After being picked off at first base by the pitcher and being caught in a run-down between first and second, Pioneer Tyler Fayden leaps over Dawson first basemen Chad Berg. Fayden was safe on the play. Star photo by Steve Allison

Friday, May 9

Pioneers to host Dawson in Region IX Playoffs this weekend

By Josh Samuelson
The regular season is over, the conference tournament is already in the bag, and now the Miles Community College Pioneer baseball team begins the journey of reaching the World Series for a second straight year.
The road to Millington, Tenn., (home of the NJCAA D-II World Series) begins this weekend when the Pioneers will be hosting Dawson Community College in the Region IX Playoffs. The Playoffs are a best-of-three series between the two teams, the only two D-II teams in Region IX. The best-of-three series will be held at Denton Field, with two games on Saturday starting at 3 p.m., and the if-necessary game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Pioneers (37-15-1) have had another typically great season, with a few very big moments. They are ranked 15th in the latest NJCAA D-II poll, the first time a Pioneer baseball team has been ranked. And with their 23-5 win over Williston State in the MonDak Conference championship game, the Pioneers won their 300th game in program history. The rejuvenated baseball program at MCC has been around for eight seasons now and has a record of 300-122-1 (.709).
This season the Pioneers won the MonDak regular-season title for the eighth straight year, and last weekend claimed their seventh straight MonDak Conference Tournament title.
The Pioneers will face a tough test this weekend in arch rival Dawson. The Bucs and Pioneers have played in many memorable games over the past eight years, and this year has been no different.
Of the six games that the Pioneers and Bucs played so far this season, four have been decided by less than two runs, and two were won by the Pioneers in their final at-bat.
In a non-conference game at Denton Field earlier this season, Tyler Fayden hit a bases-loaded, two-run single in the bottom of the ninth to give the Pioneers a 5-4 win.
Two weeks later, in conference action, the Pioneers again loaded the bases. Down 2-1, Phil Perez hit an RBI single to tie the game, and two batters later, Fayden came through again, getting hit by a pitch to score the winning run.
The Pioneers won five of the six games against Dawson, with the lone loss coming after the Pioneers had clinched the regular-season title.
In the five games, the Pioneers outscored Dawson 36-24, with an average score of 6-4.
With winning five of the six games, the numbers are obviously in favor of the Pioneers.
The pitching staff has been dominant. They have held the Bucs to a .215 batting average in the six games and have posted a 2.64 ERA.
The Pioneers feature three pitchers who were named to the MonDak All-Conference team, including the MonDak player of the year in Kody Kennedy.
Kennedy, 9-1 on the year, had just one start against Dawson this season. He went seven innings, allowed two runs on one hit and struck out seven.
Sophomore Colby Tognetti had two starts against Dawson, allowing seven runs in 13 hits. He allowed eight hits and struck out 10. Fellow sophomore Andy Carlisle went six innings in two appearances, allowing seven runs on nine hits.
Freshman Jason Mattila had good success against Dawson. He saw 10 innings of work and allowed just five runs, only two earned, on four hits. He struck out 12, but walked seven.
Offensively, the Pioneers were solid. They hit .328 against Dawson, slightly better than the .317 the Pioneers are hitting as a team for the season.
Ryan Dennehy, a sophomore from Butte, has loved playing against Dawson. Last year he hit three home runs in one day against the Bucs, and that has carried into this season. The left-fielder is 11-19 in the six games, has driven in 10 runs and has three extra base hits.
Fellow all-conference player Brenton Orullian has also enjoyed his time against Dawson. The freshman from Utah is 8-24, has scored seven runs and has three extra base hits out of the leadoff spot.
Brian Dukart is 9-23 and has scored eight runs. Tyler Fayden, Matt Tracy and McCoy Worthington have all picked up at least six hits against Dawson this season.
The Bucs (22-18) had a similar start to their season as the Pioneers. MCC started the year 5-12-1 on their spring trip before returning to Montana. Dawson started the year with eight straight losses. Not counting the MC games, Dawson is 21-5 since returning to Glendive.
The Bucs did have a rough time at the MonDak Conference Tournament. They opened with a 5-4 loss to Williston State and then beat struggling Minot State- Bottineau 13-10. They ended with a 9-5 loss to Bismarck State.
The Bucs will likely go with Kevin BeBeau and Brady Zimmerman on the mound in the first two games. Each pitcher has pitched twice against the Pioneers, and each lost a game in the Pioneers’ final at-bat.
BeBeau has thrown 13 innings, allowed 11 runs on 15 hits. He has struck out five and walked 10 Pioneers.
Zimmerman also has allowed 11 runs in 14 innings on 17 hits. He’s struck out eight and walked five. He also leads the Bucs with five hits against the Pioneers.

BHS Mother's Day horse races to be held Sunday
Bucking Horse Sale 2008 will get kicked off this Sunday when the Bucking Horse Sale Mother’s Day Trials horse races will be held.
“The Mother’s Day Trials sets up the major stakes for the Bucking Horse Sale weekend,” Don Richard said. “The trials will be held for the BHS Futurities races.”
The first week’s races are set to start at 1 p.m. this Sunday afternoon at the Eastern Montana Fairgrounds. There are 10 or 11 races that are scheduled to be run, with 75 horses signed up. Horses will be coming from Montana, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota and Wyoming.
The Mother’s Day Trials have been run in conjunction with the Bucking Horse Sale for the last eight years, and attendance has been up in each of the last two seasons.
With costs of running horse races exploding, Miles City is now one of just three cities in Montana that feature horse racing. The others are Billings and Great Falls.
“We just want people to come out and enjoy the races,” Richard said. “The quarter-horse futurity has the most horses running, and it should be a great day at the races.”

Heisman award winner White to speak at Badlands Bowl
Heisman trophy winner Jason White will be the featured speaker at the 2008 Knights of Columbus Badlands Bowl banquet. The banquet is scheduled for June 20 at 6 p.m. at the Miles Community College Centra. The 2008 Badlands Bowl will be held June 21 at 6 p.m. at Denton Field. The game features all-star teams from Montana and North Dakota.
White won the 2003 Heisman Trophy award as a quarterback for Oklahoma University. That year he threw 40 touchdown passes and just eight interceptions. He also was named the Associated Press Player of the Year, a consensus All-American, the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, the Davey O’Brien Award winner and the Jim Thorpe Courage Award winner in 2003. He was also a Heisman Award finalist in 2004.
White suffered consecutive ACL tears in his knee and required surgeries on both knees during the 2001 and 2002 seasons.
He led Oklahoma to the national championship game in 2004, losing to Southern Cal 55-19. He finished his collegiate career as Oklahoma’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes.

