Montana

Montana's Jen Estes garners All-West Region women's soccer honor

Published

1 year ago

December 3, 2024

Montana's Jen Estes garners All-West Region women's soccer honor

MISSOULA — It was a year ago, not long after Princeton ended its season in the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament and a few months before she would earn her degree in economics from the Ivy League school, that Jen Estes entered the transfer portal.

She had one year of eligibility remaining if she chose to use it. She wanted to but only if she could find the right landing spot.

Her playing resume – six goals, six assists, competing in a pair of NCAA tournaments — ensured she would have plenty of suitors. Her experiences with all things college soccer gave her a discerning eye as she navigated the programs that showed interest.

“The goal was to have fun and enjoy playing,” said Estes, who was named second-team All-West Region on Tuesday by the United Soccer Coaches, the only Grizzly to be honored by the organization this season.

That Estes led Montana in both goals (7) and assists (4) this past season, that she was voted the unanimous Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year, the co-Offensive MVP and first-team all-league isn’t what brought her happiness.

Rather, those things emerged naturally, the end result of rediscovering the joy that can come from playing soccer once again.

“We put her in different positions and kind of used her wherever she was needed,” said assistant coach Ashley Herndon, who coaches the team’s forwards and knows that pigeonholing a talented player is the best way to watch those skills go unrealized.

“One of the things her mom told me was that (Jen) just loves playing soccer here. You could tell by the way she was playing that she was enjoying it again. That was the most fun thing for us to watch her do.”

It was tricky arriving in the summer, joining a team with a pair of returning all-region forwards in Skyleigh Thompson and Delaney Lou Schorr. Estes would need to navigate the situation with intentionality.

“When you come in as a grad transfer, you’re one of the oldest on the team but new to the program,” she said. “I was excited to get to know the girls and form relationships with them both on and off the field. That was something I focused on a lot, especially at the beginning of the season.

“Those relationships then translate onto the field. I can’t thank the team enough for accepting me into the team they had built and the senior class for welcoming me in.”

She had a pair of assists through the season’s first four matches but took only eight shots, starting two of those matches, coming off the bench in the other two, a new player finding and making her way.

“She was always the same person, the same leader, but we had a conversation early on that if she wanted it, she could take it and be a starter,” said Herndon.

“It felt like she was holding back a little bit, like she didn’t want to step on any toes. Then she got released and was playing free and it all clicked for her.”

She scored at Fresno State, in the season’s fifth match, then scored the game-winner in Montana’s 1-0 home win over IU Indianapolis in the very next match. And she was off.

That the Grizzlies ended the season on a 14-match unbeaten streak, going 9-0-5 in September, October and November, was no coincidence. It matched up with Estes’s emergence as a playmaking threat.

“She was recruited for that very reason, to be an all-conference, all-region player. She came in and really proved herself,” said coach Chris Citowicki. “She was looking for a place where she could play and impact. If you do that, you tend to get recognition.”

She scored two goals at Wyoming and painted her masterpiece in a Thursday afternoon home match against Idaho, the Big Sky’s top two programs going head-to-head at South Campus Stadium with so much on the line, both for this season and for next.

She opened the scoring against the Vandals in the ninth minute, then added the game-winner in the 15th to help Montana take hold of the conference race.

The Grizzlies would go 6-0-2 in league, unbeaten in the Big Sky for the second consecutive season, the first time that’s ever been accomplished.

Montana came up a play short of advancing to the Big Sky championship match, of Estes getting an opportunity to make her third NCAA tournament appearance, but as the season recedes in the rearview mirror, that matters less and less compared to everything the season as a whole provided.

Given time, the totality of the experience tends to eclipse the particular details.

“It lived up to the expectations I had and exceeded them in the sense I had so much fun with the team,” Estes said. “I’m very happy I was able to come here and that the coaches took a chance on me.

“I can’t say thank you enough to Chris, Ash and (associate head coach J. Landham). I had a great experience throughout the whole season.”

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Montana

Oregon women earn 11th victory with win over Montana State

Published

9 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Oregon women earn 11th victory with win over Montana State

Oregon women’s basketball moved to 11-1 following a 69-44 win over Montana State Sunday at Matthew Knight Arena.

