First-Ever GNAC Tournament Title	Baseball	May 10, 2015
#5	MSUB Wins First-Ever Regional Match	Women's Soccer	November 11, 2010
#6	Three Compete At NCAA Championships	Men's Track & Field	May 24-26, 2018
#7	Lyle Becomes First Women's All-American	Women's Track & Field	May 27, 2016
#8	Peterson Becomes 1st To Qualify For NCAA Championships	Men's Cross Country	November 22, 2014
#9	Huft Storms Into Upper Half At NCAA Regional Championships	Men's Golf	May 6-8, 2013
#10	Palomino Rescues Men's Soccer With 2nd-Half Hat Trick	Men's Soccer	October 17, 2015
#11	Yellowjacket Spikers Upset No. 11 Western Washington In 5 Sets	Volleyball	September 27, 2014
#12	Yellowjackets, McNeil Break School Records At NCAA National Preview Tournament	Women's Golf	September 28-29, 2015
#13	MSUB Hosts 2014 NCAA D2 West Region XC Championships	Women's Cross Country	November 22, 2014

 

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An unquestionable pick for the top moment in Yellowjacket Athletics during the 2010s, the women's basketball team's 2018 NCAA D2 West Region Championship victory was one of the most historic moments in the department's 93-year history.
 
A remarkable six-game postseason winning streak, five of which came against higher-ranked opponents, culminated in the regional championship game against fellow GNAC school Alaska Anchorage. West Region Championships Most Valuable Player Rylee Kane hit a pair of last-second free-throws, and West Region Player of the Year Alisha Breen blocked the Seawolves' final shot attempt as time expired in the one-point victory.
 
MSUB went on to the NCAA D2 Elite Eight for just the second time in school history, where the dream season came to an end against No. 1 Ashland University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Amid the storybook playoff run was also MSUB's first-ever GNAC Championships title in women's basketball history, as the 'Jackets knocked off No. 1 seed Northwest Nazarene and No. 3 seed Seattle Pacific en route to their first-ever tournament crown.
 
Read More: West Region Champions

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Claiming the GNAC's most coveted crown, the Yellowjacket men's basketball team rode the underdog wave through the 2012 GNAC Championships to claim their first and only conference title. MSUB upended Western Oregon 80-75 in the quarterfinals, before shocking eventual NCAA national champion No. 11 Western Washington 82-78 to reach the title game. GNAC Championships MVP Robert Mayes continued his hot streak, with a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double to help the 'Jackets outlast No. 15 Alaska Anchorage 74-70 to hoist the trophy.
 
The victory earned the men's basketball team its 10th trip to the NCAA tournament, and its first berth since the 2002 season. In the conference's most competitive sport – with teams from all 10 GNAC schools – the title remains one of the top achievements in the athletic department's history.
 
Read More: Ticket Punched: Underdog Yellowjackets Topple Seawolves For Trip To "Big Dance"
 

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One of MSUB's most consistently successful programs throughout the mid-2000s and early 2010s reached its peak during the 2015 season, winning its first – and only – GNAC Championships title. The Yellowjackets swept through the conference tournament with wins over Western Washington (6-1) and top-seed Saint Martin's (4-3), before a 9-5 triumph in the rematch against the Vikings in the title game.
 
It was the third overall GNAC title for the softball team, and the tournament victory earned the squad an automatic berth into the NCAA regional where the dream season continued. The 'Jackets knocked off a pair of nationally-ranked opponents to reach the regional championship game, where the top season in program history came to an end with an 11-3 defeat against Sonoma State.
 
Read More: 'Jackets Win 2015 GNAC Championship; Advance To West Region Tournament


 

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After clinching its fourth regular-season title in a five-year stretch, the Yellowjacket baseball team finally broke through and claimed its first-ever conference tournament title by sweeping all three games at the GNAC Championships. That earned the baseball team a first-ever berth into the NCAA West Region Championships, as the final year of the decade proved to be the most successful in program history.
 
After beating Saint Martin's 4-2 on Day 1 and smoking reigning tournament champion Western Oregon 10-0 on Day 2, the Yellowjackets struck quickly in the championship game with a three-run first inning and led 5-0 after six frames. The battery when the final out was recorded was fittingly a pair of fifth-year seniors, who had each been a part of all four regular-season titles during the decade. Jared Winslow threw the final pitch, and catcher Landon Peterson was first to greet him on the mound to kick off the most significant dogpile in program history.
 