Thursday, May 8

Lady Posse U12 Micro 2 wins all three games in Billings

For the Star
The Miles City Posse U12 Girls Micro team #2 headed to Billings this past weekend to participate in the Stockman Bank Magic City Classic. The Posse was slated to play two games on Saturday and one game on Sunday.
The Posse began the weekend competing against the Bozeman Avalanche on Saturday. Posse goalie Hannah Harris started out the game with a goalie save and Posse forward Amy Blaquiere scored the first goal of the weekend with a chip shot from the center that went over the goalie’s head.
Jessie Beard came back a minute later and scored with a shot that hit dead center in the goal. Alecia Chamberlin took two shots on goal and Kailey Todoroff and Joby Montgomery kept the Avalanche offense at bay. Harris had another goalie save and Chamberlin and Beard had two more shots on goal before Beard would tackle with the goalie but manage to chip the ball into the net. Montgomery took a shot on goal and Michael Roberts, Jaylen Henderson and Sara Zimmer fought off the oncoming offense. Blaquiere then took another shot and Beard came back and put another goal in from the right that crossed to the left side. Chamberlin finished the half with a nice goal from the left side that put the Posse up 5-0.
The next half, Tyra Fuhrman, Roberts and Beard mounted a insurmountable defensive wall that the Avalanche could not penetrate. Joby Montgomery took two shots on goal before she got by the goalie and scored for the Posse from the right side. Montgomery took two more shots on goal and Harris got two more goalie saves.
Beard moved back up on offense and got two shots on goal before Blaquiere took a chip shot from the eighteen that sailed right in over the goalie. Chamberlin then took another shot before Beard made a goal from the right and then less than a minute later made another shot from the center that ended the game with the Posse dominating 9-0.
The Posse then came up against a Magic City I team and they proved to be a challenge. Chamberlin took a shot on goal at the start then Harris made a goalie save. Beard took two shots goal and Chamberlin and Blaquiere each had one shot on goal when the Magic took possession of the ball.
The Magic offense came on strong and the Posse incurred a penalty that allowed the Magic to take a penalty shot. Posse goalie, Hannah Harris, kept her cool and stopped the shot that went airborne and a Magic player tried to head the ball as it came down but Harris made it a double play when she snatched the ball away and temporarily shut the Magic down.
She had two goalie saves and Chamberlin had a shot on goal right before the Magic scored. The Posse got fired up and Beard and Chamberlin each made a shot on goal and then Alecia Chamberlin got a breakaway up the left side and put the ball into the left corner to tie the game.
Fuhrman, Henderson and Todoroff each made a defensive save then Beard dribbled up the right side around two Magic defense and put the ball in the right corner to end the half 2-1.
The Posse were determined to keep their lead and Chamberlin took two shots and Harris had two goalie saves with an assist from Montgomery when Harris went down, Montgomery backed her up and sent the ball flying. Fuhrman made three defensive saves and Fuhrman and Roberts played excellent defense. Beard took the ball and proceeded to maneuver from right to left to right again past the Magic defense and had a beautiful goal. Harris then made a save and Beard and Montgomery each made a shot on goal. The Posse kept up the fight even after a Alecia Chamberlin was injured and unable to participate in the rest of the Classic. The Posse ended the game with their second win of 3-1.
Sunday brought the Posse up against a Wyoming team. The Posse defense came on strong with great moves by Sara Zimmer, Tyra Fuhrman and Michael Roberts.
Jessie Beard took control and made the first goal of the game with a nice bull’s-eye in the net. Beard and Miranda Boager made two more shots on goal and then Fuhrman was put to the test by Wyoming and made a collection of moves that stayed one step ahead of the offense.
Harris made three goalie saves and Fuhrman made another great defensive save. Zimmer made a defensive save right before goalie Harris would stop a opposition shot on goal with a solid double punch that sent the ball flying up and over the goal.
Midfielder Jaylen Henderson scrambled and continually kept the ball moving to the Posse offense. The Posse went into half time with the score 1-0.
The Posse had an amazing start the next half with Beard putting the ball into the net three minutes into the half. Wyoming would make their first goal thirty seconds later. Beard gained possession and out maneuvered the Wyoming defense and scored for the Posse three minutes later.
Blaquiere made a nice defensive save and Henderson moved the ball up to Beard who headed to the goal on a breakaway but was sandwiched by the Wyoming defense and awarded a penalty kick. First shot didn’t count and the do-over was high and wide.
Harris made two more saves and then Montgomery scored from the middle and drilled the left corner. Wyoming would retaliate with a goal of their own but it was too little too late and the Posse racked up their third and final win of the classic with the score 4-2.
Coach Julie Harris was pleased with the girls performance and excited that the girls worked so well as a team. Jessie Beard also won her age division in the Speed kick competition with a top speed of 45mph.

Six Pioneers named to MonDak team

For the Star
The MonDak Conference named their 2008 All-Conference Team at the conference tournament this past weekend. The Pioneers were well represented with six players named to the team, including this year’s conference player of the year.
Freshman pitcher Kody Kennedy (Butte) was named the Player-of-the-Year as he went 5-0 against the conference in his five starts. In his 32 innings of work, he allowed just three earned runs for a microscopic ERA of 0.66 for conference play.
Of the 117 batters he faced, Kennedy struck out 51 of them and the remaining hit just .061. He is averaging over 11 strikeouts per contest.
Other MCC pitchers to earn all-conference honors are sophomores Colby Tognetti (Lewistown) and Andy Carlisle (Rupert, ID).
Tognetti is a perfect 3-and-0 against the MonDak in just three starts. He has allowed just 10 hits in those games. His strikeout to walk ration is nearly 5-to-1 (19:4). Opponents are hitting just .149 against him.
Carlisle is 4-1 against the conference in his five starts. Two of them have been shutouts. He’s picked up 17 strike outs in Mon/Dak action.
All three of them have pitched three complete games.
Three Pioneers have also made the team for their work at the plate or in the field.
Sophomore outfielder Ryan Dennehy (Butte) has hit .447 against Mon/Dak pitchers. He’s picked up 21 hits, including four triples and a double, in his 47 at-bats. He’s the lone Pioneer to have both his slugging (.638) and on-base-(.534) percentages over .500 in conference action.
Dennehy has been walked eight times and hasn’t been struck out in conference action. He’s also picked up two stolen bases.
Freshman second baseman Brenton Orullian (Taylorsville, UT) earned the honors with the thanks of his .386 batting average and his seven stolen bases. He’s picked up 19 hits, including three doubles in conference action. He had hit safely in nine straight conference games, and 13 out of the 16 games.
In the field, Orullian has recorded 15 putouts and 35 assists. He went error-free in conference action in the field and turned three double plays.
Freshman infielder Tyler Fayden (Great Falls) also made the team. Fayden has seen action at both third and first base this season for MCC. He had 93 putouts and nine assists on the season, committing just one error for a .990 fielding percentage.
At the plate, Fayden is hitting .348 in conference action. He’s picked up 16 hits in 46 at-bats. Of his 16 hits, he’s hit three doubles and a pair of home runs, including a grandslam.
All three position players played in all 16 conference games, helping the Pioneers to a 14-2 conference record in Mon/Dak action.
Miles Community College just won the conference tournament this past weekend. They will be home this weekend to face Dawson Community College in a three-game series for the right to move on to the District playoff in Iowa. Saturdays doubleheader will begin at 3 p.m. at Denton Field in Miles City.

WMS track teams compete in Glendive

By Josh Samuelson
The Washington Middle School track and field teams competed last weekend in Glendive. The eighth-grade teams did well with the boys winning the meet and the girls finishing second. The WMS seventh-graders finished down in the standings.
The eighth-grade Broncos scored 39 points to win the meet in a tie with Plentywood. Glendive was third with 38 points.
The Broncos had two individual champions in the meet. Tyler Essex won the 200 meter dash with a time of 27.22 and Tyrel Hess won the shot put with a throw of 41’ 11.5”. Hess also placed third in the discus.
Koby Leidholt and Blake Hrubes each placed in two events. Leidholt was third in the 200 meter hurdles and fourth in the 110 meter hurdles. Hrubes was second in the 1600 meter run and third in the 800 meter run.
Cole Ryan placed third in the 1600 meter run and Dalton Reid was fourth in the 200 meter hurdles. The Bronco 1600 meter relay team placed third and the 400 meter relay was fourth.
The eighth-grade Broncettes finished a distant second to Glendive. Glendive ran away with the meet, scoring 76 points. The Broncettes scored 38 and Williston was third with 33.
Miranda Raper and Shawna Pratt each placed in three events with Raper picking up the lone individual championship.
Raper won the 1600 meter run with a time of 6:13.64, teammates Katie Lesh and Charli Moore finished second and third, respectively, in the race. Raper was also second in the 800 meter run and fourth in the long jump.
Pratt placed fourth in the 100 meter hurdles, fifth in the 200 meter hurdles and fifth in the 200 meter dash.
Kaylee Swope placed third in the long jump and fourth in the 200 meter hurdles. Katherine Keith was fourth in the pole vault and Ashlee Janitell was second in the high jump.
The relay teams also did well, placing third in the 400 meter relay and fifth in the 1600 meter relay.
The seventh-grade teams didn’t do as well. The Broncos placed 11th as a team with six points and the Broncettes scored just one.
Karl Fahrenbruck placed third in the discus for the seventh-grade Broncos and Devin Begger was third in the high jump. For the seventh-grade Broncettes, the 800 medley relay team placed fifth for the lone points.
The WMS teams will wrap up the season this weekend when they will host a meet tonight and hit the road this Saturday.
Eighth-Grade Boys
Team
Miles City 39, Plentywood 39, Glendive 38, Broadus 33, Williston 23, Sidney 19, Baker 18, Glasgow 10, Wolf Point 7, Terry 6, Forsyth 5, Ekalaka 3, Savage 1, Colstrip 0, Wibaux 0.
Individual
(Miles City placers)
110 Hurdles-Koby Leidholt,18.36, 4th.
1600 Meters- Blake Hrubes, 5:08.60, 2nd; Cole Ryan, 5:44.02, 3rd.
400 Relay- Miles City, 51.63, 4th.
200 Hurdles- Koby Leidholt, 30.49, 3rd; Dalton Reid, 31.58, 4th.
800 Meters- Blake Hrubes, 2:27.63, 3rd.
200 Meters- Tyler Essex, 27.22, 1st
1600 Relay- Miles City, 4:26.72, 3rd.
Shot Put- Tyrel Hess, 41’ 11.5”, 1st
Discus- Tyrel Hess, 108’ 10”, 3rd.
Seventh-Grade Boys
Team
Williston 56, Glendive 29, Sidney 28, Glasgow 23, Broadus 19, Forsyth 18, Terry 11, Wolf Point 10, Ekalaka 10, Colstrip 8, Miles City 6, Wibaux 6, Savage 5, Baker 4, Plentywood 2.
Individual
(Miles City placers)
Discus- Carl Fahrenbruck, 80’, 3rd.
High Jump- Devin Begger, 4’6”, 3rd.
Eighth-Grade Girls
Team
Glendive 76, Miles City 38, Williston 33, Glasgow 30, Savage 19, Sidney 12, Baker 8, Forsyth 7, Broadus 5, Colstrip 4, Plentywood 4, Wibaux 3, Wolf Point 1, Ekalaka 0, Terry 0.
Individual
(Miles City placers)
100 Hurdles- Shawna Pratt,18.03, 4th.
1600 Meters- Miranda Raper, 6:13.64, 1st; Katie Lesh, 6:16.64, 2nd; Charli Moore, 6:28.39, 3rd.
400 Relay- Miles City, 56:03, 3rd.
200 Hurdles- Kaylee Swope, 33.89, 4th; Shawna Pratt, 34:03, 5th.
800 Meters- Miranda Raper, 2:45.10, 2nd.
200 Meters- Shawna Pratt, 30.58, 5th
1600 Relay- Miles City, 4:53.56, 5th.
Long Jump- Kaylee Swope, 13’ 6”, 3rd; Miranda Raper, 13’ 3.75”, 4th.
High Jump- Ashlee Janitell, 4’ 7”, 2nd.
Seventh-Grade Girls
Team
Sidney 51, Glendive 35, Colstrip 28, Glasgow 19, Forsyth 17, Plentywood 16, Wibaux 14, Williston 14, Terry 12, Broadus 9, Baker 8, Wolf Point 7, Miles City 1, Ekalaka, 1, Savage 1.
Individual
(Miles City Placers)
800 Relay- Miles City, 2:27.22, 5th.

