(Editor's note: MSUB Athletics release)
BILLINGS - Six former Montana State University Billings athletes and coaches will be inducted into the Yellowjacket Hall of Fame and Distinction, as the athletic department announced its 2022 induction class.
The broad selection of inductees includes four former student-athletes and two former coaches, who will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame on Jan. 28, 2022. The ceremony will take place at the Northern Hotel in Billings and will commence at 5:30 p.m. with a dinner followed by the induction proceedings.
The event is open to the public with single tickets available for $65 and a table seating of eight available for $500. Those interested are encouraged to contact Hollie West at hollie.west@msubillings.edu or call 406-896-5934.
“We are honored to be able to celebrate and give the proverbial flowers to some of our most decorated Yellowjackets,” said MSUB director of athletics Michael Bazemore. “Reaching this achievement is very difficult and the success of the 2022 class leaves an aspirational foundation for future student-athletes. I look forward to being a part of this event and reflecting on their playing/coaching days at MSUB.”
Scott Breen of KTVQ Television will serve as the event's emcee, which is surrounded by MSUB basketball doubleheaders on Jan. 27 and Jan. 29 at Alterowitz Gym. The six inductees will also be recognized during a ceremony on the court during halftime of the men’s basketball game on Jan. 29. It will be the first Hall of Fame ceremony since Feb. 14, 2020, with the 2021 induction ceremony being canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Craig Carse
Men’s Basketball Head Coach
Years at MSUB: 1995-2008
The second-winningest men’s basketball coach in program history, Carse completed his 13-year tenure at MSUB in 2008 with a final record of 211-147 (.590). Carse’s career spanned across three different conference affiliations, as he began in the PacWest Conference, competed in the Heartland Conference, and navigated the Yellowjackets into their inaugural year in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in his final season. His combined coaching record in conference play stood at 99-83 (.538)
Carse led the Yellowjackets to the PacWest Conference title in his initial season in 1995-96, and went on to guide the team to three more league championships during his tenure. MSUB advanced to the NCAA D2 West Region Championships four times under Coach Carse.
“It is nice to be invited to be a member of the Eastern Montana/Montana State University Billings Hall of Fame,” said Carse. “It is humbling to be recognized by others.”
Carse is the fifth men’s basketball coach to be selected for the MSUB Hall of Fame, joining Mike Harkins, Pat Douglass, Dr. Harold Alterowitz, and Oscar Bjorgum.
Robert Peterson
Men’s Cross Country and Track & Field
Years at MSUB; 2011-2016
After redshirting as a true freshman in 2011, Peterson put together the top career in MSUB cross country history. As a junior in 2014, Peterson earned a spot in the NCAA Championships, after taking 13th place in the NCAA regional meet hosted by MSUB.
He helped lead the Yellowjackets to their best two finishes at the GNAC Championships during the decade, with a third-place finish his redshirt freshman year in 2012 and a fourth-place finish during his junior year in 2014. Peterson finished in 15th place at the conference meet in 2012, just one spot behind team leader Clint Choquette. He earned all-conference honors in 2014 by taking fourth, and was also an all-region selection.
Peterson again placed 13th at the regional meet during his senior year, this time posting his personal-best 10k time of 30:15.1 minutes. That mark stands as the program record, along with his 31:29 time he posted in 2014. Peterson is also the MSUB record holder in the 8k distance, with a time of 24:53. He holds the No. 3 time at 24:59 and the No. 6 time at 25:13 in the 8k distance as well.
Among Peterson's accolades were five GNAC runner of the week awards, he was twice named the MSUB Male Athlete of the Year, and he was a three-time MSUB Men's Cross Country Runner of the Year.
The most decorated runner in school history, Peterson's success on the track reached the same heights as it did during his illustrious cross country career. The MSUB Men's Cross Country Runner of the Decade was the first Yellowjacket track athlete to garner All-American honors, when he placed 10th at the NCAA D2 National Championship with a mile time of 4:11.29 minutes.
It was his first of three trips to the NCAA national meet, as he returned to the indoor championships his senior year in 2016 and ran an even better mile time of 4:09.15 to place 14th. He capped off his collegiate career by taking 13th place in the 3,000-meter steeple chase at the 2016 NCAA D2 Outdoor Track & Field Championships. That performance came after he won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title in the event, running a personal-best time of 8:59.23 minutes.
Peterson owns the indoor school records in both the mile as well as the 3,000-meters, with a time of 8:28.68. His school outdoor records include the 800 meters at 1:53.18 minutes, and the 1,500-meters in 3:51.58 minutes. He is a four-time conference champion and a nine-time all-conference selection.
“Running has given me so much,” said Peterson. “I've made countless memories, lifelong friends, and even met my wife through running. MSUB made me more than a good runner; the school taught me how to give back to my community, be a good role model, and how to be a hard, dedicated worker. The sweat and blood that I put into training and racing make this award an extreme honor. Thank you to everyone who helped me along the way and those that helped make this possible.”
Peterson is the third male and fourth overall cross country runner to be selected for the Hall of Fame, and is the ninth track & field athlete selected.
Jaucelyn Richter
Women’s Soccer
Years at MSUB: 2009-2012
Richter was one of the top players not only in MSUB but in Great Northwest Athletic Conference history. Richter scored 28 goals and added 24 assists throughout her brilliant four-year career with the 'Jackets, with her 80 total points ranking No. 2 in school history behind only Hall of Famer Ally Stroup who played from 2003-06 (109 points). Richter's point total also holds up as No. 17 in GNAC history, while her 28 goals are fifth most in school history.
