Montana State Track & Field Receives Six NLIs During Early Signing Period

The Montana State track and field and cross country teams have signed six future student-athletes to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period, the program announced Wednesday, Nov. 16.

Five Montana residents and a Washington native make up the recruiting class that is set to join the Bobcats next fall. Jaycie Schmalz, Trisha Carlson and Molly McDonald are projected to compete in distance events and on the cross country team, Rachael McGree will make an impact in the jumps program, Morgan Evans has specialized in sprints and hurdles, while Chris Bianchini is a mid-distance focused runner.

"That's the most kids we've ever signed during the early signing period," Montana State head coach Dale Kennedy said. "Coach (Lyle) Weese and coach (Tom) Eitel have done a really great job of identifying talent early and getting commitments early. It's nice to have that out of the way. I think that not only was it the most in terms of number, it may be the best quality. We had a great previous freshman class, but a lot of that was signed in April last year. This was by far the best we've had during an early signing period."

Chris Bianchini | Snohomish, Wash. | Glacier Peak HS | Mid-Distance
Chris Bianchini will join the Bobcats from Glacier Peak High School, where he is a four-time letterwinner in cross country and three-time letterwinner in track and field. During his junior season last spring, Bianchini earned second-place finishes in both the conference and district meets in the 800-meter dash, before taking seventh at the Washington 3A State Championship meet. Bianchini has represented the Grizzlies in several events during his prep career. The Snohomish, Washington, native helped lead the Glacier Peak squad to a district title in the 4x400 relay in 2016, along with taking second in conference in the 1600 and 4x400. Bianchini has qualified for the state track championships on three occasions and has earned several more podium appearances at the conference and district meets. This fall, Bianchini has earned six top-five finishes in cross country for a team that is headed to state after an undefeated regular season, including a first-place finish in one event that's led to first-team all-conference and all-district honors. Bianchini is a 4.0 student and a National Merit Scholar semifinalist that plans to major in mechanical engineering at Montana State.

Head coach Dale Kennedy on Bianchini
"His strong event is the 800-meter race and he ran 1:54.40 last year that really demonstrated some Division I potential. He's had a good fall cross country season, which he's not really a distance runner, he's more of an 800, 400 type guy. He'll join Sam Bloom, Franklin Hoerner and Jake Purlee, and that's going to give us another guy in there that has that ability to run in the 4x400, but can run the 800. This also becomes significant in indoors with the distance medley relay – the need for 400, 800 and 1200 guys that come out of that particular event group. We're really excited to get Chris here."

Trisha Carlson | Great Falls, Mont. | Charles M. Russell HS | Distance/Mid-Distance
Trisha Carlson is set to join Montana State after competing and lettering multiple times in several sports at Charles M. Russell High School. A volleyball and cross country standout during the fall season, Carlson made the all-state team in cross country for the second time by finishing third at the 2016 MSHA AA State Championships. She earned her cross country team's Runner of the Year and Outstanding Senior awards after breaking the 3-mile school record. Competing in Montana's highest class for the Rustlers, Carlson is a three-time all-conference selection and two-time all-state honoree in track and field. As a junior individually, the Great Falls native finished second in the 400, sixth in the 800 and long jump, as well as seventh in the triple jump at the Montana Class AA state meet. During her prep career, Carlson set the school record in the 800, has been named CMR's Outstanding Runner and competed at the state meet three times. She also has had success in the classroom, being previously selected for the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientist Award of Excellence, serving as Vice President of the student body, Secretary of Deca and as a member of National Honor Society. Carlson plans to major in cell biology and neuroscience at MSU.

Track and field assistant coach/cross country head coach Lyle Weese on Carlson
"Patricia is a really exciting recruit. She played volleyball most of her high school career and has only recently focused more on track and cross country. Last year she finished second in the state in the 400 and ran 2:12 in the 800, which would be competitive right away in the Big Sky Conference. This fall in cross country she was third at the state meet, so she's really shown an incredible range of ability in the distance and mid-distance events."

Morgan Evans | Greats Falls, Mont. | Great Falls HS | Sprints
Morgan Evans is a two-time all-state and all-conference sprinter and hurdler from Great Falls High School. Last spring, Evans won state titles in both the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles, while also competing at the state meet in the 4x100 relay and the 100 and 200 dashes. The Bison sprinter improved in 2016 from a 2015 sophomore campaign that saw her finish runner-up in the 100 dash, 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles at the MHSA Class AA Championships. Evans has been recognized previously by the Great Falls track and field program with the Outstanding Sprinter and Outstanding Track Athlete awards. A school-record holder in two events, Evans also was a member of a runner-up state basketball tournament team. She has been a member of her school's Honor Roll for two years and has done volunteer work with the regional Special Olympics and Homeless Shelter. She plans to major in education at Montana State.