Dukart named MonDak Player of the Week

For the Star
Brian Dukart (Billings, MT) , a sophomore third baseman, from Miles Community College has been named Player of the Week. Brian helped MCC win the Mon-Dak Conference Tournament this past weekend. He was 6-10 (.600) including one triple, and eight runs batted in. His slugging percentage was .800 and had one stolen base.
Dukart is the second Pioneer (37-14-1 overall) to be named conference player-of-the-week. Tyler Fayden (Great Falls) earned the honor last month.
The Pioneers won the conference tournament with a win against Bismarck State and a pair of wins over Williston State, including a 23-5 victory in the championship game.

Wednesday, May 7

Lady Posse resemble Magnificent Seven in tie

For the Star
Billings was host to the Stockman Bank Magic City Classic Soccer Tournament this past weekend, and all the Miles City Posse teams fared well. The Girls U12 A Team had a special challenge Saturday night when they faced the U12 Storm from Sheridan, Wyo.
The Team A U12 Girls Posse faced a situation reminiscent of the 1960 Western film “The Magnificent Seven.” Seven men faced 100 banditos and overcame personal issues and overwhelming odds by working together.
Some of the Posse girls had a previously scheduled gymnastics event and were unable to stay for the second game of the day. U12 soccer is normally played 8 versus 8. The Posse had only seven girls to defend their goal against a team of 15 experienced players. The Posse also had no substitutes. The remaining seven girls faced their opponents, knowing it would be a tough game, but they had practiced hard and were ready to face the challenge.
The Posse won the coin toss and started the kickoff with strikers Tai Strohmayer and Brandi Loomis pushing the ball ahead. Midfielders Bailey McDowall, Emily Regan and Courtney Fenner moved up, and the Posse kept the ball moving on the Storm side of the field in the opening minutes. The Posse girls had to cover a lot of ground playing short, but they managed to keep pace and maintain control of the ball.
Tai Strohmayer pushed through the defense and broke her season-long slump by accurately placing the ball between the Sheridan goalkeeper and the goal post to put the Posse ahead 1-0 at the five-minute mark.
The Posse held its ground throughout the first half, preventing the Storm from scoring with tough defensive play ahead of the goal by Emily Regan and Tori Swope. Several strong shots on goal by the Storm were stopped with smart saves by keeper Beth Sutter.
With no one to sub in, the Posse alternated positions to allow brief rests. Courtney Fenner took over as goalie for much of the second half and stopped half a dozen attempts by the Storm. It was well into the second half that the warm weather, sunshine and fatigue began to take their toll on the seven Posse players. The Storm pushed through the defense and faced the goalie with three players. Goal keeper Courtney Fenner charged the ball, but a quick side pass gave the Storm its only point in the game.
The Team A U12G Posse held on for the remainder of the game as it ended in a tie, 1-1. Coach Chad Sutter was inspired by the commitment and effort of the seven girls and dubbed them his Magnificent Seven. Coach Trujillo and the players of the Sheridan Storm were awed by the performance and provided an appreciation cheer for the Posse following the game.
The girls won their first game and tied their last with a roster that included Makena Ellingson, Reba Pierson and Catherine Nalewaja. Meghan Brence was unable to attend the tournament due to the loss of a family member, and her presence was missed. The Posse left the Classic with 1 (win)-0 (losses)-2 (ties) having scored 6 goals while allowing only two.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story contributed by Chad Sutter

Tuesday, May 6

Maki, Kittelmann lead Cowgirls to team title at Miles City Invite, Cowboys eighth

