MSUB SPORTS – Upon the conclusion of selecting the 13 Montana State University Billings all-decade teams for the 2010s, the Player of the Decade from each team was placed onto the all-decade Captains team.
 
The Players of the Decade were ranked 1-through-13 based on their achievements and contributions to both their team and the Yellowjacket athletic department as a whole. The Number 1 ranked athlete was selected as the athletic department's overall Player of the Decade.
 
The list also includes the selection of one Coach of the Decade, as well as an honorable mention list of other top achieving athletes worthy of recognition.
 

Day	Release
Monday, November 30, 2020	Players of the Decade #13-11
Tuesday, December 1, 2020	Players of the Decade #10-8
Wednesday, December 2, 2020	Players of the Decade #7-5
Thursday, December 3, 2020	Players of the Decade #4-2
Friday, December 4, 2020	Player of the Decade

 

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Rank	Name	Sport	Playing Years
#1	Bobbi Knudsen	Women's Basketball	2010-2014
#2	Brody Miller	Baseball	2012-2015
#3	Heather Tracy	Softball	2015-2018
#4	Robert Peterson	Men's Cross Country	2011-2015
#5	Sam Zook	Men's Track & Field	2014-2020
#6	Jaucelyn Richter	Women's Soccer	2009-2012
#7	Thomas Chameraud	Men's Soccer	2011-2012
#8	Della Lyle	Women's Track & Field	2015-2016
#9	Kalli Stanhope	Women's Golf	2008-2012
#10	Monica Grimsrud	Volleyball	2011-2014
#11	Marc Matthews	Men's Basketball	2012-2017
#12	Gage Huft	Men's Golf	2011-2014
#13	Whitney Mickelsen	Women's Cross Country	2010-2012

   
A three-time All-American and the 2014 GNAC Female Athlete of the Year, Knudsen's achievements during her career at MSUB are second-to-none. During her senior season in 2013-14, Knudsen led the Yellowjackets to their first and only GNAC regular-season title, and into the championship game at the NCAA D2 West Region Championships despite a roster that was short two starters. Voted the GNAC Player of the Year that season, Knudsen finished her career as the GNAC's all-time leader in both points and assists. Knudsen was inducted into the MSUB Athletics Hall of Fame & Distinction last February, in her first year eligible for the athletic department's top honor.
 
Read More: Women's Basketball All-Decade Team
 

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The most decorated player in Yellowjacket baseball history, Miller is the only one to be crowned GNAC Player of the Year twice and to receive multiple All-American accolades. In spite of the baseball program breaking most records after Miller's career ended over the last five seasons, his name still occupies the top spot in virtually every career offensive category. He is one of just two athletes in MSUB history to be named the GNAC Athlete of the Year, recognizing the top performing male and female athlete across all sports in the entire conference each season. Miller earned the honor after his senior year in 2015, when he delivered MSUB its first-ever conference title in baseball.
 
Read More: Baseball All-Decade Infielders
 

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Tracy re-wrote the MSUB softball record books during a one-of-a-kind four-year career on the diamond. Capping her career with All-American recognition in 2018, Tracy hit .488 in her final campaign and was named the GNAC Player of the Year. Tracy's .426 career batting average stands out among eight major all-time offensive records including most hits with 270. Tracy helped the 'Jackets reach the regional championship game during her freshman season, and went on to steal a program record 61 bases in her career.
 
Read More: Softball All-Decade Team
 

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Peterson is the top runner in program history, standing as the only athlete – male or female – to advance to the NCAA National Championships in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. Peterson left his mark on the program's cross country record books, holding the top times in both the 10k and 8k distances. Peterson was twice selected as the MSUB Male Athlete of the Year at the Buzzies, and was an all-region selection in cross country before going on to earn All-American status in track and field.
 
Read More: Men's Cross Country All-Decade Team
 

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The fastest to ever run at MSUB, Zook put the Yellowjackets' sprinting crew on the map when he earned second-team All-America honors as a sophomore in the spring of 2017. He is a five-time GNAC Champion, owner of five school records, and earned three all-region accolades during his career as well. Zook was also a member of the back-to-back GNAC Champion 4x100-meter relay squads in both 2018 and 2019.
 
Read More: Men's Track & Field All-Decade Team
 

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A four-year starter for her hometown university, Richter helped deliver the first and only NCAA regional playoff berth in school history. Not only that, but her team was victorious in the opening round of the NCAA tournament during the first year of the decade in the fall of 2010. Richter went on to score 28 goals and add 24 assists in her time as a Yellowjacket, with her 80 total points ranking her second in program history. She was a first-team all-region pick and a three-time first-team all-conference selection, while capping her career by earning academic All-American honors.
 
