Letter From The AD: April 2021 Edition

Dear Bobcats,

As we approach the end of the spring academic semester, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for our student-athletes, coaches, medical and support staff members for the time, energy, and perseverance they portrayed this entire year. To simply get through this year is a huge accomplishment in and of itself. However, to do it and to have the success we enjoyed says all you need to know about the quality of people we have associated with MSU Athletics.

Hopefully, by now, most of you have heard or read that the Montana University System, along with Montana State University, is planning for a "normal" Fall semester with full in-person classes, campus services, and full capacity events. This is great news for fans of Bobcat Athletics. As a university community, we have worked very hard to get to this point and the access and availability of the COVID-19 vaccine has allowed us to plan to see each other in person to cheer on our favorite Bobcat teams.

Many of you donated or rolled your Bobcat football tickets and/or Bobcat Club required seat contributions from the fall of 2021 and I personally thank you for your continued support. Throughout the last year, so many of you contributed to different pieces of our #PlantTheFlag campaign to support our student-athletes: whether you kept/donated your season tickets, participated in our annual Giving Day, purchased items at our Blue and Gold Gala, you provided critical funds for our student-athletes.

With that said, Bobcat Football season tickets for this coming fall are on sale now! Renew or purchase new season tickets here. Be sure to watch your email for information on your account, especially if you have credit after rolling your 2020 season tickets. This year promises to be great as new Head Coach Brent Vigen leads the Bobcats into the 2021 season with high expectations after a semi-final appearance in the 2019 NCAA FCS Playoffs. We are all clamoring to get into Bobcat Stadium after nearly two years without Bobcat Football. Get your tickets today!

While we're all looking forward to the fall season, your first chance to see the Bobcat football team in person is this Saturday, April 24, for the annual Sonny Holland Spring Classic, presented by the Rocking R Bar. We were permitted a small number of attendees by the Gallatin County Health Department and tickets sold out quickly. If you weren't able to secure seats, be sure to tune into SWX's coverage of the 1 p.m. event, or stream it for free on PlutoTV.

It's hard to believe that just over a month ago that our Bobcat basketball teams concluded their seasons in Boise at their respective Big Sky Conference Tournaments. What a year it was for both the men's and women's programs.

The women's team finished the season with a 17-7 overall record, and a 13-3 mark in Big Sky play, with one of the youngest teams in the nation. Big Sky Co-Coach of the Year Tricia Binford continues to field championship-caliber teams in competition and in the classroom. Congratulations to Darian White and Tori Martell for earning All-Big Sky honors and to Darian for earning Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year. A big congratulations goes out to Tori Martell for representing the Bobcats on a national stage and winning the women's three-point contest at the 2021 College Slam Dunk and Three-Point Championships. Expectations continue to be high as the team returns all but two student-athletes and adds some key recruits.

The Bobcat men's team continues to build on its recent success, which included a second-consecutive winning season for the first time in 19 years and advancing to the Big Sky Conference title game for the first time since 2009. Congratulations to Xavier Bishop, Jubrile Belo and Amin Adamu for earning all-Big Sky honors. I know head coach Danny Sprinkle, the returning student-athletes and recruits are hungry to continue the momentum in the program next year and for years to come.

With both teams' success, I was fortunate and excited to offer new four-year contracts to both Coach Binford and Coach Sprinkle. Both embody everything that is great about MSU and I am excited about what lies ahead for both programs.

Our men's and women's ski teams completed a fifth-place showing at the NCAA Championships held in New Hampshire in March. That was MSU's third-best finish ever, tying a finish by the 1969 squad and just one spot behind the fourth-place finish in 2016. The alpine and nordic teams continue to develop and are competing among the best in the nation. A special congratulations to the All-Americans Louis Muhlen-Schulte, Age Solheim, Riley Segar and Nellie Talbot, as well as Tegan Wold for being named the RMISA Slalom MVP.

Montana State volleyball put together one of its best regular seasons in history with its 10-4 mark. The Bobcats took a tough situation, moving their schedule to the spring and took advantage of it, earning a nine-match win streak during the season, their longest since 2001. A special shoutout to all-conference performers Jourdain Klein, Emma Pence, Hannah Scott and Kira Thomsen for their accolades. I'm looking forward to seeing Shroyer shake again with plenty of fans to see this team that is on the rise in the Big Sky Conference.

Like all of our Bobcat athletic programs, the track and field and cross-country team experienced altered schedules, making it even more rewarding to see our Bobcat athletes train and compete over the last few months. Both the men's and women's cross country teams finished among the best in the team standings at the Big Sky Championships in February. The track team competed in a shortened indoor season and has performed well over the course of the outdoor season, highlighted by great individual performances including Duncan Hamilton's sub 4:00 mile. He became only the fouth Bobcat to accomplish that feat as he posted a converted time of 3:57.30. Duncan also represented MSU at both the NCAA Cross Country and Indoor Track and Field Championships this spring.

We are excited to announce that the Grand Opening of the Bobcat Athletic Complex will take place on Gold Rush Saturday, September 11 at 10 a.m. More details will follow in the coming weeks. Progress continues to be made on the construction and the live webcam can be viewed here. You can get a sneak peek inside the facility along with newly released renderings here.

As we wrap up the spring academic calendar, I want to acknowledge and celebrate our 38 student-athletes who will be graduating from Montana State University this May. This year was as tough as any, but I am proud of our university and our athletic department for the effort that was displayed to give our student-athletes an opportunity to train, compete, and continue their education. I am looking forward to a more "normal" off-season as we prepare for an exciting 2021-22.

I also want and need to thank you, our fans. Your dedication, passion and loyalty to our student-athletes and programs was felt all year long. This year was not easy for anyone but in true Bobcat Spirit we have prevailed. I am excited to see you this fall as we welcome everyone back to campus.

In Bobcat Spirit,

Leon Costello
Director of Athletics

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Letter From The AD: April 2021 Edition

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