Read More: GNAC Champions! 'Jackets Clinch Title & NCAA Regional Berth


 

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Amanda Brusic scored the most important goal in MSUB women's soccer history, finding the net in the 66th minute of the Yellowjackets' NCAA regional first-round match against No. 19 Cal State Los Angeles. One of the best defenses in school history did its part with a clean sheet, and by the time it was over the women's soccer team had its first – and only – regional tournament victory.
 
The top moment of the decade came at the crux of a season in which MSUB went 13-6-1, finishing in third place in the GNAC standings with a 9-5 record and earning a spot into the regional playoffs. The win/loss record tied for the best-ever by the women's soccer program, and a total of nine all-decade selections were featured on the 2010 roster.
 
Read More: Brusic's Goal Lifts 'Jackets To First Playoff Victory, 1-0
 

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Three men's track and field athletes represented the Yellowjackets at the 2018 NCAA Championships, marking the top moment of the decade as the Yellowjackets steadily progressed throughout the years into having multiple competitors at the national meet. Sam Zook, Jorey Egeland, and Beau Ackerman each competed in the meet, marking the most Yellowjackets to ever be at the same national meet.
 
Ackerman stole headlines with a fifth-place finish in the javelin, earning him first-team All-American status. Egeland also claimed All-America honors, finishing in 11th place in the final heat of the 3,000-meter steeple chase. Zook, who earned All-America status the previous spring in 2017, finished another successful season by taking 16th place in the 100-meters.
 
Read More: Egeland Claims All-American Finish In 3,000-Meter Steeplechase | Ackerman Sets New Benchmark With First-Team All-American Finish
 

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In a season for the books, Della Lyle capped off her only campaign in the track and field program by becoming the first-ever All-American on the women's side. After rewriting the MSUB record books throughout the 2016 season, Lyle qualified for the NCAA Championships in three different events and elected to try her hand at the 3,000-meter steeple chase.
 
Lyle set the school record in the preliminaries on May 26, with a mark of 10:26.88 minutes to qualify for a spot in the final heat. The next day, she took ninth place among the field of 12 runners, which was good enough to earn her second-team All-American status. It was the crowning moment not only in a brief career that set five school records, but one that stands out as the top performance by any women's track athlete during the 2010s decade.
 
Read More: Della Lyle Becomes First MSUB Female Track All-American
 

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Competing on the regional stage in his hometown, Robert Peterson became the first runner during the decade to qualify for the NCAA Championships by virtue of his 13th-place finish in the regional. Peterson earned an at-large berth into the championships, by posting a 10k time of 31:29.45 minutes, which still stands as third-best in program history.
 
Competing in the national meet in muddy conditions at the course in Louisville, Kentucky, Peterson raced to a respectable finish of 100th place among a field of the 245 top runners in the country. Finishing in the upper half among the field, Peterson's performance helped put MSUB's men's cross country program onto the national stage.
 
Read More: At The National Championships, Peterson Moves Through The Mud In Louisville
 

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Putting together the highest-ever finish by a Yellowjacket men's golfer, then-sophomore Gage Huft stormed into the upper half of the leaderboard among a field of 108 golfers at the NCAA Regional Championships. Huft entered the final day of the three-round event in a tie for 77th place, after shooting scores of 3-over-par 75 and 4-over-par 76 his first two times through the course.
 
Saving his best for last, Huft navigated the course at 3-under-par 69, propelling himself 33 spots up the leaderboard to close out the season. He was one of just two men's players to reach the regionals during the decade, and nobody in program history has posted a finish higher than Huft's on the regional stage.
 
Read More: Huft Finishes Championships With Stellar Round
 

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In one of the most heroic performances by any Yellowjacket athlete during the decade, Ricardo Palomino put the team on his back in the second half of this improbable, come-from-behind victory. The framework for an inspirational performance was set before the match even began, with the day being dedicated to the memory of Trevor Wildberger on MSUB Kicks Cancer Day.
 
Things did not go well in the opening 45 minutes however, as the Yellowjackets found themselves staring a 2-0 deficit in the face by halftime. To make matters worse, MSUB received a red card just 10 minutes into the second half, meaning the team would have to complete the comeback while down a player for the final 35 minutes.
 
Palomino had already netted his first finish by the time the red card occurred, blasting a low free kick from the top of the box inside the right goal post. The equalizer came in the 77th minute, when Palomino galloped down the right touch line carrying the ball from midfield all the way into the box where he smashed home a finish from the close right wing. The game-winner followed in the 81st minute, on a left-footed half-volley after a header pass from Sam Butterworth.
 
