A Letter From the A.D. Leon Costello
12/22/2017 12:23:00 PM | General
As we approach the holiday season, I felt the importance to reflect on the 2017-18 year-to-date. There is so much to be proud of and yet so much to look forward to.
Dear Bobcats,
As we approach the holiday season, I felt the importance to reflect on the 2017-18 year-to-date. There is so much to be proud of and yet so much to look forward to.
The Bobcat volleyball team opened the fall with great excitement, beating Gonzaga at home before winning Utah State's tournament 3-0. The season was one of improvement for a young team. When it was finished, the Cats posted a 10-15 record (doubling the win total from 2016) including a sweep of the Grizzlies which earned two points in the Brawl of the Wild competition. To tie a bow on the successful season, the interim label was removed from Daniel Jones' title as he became the 11th head coach in Bobcat history. With this coaching staff and the returning student-athletes, the future is bright for MSU Volleyball.
Montana State's cross-country teams each landed in the top half of the Big Sky, the women finishing second and the men fifth. Two Bobcats, Kelsi Lasota and Caroline Hardin on the women's side, earned spots in the top 10, while Brandon Hough's 13th place finish paced the men. To cap the season, the Bobcats swept arch-rival Montana at the Big Sky meet to capture two more points in the Brawl of the Wild competition.
By now you're seeing a theme, which we enjoyed throughout the fall. Our student-athletes enjoyed team and individual success throughout the fall, including each Cat/Griz competition. This came to a peak on November 18 in Bobcat Stadium, when Montana State beat the Grizzlies 31-23, sending an exceptional group of seniors – led by Mac Bignell and Mitch Herbert – off in style. It was MSU's second straight win over Montana, extending the Bobcats' lead in the Brawl of the Wild series to 6-0 and it triggered a special celebration in and around Bobcat Stadium.
If the fall success wasn't enough, our winter sports season began impressively. The men's basketball team got things rolling with a thrilling win over Omaha in Great Falls, drawing over 4,000 fans to Pacific Steel and Recycling Four Seasons Arena. Not to be out-done, the Bobcat women drew a near capacity crowd to our first-ever School Day in Worthington Arena, and the team responded with an exhilarating win over Wyoming. The track and field squads opened their seasons here at home, as well, posting outstanding performances and national rankings.
This fall also provided a moment that will echo through our future achievements. After many months of listening and planning, Bobcat Athletics unveiled its Facilities Master Plan. It features new and renovated facilities that reshape our department, positively impacts each student-athlete, and anchors Montana State University's south campus into the foreseeable future. This project is a game-changer for Bobcat student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans, and we are currently working to make this vision a reality.
This fall has given us all so many thrills and memorable moments, and for me that culminates with each commencement ceremony. As an athletic department within a thriving university, we aim to achieve at the highest level. As we strive to fill the trophy cases within the halls of the athletic department, the most important trophy in a student-athlete's career is a diploma. Join me in congratulating the Bobcat student-athletes that graduated this past weekend. We look forward to following their careers that started here at MSU.
Finally, the Bobcat Athletics family extends you the warmest Holiday wishes, with nothing but the best for the New Year ahead of us. Please enjoy a look back at a great 2017 with our year end video and remember it's always a great day to be a Bobcat. Go Cats!!!
As we approach the holiday season, I felt the importance to reflect on the 2017-18 year-to-date. There is so much to be proud of and yet so much to look forward to.
The Bobcat volleyball team opened the fall with great excitement, beating Gonzaga at home before winning Utah State's tournament 3-0. The season was one of improvement for a young team. When it was finished, the Cats posted a 10-15 record (doubling the win total from 2016) including a sweep of the Grizzlies which earned two points in the Brawl of the Wild competition. To tie a bow on the successful season, the interim label was removed from Daniel Jones' title as he became the 11th head coach in Bobcat history. With this coaching staff and the returning student-athletes, the future is bright for MSU Volleyball.
Montana State's cross-country teams each landed in the top half of the Big Sky, the women finishing second and the men fifth. Two Bobcats, Kelsi Lasota and Caroline Hardin on the women's side, earned spots in the top 10, while Brandon Hough's 13th place finish paced the men. To cap the season, the Bobcats swept arch-rival Montana at the Big Sky meet to capture two more points in the Brawl of the Wild competition.
By now you're seeing a theme, which we enjoyed throughout the fall. Our student-athletes enjoyed team and individual success throughout the fall, including each Cat/Griz competition. This came to a peak on November 18 in Bobcat Stadium, when Montana State beat the Grizzlies 31-23, sending an exceptional group of seniors – led by Mac Bignell and Mitch Herbert – off in style. It was MSU's second straight win over Montana, extending the Bobcats' lead in the Brawl of the Wild series to 6-0 and it triggered a special celebration in and around Bobcat Stadium.
If the fall success wasn't enough, our winter sports season began impressively. The men's basketball team got things rolling with a thrilling win over Omaha in Great Falls, drawing over 4,000 fans to Pacific Steel and Recycling Four Seasons Arena. Not to be out-done, the Bobcat women drew a near capacity crowd to our first-ever School Day in Worthington Arena, and the team responded with an exhilarating win over Wyoming. The track and field squads opened their seasons here at home, as well, posting outstanding performances and national rankings.
This fall also provided a moment that will echo through our future achievements. After many months of listening and planning, Bobcat Athletics unveiled its Facilities Master Plan. It features new and renovated facilities that reshape our department, positively impacts each student-athlete, and anchors Montana State University's south campus into the foreseeable future. This project is a game-changer for Bobcat student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans, and we are currently working to make this vision a reality.
This fall has given us all so many thrills and memorable moments, and for me that culminates with each commencement ceremony. As an athletic department within a thriving university, we aim to achieve at the highest level. As we strive to fill the trophy cases within the halls of the athletic department, the most important trophy in a student-athlete's career is a diploma. Join me in congratulating the Bobcat student-athletes that graduated this past weekend. We look forward to following their careers that started here at MSU.
Finally, the Bobcat Athletics family extends you the warmest Holiday wishes, with nothing but the best for the New Year ahead of us. Please enjoy a look back at a great 2017 with our year end video and remember it's always a great day to be a Bobcat. Go Cats!!!
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