Around Montana: MSU men add former Eagle to staff

By Chronicle Staff

Brian Priebe, who brings 15 years of college coaching in the West, joined the Montana State men's basketball coaching staff on Tuesday, MSU coach Brad Huse announced.

Priebe coached at Loyola Marymount from 2000-08, helping resurrect a Lions program that finished 2-24 the year prior to his arrival on Steve Aggers' coaching staff. LMU finished second in the league in 2006. From 1995-2000, Priebe coached with Aggers at Eastern Washington, and the two previous seasons served as Director of Basketball Operations at the University of Washington.

"I'm excited to add Brian to the staff for a number of reasons," Huse said. "First, he is an experienced recruiter and really knows the west coast, having actively recruited the region for the past 13 years. In addition, he is familiar with the Big Sky Conference through his experience at Eastern Washington."

In his time at Eastern Washington and Loyola Marymount, Priebe helped produce 22 all-conference players, 26 academic all-league choices, two conference defensive players of the year, and an academic All-America. Huse likes the stability Priebe brings to the program.

"I fully expect he will be a part of our program for the long term as he strongly indicated that living in Bozeman was desirable for he and his family. Brian and his family will be welcomed additions to Bozeman and Montana State University."

Priebe rounds out Montana State's coaching staff.

Baseball

SPIKES FALL TO BRAVES: Sam Bisson and Dallas Nelson each had three hits to lift the Livingston Braves to an 11-10 victory over the Bozeman Spikes Monday night in an American Legion baseball game. Jason Rogers drove in three runs for the Braves, who scored six runs in the fourth inning to take a 9-4 lead.

But the Spikes answered with five runs in the fifth to make it 10-9, highlighted by Doug Crossman’s solo home run and Keith Ailes’ run-scoring double.

The Spikes put the potential winning runs on base in the bottom of the ninth, but Livingston’s Riley Kurschner got Dillon Peterson to line out to end the game.

Sean Zabawa went 3-for-4 for the Spikes and scored three runs. Ailes drove in three runs while Crossman struck out seven batters on the mound.

Running

AREA WOMAN IS CHAMPION: At Billings, Belgrade’s Priscilla Flesch-Birtic was among the 5-mile and 2-mile winners of the Montana Women's Run earlier this month who have been designated the 2008 Road Runners Club of America state champions for Montana.

The 2-mile champions were Flesch-Birtic in the Grand Masters division (13:41), Kathie Perrins of Columbus in the Open division (12:22) and Kathy Aragon of Billings in the Masters division (12:24).

The 5-mile winners were Sarah Graves of Ballantine (31:06), Karen Sanford-Gall of Billings in the Masters division (32:56) and Linda Schwamb of Sheridan, Wyo., in the Grand Masters division (39:19).

Rodeo

SCHEER A WINNER: At Abbyville, Kan., Montana State junior Cort Scheer won the saddle bronc competition last weekend at the Abbyville Frontier Days Rodeo & BBQ.

Scheer scored 75 points and won $486 on Rumford Rodeo & Circle A Ranch’s Silly Sally.

The rodeo is part of the Prairie Circuit. Scheer, a Nebraska native, won the saddle bronc competition at the Prairie Circuit Finals last winter and eventually finished second in the event at the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Pocatello, Idaho.

Scheer, in his first season at MSU, was the Big Sky Region champion in both the saddle bronc and steer wrestling, and in the men’s all-around. He is one of six MSU men who will compete next month at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo.

Women’s basketball

MCC STAR HEADED TO UTEP: At El Paso, Texas, Marta Micula of Miles Community College has signed a letter of intent to play basketball at UTEP, Miners coach Keitha Adams announced.

Originally from Poland, Micula nearly averaged a double-double (13.3 ppg and 9.8 rpg). As a sophomore, she was 23rd in the nation in rebounding (10.2) and 45th in scoring (15.7).

She added 2.3 apg, 2.0 steals and 1.9 bpg. Micula reached double figures in 30 of the 32 games for the seventh-ranked scoring team in the country, while blocking at least three shots in 10 games.

Her efforts led MCC to a 31-2 record and resulted in second-team All-American honors for her. She was the Mon-Dak Conference Player of the Year and an All-Region IX honoree. She is the school's first player to earn All-America second team accolades.

WESTERN SIGNS CAPITAL PLAYER: At Dillon, Kadee Jones, a 5-foot-8 forward from Helena Capital, has signed a letter of intent to play at Montana Western.

As a senior, she averaged 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Jones was named her team’s most improved player in her junior and senior seasons. She also was the recipient of the sportsmanship award.

Wrestling

CMR NAMES COACH: At Great Falls, Aaron Jensen, a former Havre High and Montana State-Northern star, is the new head wrestling coach at C.M. Russell High.

Jensen, 26, is a teacher at Great Falls High and for the last two years has been an assistant coach in the Bison wrestling program. He was one of four finalists for the job, and he hopes to transfer to CMR in the fall.

Jensen compiled a record of 76-34 at Havre while wrestling for the fine program of head coach Scott Filius. He was 29-4 as a senior 152-pounder, when he finished runner-up at the State A meet.

At MSU-Northern, Jensen was a four-year letterman who earned NAIA All-American honors in 2006 with an eighth-place finish at 165 pounds.

The Rustlers won their only AA team championships in 1975-76-77 and 1979. Since then only one team from the Electric City — the 1999 Great Falls High squad — has claimed the top prize in AA wrestling.

Volleyball

CARROLL SIGNS IDAHO STAR: At Helena, Carroll College coach Maureen Boyle announced that Markki Otteson has signed a national letter of intent to play for the Fighting Saints.

The 6-foot outside hitter hails from Pocatello, Idaho, where she attended Century High School. Otteson was the 2007-08 All-Area Player of the Year Award, as well as her team’s MVP.

“Markki is a versatile player with opportunities to see the court in a varieties of roles,” said Boyle. “She is a competitor. We look forward to her bringing her intensity and winning attitude to our program.”

Otteson, a four-sport athlete at CHS, was also a member of the softball, soccer and basketball teams. She graduates with the record for most points scored in a single basketball game (36) for CHS and the Southern Idaho Districts. She carries a 3.4 grade-point average.

Otteson’s sister, Haylee, is a member of the Carroll volleyball team.

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