BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings track & field programs competed in their first outdoor meet of the season Saturday, co-hosting the Yellowjacket/Battlin' Bears Icebreaker Open at Lockwood High School Saturday.
 
It was a quality start to the outdoor season for the Yellowjackets, who had a number of athletes set new PRs and achieve top finishes to begin the outdoor season. Between the men's and women's teams, MSUB earned first place finishes in 15 different events. The Yellowjacket women finished in first place for team score at the meet with 193 points, while the men finished in second with a team score of 176.
 
On the men's side, Jaycee Herbert and Ben Ralston led the 'Jackets in the sprints, each trading first and second place finishes in the 100m and 200m. Herbert finished first in the 100m with a time of 10.90, with Ralston finishing in second behind him with a time of 10.97. The order would flip in the 200m, with Ralston winning with a time of 22.23 and Herbert coming in second with 22.58. Behind them, Ryen Sanders, Tyler Grenier, and Kaleb Scott would all earn PRs in the 100m, and Brock Grossman and Aidan Johnson would earn PRs in the 200m. Meanwhile, Lennon Davis would finish as MSUB's top finisher in the 800m with a time of 2:07.84, and Wyatt May out set a PR in the 1500m, with his time of 4:18.65 coming in sixth place. Further into the distance events, Will Hyatt would finish first in the 5000m, finishing with a time of 17:10.97.
 
In the men's field events, Isaac Perkins would achieve a pair of first place finishes. The junior would earn MSUB top finishes in the hammer throw with a mark of 52.57m (172' 5"), and in shot put with a mark of 14.35m (47' 1"). Behind him in the throws, Kody Biggs would finish in second place in the shot put with a best of 13.23m (43' 5"), while finishing third in the hammer throw with a mark of 44.26m (145' 2"). Cort Sandefur would finish in second in the hammer throw with a mark of 45.97m (150' 10"). Kody Cooper would be MSUB's top finisher in the weight throw with a mark of 49.52m (162' 5"), good enough for second place. In the jumping events, Payton Kokot would grab a first-place finish in the high jump with a leap of 1.85m (6' 0.75"), and second in the long jump with a mark of 6.88m (22' 7"). Goodness Okere would also stand out early in the jumps, finishing second in the triple jump with a best leap of 12.70m (41' 8"), along with a third-place mark in the high jump with a mark of 1.65m (5' 5").
 
For the women's team, Mya Richardson would finish in first place in the 200m with a time of 26.17, and second place in the 100m with a PR time of 12.48, moving into the top five marks in program history. Bella Klein would also earn a PR mark in the 100m with a time of 12.99 to finish in fourth place, before taking first place in the 400m with a mark of 59.52, setting a new PR. Kyanna Jarvis would finish in first place in the 100m hurdles with a time of 17.11 to enter the top ten in program history. Jarvis would also tie for second place in the high jump with a jump of 1.48m (4' 10.25"), and third in the long jump after leaping 4.86m (15' 11.5").
 
Continuing in the running events, Madeline Severson would take first place in the 1500m with a time of 5:04.70, and Cecily Eagleton would run her way to first place in the 5000m with a time of 19:40.97. Severson would also take second place in the 800m with a time of 2:26.13. Chloe Shennum would collect a PR time in the 1500m with a time of 5:28.31, and Toree Manning would finish with a PR time of 20:37.49 in the 5000m.
 
In the field, the 'Jackets would take first place in three throwing events. Mattea McColly would grab a top finish in the discus with a mark of 34.12m (111' 11"). She would also finish third in the hammer throw, helping the Yellowjackets claim all four of the top spots in the event. Jaida Green would grab first place with a throw of 45.99m (150' 10"), Hannah Cooper would finish second with a throw of 44.74m (146' 9"), and Isa Caballero would finish fourth with a time of 34.80m (114' 2"). Cooper would then take a first place finish in the shot put, with a PR effort of 12.45m (40' 10.25"), moving to fourth place in program history, while finishing tied for second in the high jump with a mark of 1.48m (4' 10.25"), and fourth in the javelin with a mark of 35.00m (114' 10"). Green would finish just behind Cooper in the shot put, with a second-place mark of 11.53m (37' 10"). And in the triple jump, Alyssa Sanchez would take first with a mark of 10.41m (34' 2").
 
THE BUZZ: Richardson and Perkins were named Intermountain Health Athletes of the Meet.
 
UP NEXT: MSUB will compete again at home once more next week, competing at Lockwood High School in the MSUB/RMC Open. Day one of the heptathlon/decathlon will begin on Friday, March 21, with those events concluding the following day, along with the rest of the meet. MSUB's seniors athletes will be recognized in between the 800m and the 400m hurdles.