Montana 2025 Junior Olympic Athlete of the Year Awards

USA Track & Field Montana’s Grass Roots/Youth Program recently announced its top track & field and cross-country athletes for 2025.  Athlete of the Year Awards will be formally presented during the BTC All-Comers Indoor Track Meet in the new Kennedy-Stark Athletic Center at Montana State University, Bozeman, MT on Sunday, February 7, 2026.

Lead by our Youth Chair, William Ballinger, the USA Track & Field Montana Association strives to offer competitive excellence and engagement for youth athletes of all abilities and skill.  Recipients were determined based on competition in their specific age division at the Association, Regional and National Championship levels:

2025 Track & Field Athletes of the Year

8-n-Under Division:                                          
Girls - Emersynn Murray, Helena Novas       
Boys - Jordan VanPernis, Helena Novas                             

9-10 –Division:
Girls - Sadie Daniel, Electric City Track Club
Boys - Ellis Pederson, Bozeman, MT

11-12 Division:                                           
Girls - Samantha Marron, Helena Novas 
Boys - Finley St.Pierre, Bozeman Track Club
                            
13-14 Division:
Girls - Mena Kamps, Bozeman Track Club
Boys - Daniel Umile, Mountain West Track Club

15-16 Division:                                           
Girls - Zoey Hart, Mountain West Track Club
Boys - Braen Anderson, Mountain West Track Club
                                                                                
17-18 Division:
Girls - Natalie Hodgskiss, Electric City Track Club
Boys - Auston Schellig, Joliet Run Club
         

2025 Cross Country Athletes of the Year

8-n-Under Division:                                     
Girls - Skylee Singer, Indigeneous Trail Running Club             
Boys - Brayden Hayes, Helena Novas 
                                                                 
9-10 Division:                                                                        
Girls - Marit Rucker, Bozeman Track Club
Boys - Jacob, Perry, Helena Novas

11-12 Age Division:
Girls - Allie Perry, Helena Novas
Boys - Gabriel Larson, Bozeman Track Club       

13-14 Division:
Girls - Willa Sweeney, Helana Novas
Boys - Emory Kreissler, Helena Novas

15-18 Division:                                           
Girls - Morgan Delaney, Mission Mountain Mercury               
Boys - Milo Kauffman, Helena Novas         

The USATF youth program offers six age divisions in the Junior Olympic format.  As a grass roots event for athletes 18 years old and younger, USATF Montana emphasizes the value of all children having every opportunity to get involved, regardless of their abilities and skills. The nucleus of USATF’s pursuit of excellence for our youth constituency is its development programs and grass root outreach efforts to prepare the next generation of track and field athletes to become champions of the world’s number one track and field team.

For more information visit us at usatfmontana,org.