Yellowjackets Hit Stride at Montana Open

Men's Results
Women's Results
Photos (Courtesy of Kurt Blomback)

MISSOULA, Mont. – As the season has worn on, the Montana State Billings track and field team has found great success in each meet they compete in. The Yellowjackets set five new school records and had seven athletes reach provisional marks for the GNAC Outdoor Championships and one reach an automatic qualifying mark.

Tyson Vanderby set a new school mark in the 800 meter run with a time of 1:56.61, placing third in the event overall. On the women’s side, Erika Halle again broke her 200 meter sprint record in a time of 25.44. Halle also broke a 32 year old record in the 400 meter run, setting a new time of 59.51, breaking the record formally held by Tessa Sundheim. Other records broken were by Sarah Jackson in the 800 meter run (2:16.79) and the 4x400 relay team of Jackson, Halle, Whitney Mickelsen and Justin Simons (4:11.00).

Reaching qualifying marks on the men’s side were Vanderby in the 800 meter run, Taylor Canfield in the steeplechase, Tanner Rottrup in the shot put and Nick Wilson in the discus. For the women, Britney Derhak qualified in the 200 meter sprint, while Halle qualified in the 400 meters and Mary Owen qualified in the 5,000 meter run. Jackson automatically qualified in the 800 meter run with her time.

18 individual qualifying marks have now been set by the Yellowjacket women, while the men’s team has set nine marks along with Wilson’s automatic NCAA Nationals Meet mark in the javelin.