Lindsey Branch, UMW Sports Information WAXAHACHIE, Texas — The Montana Western volleyball team (22-6) traveled to no. 19 Southwestern Assemblies of God University (Texas) this afternoon and defeated the Lions in a 3-0 sweep. The Bulldogs win their fourth straight game and advance to the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship tournament in Sioux City, Iowa. How It Happened The Bulldog women took a commanding lead early in the first set, riding an 8-1 scoring run to take an 13-6 lead. Jordan Olson pounded a kill from the right-side down the stretch for an 18-11 lead. Her kill sparked a UMW run that saw a block from Martin and Olson and a kill for Martin. Despite allowing the Lions to pull three late points, Martin ended the Lions' last-ditch effort with a kill from the middle. Frame two featured both teams battling point-for-point with neither team taking more than a one-point lead early in the set. UMW utilized a service error to tie the game and kills from Martin and Jaiden Perez gave UMW the lead at 16-13. Though a SAGU timeout broke the rally, UMW got right back in the game and Perez recorded another kill capping off another quick 3-0 run. The Bulldogs outscored the Lions 6-3 down the stretch to take a 25-19 win and ride a 2-0 advantage into the final frame. Though claiming a quick lead following a pair of blocks in the front row, the Lions jumped back in the game and held a 14-11 lead over UMW. A kill from KayLee Kopp tied the game at 14 all. A kill from Peyton Vogl paired with an attack error put UMW back in the lead. The Lions fought their way back in the game and knotted the game at 18 all. UMW finished the game by outscoring SAGU 8-2 down the stretch to finish the sweep. Notables The Bulldogs outhit SAGU by a whopping .309 to .068 in the matchup while racking up 44 kills as a team in the game. SAGU totaled just 27 total. Today's win over SAGU marks the first win in postseason play for UMW and their first win in school history over SAGU. Martin led the way with 10 kills and three blocks. She hit .500 in the game with just one error. Vogl was a key contributor leading with five blocks. She also added seven kills. Kaylee Fritz and Taylor Petersen combined for 30 assists and 10.0 assists per set. Kelsey Goddard totaled 12 digs and three aces. Up Next The Bulldogs advance to the 2023 NAIA Volleyball Championships in Sioux City, Iowa that will be played from Nov. 29 through Dec. 5 at the Tyson Events Center. Matchups will be announced Sunday Nov. 19 at 4pm MT.

Lindsey Branch, UMW Sports Information LAKELAND, Fla. — The Montana Western women's basketball team (4-3) fell in a close matchup against the St. Thomas University Bobcats (4-2) to close out their trip to Florida. Joelnell Momberg hit a career-high five three-pointers. How It Happened The Bulldogs opened the game with a hot start, shooting 61.5 from the field to take a 24-22 lead into the second quarter. A layup and a three from Joelnell Momberg opened the game up for the Bulldogs to take a seven-point advantage. Momberg struck once again from the arc to continue to stretch the Bulldog lead. The Bobcats closed out the half on a quick 4-0 scoring run to close the gap to seven with UMW leading the game at 43-36 heading into the half break. St. Thomas opened the half with a 6-0 run, cutting the game down to a one-point deficit and forcing a Bulldog timeout three minutes into the third quarter. UMW finally got on the board after Kyla Momberg dished it out to Joelnell Momberg for a three-pointer. Sweeney extended the Bulldog lead to three as she hit a jumper from the top of the key with 5:12 on the clock. Joelnell Momberg and Shainy Mack answered the call and hit back-to-back threes for a 56-47 UMW lead with 2:30 left in the third quarter. The Bobcats made a push late in the third and cut back into the lead, with UMW carrying a 57-53 lead into the final ten minutes. St. Thomas kept knocking at UMW's door, hitting another three-pointer at the start of the fourth. With momentum on the side of the Bobcats, STU's McDonald gave the Bobcats the first lead of the half behind a three-pointer. STU added another three to give the Bobcats the lead at 66-59. Joelnell Momberg drained her fifth three-pointer of the game to break the STU 13-0 scoring run. Down 71-62 with 4:14 on the clock, the Bulldogs were unable to overcome the red-hot Bobcats. Despite last ditch efforts, UMW fell to St. Thomas by a final score of 84-74. Notables The Bulldogs led through the first three quarters but failed to keep up with the Bobcats as they outscored UMW 31-17 in the final frame. Joelnell Momberg hit a career high five three-pointers and dropped another career-high of 19 points in the matchup. Sweeney continued to lead the Bulldogs as she went a perfect nine for nine at the charity stripe and led the Bulldogs with 28 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and a steal. Kyla Momberg tacked on seven rebounds. Up Next The Bulldogs will take a break from game play and will return to play on Dec. 8 as they travel to take on MSU Billings. The matchup is set for 6 p.m.