By Josh Samuelson
Thanks to six championships, and placing in all but four events, the Custer County District High School Cowgirl track team came away with a big win at their own Miles City Invitational Track Meet. The Miles City Invite was held last night at the Miles City Community Track, after being postponed last Saturday.
Freshman Mackenzie Maki won three events, Jami Kittelmann won two and the Cowgirls 400 meter relay team won championships. The Cowgirls also showed off their depth in a meet that featured all six Eastern A schools. Miles City will host the Eastern A Divisional Track Meet May 17th.
The Cowboys didn’t have the same success, but showed signs of improvement.
The Cowgirls won the meet with 108 points, leading a log-jam at the top of the scores. Laurel was second with 83 points, Sidney had 78, Billings Central scored 77 and Glendive was fifth with 68 points.
On the boys side, Laurel won with 120.5 points, Hardin was second with 94.5, Colstrip was third with 85 and Sidney was fourth with 70. The Cowboys were eighth with 25 points.
Maki had her finest day as a Cowgirl. The diminutive runner won the 800 meters, 1600 meters and 3200 meter runs. In the 800 meter run, Maki won with a time of 2:26.24, six seconds faster than Glendive’s Nacona Frame.
Maki and Frame put together a great race in the 1600 meters with Maki crossing the line in 5:28.70 and Frame following five seconds later. Maki ran away with the 3200 meters with a time of 12:15.90, nearly 24 seconds faster than Jessica Englert of Laurel.
Kittelmann, a junior, won the discus and shot put competitions. She won the discus with an outstanding throw of 117’ 10.5”. That throw beat her previous best by 4.5”. Her throw in the discus was over 13 feet farther than second place.
Kittelmann’s win in the shot put was also impressive, with a toss of 35’ 5”. Kittelmann led a group of three Cowgirls that placed in the top four of the shot put competition. Cady Irion placed third with a throw of 32’ 2” and Madeline Yates was fourth with a throw of 31’ 8”.
Jennifer Hartman continued to give the Cowgirls a great presence in the jump events. Hartman was second in both the long jump and triple jump. In the high jump, Hartman tied for the best jump, but number of attempts kept her in third place.
Jessica Kennedy placed fourth in the 100 meter dash, Lindsey Gran was fourth in the 200 meter dash and Audrey Tramp was fifth in the 300 meter hurdles.
The Cowgirl 400 Meter Relay team won with a time of 52.24, barely edging Laurel who came in at 52.30. The 1600 meter relay team was third behind Glendive and Laurel.
Laurel’s Justine Simons won three events for the Lady Locomotives. She won the 100 meter, 200 meter and 400 meter dashes. Charis Hugs of Hardin won the long jump and triple jump. The other girls event winners were: Williston’s Katelyn Christensen in the 100 meter hurdles, Ashley Cooper of Laurel in the 300 meter hurdles, Kim Schulz of Sidney in the javelin, Mykayla Fink of Sidney in the pole vault and Marisa Stanton of Billings Central in the high jump.
T.J. Essex and John Kassner each placed in two events for the Cowboys. Essex was third in the 400 meter dash and fourth in the 200 meters. Kassner finished fifth in the 200 meters and sixth in the high jump.
Casey Makor placed fifth in the 100 meter dash. The 400 meter relay team was second to Laurel and the 1600 meter relay team placed fifth.
Colstrip’s Tyzer Cady won the 100 meter and 200 meter dashes. Laurel had event winners at 1600 and 800 meters with Patrick Casey, the discus with Jarred Hergott, the javelin with Nick Wilson and in the 400 meters with Seth Marshall.
Other boys event winners included: Baker’s Tanner Varner in the 110 hurdles, Hardin’s Darin Olyete in the 300 meter hurdles, Colstrip’s Adam Blythe in the 3200 meters, Williston’s Brent Qvale in the shot put, Glendive’s Ty Meiers in the high jump, Hardin’s Brian Purcell in the pole vault, Derek Ohs of Glendive in the long jump and Brady Sundheim of Sidney in the triple jump.
The Cowgirl and Cowboy track teams will be in Glendive on Friday night for the annual Twilight Meet which begins at 4 p.m.
Miles City Invitational
Girls
Team Scores
Miles City 108, Laurel 83, Sidney 78, Billings Central 77, Glendive 68, Hardin 38, Williston, N.D., 28, Colstrip 27, Baker 20.
Individual
100 - Justin Simons, Lau, 12.97; Ashley Skillestad, Gle, 13.01; Mariss Stanton, BC, 13.11; Jessica Kennedy, MC, 13.43; Miranda Rabold, BC, 13.72; Gio Ruffatto, Sid, 13.74.
200 - Justine Simons, Lau, 26.06; Mariss Stanton, BC, 26.79; Mykayla Fink, Sid, 27.67; Lindsey Gran, MC, 27.93; Paige Murdock, Har, 28.33; Victoria Douglas, Will, 28.51.
400 - Justine Simons, Lau, 59.80; Gio Ruffatto, Sid, 1:00.37; Marisa Stanton, BC, 1:00.62; Ashley Skillestad, Gle, 1:01.76; Mikaela Beauseleil, Lau, 1:03.64; Kristin Ceglowski, Will, 1:04.83.
800 - Mackenzie Maki, MC, 2:26.34; Nocona Frame, Gle, 2:32.38; Mikaola Beaumoleil, Lau, 2:33.19; Jaelen Zygmond, BC, 2:33.20; Tori Shoopman, Gle, 2:36.28; Shelby Kramer, Lau, 2:36.69.
1,600 - Mackenzie Maki, MC, 5:28.70; Nacona Frame, Gle, 5:33.70; Jessica Englert, Lau, 5:41.30; Jaelene Zygmond, BC, 5:44.50; Ana Richter, BC, 5:47.10; Shelby Kramer, Lau, 5:49.70.
3,200 - Mackenzie Maki, MC, 12:15.90; Jessica Englert, Lau, 12:39.50; Elizabeth Brown, Col, 12:58.20; Ana Richter, BC, 12:59.80; Caitlin Taggert, Gle, 13:14.90; Brittany Iron, Har, 14:42.34.
100 hurdles - Katelyn Christensen, Will, 16.35; Miranda Rabold, BC, 16.70; MacKenzie Clayton, Gle, 17.05; Karissa Linn, Gle, 17.06; Ashley Cooper, Lau, 17.27; Jordan Sullivan, Sid, 17.32.
300 hurdles - Ashley Cooper, Lau, 49.0; Katelyn Christensen, Will, 49.98; Sadie Sampson, Gle, 50.0; Dannie Harrison, Bak, 50.72; Audrey Tramp, MC, 50.99; Karissa Linn, Gle, 51.02.
400 relay - Miles City 52.24; Laurel 52.30; Billings Central 52.80; Sidney 53.07; Hardin 53.40; Williston 53.77.
1,600 relay - Glendive 4:16.20, Laurel 4:17.70, Miles City 4:18.0, Sidney 4:23.40, Billings Central 4:25.60, Hardin 4:27.0.
Shot put - Jami Kittelmann, MC, 35-5; Trina West, Col, 32-11; Cady Irion, MC, 32-2; Madeline Yates, MC, 31-8; Daralynne Bawden, Sid, 31-61/2; Jennifer Engen, Lau, 30-111/2.
Discus - Jami Kittelmann, MC, 117-101/2; Jordan Sullivan, Sid, 104-81/2; Bailey Woollington, Bak, 104-4; Kelsie Ray, BC, 101-6; Danielle Clarke, Will, 101-5; Trina West, Col, 95-11.
Javelin - Kim Schulz, Sid, 115-5; Kat Haugen, Col, 110-3; Medori Gray, Bak, 108-5; Vanessa Old Coyote, Har, 105-2; Chuck Hartman, Col, 104-4; Tayler Eubank, BC, 103-6.
Pole vault - Mykayla Fink, Sid, 10-6; Vanessa Bawden, Sid, 9-6; Nikki Helstad, Will, 9-0; Taryn Kalberer, Sid, 9-0; Whitney Satra, Sid, 9-0; Alyssa Kessel, Sid, 9-0.
High jump - Marisa Stanton, BC, 5-0; Charis Hugs, Har, 5-0; Jennifer Hartman, MC, 5-0; Lillian Temple, Gle, 4-10; Kaylee Standard, Bak, 4-10; Jessica Breitbach, Bak, 4-10.
Long jump - Charis Hugs, Har, 17-21/4; Jennifer Hartman, MC, 15-73/4; Daralynne Bowden, Sid, 15-71/2; Maggie Powell, BC, 15-4; Airika Blackburn, Sid, 15-1/4; Erin Junos, Gle, 14-111/4.
Triple jump - Charis Hugs, Har, 34-31/2; Jennifer Hartman, MC, 33-0; Maggie Powell, BC, 32-91/2; Lillian Temple, Gle, 32-51/2; Stephanie Waples, Col, 32-11/2; Karissa Linn, Gle, 32-11/4.
Boys
Team scores
Laurel 1201/2, Hardin 941/2, Colstrip 85, Sidney 70, Glendive 49, Baker 39, Willison, N.D., 37, Miles City 25, Billings Central 7.
Individual
100 - Tyzer Cady, Col, 10.82; Derek Ohs, Gle, 11.14; Kole Olsen, Lau, 11.35; Seth Marshall, Lau, 11.51; Casey Makor, MC, 11.65; Shay Bender, Gle, 11.66.
200 - Tyzer Cady, Col, 22.27; Seth Marshall, Lau, 22.94; Kole Olsen, Lau, 23.19; T.J. Essex, MC, 23.46; John Kassner, MC, 23.79; Lucas Conlan, Sid, 23.85.
400 - Seth Marshall, Lau, 51.44; Derk Ohs, Gle, 52.05; T.J. Essex, MC, 53.0; Kole Olsen, Lau, 53.16; Cole Muller, Gle, 54.19; Matt Johnson, Sid, 54.44.
800 - Patrick Casey, Lau, 2:02.40; Chase Robinson, Col, 2:08.20; Adam Blythe, Col, 2:09.20; Todd Blythe, Col, 2:09.30; Kelby Newell, Bak, 2:11.0; Mitch Kallevig, Sid, 2:14.60.
1,600 - Patrick Casey, Lau, 4:27.40; Adam Blythe, Col, 4:40.30; Todd Blythe, Col, 4:41.70; Taylor Thompson, Will, 4:44.60; Mitch Kallevig, Sid, 4:47.60; Kelby Newell, Bak, 4:51.80.
3,200 - Adam Blythe, Col, 10:45.90; Todd Blythe, Col, 10:52.10; Tucker White, BC, 10:53.50; Kyle Fife, Gle, 11:13.90; Ty Fitzpatrick, Har, 11:27.50; Tatum Pretty On Top, Har, 11:28.20.
110 hurdles - Tanner Varner, Bak, 15.70; Darin Olyelc, Har, 15.75; Seth Wisemon, Bak, 15.78; Michael Hammer, Sid, 17.11; Chris Muhlbeier, Har, 17.48; Nathan Murphy, Har, 17.55.
300 hurdles - Darin Olyete, Har, 42.0; Chris Muhlbeier, Har, 42.01; Presley Straub, Bak, 42.91; Tanner Varner, Bak, 43.13; Andrew Torgerson, Col, 44.78; Bryan Overton, Bak, 45.34.
400 relay - Laurel, 44.96; Miles City 45.08; Hardin 45.23; Sidney 45.59; Baker 45.71; Glendive 45.86.
1,600 relay - Laurel 3:31.30; Sidney 3:37.80; Hardin 3:38.80; Glendive 3:39.60; Miles City 3:42.86; Billings Central 3:46.20.
Discus - Jarred Hergett, Lau, 141-1; Sean Condon, Lau, 140-11; Brent Qvale, Will, 139-101/2; Kent Schmidt, Col, 134-51/2; Beau Prevost, Sid, 132-10; Nick Wilson, Lau, 132-7.
Javelin - Nick Wilson, Lau, 169-9; Tristan Costa, Har, 163-11; Mac Collins, Sid, 158-4; Jordan Abelseth, Sid, 153-10; Tyzer Cady, Col, 151-3; Presley Straub, Bak, 149-7.
Shot put - Brent Qvale, Will, 57-5; Cameron Hughes, Will, 52-11/2; Ben Pease, Har, 46-11; Kent Schmidt, Col, 46-1/2; Tristan Costa, Har, 43-9; David He Does It, Har, 42-7.
High jump - Ty Meiers, Gle, 6-3; Cameron Hughes, Will, 6-2; Seth Wiseman, Bak, 5-10; Brady Sunheim, Sid, 5-10; Tyzer Cady, Col, 5-10; John Kassner, MC, 5-8.
Pole vault - Brian Purcell, Har, 12-0; Jayme Kelly, Sid, 11-0; Kelby Dorn, Har, 11-0; Matt Harris, Sid, 10-6; Joey Doyle, Har, 10-6; Jake Whaley, Lau, 10-6.
Long jump - Derek Ohs, Gle, 20-111/2; Taylor Fitzpatrick, Har, 20-21/2; Josh Barta, Lau, 20-1; Tyrell McPherson, Sid, 20-1/2; Brady Sunheim, Sid, 19-111/2; Darian Saeman, Gle, 19-5.
Triple jump - Brady Sunheim, Sid, 42-10; Taylor Fitzpatrick, Har, 42-61/2; Sean Condon, Lau, 42-6; Tyrell McPherson, Sid, 41-111/2; Mac Collins, Sid, 41-10; Cameron McFarlin, Will, 40-3.

