Briefs: Brisendine commits, Connolly retires, Mohl homers

Glacier’s Brisendine commits to UM

Reagan Brisendine, a junior at Glacier High, announced her early commitment to the University of Montana soccer program in February.

“I am beyond excited and grateful to announce that I have verbally committed to play Division 1 soccer and further my education at The University of Montana!” she wrote on Twitter on Feb. 24.

Brisendine scored 33 goals last season; only Gallatin senior Olivia Collins, whose total of 42 including nine postseason goals, had more. Brisendice has 57 goals in her prep career.

Connolly retires as Browning coach

Daniel Connolly announced his retirement after 30 years of coaching and teaching at Browning, the last six as the Indians’ boys basketball coach.

Connolly took over the program in 2017-18, and his first three teams advanced to the State A tournament, with a fourth-place finish that first season. He shepherded the Indians through a Covid-marred 4-8 season in 2020-21, and his last two teams went 15-6 and 15-8. Overall Browning went 95-38 in his six seasons.

First and foremost, we wanted to help restore respect, excitement and competitiveness to this proud basketball program. I wanted us to build a program that could compete for a championship each season. I feel that we were able to achieve this,” Connolly said in a statement printed in the Glacier Reporter. “Very few coaches survive in this profession for 30 years. Fewer get to exit on their own terms. I have been so fortunate to be able to do both.”

Peoples, Germer headed to C of I

The NAIA national champion College of Idaho men’s basketball team added two talented Montana commitments in Butte Central’s Dougie Peoples and Montana State transfer Alex Germer.

Peoples, the 6-foot-5 guard who was named Montana Gatorade on March 15, announced his decision Wednesday. He leaves Butte with 1,683 career points; his last two seasons he averaged 24.6 and 23.3 points a game. He led the Maroons to the 2022 State A title and a third-place finish at state this past season.

Germer, a 6-foot-8 forward out of Missoula Sentinel, entered the transfer portal after playing sparingly this past season at MSU, and announced his commitment Friday. He averaged 24.1 points and 6.3 rebounds as a senior with the Spartans. He’ll be a sophomore.

This will give the Coyotes four Montana products. Drew Wyman, a 6-5 guard out of Great Falls High, averaged 11.9 points and 4.2 rebounds as a sophomore this past season. Caden Handran, a 6-6 guard out of Scobey, averaged 3.4 points and 4.1 rebounds as a sophomore.

Both helped the Coyotes go 36-1, including a 73-71 win over Indiana Tech for the NAIA championship in Kansas City, Mo. on March 18.

Mohl homers, Griz swept by PSU

HILLSBORO, Ore. — Kynzie Mohl hit her first collegiate home run Saturday, but the Montana Grizzlies were swept in a Big Sky Conference softball doubleheader by Portland State.

Mohl, a sophomore out of Glacier High School, socked a pinch-hit solo home run in the fifth inning of a 9-1 loss to the Vikings. Portland State (11-16 overall, 2-0 in the Big Sky) won the first game 12-4.

Both games ended under the 8-run mercy rule in the fifth inning; the Vikings drove both Montana starting pitchers — Allie Brock and Grace Haegele — from the mound in the third. The Grizzlies (6-25, 0-2) play PSU again Sunday afternoon.