Carroll, Tech lead All-Frontier picks for track
Carroll College junior Lee Walburn won his second consecutive outdoor decathlon title at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala. on Thursday, May 26. Walburn, a Whitefish High School graduate, won the outdoor decathlon title in 2021 and was second at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships in March 2022. (Photo courtesy Carroll College Athletics)
WHITEFISH — The Frontier Conference released its all-conference squads for men’s and women’s outdoor track and field Friday, along with its athletes of the year for each sport.
Carroll College swept the men’s awards: Field Athlete of the Year is Garrett Kocab; Brody Thurston is the Track Athlete of the Year and Harry Clark is the Coach of the Year.
Montana Tech likewise swept the women’s awards: Coach Zach Kughn was honored along with Abby Clark for Field Athlete of the Year and Becca Richtman for Track Athlete of the Year.
League coaches voted on the athlete and coaching awards at the conclusion of the conference meet.
A host of Flathead Valley athletes earned all-conference nods by finishing in the top three in their event or events at the Frontier championships.
Whitefish’s Lee Walburn was all-league in the decathlon, as you might expect from the two-time NAIA champion, and also in the hurdles, jumps and relays. Carroll teammate Chad Hemsley of Kalispell was honored for the hurdles and relays; Columbia Falls product Aidan Jarvis made the list for his work on Carroll’s relays.
Fellow Saints Cormac Benn of Bigfork (jumps) and James Normandeau of Ronan (relays) were all-league as well.
Columbia Falls was also represented by Joe Lamb with Montana Western.
Jackson Duffey at Rocky Mountain College for distance and middle distance races, and he was also the program’s Champion of Character.
Quinlan Stewart of Polson was all-league in the relays for Rocky.
Kalispell is further represented by Joseph Vanden Bos on Rocky’s relays; and Nash Grafe for relays for the University of Providence.
Thompson Falls had two men make all-Frontier for Montana Tech: Freshmen Justin Morgan and Cody Burk.
Kalispell’s women honorees include Madde Boles and Nikki Krueger at Carroll and Carlin Manning at Montana Tech. Krueger was Carroll’s Champion of Character.
The complete list can be found on Page B2.
WOMEN
Carroll College
Name Events Yr. Hometown
Paige Baxstresser Relays, Sprints Sr. San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Madde Boles Jumps, Relays Jr. Kalispell
Brette Graham Hurdles Jr. Lakeview, Ore.
Kailen Herbstritt Jumps Fr. Corvallis
Kamden Hilborn Hurdles, Jumps Jr. Clancy
Nikki Krueger Throws Sr. Kalispell
London Lambrecht Relays Fr. Bismarck, N.D.
Sophie Loveless Jumps, Relays Jr. Bellevue, Wash.
Elly Machado Relays Sr. Castleford, Idaho
Andria Mourich Relays, Steeplechase Fr. Laurel
Kate Picanco Relays, Sprints Jr. Spokane, Wash.
Brooklyn Schultz Relays Fr. Mead, Wash.
Reghan Worley Distance Jr. Evanston, Wyo.
Natalie Yocum Middle Distance, Relays Jr. Frenchtown
Montana Tech
Name Events Yr. Hometown.
Naiya Beaudin Heptathlon, Hurdles, Jumps Fr. Lolo
Abby Clark Heptathlon, Hurdles, Jumps Fr. Fort Benton
Alisa Hashley Relays Sr. Gresham, Ore.
Natylia Jacobson Relays, Sprints Fr. Dillon
Jenna Jordan Throws Fr. Corvallis
Madison Kelly Relays Fr. St. Regis
Karly Lawson Throws Fr. Hot Springs
Carlin Manning Relays, Steeplechase So. Kalispell
Hailey Nielson Distance Fr. Butte
Becca Richtman Distance, Middle Distance Sr. Elburn, Ill.
Emily Ratz Relays, Sprints Fr. Missoula
Tristen Sedgwick Throws Fr. Worden
Olleca Severson Heptathlon, Hurdles, Jumps Fr. Manhattan
Taylor Torgerson Relays Fr. Great Falls
Montana Western
Eireann O’Connor Middle Distances Sr. Jackson, Wyo.
Rocky Mountain College
Chloe Bryntesen Relays Fr. Liberty Lake, Wash.
Marion Hugs Relays Fr. Hardin
Sydney Little Light Distance, Middle Distance Jr. Crow Agency, Mont.
Dakota Manecke Jumps So. Cut Bank
Breah Mulvehill Relays So. Rapid City, S.D.
