BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings track & field teams continued their strong spring outdoor season at home on Sunday at the Yellowjacket/Battlin' Bears Dual, with both the men's and women's teams collecting strong finishes while competing head-to-head against Rocky Mountain College.
 
Highlighting the top performances at the meet for the Yellowjackets would be Rae Smart, who would best her own MSUB school records she set just last week in the shot put and javelin, taking first place in both events, while also hitting NCAA DII Provisional Qualifying marks in both events. Smart's 14.95m (49' 0.75") shot put mark would jump the freshman into first place in the GNAC this season in the event, along with seventh in the conference's history, while ranking eighth in the entirety of Division II this season. Meanwhile, her mark of 43.98m (144' 3") in the javelin ranks third in the conference this season, while also jumping Smart to 26^th in the nation in the event.
 
The freshman wouldn't be the only Yellowjacket to break program history at the meet, with Nolan Evenson breaking the MSUB school record in the high jump, with his mark of 4.50m (14' 9") breaking the school record previously set by Cole Campbell in 2014. Evenson, another standout freshman for MSUB this season, would best the previous school mark by .10 meters, finishing third place in the meet. Evenson would also place third in the long jump with a mark of 6.43m (21' 1.25").
 
MSUB would see two more of it's athletes collect top 100 marks in Division II this season at the meet. Sean Zimmer would take a giant PR in the javelin, with his 58.90m (193' 3") mark placing first at the meet. Zimmer would climb to a tie for third place in the Yellowjacket's record books for the event, while placing 63^rd in DII this season. Zimmer would also throw a PR in the discus with a mark of 41.65m (136' 8") taking fourth amongst the competition. Meanwhile, Cort Sandefur would take second in the hammer throw with a PR mark of 52.42m (172' 0"), climbing to third all-time in MSUB's record book and tying for 98^th in the nation. Both would excel in other events as well, with Zimmer throwing 41.65m (136' 8") and placing fourth in the discus, while Sandefur placed third in both the shot put and discus, throwing 13.19m (43' 3.25") and 42.97m (172' 0") in each event respectively.
 
Behind them, a number of other Yellowjackets would earn strong marks at the meet. For the men on the track, JayCee Herbert would take first place in the 200m with a time of 22.52, while placing second in the 100m at 11.28. Aidan Johnson would finish third in the 100m with a season best 11.33 just behind Herbert. In the 400m, Brock Grossman would continue a streak of PRs with a time of 50.51, while Bruce Reed would set a season best in the 800m with a time of 2:11.09, both taking second place at the meet. For MSUB's men in the throws, Braedon Ferris would place first overall in the discus with an effort of 45.84m (45.84m (150' 5") to lead the pack, while Kody Biggs and Kane Olsen would each PR in hammer throw, with Biggs throwing 48.17m (158' 0") to place fourth, and Olsen placing fifth with a mark of 44.12m (144' 9").
 
For the Yellowjacket women, Bella Klein would set a pair of PRs in the 100m and 200m, finishing in second in the 100m with a time of 12.75 before clocking a 25.81 in the 200m. She would lead a stretch of PR and season best marks in the sprints, with Katie Sheridan running a season best 13.73 in the 100m to place fifth, and Kinley Wieland running a PR 17.03 in the 100m hurdles to place second. In the 400m, Micah Strong would lead the pack with a time of 58.17, while Laila Christiansen would PR with a time of 1:03.29. In the 1500m, a pair of PR marks from Gracyn Rock and 5:08.93 and Chloe Shennum with a time of 5:13.94 would see the duo take first and second.
 
In the field events, Hannah Cooper would grab a pair of first place finishes, leading in discus with a season best 41.21m (135' 2") throw, and winning hammer with a mark of 49.40m (162' 1"). Cooper would also take second place in the javelin with a throw of 38.95m (127' 9"). Jaida Green would take second in hammer throw, with her mark of 48.12m (157' 10") just narrowly missing her PR.
 
THE BUZZ: Smart and Zimmer were named the Intermountain Health Athletes of the Meet.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets return to action in their final tune up before conference tournament action, heading over to Missoula, MT to take part in the Montana Open, hosted by University of Montana. The meet is scheduled to take place over April 24-25 at Dornblaser Field. Meet information will be available on the men's and women's team schedule pages.