Montana State University Billings Athletics

January 13, 2016 
As we reach the midway point in the 2015-16 academic year, men’s and women’s basketball season is into full swing and spring sports are right around the corner.

We are beyond excited to be hosting the ROOT SPORTS GNAC Game of the Week on Feb. 11, when our Yellowjacket women welcome Western Oregon University to Alterowitz Gym for the first-ever MSUB home game on one of the region’s sports leaders. The opportunity to host a game on this platform is a tremendous chance for exposure for MSUB Athletics and the university as a whole, and we are excited for our women’s basketball student-athletes to have the chance to perform on this stage.

As fall sports concluded in November, we witnessed strong seasons by both our men’s and women’s soccer teams. The Yellowjacket women made a run into the GNAC Championships for the second year in-a-row and third time in the last four seasons overall. On the men’s side, the ‘Jackets had their first winning season since 2012 and made a push upwards in the conference standings.

I’d like to personally recognize soccer standouts Ricardo Palomino, Cameron Lee, and Katlyn Lokay, who each made outstanding contributions to their programs and our university in the fall. Ricardo led the GNAC and west region in scoring, and was our first men’s soccer all-region selection since 2012. Cameron and Katlyn put the finishing touches on stellar four-year careers, as each of them played in 70 matches for their respective teams. These two have also done an outstanding job as our SAAC leaders, with Cameron being the president and Katlyn serving as vice president.
As focus shifts to the upcoming spring sports season, we look on with anticipation to one of our most exciting events of the year with the MSUB Hall of Fame and Distinction Induction Ceremony. This year’s event, scheduled for Friday, Jan. 22 at the Hilton Garden Inn, will recognize three outstanding former Yellowjackets who will be enshrined with the all-time greats.

Sam Charles (men’s soccer), Troy Truvillion (men’s basketball), and Ali Watson (volleyball), will each take their place among Yellowjacket legends as we honor their careers and legacies at MSUB.

Less than two weeks later, we will officially kick off the 2016 softball season with the seventh-annual Desert Stinger Classic in Las Vegas. Continuing to host one of the premier softball tournaments in the nation at the Division II level is something we are proud of, and we look forward to welcoming another highly competitive field of teams from the west region.

The Yellowjacket baseball team, coming off its first-ever GNAC title in 2015, will begin its season on Feb. 12 as we look to defend and build upon our championship run from a season ago.

Spring also marks the beginning of men’s and women’s golf, and the continuation of men’s and women’s track and field with the transition from the indoor season to outdoor.

Above all else, our mission has been to support our student-athletes in every way possible, and ensure they have the best possible experience during their time at MSUB. This would not be possible without the generous donations and support we receive from the local community in Billings and beyond. Attached here is our 2015-16 Booster Club Brochure, which provides an opportunity for you to help support the incredible student-athletes we have here at MSUB.

2015-16 MSUB Booster Club Brochure

It is easier than ever to follow our events live through our Stretch Internet portal, and we hope you’ll continue to follow along with the progress of our teams throughout the spring.
Thank you as always for your generous support, and Go Yellowjackets!

June 16, 2015

Another incredibly busy and exciting academic year is officially in the books, and I am excited to reflect on all that Yellowjacket Athletics accomplished during the 2014-15 season. We had conference champions in baseball and softball, three individual All-Americans, and had the distinct opportunity to host major conference and regional championship events throughout the year.

I would first like to recognize MSUB's three All-American student-athletes, Brody Miller (baseball), Kayleen Goggins (women's basketball), and Robert Peterson (track & field). These three individuals have represented what it truly means to be a Yellowjacket, and we as a department know that their well-deserved accomplishments will be long remembered and used as inspiration for athletes in generations to come. 

I would also like to congratulate two of our most outstanding students, Renae Hepfner (women's cross country), and Annie DePuydt (women's basketball). Renae was the recipient of the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, as she begins her journey towards becoming a doctor this fall at Pacific Northwest University. Annie, a four-year letterwinner on our women's basketball team, graduated from MSUB summa cum laude with a perfect 4.00 grade point average. Each of these young women have set an impressive standard for MSUB student-athletes and have displayed what it truly means to compete in collegiate athletics.
Along with the academic achievements of Annie and Renae, I am proud of our collective body of student-athletes who maintained a grade point average north of 3.00 as a whole again this year.

