BILLINGS, Mont. –  Behind the all-time GNAC wins leader and a group of talented newcomers, the Montana State University Billings men's and women's golf teams are set to open the championship segment of their 2025-26 season.

With five tournaments ahead, including the GNAC Championships, MSUB men's and women's golf is ready to kick off the championship portion of their 2025-26 season. The men will open up at the Spring Bulldog Clash in Pawleys Island, SC on February 23^rd while the women will tee off at the Sapona Intercollegiate in Lexington, NC on March 2^nd.

Women's Golf
The Yellowjacket women enter the spring led by Orraya Tipasathien, one of the most decorated players in GNAC women's golf history. Tipasathien cemented her place atop the conference record books this fall by capturing her seventh career victory at the Briarwood Shootout, becoming the GNAC's all-time wins leader. She followed that performance with four top five finishes overall, including two tournament victories, while posting the second-best scoring average in the conference at 74.0.

As a team, MSUB recorded one victory and three top five finishes during the fall portion of the season, averaging 310 strokes per round. Currently ranked 20th in the NCAA West Region, the Yellowjackets will look to climb into the top 18 this spring to secure a spot at the NCAA West Regional.

"Jan has taken another step forward this year," said head coach Adam Buie. "Her short game and putting have improved tremendously, and statistically those areas are the best they've ever been. She's always had a sound swing, but now she's converting more chances. Already proven with her GNAC best seven career wins, when you combine that with her experience, she's a threat to win any event we play in."
 
 Tipasathien is joined near the top of the lineup by Ella Tannenberger, the 2024–25 GNAC Freshman of the Year. Tannenberger continued her upward trajectory during the fall, averaging 78.5 while   recording two top five finishes, highlighted by a second place showing at the Briarwood Shootout.
 
 "A 79.5 scoring average earned Ella Freshman of the Year honors last season, and she's already improved on that by a whole stroke this year," Buie said. "She shot  a 73 in some tough conditions at   Briarwood and has become a very consistent scorer in the 70s for us. Having Jan and Ella set the tone at the top gives us a lot of  stability."
 
 Transfer Kyleigh McGowen has also played a key role in MSUB's depth. The New Mexico Junior College product carries an 81.3 scoring average, ranking third on  the team, and has recorded four top 25 finishes, including a top 10 result, during her first fall with the Yellowjackets.
 
Competition for the final three spots in the starting five has been intense, with Hanna Boyd, Rachel Rerick, Hannah Adams, and Pygmy Kompoj separated by less than a stroke. Boyd finished her freshman fall strong, posting two rounds in the 70s and two top 10 finishes to end with an 81.9 average. Rerick has enjoyed one of the biggest improvements on the roster, trimming her scoring average by more than three strokes while setting new personal bests of 76 (18 holes) and 157 (36 holes). Adams and Kompoj, both experienced returners, sit just above an 82.0 average and will look to capitalize on their familiarity with the program this spring.
 
"It has been a battle all fall for those final spots," Buie said. "Kyleigh and Hanna Boyd have been immediate impact newcomers, Hannah Adams has shown what she can do and is looking to finish out her career on a high note, and Rachel has shown some flashes of high-quality play as well. We have multiple players capable of traveling and contributing, and if a few of them start consistently scoring in the 70s, this team has the potential to make a deep postseason run."
 
Men's Golf
The Yellowjacket men head into the spring portion of the 2024–25 season with one of the deepest rosters in the conference. Nine MSUB golfers averaged in the 70s during the fall, helping the team post a 302-scoring average and finish inside the top 10 at all five tournaments. That stretch included two second place finishes and a team victory at the Homestake Invitational.
 
Ryder Conner and Aubrey Kelley paced the lineup during the fall. Conner, a transfer from Chandler-Gilbert Community College, averaged 74.5 while recording three top 10 finishes in four tournaments, including a third-place finish at the Homestake Invitational. Kelley, a true freshman from Emigrant, Montana, made an immediate impact of his own, posting a 74.6 scoring average and finishing fifth twice.
 
"The men have been extremely competitive and very close all year," Buie said. "We've had a different starting five in every fall event, with nine different players earning those spots. The team has taken a hit with our number one scorer Ryder Conner out with a broken foot for the time being, but the roster is still deep and talented. We have a surplus of players averaging between 74 and 78 on any given day with the ability to shoot par or better and will be looking to our returning leadership throughout the spring."
 
While Conner is currently sidelined with a broken foot, the depth of the roster remains a strength. Kaopun Akmaneenin and Mark Pramounmat both averaged in the 76s during the fall. Akmaneenin showed one of the biggest jumps on the team, improving his scoring average by more than two strokes from last season. Pramounmat, a true freshman, recorded the team's best individual finish of the year by tying for second at the Marauder Invitational after opening with a tournament-low 69.
 
Also pushing for starting roles are Iowa Western transfer Bowdie Fox who boasted a 76.5 scoring average over the fall season, Pete Netrnilweerachot with a 77.3 scoring average, and Ryan Badger with a 78.8 scoring average, giving MSUB a lineup capable of adjusting week-to-week based on course and conditions.
 
"Our newcomers have all contributed in meaningful ways," Buie said. "Aubrey has been in every lineup and has really impressed us with his ball striking. Bowdie has already posted two under-par rounds and was named team captain after just one fall. Mark nearly won the Marauder Invitational, and Ryder was leading us with very consistent play before his injury."
 
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN (women)
March 2-3 | Sapona Intercollegiate | Lexington, NC | Sapona Golf Club
March 22-23 | Southern Colorado Open | Pueblo, CO | Walking Stick Golf Course
April 3-4 | Palm Valley Classic | Goodyear, AZ | Palm Valley Golf Club
April 13-14 | SD Mines Spring Hardrocker | Rapid City, SD | Golf Club at Red Rock
April 20-22 | GNAC Championships | Coeur d'Alene, ID | Coeur d'Alene Resort
 
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN (men)
Feb. 23-24 | Spring Bulldog Clash | Pawleys Island, SC | Caledonia Golf Club
March 6-7 | Sapona Intercollegiate | Lexington, NC | Sapona Golf Club
March 30-31 | The Sam Proal | Pueblo, CO | Pueblo Country Club
April 6-7 | RJGA Palm Valley Classic | Goodyear, AZ | Palm Valley Golf Club
April 20-22 | GNAC Championships | Coeur d'Alene, ID | Coeur d'Alene Resort
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjacket men will kick off their spring slate on February 23^rd at the Spring Bulldog Clash in Pawleys Island, SC, while the women will open up on March 7^th at the Sapona Intercollegiate in Lexington, NC.