Four of Oregon’s starters scored in double figures, led by guard Sofia Bell’s 15 points.

Mia Jacobs added 13 points and 10 rebounds. Katie Fiso and Ari Long each scored 10 points. Fiso added five assists.

Oregon (11-1) struggled shooting, hitting 19 of 58 field goal attempts (32.8%), including 9 of 31 from three-point range (29%). However, those numbers were mainly dragged down in the fourth quarter when the game was well in hand.

Oregon, which led 37-14 at halftime, shot just 22.2% from the field in the final quarter and missed all seven of its three-point attempts. MSU won the quarter 16-11.

Bell went 4 of 8 from long distance, Jacobs went 3 of 8 and Long made both of her three-point attempts. The rest of the team went 0-for-13.

Montana State (6-3) received 14 points and four rebounds from Jamison Philip. The Bobcats shot 1 of 19 from three-point range and committed 23 turnovers that the Ducks converted into 25 points.

Next up: The Ducks host Portland (7-4) at 11 a.m. on Thursday. The Pilots defeated Kent State 88-78 on Sunday.

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FCS playoffs roundup: There will be an all-Montana semifinal in the FCS playoffs

Published

21 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

FCS playoffs roundup: There will be an all-Montana semifinal in the FCS playoffs

MISSOULA, Mont. — The No. 3-seeded Montana Grizzlies proved too much to handle on Saturday afternoon, overwhelming the No. 11-seeded South Dakota Coyotes 52-22 in the FCS playoff quarterfinals at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

The Griz used the home crowd to their advantage in an all-around dominant performance in all three phases of the game in front of a home crowd of 22,750 fans. The win sets up an all-Montana semifinal in the FCS playoffs as the Griz will go to face No. 2 Montana State on Dec. 20 for a trip to the national championship.

Montana’s Keali’i Ah Yat had 305 yards and three passing scores, as Michael Wortham had 11 catches for 201 yards and two receiving touchdowns, as well as 43 rushing yards and a score.

All told, the Coyotes had 63 plays on offense for 351 total yards, but the 10 offensive penalties seemed to be a key difference in finding any consistency.

Montana State advances with decisive victory

BOZEMAN, Mont. — Montana State ran for 227 yards as the Bobcats dominated the third-ranked rush defense in the country en route to beating Stephen F. Austin 44-28 on Friday to advance to the FCS playoff semifinals.

Adam Jones finished with 117 yards and Julius Davis had 96 on the ground for Montana State, which jumped out to a 24-0 lead. Justin Lamson had 246 passing yards for the Bobcats.

Villanova holds down Tarleton State to advance

STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Villanova overcame a 14-0 deficit as the No. 12 Wildcats beat fourth-seeded Tarleton State 26-21 on Saturday.

It is the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2010 that ‘Nova advanced to the semifinals. The Wildcats held Tarleton State to 56 yards rushing and 266 total yards while racking up 426 overall on their own.

Ja’briel Mace had a 47-yard run to trim Tarleton State’s lead to 21-19 in the third quarter and Braden Reed hauled in an 11-yard TD pass in the fourth to complete the comeback.

Dawson runs Illinois State past UC Davis

DAVIS, Calif. — Victor Dawson carried 29 times for 148 yards and Tommy Rittenhouse threw a 93-yard TD pass as Illinois State beat UC-Davis 42-31 on Saturday, one week after the Redbirds upset North Dakota State in Fargo.

Rittenhouse finished 15 of 20 for 266 yards and three touchdowns and one interception. Daniel Sobkowicz had six receptions for 150 yards and two scores.

Davis quarterback Caden Pinnick was 24 of 41 for 402 yards with three touchdowns and a pick.

Trey Houchin of the Mitchell Republic contributed to this report.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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Montana Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life results for Dec. 13, 2025

Published

1 day ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 13, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

01-28-31-57-58, Powerball: 16, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

12-18-19-24-35, Lucky Ball: 17

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

20-26-27-32-46, Star Ball: 08, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

04-06-11-31, Bonus: 09

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Montana Cash numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

01-16-18-31-37

Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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