Three More Make the Commitment to MSU
7/9/2013 11:31:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field, Track & Field
Jumpers and thowers highlight next group of 2013-14 commitments
Montana State added three more student-athletes to the track and field roster with a few more commitments for the 2013-14 academic year. Two jumpers and a thrower highlight this next group of Bobcats, all with exceptionally bright futures.
Ty Bermes comes to MSU from Roberts, Mont. where he is a 2013 graduate of Joliet High School. For the J-Hawks, he earned four letters each in football, basketball and track and field. Most recently, he placed second at the Montana Class B State Championships in both the javelin and the high jump to earn his fourth consecutive all-state honors. Also in the javelin, he set a new school record with a lifetime best distance of 191-03.
Bermes was also a two-time all-conference selection in football, where he served as a captain in 2012. He earned all-state honors in basketball twice.
Off the playing field, his impressive grades garnered him 10 total all-academic nods, including four each in football and track.
Leslie Gappa, who will join the throws corps in the fall, hails from Park City, Mont. A 2013 graduate of Laurel High School, she earned four letters in soccer and track and field and two in basketball.
In her senior season, she placed first at the divisional meet in the javelin and was the Class A Championship runner-up in the event, earning all-state honors in addition to competing in the triple jump, long jump, 400 and 4x400 relay. After such a strong senior season, she was named her team's Best Horizontal Jumper, Best Thrower and Best Sprinter for the Locomotives. This spring marked her fourth consecutive appearance at the state track meet.
In addition to track, she was also an all-state selection in soccer and part of the 2013 Class A Basketball State Championship team.
Academically, she's been named to the All-State Academic teams a total of ten times, is a member of the honor society and graduated with honors from Laurel High.
Josephine Petruska rounds of the latest group of future 'Cats and will look to improve as a jumper. A 2013 graduate of Fort Collins High School, she earned four letters in track and field. In her senior season, she won the 200 meter dash at the Front Range League Championships and placed sixth in the long jump. She eventually earned her the team's Most Valuable Female Track Athlete award following a seventh place finish in the 100 and 13th in the 200 at the State Championships. She also participated in the 4x100 and 4x200 relays, of which she is part of the school record quartet in both.
Off the track, she's a member of the National Honor Society, an Academic All-State selection and earned the FCHS Academic Award.
“This group brings more great experience to the table for us,” said head coach Dale Kennedy. “Academics still remain top priority and Coach Carignan, Coach Eitel and Coach Jones-Graf really sought out student-athletes who fit our needs for Montana State Track and Field and the University itself.”
Bermes, Gappa and Petruska join 12 other commitments for the 2013-14 year.
