BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings men's and women's track & field teams opened the 2025-26 indoor season on Thursday, competing alongside a number of Montana colleges at the Bobcat PReview in Bozeman.
 
With the majority of both teams in action, and a strong group of returners returning to competition alongside a promising group of newcomers, the Yellowjackets would set the tone for the year with a quality return to competition. Many Yellowjackets were able to come into the season and set quality marks, with a handful setting new PRs in their first taste of competition this season.
 
For MSUB's men, weight throw would be a highlight event for the squad, with a pair of collegiate PR marks from Kody Biggs and Kody Cooper. Biggs would throw a best mark of 16.42m (53' 10.50"), while Cooper would place 14^th with a throw of 15.03m (49' 3.75"). Biggs would move onto the finals where he would finish in sixth place, alongside Cort Sandefur, who would open his season with an eighth-place finish and a mark of 16.08m (52' 9.25"). Rounding out the Yellowjacket finishers in the event, freshman Kane Olsen and Sean Zimmer would both improve upon their previous high school bests in their first collegiate meet, with Olsen throwing a best mark of 13.84m (45' 5") and Zimmer earning a mark of 13.51m (44' 4").
 
Sandefur would also collect a PR on the day in shot put, where he would go on to lead all MSUB finishers with a tenth-place finish, posting a mark of 14.27m (46' 10"). Staying with the field events, the Yellowjacket men would see it's underclassmen excel, with freshmen coming in first in each jumping event. Johnnie Young would lead MSUB in both the triple jump, where his 13.22m (43' 4.5") result would take fourth place, and in the high jump, where his 1.85m (6' 0.75") leap would place seventh overall. Fellow freshman Ian Myers would take eighth in the high jump with a mark of 1.80m (5' 10.75"), while Goodness Okere would take sixth in the triple jump with a best mark of 12.60m (41' 4.25").
 
On the track, MSUB's runners would also start the season strong. Sprinter JayCee Herbert would lead MSUB in both the 100m, where he finished 17^th with a time of 7.10, and the 200m, where he narrowly missed out on a top three finish, taking fourth with a time of 22.79 seconds. Tyler Grenier would be MSUB's next highest finisher in the 100m, with the sophomore hitting a new PR time of 7.17 on his way to a 21^st place finish. Grenier would also post a solid 10^th place finish in the 200m with a time of 23.40, while teammate Ryen Sanders would finish just ahead of him in ninth with a time of 23.27. Rounding out the events, Brock Grossman would lead the 'Jackets efforts in the 400m, taking third with a time of 52.28, while Hunter Bailey would take third in the 800m to lead MSUB's racers, posting a time of 2:05.65.
 
For MSUB's women, freshmen Delainey Engen would take second place in the 200m with a time of 26.64 seconds, placing ahead of teammates Ava Graham in fourth with a mark of 28.43, and Kinley Wieland in fifth with a time of 29.28. Underclassmen would continue to stand out on the track as the distances got longer, with Laila Christansen taking second in the 400m with a time of 1:05.08, and Micah Strong taking second in the 800m with an impressive mark of 2:17.74 in her first collegiate meet. With seven MSUB women racing in the 5000m, senior Cecily Eagleton would lead the way with a time of 19:46.89, taking second overall. Narrowly behind her in third would come Sarah Eichmann with a time of 19:49.62, while fellow freshman Ally Coey would take fourth with a time of 20:02.11.
 
In the throwing events, Hannah Cooper would pick up where she left off following a dominant campaign last season, making the finals in weight throw and placing fifth with a mark of 16.00m (52' 6"). Behind her would be freshman Kelsey Carroll, who took 12^th with a mark of 13.51m (44' 4"). The two would swap finishing order in the shot put, with Carroll leading MSUB's finishers with a mark of 11.61m (38' 1.25") to finish tenth, while Cooper would be behind her narrowly in 12^th with a best throw of 11.39m (37' 4.5").
 
THE BUZZ: Micah Strong and Kody Biggs were named the Intermountain Health Athletes of the Meet.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets will pause competition over the holiday break, returning to action in 2026 when the team makes its way to Spearfish, SD to compete in the BHSU Indoor Meet, hosted by Black Hills State University on Saturday, January 17.