Larissa Saarel Relays Sr. Livingston
Kellen Wahl Sprints Fr. Billings
University of Providence
Grace Alexander Relays Fr. Boulder
Terra Bertsch Jumps, Relays Fr. Seeley Lake
McKenzie Clark Throws So. Fort Benton
Allyson Conner Throws So. Orange, Calif.
Violet Johnson Hurdles Fr. Everett, Penn.
Jessica Lozano Hurdles, Relays Jr. Redlands, Calif.
Tatiana Martinez Throws Fr. Las Vegas
Jillian Sanchez Throws Sr. San Bernardino, Calif.
Women’s Champions of Character
School Name Yr. Hometown
Carroll College Nikki Krueger Sr. Kalispell
Montana Tech Abby Clark Fr. Fort Benton
Montana Western Eireann O’Connor Sr. Jackson, Wyo.
Rocky Mountain College Kellen Wahl Fr. Billings
University of Providence Allyson Conner So. Orange, Calif.
MEN
Carroll College
Name Events Yr. Hometown
Christopher Abel Hurdles, Relays Jr. Laurel
Cormac Benn Jumps Fr. Bigfork
Shamrock Campbell Jumps Sr. Spokane, Wash.
Jonah Fisher Relays So. Helena
Brett Glaser Sprints, Jumps, Throws Jr. Glasgow
Relays, Decathlon
Van Gottwals Relays, Sprints Jr. Billings
Chad Hemsley Hurdles, Relays Jr. Kalispell
Elias Hill Sprints, Relays So. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Aidan Jarvis Relays Fr. Columbia Falls
Garrett Kocab Throws Sr. Phelan, Calif.
Josh Malone Jumps Sr. Missoula
Riley Navarro Steeplechase Fr. Carson City, Nev.
James Normandeau Relays So. Ronan
Josh Smalley Jumps
Cole Truman Throws Fr. Dillon
Broder Thurston Relays, Sprints Sr. Fallon, Nev.
Lee Walburn Hurdles, Jumps, Jr. Whitefish
Relays, Decathlon
Montana Tech
Ian Barville Middle Distance, Relays So. Spokane Valley, Wash.
Cody Burk Throws Fr. Thompson Falls
Caden Caywood Relays Fr. Tendoy, Idaho
Drake Schlachter Relays, Sprints Fr. Penn Valley, Calif.
Dom Maricelli Relays Fr. Florence
Justin Morgan Distance, Steeplechase Fr. Thompson Falls
River Sheppard Steeplechase So. Portland, Ore.
Montana Western
Jonathan Harrison Middle Distance Jr. Missoula
Joe Lamb Middle Distance So. Columbia Falls
Rocky Mountain College
Elijah Barkell Throws Jr. Bluffton, Ind.
Caden Bethel Hurdles, Relays, Sprints Jr. Gilbert, Ariz.
Jackson Duffey Distance, Middle Distance Sr. Ronan
Dalton Helmuth Throws So. Absarokee
Scott Hunsaker Jumps, Relays Fr. Soda Springs, Idaho
Jay Jetmore Relays Fr. Red Lodge
Eric Morgan Relays Fr. La Vida, Colo.
Nico Piliero Relays So. Edwards, Colo.
Quinlan Stewart Relays Jr. Polson
Braden Tomlin Jumps, Relays So. Red Lodge
Joseph Vanden Bos Relays Sr. Kalispell
Jackson Wilson Middle Distance, Distance So. Box Elder, S.D.
University of Providence
Terrell Banks Relays Sr. Tacoma, Wash.
Adam Cearley Throws Fr. Stockton, Calif.
Nathan Dotson Relays Fr. Sagle, Idaho
Dawson Fowler Jumps Sr. Belgrade
Hudson Jones Throws Fr. Sisters, Ore.
Shane Girres Relays So. Great Falls
Nash Grafe Relays So. Kalispell
Abian Jameson Relays So. Kent, Wash.
Justin Krabbenhoft Hurdles, Jumps, Relays Fr. Metaline Falls, Idaho
Logan Meikle Throws Jr. Simi Valley, Calif.
Joe McMillan Relays Fr. Las Vegas, Nev.
Ciaran Molloy Relays Fr. Great Falls
Rico Pryor Throws So. Long Beach, Calif.
Logan Robinson Relays So. Seeley Lake
2022 Men’s Champions of Character
School Name Yr. Hometown
Carroll College Van Gottwals Jr. Billings
Montana Tech Drake Schlacter Fr. Penn Valley, Calif.
Montana Western Isaiah Powell Fr. Battle Mountain, Nev.
Rocky Mountain College Jackson Duffey Sr. Ronan
University of Providence Shane Girres So. Great Falls