After the game, then-MSUB head coach Alex Balog said, "That game as a whole, was the best that I have ever been involved with, as a player and as a coach. From the front to the back, that was MSUB men's soccer."
 
Read More: Palomino's Second-Half Hat Trick Lifts MSUB To 3-2 Come-From-Behind Win Over CU

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Facing the most successful volleyball program in the history of the GNAC, the Yellowjackets pulled off an upset for the ages, with a thrilling five-set triumph over No. 11 Western Washington. After losing the opening set handily, 25-16, the 'Jackets came back to take the next two frames and put the Vikings on their heels. MSUB overcame a 24-22 deficit in the momentum-shifting third set, winning four straight points for a dramatic 26-24 victory.
 
The decisive fifth set also went down to the wire, before all-decade selections Kyndal Williams and Chelsey Walter combined for the match winning kill. Walter finished with 14 kills, while fellow all-decade selections Ashlynn Ward (19 kills) and Monica Grimsrud (16 kills) led the way offensively. The victory stands as MSUB's only win all-time against the Vikings, who were the 2018 NCAA D2 national runners up.
 
Read More: Yellowjackets Sink No. 11 Vikings In 5-Set GNAC Thriller


 

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On September 28, 2015, the Yellowjacket women's golf team shot a collective score of 297, breaking the school record for team single-round score by a single stroke. MSUB finished with a two-round score of 610, also a school record, en route to a seventh-place finish at the highly-competitive NCAA D2 National Championship Preview Tournament at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora, Colorado.
 
In addition to the team achievements, then-freshman Kortney McNeil set a record of her own with a program-best two-round score of 146 (71-75). McNeil started the tournament off with a 1-under-par 71, which was one stroke off the school record and just the second under-par score in program history. She finished with a 75, which was good enough to tie for eighth place among a field of 100 golfers. The performance earned McNeil the first of her two-career GNAC Player of the Week awards.
 
Read More: MSUB Women Tie For 7th At NCAA National Preview Tournament
 

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Among the most notable moments for the Yellowjacket cross country programs during the 2010s was earning the bid to host multiple NCAA and GNAC Championship events. The first NCAA regional meet in Billings came during the 2014 fall season, when the Yellowjackets welcomed more than 400 runners from 30 Division II schools across the west region to Amend Park on Nov. 22.
 
Since then, MSUB has hosted the regional meet twice more in 2016 and 2018, and the GNAC Championships in 2019. MSUB was in line to host the 2020 NCAA regional before it was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the school will host the 2021 GNAC Championships. MSUB also recently announced winning the bid to host the 2022 and 2024 NCAA regional meets, the latter of which will make it a full decade of hosting the top meet of the region in the Magic City.
 
Read More: MSUB to Host 2022 & 2024 NCAA XC Regionals
 

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Championship Moments
The selections on the moments of the decade list included one for each of MSUB's athletic programs. However, there were several other noteworthy moments during the decade that deserve to be included on the list as well.
 
May 15, 2010 – Women's Track & Field – Halvorson Claims Discus Title
Winning the first conference title of the decade, women's track and field junior Alexi Halvorson unleashed a discus throw of 135-8.0 feet to claim the crown at the GNAC Outdoor Championships. She won the event by nearly three full feet.
 
May 15, 2011 – Women's Track & Field – Knispel Wins Shot Put
Anica Knispel became the second female track athlete of the decade to win a conference title, claiming the crown in the shot put at the GNAC Outdoor Championships. Knispel had a record toss of 46-0.75 feet, winning the title by more than one full foot.
 
Read More: Track And Field Ends Season With 8th-Place Finishes; Knispel Wins Shot
 
February 17, 2012 – Men's Track & Field – Rottrup Wins 1st-Ever Title
Tanner Rottrup became MSUB's first-ever individual champion in track and field, with a shot put heave of 50-2 feet to win the GNAC Indoor Championships title.
 
Read More: Track & Field Squads Finish 7th In GNAC Meet
 
April 28, 2012 – Softball – 'Jackets Win GNAC Title
In a regular-season race that came down to the final day of the 2012 season, the Yellowjackets staved off second-place Simon Fraser University 8-3 to earn their second GNAC regular-season crown on the diamond. The title gave MSUB its first NCAA regional berth of the decade, and the third of its four total in program history.
 
