Jacket Runners Start Season in South Dakota (9/8/05)

BILLINGS, MT – The high altitude training camp and the individual time trials are over.  The Montana State-Billings cross-country teams will begin their season this weekend at the South Dakota Tech Invitational in Rapid City at 10:00 a.m.

“The men’s team looks much improved over last year, and the women’s team needs to step it up a bit,” said Yellowjacket head coach Dave Coppock.

The Lady Jackets are in a rebuilding year after placing second at the Pacific West Conference Championships last year.  They graduated three all-conference runners from that team in Heidi Robertson, Sarah Lord, and Chelsea Lynnes.  The top two runners at this week’s time trial were new to the program this year.  The top returning runner at the time trial was junior Tiffany Piplica (Riverton, WY).

“The women’s team will be rebuilding after graduating last season’s top three,” said Coppock who is in his seventeenth season.  “However, Susan Kocab (Fr., Billings, MT) looks very strong for this early and has filled in one of those spots.  The freshmen are running a little closer and showing more depth than last year’s top seven and should move up with a little more training and experience.  I think they ran a little tentative in this early time trial and should break out more when it comes time to race.”

The Yellowjacket men will again feature a five-man roster.  Junior Sam Hartpence (Custer, SD) is the top returning runner.  He was the Jackets’ top finisher at last year’s PacWest Championships, placing seventeenth. 

“Sam Hartpence ran a comfortable and even-paced 28:45 over the 5 mile course at the time trial,” said Coppock.  “He was followed by Matt Roseberry, Joe Kragt, Jarred Rensvold and Andy Zoeller.  Hartpence put in a lot of mileage this summer and has made a huge jump in performance over last year.”

The Yellowjackets are scheduled to run in four races before the Heartland Conference Championships on October 22 in Dallas.  Between the conference championships and the NCAA regional, MSU Billings will host its annual Yellowjacket Invitational on October 29.

Yellowjacket Time Trial

Women’s 3 mile
1. Susan Kocab            19:55
2. Cierra Dornfeld        21:45
3. Tiffany Piplica           21:51
4. Diana Davis              22:01
5. Kristy Burns 22:05
6. Jenna Haag               22:27
7. Kym Island               23:04
8. Tracie Overberg       23:21
9. Colleen Dalimata      23:39
10. Kisa Kron              25:03
11. Erin Gannon           25:34 

Men’s 5 mile
1. Sam Hartpence         28:45
2. Matt Roseberry        30:28
3. Joe Kragt                 30:37
4. Jarred Rensvold        31:27
5. Andy Zoeller            33:49

2005 Schedule
Sept. 10 – at South Dakota Tech Invitational
Sept. 16 – at Dickinson State Invitational
Oct. 1 – at Rocky Mountain Shootout (Univ. of Colorado)
Oct. 8 – at Idaho State Invitational
Oct. 22 – at Heartland Conference Championships (Dallas Baptist)
Oct. 29 – Yellowjacket Invitational
Nov. 5 – NCAA South Central Regional