Read More: Women's Soccer All-Decade Team
 

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The current Yellowjacket head coach was the top player from the 2010s, earning all-region honors and captaining the 'Jackets to their best season of the decade in the fall of 2012. A rock in the midfield over his two seasons in the program, Chameraud is second in the program record books with 18 assists, with his 11 helpers during the 2012 campaign standing as the program's single-season record. Chameraud earned all-conference in each of his two seasons at MSUB, and was named the MSUB Male Athlete of the Year as a senior in the spring of 2013.
 
Read More: Men's Soccer All-Decade Team
 

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Lyle redefined what it meant to be a distance runner at MSUB in her lone season in the track and field program, establishing five school records and becoming the first and only All-American in program history in the process. In her one season on the track, Lyle set the school records for the 5k, 10k, and steeple chase. While she qualified for all three events at the 2016 NCAA Championships, Lyle elected to run in the steeple chase where she earned second-team All-America honors by finishing in ninth place. She was selected as the GNAC Newcomer of the Year.
 
Read More: Women's Track & Field All-Decade Team
 

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One of two Hall of Famers among the players of the decade, Stanhope set the standard for Yellowjacket women's golf during an illustrious four-year career. Although her top moment as a golfer did not occur during the 2010s decade, her trip to the NCAA Championships as an individual remains as the furthest advancement by any golfer – male or female – in school history. Stanhope was a four-year first-team all-conference golfer, and her career scoring average of 80.15 strokes per round ranks second in school history.
 
Read More: Women's Golf All-Decade Team
 

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Grimsrud accumulated 1,361 kills in her career, ranking her No. 3 in Yellowjacket volleyball history. The preeminent attacking player of the 2010s, Grimsrud was a force at the net as a four-year starter. She is the only player of the decade to earn all-conference honors in each of her four seasons, and she was the GNAC Freshman of the Year as well. In addition to being the volleyball Player of the Decade, Grimsrud competed on the Yellowjacket women's basketball team for four seasons and was an all-GNAC pick on the hardwood as well.
 
Read More: Volleyball All-Decade Team
 

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Nobody scored more points in the 2010s decade than Matthews, who earned the Men's Basketball Player of the Decade honor by virtue of both his 1,280 points and longevity as a five-year contributor to the Yellowjackets. Matthews' point total ranks him No. 10 in MSUB history, and he was also part of a pair of GNAC Championships qualifiers during his time at MSUB. Matthews made the seventh-most 3-pointers in school history (222), while playing in 110 games in his four seasons on the court.
 
Read More: Men's Basketball All-Decade Team
 

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The top-performing men's golfer during the 2010s, Huft not only qualified for an NCAA regional tournament but he finished in the top half of the field in the spring of 2013. Competing among a field of 108 golfers, Huft finished a respectable 44th as he put the Yellowjacket men's golf program on the map on a regional scale. His career scoring average of 74.78 strokes per round ranks fourth in school history, and he still holds the school record for single-round score with a 64.
 
Read More: Men's Golf All-Decade Team
 

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Mickelsen earned her spot on the all-decade captains team by consistently performing as the top women's cross country runner of the 2010s. She is the school record holder in the 5k, and overall her name appears in the cross country record books five times. She competed in three NCAA regional meets and three GNAC Championships as well.
 
Read More: Women's Cross Country All-Decade Team
 

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The lone MSUB coach to hold his position for the entirety of the 2010s decade, Woodin has also been the athletic department's most successful coach. His crowning moment came in 2018, when he led his team to the NCAA D2 West Region Championship title and into the NCAA Elite Eight for just the second time in school history. It was the third of three NCAA regional appearances during the decade, including the regional runner-up finish during Knudsen's senior year and another trip to the national tournament during the 2015-16 campaign.
 
The program's all-time wins leader, Woodin has amassed a record of 269-197 in his 16 full seasons as head coach, which is a winning percentage of .577. Aside from his successful leadership in women's basketball, the avid golfer spent two stints as interim head coach for the Yellowjacket golf teams, including guiding women's golf Player of the Decade Kalli Stanhope to the NCAA Championships during her freshman year in 2008-09.
 

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The all-decade team Player of the Decade list stipulates that only one athlete from each of MSUB's 13 individual sports programs may be selected. However, several other athletes are worthy of mention on the list based on outstanding achievement during their careers.
 
Alisha Breen, Women's Basketball, 2013-2018
For all intents and purposes, Breen is as good a selection as the athletic department's Player of the Decade as Knudsen. What is unquestionable is that Breen had the top individual season of any athlete in the decade, and likely in the history of Yellowjacket athletics. As a senior in 2017-18 she was a first-team All-American, the GNAC and NCAA D2 West Region Player of the Year, and broke 21 school and conference records. She scored the second-most points in the NCAA (791), breaking the MSUB and GNAC all-time scoring marks with 2,001 points in her career. She also captained the team to the NCAA west region title, as the 'Jackets advanced to the Elite Eight for just the second time in school history.
 