Head coach Dale Kennedy on Evans
"(Evans) actually emerged as the top 300-meter hurdler in the state a year ago, with a 43.70 which is a very good 300 hurdle time, and had a 14.70 at the 100 hurdles which is also very solid. She'll come in primarily as a hurdler, but she's also ran on both relays for Great Falls High. I think she'll immediately be a force in the Big Sky Conference, particularly in the 400 hurdles with that 300m hurdle time really equating to a sub-60 second 400 hurdle time. Morgan will be really important in our relays, both the short relay and the long relay, and perhaps could (compete) in the distance medley relay during the indoor season. We're really excited to have her come into our program."

Molly MacDonald | Missoula, Mont. | Missoula Sentinel HS | Distance
Molly MacDonald is a four-time letterwinner in cross country and track and field for Missoula Sentinel High School. A team captain for the Spartans in 2016, MacDonald placed fifth at the cross country state meet and completed a two-peat as the city champion. She owns the cross country school-record time and is a multiple all-state honoree in track and field for her efforts in both the 1600 and 3200. MacDonald made an early impression by making an impact as a freshman by qualifying for the MHSA Class AA State Track and Field Championships. MacDonald also serves as a member of National Honor Society and as Key Club President at Missoula Sentinel. She plans to pursue pre-med while attending Montana State.

Track and field assistant coach/cross country head coach Lyle Weese on MacDonald
"Molly is exciting because she really fills a need for us. She has run well in cross country in high school, so she can come in right away and contribute. We really have a lot of great mid-distance runners, but she really helps us in the longer events. Cross country, the 3K, 5K, maybe even the 10K looking forward are events that Molly could really excel in at the collegiate level.

Rachael McGree | Butte, Mont. | Butte Central Catholic HS | Jumps
Another line of family members joins the Bobcats in 2017 as Rachael McGree signed to compete for the Montana State track and field program. McGree earned state and divisional titles as a junior last spring in the 100 hurdles and the long jump, while also winning a Montana Class A crown in the triple jump. To go along with that, McGree also earned a runner-up finish at state as a member of Butte Central Catholic High School's 4x100 relay squad. Prior to her stellar junior campaign, McGree took second and fifth in the long jump and 100 hurdles, respectively, at the 2015 MHSA State Championships, making it a combined three years of all-state selections for the Butte native after taking seventh in the long jump as a freshman. A multi-event state qualifier, McGree joins cousins Marc and Sarah as family members that will have donned MSU blue and gold. Her father, Dan, also ran track and field collegiately at Gonzaga. McGree has been recognized as a member of the Honor Roll, is a member of National Honor Society, is an academic all-state and all-conference selection and was named a KVLF Student of the Month. She plans to study pre-law while attending Montana State.

Track and field assistant coach Tom Eitel on McGree
"I saw her at the state meet last year here in Bozeman and saw her run the hurdles. She looks smooth when she runs and makes the hurdles look easy. Then she ran a 14.47 (in the 100-meter hurdles) pretty much by herself. She's got good mechanics, she's well coached and she's a McGree. She'll have an impact on the hurdles, the long jump and the triple jump at the conference level. If she gets the goals she wants this spring, she'll be an even bigger force to reckon with in the Big Sky."

Jaycie Schmalz | Hamilton, Mont. | Hamilton HS | Distance
A familiar name will be entering the MSU ranks in 2017 when Jaycie Schmalz begins her Bobcat career. The younger sister of current men's cross country athlete, Anthony Schmalz, just completed her senior campaign for Hamilton High School by lettering for the fourth time. Schmalz won the MHSA Class A Cross Country Championship as a junior, while she finished fourth as a sophomore and eighth this year. Last spring, Schmalz earned individual state crowns in the 1600 and 3200 for the Broncs' track and field program. Previously, Schmalz earned runner-up finishes in both events as a sophomore and sixth- and fourth-place showings her freshman year, respectively. She has earned a combined seven letters for her athletic achievements and has been a member of Hamilton's Honor Roll during her entire prep career. Schmalz intends to major in pre-med at Montana State.

Track and field assistant coach/cross country head coach Lyle Weese on Schmalz
"Jaycie has improved consistently throughout her high school career, which is a great sign. In 2015, she won the state championship in cross country and then went on to win the 1600 and 3200 at the state track meet. She's use to winning some races and competing at the highest level of Class A, so that's always a great sign. I'm excited to see how she continues to develop and how successful she can be here at MSU."

The Bobcats now look ahead to the start of the 2017 indoor track and field season which begins with the MSU-UM Multis Dual at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse on Jan. 9.

Schedule

Montana State Track & Field Receives Six NLIs During Early Signing Period

Players Mentioned

Frankie Hoerner

Anthony Schmalz

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