Richter led the Yellowjackets to their only NCAA regional appearance of the decade, helping the team go 13-6-1 as a sophomore in 2010. Helping the team to perhaps its biggest win of the 2010s, Richter played 86 minutes in MSUB's 1-0 NCAA first-round victory over Cal State Los Angeles on Nov. 11, 2010 in Seattle.
Richter's career was special from the start, as she earned GNAC Freshman of the Year accolades after a 10-goal performance as a freshman in 2009. She was a three-time, first-team all-conference pick – one of just 20 players in the 20-year history of the conference to make the league's top team three times. Richter was also a first-team all-region selection during her junior season in 2011, after leading the GNAC with 11 goals and contributing five assists. Richter also holds the all-time GNAC record for shots per game with 3.95.
The Billings Senior High School graduate was also a standout in the classroom, where she was a two-time academic all-conference and an academic all-region pick. “An induction into the hall of fame is nothing short of an honor,” said Richter. “The time I had at MSUB was an amazing life experience and this is just the cherry on top. I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by a team of amazing women, coaches, staff, and family, who truly deserve the credit for getting me to this point.”
Jennifer (Larsen) White
Women’s Soccer
Years at MSUB: 2009-2012
The defensive antithesis in all regards to Player of the Decade Jaucelyn Richter, White's name stands out as one of the top players in MSUB history. Starting 74 matches in her career and missing just four of MSUB's games in four seasons, White ranks fifth in school history in starts. Her 6,569 minutes played remain as the school record. Despite anchoring MSUB's best defensive teams of the decade, White also ranks No. 9 in school history with 44 points, including ranking eighth in school history with 19 career goals while adding six assists.
MSUB ranked in the top-four in the GNAC in goals allowed in each of her three seasons in the decade, posting a team goals-against average of 0.83 during that span with White as a center back. While playing all 1,830 minutes of the season and starting all 20 matches during the 2010 regional run, White also ranked second on the team with five goals and third on the team with 11 points during the campaign. White’s finishes oftentimes came at crucial moments in games, with four of them being game-tying goals.
White was a two-time all-region selection, and four-time all-conference pick including first-team honors during her senior year. She also twice earned academic all-district honors, and became the second player in school history to earn first-team Academic All-American honors.
“I am so honored to be joining the MSUB Hall of Fame and to be able to represent the women's soccer program,” said White. “I owe a lot to the coaches of the program and all of my teammates that made me a better person and player. We had a very special team throughout the four years I played, and I am grateful for all of the memories, the friends, and the experiences, no matter how challenging they may have been at times, the laughs, and even the countless amount of sprints we had to endure.”
Richter and White are the seventh and eighth women’s soccer players to be selected for the Hall of Fame.
Kayleen (Goggins) Schultz
Women’s Basketball
Years at MSUB: 2011-2015
An All-American during her senior season in 2014-15, Schultz was the preeminent post scorer during her career with the 'Jackets. She scored 1,456 points in her four seasons to rank No. 8 in school history, and that was the third-highest total by any player of the 2010s decade.
Schultz was a key starter on MSUB's 2013-14 NCAA regional tournament team, starting all 33 games and averaging north of 11 points per game as a junior. She followed that up with a remarkable senior season, ranking second in the GNAC with 20.0 points per game and earning honorable mention All-American honors.
Schultz also ranks No. 8 in school history with 538 made field goals, and tied for 15th with 595 rebounds. She started 116 of the 118 games that she played, and as a senior was selected as the MSUB Female Athlete of the Year. Schultz was a three-time all-conference selection including a first-team pick during her senior season.
“I am beyond humbled, thankful, and honored to be a part of this selection,” said Schultz. “Basketball has played a major role in shaping me into who I am today and will always be a big part of my life. It's extremely rewarding to be recognized. I feel so blessed and grateful to be able to share this honor with my husband and two daughters, my only wish would be my grandpas could be here as well. All of the successes along the way would not have been possible without the support of my parents, family, dedicated teammates, and the best coaches around."
Schultz is the 26th women’s basketball player to be selected for the Hall of Fame.
Don Trentham
Women’s Soccer Coach
Years at MSUB: 2002-2010
The winningest women’s soccer coach in program history, Trentham led the Yellowjackets to their first and only NCAA D2 West Region Championship appearance during the 2010 season. Trentham went 85-75-10 (.529) in his nine seasons in charge of the Yellowjackets and his 170 games coached are also the most ever at MSUB.
Trentham twice led the Yellowjackets to the best record in program history, as the team went 13-6-1 in 2006 and repeated the feat during the 2010 campaign. After placing third in the GNAC, MSUB claimed an at large bid into the regional championship before knocking off Cal State Los Angeles in the opening round for the most significant win in the history of the program.
Trentham coached fellow 2022 Hall of Fame inductees Richter and White for their first two seasons as Yellowjackets. He is the first soccer coach to be selected for the Hall of Fame.
“I am humbled and honored to be named to the MSUB Athletics Hall of Fame,” said Trentham, who is currently the associate head coach at Kansas State University. “MSUB, Billings, and the state of Montana will always have a special place in my heart, and it is exciting to be able to return this January and be recognized with this award. Ultimately, awards like this are truly a reflection of all the great people I was surrounded by on a daily basis: Dr. Gray and his support staff, my assistant coaches, the wonderful people of Billings, and the student-athletes who worked hard every day to turn MSUB Soccer into a nationally recognized program. Lastly, without the support of my beautiful wife Jenn, family, and friends, this honor would not have been possible.”
The MSUB Athletics Hall of Fame and Distinction was founded in 1990 and has since inducted 162 members with this year’s induction class to bring the total number of Hall of Famers to 168.