Lindsey Branch, UMW Sports Information DILLON, Mont. — The no. 8 ranked Montana Western football team and Frontier Conference champions are set to take on the No. 11 College of Idaho in the second round of the NAIA Football Championship Series, the national office announced on Saturday evening. The Bulldogs will welcome the Yotes to Dillon on Saturday, November 25 at 1 p.m. The game is part of an eight-game slate across the NAIA with a trip to the quarterfinals up for grabs. The Bulldogs fell short to C of I in their regular season meeting after the Yotes converted a 25-yard touchdown pass as time expired to take the win. The rematch is set for 1:07pm MT on Saturday Nov. 25. Details on the matchup can be found here.

Lindsey Branch, UMW Sports Information LA GRANDE, Ore. — The Montana Western men's basketball team moved to 4-1 on the season this evening after they earned a hard-fought victory over Eastern Oregon (1-4). "Really proud of our team for staying together and winning on the road. We had a great week of preparation, and it showed in our performance tonight," Head men's basketball coach Pat Jensen said. How It Happened The first half set the tone for the Bulldogs as they built up a sizeable lead in the opening minutes of the game. A jumper from Abi Adedo combined with a jumper from Jalyn Stepney gave the Bulldogs an 11-point lead with 12:31 left in the half. The Mounties closed the gap and the two teams remained knotted through the first half at 47. The Bulldogs used a quick run with a three from Christian Pitcher paired with a double from Michael Haverfield to take an eight-point lead at 68-60 with 11:00 left in the matchup. The Mounties fought their way back and the two teams would continue to clash, battling for a favorable position with neither able to grab a sizeable lead. Stepney got the ball to fall in the bucket for some key points down the stretch, giving the Bulldogs a lead of six points with just 20 seconds remaining. Quincy Taylor sealed the victory by hitting a pair of free throws for the 89-83 win. Notables The Bulldogs extend their win streak to three games over the Mounties, with tonight's being their second win this season. Stepney led the way with 33 points for the Bulldogs, shooting 10-15 from the field and hitting 11 of 12 free throws. Kevin Bethel dished out four assists. Adedo added 16 points with five boards. Jacksen Burckley led the way with six rebounds. Up Next The Bulldogs will remain in La Grande, Ore. for another game today against Walla Walla University (Wash.). Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. MT.

The Dillon Beavers faced off against the Columbia Falls Wildcats Saturday afternoon at Vigilante Field with one goal in mind: To finish with no losses and claim the State Class A title. Columbia Falls got things started off with receiving the ball and scoring quickly. The Beavers would soon put up seven points as well, and the end of the first quarter would see the game tied 7 to 7. In the second quarter both teams would score again, going into halftime 14 to 14. By the end of the third quarter the Beavers would have the lead over the Wildcats 28 to 14. With little time left in the fourth, the Wildcats would tie up the game. The Wildcats would score a touchdown followed by the field goal, heading into overtime. Dillon would come back to answer very quickly, scoring a field goal and finish the Wildcats by going for the extra two points. Congratulations to both teams on a hard fought State Championship game! Click on image for full size