Most recently, the MSUB softball team clinched a berth in the NCAA Division II West Region Championships after winning the GNAC Championships. The Yellowjackets finished as the runners up in the west region, completing one of the best seasons in program history.

Also having a successful spring was the MSUB baseball team, which won the GNAC regular season title after being victorious in 20 of its final 25 conference games. The regular season title clinched hosting rights for the conference tournament, as the GNAC Championships were played right here at Dehler Park in Billings. Yellowjacket head coach Rob Bishop was the GNAC Coach of the Year, and Brody Miller not only earned GNAC Player of the Year for the second season in a row, but was picked as the GNAC Male Athlete of the Year in all sports, a tremendous accomplishment.

Our women's soccer team also had a tremendous season in the fall, finishing 11-4-2 overall as the runners up in the GNAC and returning to the conference tournament. We were proud to see the conference recognize head coach Wojtek Krakowiak as the GNAC co-Coach of the Year.
 

After a conference-wide bidding process last year, MSUB won the right to host this year's GNAC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships, which ran March 4-7 on our home court of Alterowitz Gymnasium. It was a true honor to host the conference's signature championships, and we as a department were excited to welcome the student-athletes from across the league to our home to compete.

We also had the chance to host the NCAA Division II West Region Cross Country Championships, which occurred Nov. 22, 2014 at Amend Park in Billings. Like hosting the GNAC Basketball Championships, the cross country regionals was an excellent opportunity to showcase our wonderful city on a regional scale. We would like to extend a special thank you to the wonderful people at Visit Billings, who served as a crucial resource to us throughout all of our hosting opportunities throughout the year.

Along with the special championship events we hosted this year, we had several regular events on the calendar as well that were greatly successful. Our fall dinner auction and spring golf tournament combined raised more than $50,000 in scholarships for our student-athletes, and we are thankful to all of our wonderful donors and sponsors who continue to support our student-athletes year-in and year-out. 

We had two outstanding former student-athletes inducted into the MSUB Hall of Fame and Distinction in February, as former volleyball star Natalie Bills and women's basketball standout Alira Carpenter were each

inducted. More awards were handed out at our third annual Chi Alpha Sigma National Honor Society ceremony in April, as well as at the third annual Buzzie Awards later in the month. The Chi Alpha Sigma National Honor Society recognizes students who maintain a grade point average of 3.40 or higher while also competing on a varsity team, while the Buzzies honor the top athletic performances by our student-athletes and teams throughout the year.

Our student-athletes and teams dedicated more than 1,000 hours giving back to the local Billings community throughout the year and committed to much more than their work on the field and in the classroom. I would like to extend special recognition to the MSUB men's soccer team, which adopted local 6-year-old Sebastien Easton onto the team through the Team IMPACT program. Sebastien is currently battling cancer, and through the support of the Yellowjackets, he has been encouraged throughout his fight and warmly embraced by the entire team.

In May, we welcomed students from Sandstone Elementary School to our campus for our first community engagement activity of the year. More than 80 fifth graders spent time with our coaches and staff learning fundamental skills and participating in games and activities throughout the day.

Our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee contributed $500 to the Make-A-Wish foundation through its strong fundraising effort at home basketball games. I would like to thank senior Aubrey Conceicao (softball) who did an excellent job as our SAAC president this year, and am looking forward to the leadership of Cameron Lee (men’s soccer) for next year’s SAAC.
In addition to all of our hosting opportunities and athletic accomplishments during the year, we as a department have also had the exciting chance to work with Strategic Edge, LLC in order to prepare a strategic plan for Yellowjacket Athletics. The end goal of our work with Strategic Edge is to identify our department’s mission statement, and ensure that we are serving our student-athletes to the best of our abilities. I would like to thank those who have participated in public discussions and who have taken the time to provide us with data through surveys as we continue this exciting process.