Read More: Game 2 Victory Gives Softball Second GNAC Title And Third Trip To NCAA Tournament
 
February 15, 2013 – Men's Track & Field – Rottrup Repeats In Shot Put
Rottrup defended his GNAC Indoor Championships title in the shot put, with a winning heave of 52-8.75 feet.
 
Read More: Rottrup Defends GNAC Indoor Shot Put Title
 
February 22, 2014 – Men's Track & Field – Peterson Wins Mile Title
As a sophomore, Robert Peterson won his first GNAC title in the indoor mile, racing to a time of 4:11.05 minutes. His time also stood as the meet record.
 
Read More: At GNAC Championships, Peterson Wins Mile, Sets Meet Record
 
February 27, 2014 – Women's Basketball – GNAC Regular-Season Champions
The women's basketball team claimed its first and only regular-season title, defeating the University of Alaska 104-77 to clinch the crown in the penultimate game of the regular season. MSUB went on to defeat Alaska Anchorage two nights later, completing a perfect 15-0 record in home games at Alterowitz Gym during the 2013-14 campaign
 
Read More: Women's Basketball Clinches GNAC Regular-Season Title
 
March 15, 2014 – Women's Basketball – 'Jackets Reach Sweet 16
Following their regular-season crown, the women's basketball team won its first two games at the regional championships, including a vengeful victory over Simon Fraser on March 15 to reach the west region title game. Though the 'Jackets fell narrowly to Cal Poly Pomona in the championship game, it went down as one of the best seasons in school history tying the program record with 25 victories.
 
Read More: 'Jackets Stifle Clan, Advance To Finals In West Region Tournament
 
May 9, 2014 – Women's Track & Field – Holm Wins Discus
Four years after Halvorson's discus title, Corrie Holm also achieved the feat with a throw of 143-4.0 feet to win the GNAC Outdoor Championships by more than five full feet.
 
Read More: After Day 1 At The GNAC, Holm Wins The Discus

May 10, 2014 – Men's Track & Field – Robinson Races To GNAC Title
Chase Robinson established a school record in the 1,500 meters, and claimed the GNAC Outdoor Championships title with a mark of 3:54.35 minutes in the event. That was enough to hold off second-place teammate Peterson by just 0.12 seconds, as the duo contributed significant points to the Yellowjackets' team score.
 
Read More: Robinson And Peterson Finish 1-2 at GNAC Championships
 
March 13, 2015 – Men's Track & Field – Peterson Participates in NCAA Championships
Robert Peterson became the first MSUB men's track and field athlete to compete at the national championships, taking 10th place in the indoor mile to narrowly miss out on a spot in the final heat.
 
Read More: Peterson Misses Cut By 1 At NCAA Championships
 
May 2, 2015 – Baseball – MSUB Claims First GNAC Championship
MSUB's first-ever baseball title came on the final day of the 2015 regular season, as the 'Jackets completed a four-game road sweep of Saint Martin's to hoist the first-ever trophy. The crown also gave MSUB hosting rights for the conference tournament, and marked the first of four titles to come over the next five seasons.
 
Read More: 'Jackets Win GNAC Regular Season Title, Set To Host Championships Next Week
 
May 4, 2015 – Men's Golf – Hedge Qualifies For Regional
Following in the footsteps of Huft, Jake Hedge became the second member of the MSUB men's golf team to qualify for the NCAA Regional Championships during the decade. Hedge wound up tied for 84th place over the course of the three-round event, standing as the last time a Yellowjacket competed on the regional stage.
 
Read More: Hedge Wraps Up Competition At NCAA Regionals Wednesday
 
February 19, 2016 – Men's Track & Field – DMR Wins GNAC Title
The distance medley relay squad of Robert Peterson, Landon Polkow, Josh Panasuk, and Liam McKay won the GNAC Indoor Championships title, running a school record time of 10:06.41 minutes to claim the crown.
 
Read More: MSUB Men's DMR Team Earns GNAC Title
 
February 20, 2016 – Men's Track & Field – Peterson Repeats In Mile
 
Making it two titles in two days, Peterson earned the second GNAC Indoor Championships mile title of his career, as he edged second-place David Ribich by 0.01 seconds at 4:10.13 minutes. Peterson also made his second trip to the NCAA Indoor Championships in the event, where he finished in 14th place in the preliminaries.
 