Read More: 20-For-20: Breaking Down The Best Season In GNAC WBB History
 

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Jorey Egeland, Men's Track & Field, 2014-2018
Much like in MSUB's women's basketball program, Egeland aligned nearly stride-for-stride with Zook within the men's track and field Athlete of the Decade conversation. Much like Breen, Egeland's senior season was one for the books and goes down as one of the best-ever performances by an MSUB athlete. After winning the GNAC Championships titles in both the 3,000-meter steeple chase and the 5k, the GNAC coaches voted Egeland the winner of the Performance of the Meet honor. He went on to finish in 11th place in the steeple chase at the NCAA Championships, earning second-team All-America status.
 

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Beau Ackerman, Men's Track & Field, 2015-2020
Ackerman joins Breen as the only other athlete during the decade to earn first-team All-American status for the 'Jackets. He did so at the 2018 NCAA Championships, where he finished in fifth place in the javelin on the national stage. He won the GNAC title in the event that season, and broke the school record with a throw of 226-10 feet which ranks him fourth in GNAC history. Ackerman still holds a season of eligibility, and will be back on the track for the 'Jackets when competition resumes.
 
Read More: Egeland, Ackerman And Men's 4x100 Claim Titles At GNAC Championships
 

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Kayleen Goggins, Women's Basketball, 2011-2015
The third All-American coached by Woodin during the decade, Goggins played an integral role on some of MSUB's most successful teams of the 2010s. She was a starter and key player during her junior year in 2013-14, helping lead the team to its only regular-season title and a trip to the Sweet 16. Goggins finished her career with 1,456 points, ranking her eighth in program history.
 
Read More: Goggins Capitalizes On Opportunity Of A Lifetime With 'Jackets
 

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Taylor Hoke, Softball, 2012-2015
The Yellowjacket softball team was among the athletic department's most successful during the first half of the decade, including the team's run to the regional championship game in 2015. Hoke was named the GNAC Player of the Year that season, helping pilot the Yellowjackets to their first and only GNAC Championships title and the deepest national tournament run in school history. Hoke is one of six Yellowjackets during the decade to earn a conference Player of the Year award.
 
Read More: Around The Horn: Shortstop Taylor Hoke
 

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Daniel Cipriano, Baseball, 2019-2020
Only one of Cipriano's seasons fell during the 2010s decade, but, like Breen, Tracy, and Egeland, it was one of the best individual campaigns the athletic department has ever seen. After being named the GNAC Player of the Year and breaking the school and conference single-season record for home runs, Cipriano was a consensus All-American as he was picked for the top honor by all three voting bodies in Division 2 baseball. Cipriano's unprecedented campaign helped lead the Yellowjackets to their first-ever GNAC Championships title and first-ever berth into the NCAA national tournament in the spring of 2019.
 
Read More: New Faces: Daniel Cipriano Among Most Feared Hitters In D2 Baseball
 

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Kaleo Johnson, Baseball, 2018
Preceding Cipriano's headline campaign was a comparable performance by Johnson in 2018, when he became the first player in GNAC history to win the conference's Triple Crown. Johnson broke the school record with 17 home runs before Cipriano surpassed it, and was also a consensus All-American during his lone season with the 'Jackets. Johnson made history on June 6, 2018, becoming the second player in MSUB history to be selected in the Major League Baseball player draft when he was picked by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 32nd round.
 
Read More: Cox, Johnson Make History As First MLB Draft Picks For MSUB
 

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Player	Sport	Seasons
Bobbi Knudsen	Women's Basketball	2012, 2013, 2014
Brody Miller	Baseball	2014, 2015
Beau Ackerman	Men's Track & Field	2018
Alisha Breen	Women's Basketball	2018
Daniel Cipriano	Baseball	2019
Jorey Egeland	Men's Track & Field	2018
Kayleen Goggins	Women's Basketball	2015
Kaleo Johnson	Baseball	2018
Della Lyle	Women's Track & Field	2016
Robert Peterson	Men's Track & Field	2015
Heather Tracy	Softball	2018
Sam Zook	Men's Track & Field	2017

Player	Sport	Seasons
Brody Miller	Baseball	2014, 2015
Alisha Breen	Women's Basketball	2018
Daniel Cipriano	Baseball	2019
Taylor Hoke	Softball	2015
Bobbi Knudsen	Women's Basketball	2014
Heather Tracy	Softball	2018

 

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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.