Former Cowboy Bastian given award at Rocky

For the Star
The borther/sister combination of Cooper and Rachel Warren walked away with the Herb and Clara Klindt awards as Rocky Mountain College gave special recognition to it’s top athletes during an awards banquet in the Bair Student Cafeteria. Former Custer County District High School standout Tim Bastian was also honored.
Bastian, an offensive lineman on the Bears football team, was honored with the Frank and Helen Mathew awards as the school’s outstanding underclassman. Dianne Alcantara, of Illsboro, Ore., a member of Rocky’s women’s golf team, was also honored. Frank Mathew was a legendary coach at RMC and the Mathews continue to be ardent fans and supporters of RMC.
Cooper Warren, a starting guard on the basketball team, was presented the Herb Klindt Award as the school’s outstanding senior male athlete. Rachel, a two-time first-team All-American golfer, was given the Clara Klindt Award as Rocky’s most outstanding senior female athlete. Herb Klindt was a legendary coach of the Battlin’ Bears and his wife Clara was a lifetime supporter of RMC athletics.
Jason Hagadone, of Townsend, won the Presiden’ts Award. Hagadone, a 6’2” 200-pound senior, was an All-Frontier Conference wide receiver.
Former Miles Community College Lady Pioneer basketball player Keri Siewert, of Colstrip, was named the Women’s Basketball Defensive MVP.
Individual Awards for the 2007-08 RMC Athletic Seasons
FOOTBALL
Gold Bear Award (Offensive MVP)- Drew Hedrick, Billings
Green Bear Award (Defensive MVP- Marcus Bradshaw, Worland, Wyo.
Best leader in practice- Adam Husk, Colorado Springs, Colo.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Battling’ Bear Award- Cooper Warren, Billings
Most Inspirational-Ryan Irigoin, Lambert
Hustle Award- Chase Sukut, Billings
Windex Award- Devin Uskoski, Brush Prairie, Wash.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Offensive MVP- Gretchen Wall, Missoula
Defensive MVP- Keri Siewert, Colstrip (MCC)
Most Valuable Person- Liz Lewis, Fallon, Nev.
WOMEN’S SKIING
Consistent Team Scorer- Johanna Aaker, Trondheim, Norway
Most Improved- Mandi Loucks, Grand Junction, Colo.
Outstanding Competitor- Marni Hale, Whitefish
MEN’S SKIING
Consistent Team Scorer- Tyler Chandler, Ketchum, Idaho
Outstanding Competitor- Erik Willborg, Rattvik, Sweden
Most Improved- Dustin Altmann, Salt Lake City, Utah
VOLLEYBALL
Most Improved- Jessica Overstreet, Three Forks
Outstanding Offensive Player- Jessica Eliasson, Roundup
Outstanding Defensive Player- Sarah Madinger, Seeley Lake
Most Inspirational- Hailey Pearce, Walla Walla, Wash.
MEN’S GOLF
Most Improved- Aaron Pohle, Spokane, Wash.
Newcomer- Jordan Strecker, Big Horn
Rocky Bear- Jacob Richards, Deer Lodge
Most Valuable- Bjorn Ottosson, Mulndal, Sweden and Kevin Oden, Wendell, Idaho
WOMEN’S GOLF
MVP- Rachel Warren, Billings
Newcomer- Katie Sauvageau, Three Forks
Most Improved- Carlie Breen, Three Forks
Rocky Bear- Jennifer Orchard, Polson
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Player’s Player of the Year- Kaylee Neal, Casper, Wyo.
Player of the Year- Katrina Gounas, Adelaide, Austrailia and Alli Beckers, Billings
Leadership- Heather Grotbo, Helena
CROSS COUNTRY
Most Valuable Runner- Kristin Ballbach, Rapelje
Rookie of the Year- Carrie Little, Missoula
Hustler Award- Mary Schvetz, Evergreen, Colo.
CHEERLEADING
Battlin Bear- Eva Pulleva, San Diego, Calif.; Corie Gould, Billings; Nicole Ruske, Grand Lake, Colo.
SCHOOL AWARDS
Special Thanks (outstanding contribution to RMC athletics)- Rod Kastelitz and Mike Walker
Champions of Character (Toby Kangas Award)- Chawn Johnson, Lancaster, Calif.
Coaches’ Award- Hailey Pearce, Walla Walla, Wash and Gretchen Wall, Missoula
Frank Mathew (outstanding underclassman)- Tim Bastian, Miles City
Helen Mathew (outstanding underclassman)- Dianne Alcantara, Hillsboro, Ore.
Clara Klindt (outstanding senior female)- Rachel Warren, Billings
Herb Klindt (outstanding senior male)- Cooper Warren, Billings
Arthur and Linda DeRosier Award- Carlie Breen, Three Forks
President’s Award- Jason Hagadone, Townsend