Read More: Peterson Wins Photo Finish In The Men's Mile For GNAC Title
 
March 4, 2016 – Women's Basketball – MSUB Reaches Title Game, Qualifies For NCAA Tourney
The Yellowjackets stunned No. 2 seed Western Washington with a thorough 78-60 triumph in the GNAC Championships semifinals, setting up their first-ever appearance in the tournament title game. Although the 'Jackets fell to No. 1 seed Alaska Anchorage, the two victories leading up to the championship game were good enough to lift MSUB into its second of three NCAA regional tournaments during the decade.
 
Read More: MSUB Advances To Championship With 78-60 Win Over WWU
 
May 7, 2016 – Baseball – 'Jackets Make It Back-To-Back Titles
Clinching back-to-back regular-season titles, MSUB's baseball team finished the season on a remarkable run of 11 wins in 12 games including six in-a-row to vault into first place. The 'Jackest also collected their first-ever conference tournament win, with a 10-2 triumph over Western Oregon in the championship opener.
 
Read More: Co-Champ MSUB Headed To Nampa For GNAC Tourney As No. 2 Seed
 
May 26, 2016 – Men's Track & Field – Peterson Races At NCAA Championships

Peterson qualified for the national championships again, this time competing in the 3,000-meter steeple chase. Peterson's illustrious MSUB career came to an end with a 13th-place finish in the event, posting a time of 9:12.45 minutes. His national championship performance came after he claimed the GNAC Outdoor Championships title in the event.
 
Read More: Lyle Advances To National Championship Final, Peterson Places 13th
 
February 18, 2017 – Men's Track & Field – Zook Wins GNAC Title
Sam Zook claimed his first GNAC title, racing to the crown in the 60-meters at the GNAC Indoor Championships. Zook posted a time of 6.90 seconds, to win by 0.04 seconds in the final heat.
 
Read More: Zook GNAC Champion In 60 Meters
 
May 13, 2017 – Men's Track & Field – Zook Wins 2 Titles
Zook followed his indoor crown with a pair of titles at the GNAC Outdoor Championships, claiming both the 100-meters and 200-meters. He also qualified for the NCAA Championships, where he finished in 12th place in the 100-meters to earn second-team All-American status.
 
Read More: Zook Leads Yellowjacket Track With 2 GNAC Titles
 
March 3, 2018 – Women's Basketball – 'Jackets Win First-Ever GNAC Tourney
MSUB officially punched its ticket to the NCAA tournament by way of beating Seattle Pacific 71-61 in the GNAC Championships title game. The win marked MSUB's first-ever tournament title in women's basketball, and set the stage for the championship run to continue for four more games into the Elite Eight.
 
Read More: MSUB Women Upend SPU 71-61 To Win GNAC Title
 
May 1, 2018 – Baseball – MSUB Earns Third GNAC Title
The baseball team's third regular-season title was clinched in the least dramatic fashion, as the Yellowjackets weren't even on the field when they officially became champions. Entering the final weekend of the regular season with a four-game lead in the conference standings, a midweek loss by Western Oregon was all MSUB needed to clinch the crown. The 'Jackets followed by knocking on the door of a tournament title and winning three of their first four games, but the Wolves emerged as the tournament champions in the title affair.
 
Read More: Senior Day Friday For GNAC Champion MSUB Baseball
 
May 11-12, 2018 – Men's Track & Field – Egeland's 2 Titles Highlight Championships
Jorey Egeland claimed the GNAC titles in both the 3,000-meter steeple chase and the 5k, which earned him the GNAC Performance of the Meet award at the GNAC Outdoor Championships. On the second day of the event, Beau Ackerman became a GNAC champion in the javelin, and MSUB's 4x100-meter relay squad of Kaelen Shay, Mason Schram, Lamont Frisby, and Zook raced to the team title.
 
Read More: Egeland, Ackerman, And Men's 4x100 Claim Titles At GNAC Championships
 
June 6, 2018 – Baseball – Cox, Johnson Selected In MLB Draft
Following their championship season, Adam Cox and Kaleo Johnson made history for the baseball team by being the first players ever selected in the Major League Baseball draft. Cox was picked in the 25th round by the Philadelphia Phillies, while Johnson was taken in the 32nd round by the Tampa Bay Rays.
 
Read More: Cox, Johnson Make History As First MLB Draft Picks For MSUB
 
May 11, 2019 – Men's Track & Field – 'Jackets Win 3 GNAC Titles
Isaiah Girard won the high jump, Zook repeated in the 100-meters, and MSUB's 4x100-meter relay team also repeated as GNAC champions at the outdoor meet.
 
Read More: Girard, Zook, And Men's 4x100 Claim Titles At GNAC Championships
   

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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.