Lastly, I would like to thank all of the outstanding fans and local families who support Yellowjacket Athletics throughout the year by attending our events, as well as all of our corporate sponsors and financial supporters. Game environment is an important initiative for us as a department and we rely on all of your support to continue to make MSUB a unique and special setting for our student-athletes to compete within. We would not be Yellowjacket Athletics without the support from each and every one of you.

We are already looking forward to the 2015-16 year, and are excited for what lies ahead for MSUB Sports.

Go Yellowjackets!

September 1, 2014

Dear Yellowjacket family, friends, and fans,

It is my distinct honor to welcome all of you to another season of athletics here at Montana State University Billings. With the success of our teams both on the court and in the classroom during the 2013-14 academic year, I could not be more excited for the beginning of what promises to be another outstanding year.

I am especially proud of our student-athletes for attaining a collective grade point average just north of 3.0 as a department a season ago. Our students’ abilities in the classroom and on the court reflect who they are as individuals and we are proud of the growth and development they continue to display.

This coming year, our department has the privilege of hosting two major championship events for the first time ever. In November, the NCAA Division II West Regional cross-country championships will be held at Amend Park in Billings, with 32 men’s and women’s teams from across the region participating in the races.

In March, 2015, MSUB will welcome the Great Northwest Athletic Conference men’s and women’s basketball championship tournaments to Alterowitz Gym, marking the first time in conference history that the tournaments have moved east of Washington. 

Opportunities to host events such as these provide us in the athletics department a chance to serve as ambassadors for our university, and I personally could not be more excited to welcome these signature events to our wonderful community. 

Part of our mission as a department is to strive for the continual growth, improvement, and development of our student-athletes as individuals. I am proud of the citizens that our student-athletes develop into during their time as Yellowjackets, and am once again thrilled to witness their extraordinary contributions to our teams and the Billings community again this year.

Here’s to another outstanding year of MSUB athletics, and I am looking forward to seeing you on our campus throughout the 2014-15 academic year.


Sincerely,

Krista Montague

Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
Montana State University Billings
www.msubsports.com

September 13, 2012

Greetings Friends of MSUB Sports:

At Montana State University Billings, our coaches take their leadership roles in helping young men and women develop academically, athletically, personally, and socially in a sincere and serious manner. We use the following “Definition of a Yellowjacket” as a guide to help us forge ahead in this balanced, more-than-just-winning-a-game manner:

DEFINITION OF A YELLOWJACKET

A Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket is a male or female student-athlete who:

Is committed to seeking excellence in everything he or she attempts,

Is serious about his or her academic achievement and seeks to maintain a grade point average above 3.0,

Is proud to represent MSUB, his or her team, and himself or herself,

Is willing to put forth a total and dedicated effort at all times for his or her team,

Is a leader on and off the court, field, or course,

Is willing to help his or her teammates be the best they can be,

Is unselfish, positive, and optimistic and helps others to be likewise,

Is willing to serve the campus and community in meaningful ways,

Is consistently honest and ethical,

Is willing to obey rules and follow his or her coaches’ directions,

Is willing to focus on a purpose and attempt to accomplish challenging goals,

Is self-motivated and committed to achieving success,

Is tenacious, hard-working, and committed,

Is confident, yet humble and composed,

Is willing to promote the university’s academic and athletic programs,

Consistently demonstrates good sportsmanship by playing within the letter and spirit of the rules of the game, and

Realizes that he or she is a role model for young children and others by virtue of being an intercollegiate student-athlete and takes the obligation seriously 24 hours a day.

The entire staff of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at MSUB is dedicated to doing everything they can to help Yellowjacket student-athletes enjoy positive and successful academic, athletic, and social experiences at MSUB. Athletics staff members take their leadership roles and responsibilities very seriously; they strive to help Yellowjacket student-athletes in each of the above areas in a sincere and caring manner. Intercollegiate athletics are not an end in themselves; they are a means to an end…and that end is helping young men and women reach their broad and balanced potentials in life.

Yellowjacket Athletics: Providing Access to Academic Achievement and the Pursuit of Athletic Excellence Since 1927.

Krista Montague, Interim Athletics Director