Cowgirls play well in Billings, low numbers hold Cowboys

By Josh Samuelson
The Custer County District High School Cowgirl and Cowboy tennis teams were in Billings last weekend where the teams each played three matches.
The Cowgirls played very well, earning wins over Hardin and Cody before losing to defending state champion Livingston.
“I thought we played pretty well,” CCDHS Head Coach Bob Holland said. “Hardin, we did a nice job against. The one interesting match was Livingston. They’re very, very good. Annah Arrasmith is the returning state champ, and she’s very good. She went through the best three singles players in our division last week and won all three. Livingston is a very solid program. To get a chance to play them before state, was very good for us. Cody, it’s the off season for them, but they have some good, young kids. It was a good day for the girls. There were some nice wins.”
The Cowboys, with low numbers again, lost their three matches to Glendive, Billings Central and Cody.
“We were really low on numbers, due to different things,” Holland said. “We only took six boys. We didn’t have our regular singles, or doubles, lineups. We were just trying to play. Joao got a couple of wins, and that was nice. We were just trying to put some people out there.”
Against Hardin, the Cowgirls swept the three doubles matches and won three of the four singles matches.
Top singles player Shelby Toennis rolled Hardin’s number one, Jordan Hugs, 6-3, 6-3. Vanessa Malley followed with another straight sets win over Amanda Lemon and Megan Lesh beat Kirby Sabec 6-0, 6-4.
In doubles, the Cowgirl duo of Laura and Mary Gillette continued their strong senior season with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Hardin’s top duo of Sabec and Amy Leider.
Sarah Gillette and Kylee Leidholt swept Chelse Conzelman and Hanna Sabec, while Kaci Kukowski and Kara Helland teamed up to beat Rernda Broken Rope and Jessica Joyce 6-1, 6-0.
Against Cody, the Cowgirls swept the five matches against actual Cody competitors. Cody had four singles players and a doubles team. The Cowgirls then played a doubles team from Billings Central and a duo from Glendive.
Toennis continued her strong play in number-one doubles, beating Jill Ross 6-1, 6-2. Malley beat Mary Taggert 6-1, 6-1; Helland topped Christa Manari 6-4, 6-3 and Lesh beat Sheralyn Jones 6-0, 6-1.
The Gillette sisters dominated Savannah Baily and Kailin Roach, winning 6-0, 6-0.
Against Livingston, Helland had a singles win over Victoria Foster in three sets and Kukowski and Lesh beat Mariah Gersack and Lainey Harriman.
For the Cowboys, Joao Pinheiro had the only two wins on the day. He had the lone win against Cody, a 6-1, 6-1 win over Nick Mainini and beat Billings Central’s Kevin Klee 6-1, 6-3.
The Cowboys and Cowgirls will be in action this weekend when they will host the Miles City Invite on Saturday at the Miles City Community Tennis Courts. Action starts at 9 a.m.
“That’s an important one for us,” Holland said. “We’ll see Glendive and Billings Central. Our lineups won’t be exact but we’ll be close to our divisional lineup. It’s a nice test. It’ll be played like the divisional. This one’s an important one. It’s the last real tune-up before divisionals.”
GIRLS
Cowgirls 6, Hardin 1
Singles- Shelby Toennis, MC, def. Jordan Hugs 6-3, 6-3; Vanessa Malley, MC, def. Amanda Lemon 6-2, 6-4; Stena Troyer, H, def. Kelsey Fraser 6-3, 6-4; Megan Lesh, MC, def. Kirby Sabec 6-0, 6-4.
Doubles- Laura Gillette/Mary Gillette, MC, def. Kirby Sabec/Amy Leider 6-0, 6-0; Sarah Gillette/Kylee Leidholt, MC, def. Chelse Conzelman/Hannah Sabec 6-2, 6-2; Kaci Kukowski/Kara Helland, MC, def. Randa Broken Rope/Jessica Joyce 6-1, 6-0.
Cowgirls 5, Cody 2
Singles- Shelby Toennis, MC, def. Jill Ross 6-1, 6-2; Vanessa Malley, MC, def. Mary Taggert 6-1, 6-1; Kara Helland, MC, def. Christa Manari 6-4, 6-3; Megan Lesh, MC, def. Sheralyn Jones 6-0, 6-1.
Doubles- Laura Gillette/Mary Gillette, MC, def. Savannah Bailey/Kaelin Roach 6-0, 6-0; Shannon Hogan/Kenzie White, BC, def. Kaci Kukowski/Kelsey Fraser 3-6, 6-2, 9-7; Kallie Madler/Whitney Ripley, Glen, def. Sarah Gillette/Kylee Leidholt 6-2, 7-5.
Livingston 5, Cowgirls 2
Singles- Anna Arrashmith, Liv, def. Shelby Toennis 6-0, 6-1; Meagan Chapman, Liv, def. Vanessa Malley 6-1, 6-1; Alexandra Rickette, Liv, def. Kelsey Fraser 6-4, 6-1; Kara Helland, MC, def. Victoria Foster 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Doubles- Hanna Barney/Mollie Morrow, Liv, def. Laura Gillette/Mary Gillette 6-3, 6-2; Kaci Kukowski/Megan Lesh, MC, def. Mariah Gersack/Lainey Harriman 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-4; Kalie Condon/Vanessa Grossman, Liv, df. Sarah Gillette/Kylee Leidholt 7-6 (5), 6-2.
BOYS
Cody 3, Cowboys 1
Singles- Jake Dunn, C, def. Jase Sanderson 6-4, 6-0; Joao Pinheiro, MC, def. Nick Mainini 6-1, 6-1.
Doubles- Wiley Newsome/Don Breckhas, C, def. Daniel Nelson/Isaac Rost 6-0, 6-3; Taylor Skiffington/Aaron Lamphier, Glen, def. Michael Muggli/Dalton Niedge 6-1, 6-1.
Billings Central 3, Cowboys 1
Singles- Ben Nearpass, BC, def. Daniel Nelson 6-0, 6-0; Joao Pinheiro, MC, def. Kevin Klee 6-1, 6-3.
Doubles- Isaac Brielman/Bryce Burke, BC, def. Jase Sanderson/Isaac Rost 6-0, 6-1; Jesse Robins/Steven Sheehy, BC, def. Michael Muggli/Dalton Niedge 6-0, 6-3.
Glendive 5, Cowboys 0
Singles- Christian Hannesson, Glen, def. Isaac Rost 6-2, 6-3; Jeremy Orcutt, Glen, def. Joao Pinheiro 7-6 (1), 6-1; Scott Atlas, Glen, def. Dalton Niedge 6-1, 6-2; Amadeo Lamphier, Glen, def. Michael Muggli 6-3, 6-0.
Doubles- Brett Patterson/Jesse Orcutt, Glen, def. Jase Sanderson/Daniel Nelson 6-2, 7-6 (2).

