BILLINGS, Mont. – Two Montana State University Billings women's track and field school records fell on Friday afternoon, as the team successfully kicked off its 2021 outdoor season on the MSU Billings campus and at Lockwood High School.
 
Taylor Stringari broke the school record in the hammer throw, winning her heat with a toss of 153-6 feet. Making her outdoor debut for the Yellowjackets, Jordan Cookman broke the school record in the javelin with a throw of 123-7 feet.
 
"That was a record I have been chasing for a few years now, and for everything to come together today was more than I could have asked for," Stringari said. "I honestly couldn't have done it without my amazing coach and teammates, so I owe them a lot after today. I'm excited to keep pushing myself and to see what I'm capable of in the coming weeks leading up to conference."
 
Stringari surpassed the previous mark of 149-2 feet, set by Anica Knispel during the 2012 season, by nearly four full feet. Cookman's record-breaking javelin toss meanwhile was also nearly four full feet farther than the previous record of 119-9 feet, set by Courtney Henry in 2014.
 
Joleen Pollat had a strong showing for the throws squad in her outdoor debut, winning the shot put with a toss of 38-10.5 feet while taking second in the discus at 99-3 feet. Pollat's shot put throw was the seventh-best in school history, and she also participated in the javelin with a mark of 86-5 feet. Grace Jones meanwhile took second in the shot put at 35-7.75 feet, and finished third in the hammer throw at 110-8 feet.
 
On the men's side in the throws department, Beau Ackerman launched the second-farthest javelin throw among NCAA D2 athletes so far this season with a toss of 220-7 feet for a provisional qualifying mark. It was Ackerman's fourth-best distance as a college athlete and the fourth-best throw ever by a Yellowjacket.
 
Coen Guisti had a notable outdoor debut as he won both the discus and hammer throw. His toss of 140-4 feet in the hammer throw ranked him at No. 5 on the Yellowjacket all-time list in the event. Payden Lynn also made his way into a top-10 list, as his javelin throw of 184-6 feet ranked fifth in school history.
 
Mason Schram opened up his spring season by winning the 100-meters among a field of seven competitors, posting a time of 11.22 seconds. Rahkei Eyer was a close second at 11.55 seconds, while Isaiah Girard and Lucas Harper each also ran the event. Schram, Eyer, Harper, and Lynn teamed up to win the 4x100-meter relay heat with a time of 43.18 seconds.
 
Girard, MSUB's record holder in the high jump, started his senior campaign with a leap of 6-5 feet in the high jump and added a mark of 19-11.75 feet in the long jump. Newcomer Bryce Olson won the long jump, posting a leap of 20-5.25 feet while Lynn took third at 19-11.5 feet.
 
Kailee Stoppel posted a personal best on Friday, with a mark of 5:07.71 minutes in the 1,500-meters. Stoppel also ran a leg for the Yellowjackets on the 4x400-meter relay unit. Ally Whitmer made her MSUB outdoor debut on Friday, and was close behind Stoppel with a time of 5:15.91 minutes in the 1,500 meters.
 
Journey Erickson, who made her collegiate debut in women's triathlon last week, competed in the 1,500-meters and finished in 11th place with a time of 5:25.41 minutes. Among the men's distance runners, Ase Ackerman, Logan Straus, and Carson Jessop led the way. Ackerman took third in the 1,500-meters at 4:10.02 minutes, while Straus finished fourth in the event with a time of 4:14.64 minutes.
 
Cody Welsh made his MSUB outdoor debut and won the 110-meter hurdles in a time of 17.80 seconds, while Carson Ullmer took second in the event at 18.51 seconds.
 
Kendall Lynn had a busy outdoor debut for the 'Jackets, as the freshman competed in the 100-meter hurdles, long jump, and 4x100-meters. Kaitlin Mason won her heat in the 100-meters with a time of 13.30 seconds, while also running a leg on the Yellowjackets' 4x100-meter relay squad.
 
Michaela Johnson and Emmah Baughman joined Lynn and Mason on the 4x100-meter relay squad, as the foursome posted a time of 52.47 seconds to edge Rocky Mountain College by 0.31 seconds. The 4x400-meter relay team of Sierra Durbin, Marley Glessner, Stoppel, and Whitmer also narrowly won its race with a time of 4:33.29 minutes to top Rocky by 0.34 seconds.
 
THE BUZZ: Stringari was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Athlete of the Day.
 
NEXT UP: MSUB is next in action at the Black Hills State Yellow Jacket Spring Open on March 27 in Spearfish, South Dakota.