Monday, May 5

Pioneer offense leads to seventh straight MonDak Tourney title

By Josh Samuelson
In very convincing fashion, the Miles Community College Pioneer baseball team made it seven straight MonDak Conference Tournament championships this past weekend in Bottineau, N.D.
The Pioneers rolled through Bismarck State in the first round, then got by Williston State in the semi-finals. Facing Williston again in the championship, the Pioneer offense exploded for 23 runs on 20 hits.
“We just made an effort to do what we’ve done all year, and that’s improve every day,” Pioneer Head Coach Rob Bishop said. “We swung the bats really well, all the guys swung the bats. It wasn’t one guy that stuck out; offensively we played really well.”
In the three games, the Pioneers scored 44 runs and allowed just eight. They hit .419 as a team for the weekend and had 14 extra base hits, leading to a .562 slugging percentage.
The pitching staff did its job, holding opponents to .221 hitting, and had a 1.95 ERA on the weekend.
The Pioneers are now 37-15-1 on the season, and will host arch rival Dawson Community College this weekend for the Region IX Playoffs. MCC and Dawson are the only D-II baseball teams in Region IX and will settle the championship with a best-of-three series at Denton Field. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. on Saturday, with the second game following half an hour later. If needed, one game will be played on Sunday at 1 p.m.
As has been the case since the MonDak became a wood-bat conference in 2004, the teams will be using metal bats in postseason games.
“Now, it’s trying to get through finals week and put our best foot forward against Dawson this weekend,” Bishop said.
PIONEERS 23, WILLISTON 5
Championship
The Pioneers picked a pretty good time to have their best offensive game of the season. For just the second time this season, the Pioneers scored more than 20 runs, and their 23 runs and 20 hits were both season highs.
“We just really came out swinging,” Bishop said. “Anytime you can score 23 runs, you have to have some good breaks go your way. The guys played well. They were upbeat, loose and relaxed.”
The Pioneers actually didn’t score in the first inning, wasting a Ryan Dennehy double. They made up for that fact in the second with four runs, two coming on a Matt Tracy single.
The Pioneers then added two in the third and one in the fourth. Williston scored two in the top of the fifth to cut the lead to 7-3 when the Pioneers really blew up.
Tracy and McCoy Worthington led off the inning with free passes. Brenton Orullian sacrificed them over and then Brian Dukart, Ryan Dennehy and Tyler Fayden hit back-to-back-to-back singles. When the dust had cleared, the Pioneers scored six runs on five hits to blow the game open.
With no mercy rule in the championship game, the Pioneers emptied their bench to allow more players to get some more innings.
With the wholesale changes, the Pioneers didn’t skip a beat. They scored three runs in the sixth, six more in the seventh and a token run in the eighth.
Of the 15 Pioneers who had an at-bat, 13 picked up base hits. Orullian, Dennehy, Fayden, Newbold, Round, Tracy and Worthington all had two hits.
Andy Carlisle improved to 9-1 with the win on the mound. He went six innings, and allowed just two earned runs on five hits. Andrew Sanchez, Thomas Boyce and Shane Niederklein each worked an inning in relief.
PIONEERS 8, WILLISTON 3
Semi-Finals
Colby Tognetti kept the Williston bats quiet enough, and the Pioneer bats finally got to work late in the game in the semi-finals.
“Colby wasn’t as sharp as he was in his last outing,” Bishop said. “But he got the outs when he needed to. The game was close until the sixth and then we blew it open.”
Tognetti kept the Tetons scoreless until the fifth. The Pioneers had given Tognetti a two-run lead in the bottom of the fourth, and then Williston got to Tognetti a bit.
Through the first four innings, Tognetti allowed just one hit and did not walk a batter. In the fifth, Tognetti walked two and gave up two hits, and Williston tied the game at two.
In the sixth, the Pioneers loaded the bases with one out for Dukart, who wasted no time in hitting a three-run triple to break the 2-2 tie. The Pioneers added three more runs, two coming on a single from Joe Studiner, in the inning to break the game open.
Dukart had an outstanding game, going 3-4 with four RBIs. Fayden and Studner each went 2-5, and Fayden smacked two doubles.
Tognetti finished the game with eight strike outs in seven innings and improved to 7-3 on the year.
PIONEERS 13, BISMARCK 0
After a long trip on the bus, the Pioneer bats seemed anxious to get to work. And they wasted little time.
The Pioneers scored seven runs in the bottom of the first and added six more in the bottom of the third to keep any sort of upset off the minds of Bismarck State.
The Pioneers opened the game with four straight hits and finished with eight in the first inning alone. In the sixth, the Pioneers took advantage of three free bases and four hits to score their final six runs.
Dennehy led the Pioneer offense going 3-3 with an RBI. Orullian had two doubles and Dukart went 2-2 with two RBIs.
Kody Kennedy continued his impressive freshman campaign. The freshman from Butte, who is ranked second in the nation in ERA, threw four scoreless innings and struck out six. JJ Hanna threw an uneventful fifth inning.
Pioneers 23, Williston 5
(Championship)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
WSC 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 1 - 5 8 5
MCC 0 4 2 1 6 3 6 1 x - 23 20 4
Batting
Pioneers (37-15-1)- Brenton Orullian 2-6, 3 runs, 2 RBI; Brian Dukart 1-3, run, 2 RBI; Jason Mattila 1-3, 2 runs, RBI; Ryan Dennehy 2-4, run; Mike Lowery 1-2, run, 2 RBI; Tyler Fayden 2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI; JJ Hanna 1-3, 2 RBI; Phil Perez 1-3, 2 runs; Kody Kennedy 0-3; Matt Newbold 2-2, 2 runs, 3 RBI; Joe Studiner 1-1, run, 2 RBI; Chris Round 2-3, run, 3 RBI; Tanner Crevier 0-2, RBI; Matt Tracy 2-2, 4 runs, 2 RBI; McCoy Worthington 2-3, 3 runs, RBI; Team 20-44, 23 runs, 23 RBI.
2B- Orullian 2 (12), Dennehy (8), Lowery (1), Hanna (4), Newbold (8), Round (14), Tracy (5). 3B- none. HR- none.
Williston State- Chris Moffatt 2-4, 2 runs; Eli Black 1-4, run; Kyle Cruickshank 0-1; Colby Epperson 0-2; Chad Nixey 1-1, run; Bryan McIntyre 0-4, RBI; McHale Maristuen 1-1; Chris Norquay 1-4, run, RBI; Nolan Billings 0-3; KC Harris 0-1; Craig Harvey 1-4; Pearce McDonald 1-3; Jarrett Duchschere 0-1; JD Dudrey 0-3; Team 8-36, 5 runs, 2 RBI.
2B- Moffatt, Black, Nixey, McDonald. 3B- none. HR- none
Pitching
Pioneers- Andy Carlisle 6 IP, 3 runs, 2 earned, 5 hits, 1 strike out, 6 walks; Andrew Sanchez 1 IP, 0 runs, 0 hits; Thomas Boyce 1 IP, 1 run, 0 earned, 1 hit, 2 strike outs, hit batter; Shane Niederklein 1 IP, 1 run, 0 earned, 2 hits, 2 strike outs. W- Carlisle (9-1).
Williston- none reported.
Pioneers 8, Williston State 3
Semi-finals
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
WSC 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 - 3 7 4
MCC 0 0 0 2 0 6 0 0 x - 8 11 1
Batting
Pioneers (36-15-1)- Brenton Orullian 1-5, 2 runs; RBI; Brian Dukart 3-4, run, 4 RBI; Ryan Dennehy 1-4, run; Tyler Fayden 2-5, run; Phil Perez 1-3; Chris Round 0-5; Joe Studiner 2-5, 2 RBI; Matt Tracy 1-4, run; McCoy Worthington 0-2, 2 runs; Team 11-37, 8 runs, 7 RBI.
2B- Fayden 2 (8). 3B- Dukart (5). HR- none.
Williston- Chris Moffatt 0-3; Chad Nixey 0-1; Eli Black 2-4, RBI; Colby Epperson 0-4, RBI; Bryan McIntyre 0-4; Chris Norquay 0-4; Nolan Billings 1-3, run; McHale Maristuen 1-4; Pearce McDonald 1-2, run; Craig Harvey 0-1; JD Dudrey 2-3, run, RBI.
2B- Maristuen, McDonald, Dudrey. 3B- none. HR- none.
Pitching
Pioneers- Colby Tognetti 7 IP, 3 runs, 3 earned, 6 hits, 8 strike outs, 2 walks; Jason Mattila 2 IP, 0 runs, 1 hit, 3 strike outs, 1 walk. W- Tognetti (7-3)
Williston-McHale Maristuen 5 IP, 6 runs, 5 earned, 9 hits, 1 strike out, 1 walk, 2 hit batters; KC Harris 3 IP, 2 runs, 1 earned, 2 hits, 1 strike out, 2 walks. L- Maristuen.
Pioneers 13, Bismarck State 0
First Round
1 2 3 4 5 R H E
BSC 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 4 1
MCC 7 0 6 0 x - 13 13 0
Batting
Pioneers (35-15-1)- Brenton Orullian 2-4, 2 runs, RBI; Brian Dukart 2-2, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Jason Mattila 0-1; Ryan Dennehy 3-3, 2 runs, RBI; Mike Lowery 0-1; Tyler Fayden 1-3, run; Phil Perez 0-1, run; Chris Round 1-2, run, 2 RBI; Matt Newbold 1-3, run, RBI; Matt Tracy 1-2, 2 runs, RBI; McCoy Worthington 1-1, run; Tanner Crevier 1-1; Team 13-24, 13 runs, 8 RBI.
2B- Orullian 2 (10), Round (13). 3B- none. HR- none.
Bismarck- Drew Hausauer 0-2; Cody Erhardt 0-2; Justin Connell 0-1; Shane Schoenberg 0-2; Bryan Christianson 0-2; Jordan Grover 1-2; Jared Sundby 2-2; Bryan Borr 1-2; Dusy Gregory 0-2; Team 4-17, 0 runs.
2B- none. 3B- none. HR- none.
Pitching
Pioneers- Kody Kennedy 4 IP, 0 runs, 4 hits, 6 strike outs, 1 walk; JJ Hanna 1 IP, 0 runs, 2 hits. W- Kennedy (9-1).
Bismarck- Matt Hagen 4 IP, 13 runs, 13 earned, 13 hits, 5 strike outs, 5 walks, 1 hit batter. L- Hagen.

Ryan resigns as Cowboys head coach

By Josh Samuelson
In a letter sent to Custer County District High School Activities Director Ted Schreiber, Cowboy Basketball Coach Mike Ryan announced his resignation after four years as varsity head coach.
In the letter, which was sent on Friday, Ryan expressed his desire to spend time with wife, Karen, and their two children, Megan, in fifth grade, and Cole, in eighth.
“There are things that I want to do, that I can’t do as a varsity coach,” Ryan said in an interview. “I want to go get my master’s degree, and I want to spend time with my family. Those were the two big factors for the decision.”
Ryan has been a part of the Cowboy coaching staff for nine seasons, coaching under Dan Stanton and Cary Veis before taking over the head coaching duties.
In his career, Ryan was an assistant coach at Billings West, then at Broadview, and was the head coach at Ekalaka for seven years, where he also coached the Ekalaka girls teams.
“In some capacity, I’ve been coaching for over 20 years, so it seemed like a good time to step away for a while,” he said.
In his first year as head coach, Ryan led the Cowboys to a 12-10 record, and they finished third at the Eastern A Tournament. In his second year, the Cowboys dropped to 10-12, and in the past two seasons the Cowboys were 3-37. His overall record as Cowboy head coach was 23-59.
“Obviously we didn’t win as many games as we would have liked,” Ryan said. “But that certainly wasn’t due to a lack of effort by our players and coaches. I just want to thank all of the coaches who I have had the pleasure of working with.”
Ryan also thanked the CCDHS administration, the school board and the Miles City community for their support.
“Mike did an outstanding job for us,” Schreiber said. “He worked very hard and was very dedicated and maintained a positive appearance with his team. The success of a program is not necessarily measured in wins and losses. Mike did a fine job, and we’re going to miss him. He was a great part of our activities program.”
The search for the new Cowboy head coach will begin immediately. The Cowboys don’t open play until late November.

Friday, May 2

McNamee commits to play at Carroll

By Josh Samuelson
Former Miles Community College Lady Pioneer and Custer County District High School standout Sarah McNamee has verbally committed to continue her basketball career at Carroll College this coming fall.
After visiting Southern Illinois and Carroll, McNamee made a fairly easy decision to join the Lady Saints this season.
“Carroll has a good program – I know what I’m getting into,” McNamee said. “I know the coaches and know the players. It came down to the fact that it’s a successful program and it’s close to home.”
McNamee will be leaving Miles City, where she left her name all over both the MCC and CCDHS record books.
As a Lady Pioneer, McNamee helped lead the team to two of their most successful seasons.
In her two seasons, the Lady Pioneers went 55-7, won the MonDak Conference both years and won the Region IX North-Sub Region both seasons.
As a sophomore, McNamee helped lead the Lady Pioneers to a 29-1 regular-season record, and they were ranked 12th in the nation.
The Lady Pioneers ended up losing in the Region IX Championship game to Western Nebraska.
In McNamee’s sophomore season she earned All-Conference, All-Region and All-Region Tournament Team honors.
She averaged 15.6 points per game in her sophomore season and averaged 10.6 as a freshman.
She also holds the single-game scoring record, 39 against Dawson Community College.
“Going to MCC was the best decision I ever made,” McNamee said. “I love Coach Gunnare and all the girls on the team. I loved everything about playing and going to MCC.”
McNamee also ranks near the top of the record books at CCDHS.
She left high school as the third-leading scorer in school history with 848 points, and she is currently fourth on the all-time scoring list.
Her 10.8 points-per-game average during her high school career ranks eighth.
As a senior, McNamee helped lead the Cowgirls to a 21-3 record and reached the state title game.
McNamee will join former Cowgirl teammate Torrie Cahill at Carroll. McNamee and Cahill teamed up to lead the Cowgirls to the state title game in McNamee’s senior season. Cahill and McNamee are currently ranked third and fourth on the CCDHS all-time scoring list.
McNamee will have two years of eligibility remaining at Carroll. Carroll will be losing five seniors.
The college finished 28-6 this last season and reached the quarterfinals of the National NAIA Tournament. In Head Coach Shawn Nelson’s five years, Carroll has reached the National Tournament in each season and has a 142-31 record. In the four previous years, Carroll was 55-65.

Fishing season opens soon
The third Saturday in May, May 17, is the 2008 general fishing season opener. That makes it a special day for thousands of anglers itching to fish Montana’s rivers and streams.
The general fishing season traditionally opens on the third Saturday of May, while fishing on the state’s lakes and reservoirs is generally open year round. To prepare for the 2008 fishing season, pick up the state fishing regulations at FWP offices or license providers or go to FWP’s 2008 Fishing Regulations web page.

Thursday, May 1

Posse U15 girls split games at home

The Miles City Lady Posse U15 girls found themselves on home turf this past weekend battling their rival the Belgrade Rage and the Butte Marauders. The Lady Posse lost to Belgrade, but came back to shut out Butte.
Lady Posse defenders Macy Rink, Christina Warn and Ashlie Warren came out strong, keeping the ball away from the goal to start the game against Belgrade. Scarlett Raymond and Erika Baldry each had a shot on goal before the Posse scored the first goal of the day, with Tess Blaquiere centering the ball for Clarissa Ferguson, who headed the ball in past the Rage goalie.
Posse midfielders Ashley Sutter, Savanah Leidholt, Sharlie Kiosse and Taylor Zinda kept the ball moving on offense. The Rage fought back, but goalie Ezara Rickett had two more saves and Anna Claypool, Baldry and Raymond each had a shot on goal to end the half with the Posse in the lead 1-0.
In the second half, Posse goalie Clarissa Ferguson had three goalie saves before the Rage scored its first goal of the match. Rickett came back as goalie and went head to head with a Rage forward and made the save.
Brooke Kennedy worked hard with the Posse offense to move the ball to goal. But the Rage came back with another goal and Rickett made two more saves. The Posse defense came on strong, but the Rage would score again. The Posse got the fight on with Shaneal Strohmayer taking two shots on goal, and Macy Rink and Tess Blaquiere each taking a shot on goal.
But the time ran out on the Posse and this game went to the Rage, 3-1.
The Posse’s second game of the day was against the Butte Marauders. After suffering the previous loss, the Posse came out strong with Shaneal Strohmayer taking two shots on goal. Rickett had a goalie save and Anna Claypool was stirring things up with the Marauders in her midfield position. Ferguson made a nice shot on goal and Sharlie Kiosse made a nice turnover and stayed with the ball. Strohmayer took another shot on goal and then Erika Baldry gained possession of the ball and crossed to Ferguson, who put the ball into the net.
Posse defenders did a great job and Christina Warn made a shot on goal during a corner kick.
After the half, Scarlett Raymond immediately took control and sent the ball sailing over the Butte goalie with a great chip shot. Defender Macy Rink made a shot on goal off a corner kick, and Rickett and Blaquiere each took a shot on goal.
Ferguson made a goalie save and then Shaneal Strohmayer took a shot on goal. The Butte goalie lost control of the ball and Strohmayer got another chance, giving the Posse its third goal of the game.
Posse defender Kali Clemons made a nice defensive save. Ferguson had two more goalie saves and Blaquiere and Rink each had a shot on goal. The game ended with a 3-0 victory for the Posse. The Posse will be playing in Belgrade on May 3.

Pioneers look for seventh MonDak Tourney title

By Josh Samuelson
The Miles Community College Pioneer baseball team is on the road today, traveling to Bottineau, N.D., to take part in the MonDak Conference Tournament. They will play tomorrow afternoon against the winner of Bismarck State and Minot State-Bottineau.
The Pioneers have enjoyed tremendous success at the MonDak Tournament in their seven years as a program. They have won the last six Tournament titles, losing only in the first season in 2001.
The 2008 Pioneers have enjoyed what has become a typical season for MCC baseball. They started the season on long road trips, where they played outstanding competition and came home with a 5-12-1 record. Once they returned home, the Pioneers were great as usual.
Since returning from their long road trip, the Pioneers are 29-3. Their three losses came at the hands of Williston State, Dawson and University of Mary JV. The Dawson loss came after the Pioneers had clinched their eighth-straight MonDak title.
On the season, the Pioneers have outscored their opponents 7.3-3.1 on average. Since they returned home, they have outscored their opponents 9-2. In their 34 wins, they have outscored their opponents 9.3-2, and even in their losses the score was close, 5.5-2.8.
As usual, the Pioneers dominated the MonDak Conference. In their eight years, they are 108-20 (.844) against their MonDak foes. This season was no different, with the Pioneers claiming a 14-2 record and the top seed in this weekend’s tournament.
In conference games, the Pioneers have outscored their opponents 8-2 on average.
On the season they have won 13 games by 10 runs or more, and have not lost any of those games. The Pioneers also have thrown 12 shutouts this season and have been shut out four times, all coming on the spring road trip.
MCC heads into the MonDak Tournament with one of the most dominating pitching staffs in the nation.
As a team, the Pioneers hold a very impressive 1.68 ERA, and batters are hitting just .201.
Freshman Kody Kennedy has proven to be one of a group of team aces. Kennedy is 8-1 on the season and ranks near the top of the nation in many different categories. He ranks second in the nation for strike outs with 78, and he’s sixth in the nation for strike outs per inning with 1.41. He’s also fourth in the country in ERA at 1.40 and has allowed just 19 hits, second in the nation.
Colby Tognetti, a sophomore, has come on strong in the last few weeks. He carries a 6-3 record and holds a 1.78 ERA, and is second on the team in strike outs with 63.
Andy Carlisle, another sophomore, is also 8-1 on the year and has a 1.84 ERA.
As a team, the Pioneers have six pitchers who have an ERA of under 1.00.
Offensively, the Pioneers have been led by sophomore Ryan Dennehy. Dennehy leads the team with a .411 average, and despite not hitting a home run, he leads with a .557 slugging percentage.
Dennehy leads the nation in triples with eight, is 20th in hits with 65 and 23rd in RBIs with 49.
As a team, the Pioneers are hitting .310, with eight players hitting at least .290.
Brenton Orullian has had a very strong second half of the year and is currently hitting .390 as the Pioneer leadoff hitter.
Tyler Fayden and Matt Newbold, both freshmen, lead the team with two home runs. Fayden is hitting .344 and Newbold .297.
The Pioneers have beaten up both Minot State-Bottineau and Bismarck State. They have won all eight games against the two teams. Against Bottineau, the Pioneers have outscored them 46-6, and shut them out three times. Against Bismarck State, the Pioneers have outscored them 34-7.

Pioneers ranked for first time

By Josh Samuelson
For the first time in school history, the Miles Community College Pioneer baseball team has cracked the National Junior College national rankings.
The Pioneers received four votes in the national poll, enough to be named the 15th team in the nation. This is the final poll of the season, which is put out by the NJCAA and Ringor.
The Pioneers ended the regular season 34-15-1 and will be taking part in the MonDak Conference Tournament this weekend in Bottineau, N.D.
In the eight years as a program, the Pioneers have enjoyed tremendous success. They hold a record of 297-122 (.709) in their eight years, and last year reached the NJCAA D-II World Series.
There was some scuffling at the top of the NJCAA Poll, with Lenior Community College, N.C., (42-9) jumping two spots to number one. Louisiana State-Eunice (40-10) dropped one spot to number two and Redlands Community College, Okla., (35-8) dropped to number three. Owens (Ohio) Community College (30-2) was the big mover, going from unranked last week to number nine this week.
Joining MCC and Owens as newcomers to the poll was Cecil (MD) College (28-11-1).
Iowa Central (28-12) dropped the most positions, going from fifth to 12th.