Lindsey Branch, UMW Sports Information LAKELAND, Fla. – The Montana Western women's basketball team (4-2) broke a two-game slide with a 64-59 victory over RV Southeastern University (3-2) this afternoon. The Bulldogs were led by Jordan Sweeney who totaled 15 points, six assists, and six rebounds. How It Happened The two teams opened the game matching each other stride for stride. Isabella Lund made a layup that kicked off a three-minute scoring run that saw UMW put up a 10-0 scoring run that was capped with a three-pointer from Payton Hagy . The Bulldogs were 7-12 from the field across the first ten minutes to take a 21-12 lead. Holding a 25-16 advantage, Hagy hit her second three-pointer from the arc with 6:49 left in the half to boost the Bulldogs to a 12-point lead. SEU's Kassidy Jones cut into the Bulldog lead with a three of her own, but Joelnell Momberg quickly ended a three-minute dry spell for UMW with her own triple. The Bulldogs led from the half 35-27 advantage with Jordan Sweeney leading the way with nine points and five assists in the half. The Fire turned up the intensity in the third quarter, forcing a pair of turnovers and rallying behind a pair of three-pointers. With the score at 39-35, SEU's Herman made a layup to cut the lead back to two points and force a UMW timeout to slow the drive. Outscored 10-4 in the first four minutes of the third frame, Sweeney killed a two-minute scoreless spurt with a jumper from the field. Momberg then found Keke Davis on a no-look pass for two points and one on the trip to the charity stripe for a 44-39 lead. UMW clung to a 48-43 lead heading into the final frame. UMW turned it around at the start of the fourth, putting together a 7-0 run across the first three minutes of the fourth. Sweeney added her sixth assist on a pass to Maddy Moy that resulted in a layup for an 11-point lead with five minutes to play and a 59-48 lead. Despite the energy from the Fire late in the fourth, UMW was able to hold on to take the win 64-59. Notables Prior to today's matchup, the Bulldogs averaged 10.6 turnovers per game. Today's matchup saw UMW struggle behind 17 turnovers. SEU capitalized on Bulldogs turnovers, putting up 18 points off UMW's 17 turnovers. Despite SEU outrebounding UMW on offense 13-8, the Bulldogs pulled in three more boards than the Fire. Sweeney led the balanced Bulldog attack with 15 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Shainy Mack and Kyla Momberg each had nine points and two steals. Davis led the Bulldogs with seven boards. Up Next The Bulldogs turn around tomorrow to take on St. Thomas University (Fla.) at 5 p.m. MT in Lakeland, Fla.

The Dillon Beavers are playing this weekend for the State Class A Football title and have been hard at work practicing all week. Thursday night after practice wrapped up the team gathered around as coach McRae gave them a little inspiration before introducing their guest. The surprise guest was former Dillon Football player and Atlanta Falcons Linebacker Troy Andersen. Troy played in the 2016 championship game against Columbia Falls. Troy scored four touchdowns in that game as the Beavers went on to win it 34-17. With the Beavers facing Columbia Falls this weekend at Vigilante Field, what not better way to help motivate the team. You can get your tickets for Saturday's game here .

Lindsey Branch, UMW Sports Information VANCOUVER, Wash. – The Bulldogs cross country team had two representatives competing at the NAIA National Cross Country Championships today in Vancouver, Wash. Brant Heiner and Olivia Heiner raced in their first national meet and competed well in the large race fields. "I think today was a great experience for both Brant and Olivia. It was their first time running at Nationals so it was a good learning experience," Head Coach Taylor Grove said. "Both of them ran smart races and were able to compete hard against the other runners. It was a tough course but they both ran right around their PRs. I am excited to have both them back next year with hopefully another opportunity to run at Nationals." Olivia Heiner was the first to compete, running in the women's 6k race. She finished in 196th in the field of 333 runners. She finished the race in a time of 24:27.5. Brant Heiner followed in the men's 8k race. He finished in 162nd of 331 runners with a race time of 26:43.2. Click here to view the full results.

BEAVERHEAD FIRE DIST. #2 405 N. IDAHO STREET DILLON, MT MEETING NOTICE TUESDAY November 21st, 2023 5:00 PM AGENDA: I. Call to order II. Approval of Minutes from 10-24-2023 meeting Public Comment III. Approval of Warrants Public Comment IV. Old Business Discuss/recommend policy for billing MVA’s for out of district drivers. Discuss/recommend disposition of surplus equipment Public Comment V. New Business Public Comment VI. Chiefs Report Public Comment VII. Public comment on subjects under the jurisdiction of Beaverhead Fire District #2 that is not on the agenda. VIII. Adjournment

(Updated 4:24 PM) Thursday, November 11th, 2023, a semi-truck on highway 41 near mile marker 10 carrying a wide load consisting of an 18-foot-wide dump truck bed struck a jeep heading in the opposite direction. The Jeep was carrying the driver as well as a passenger. The driver of the Jeep was pronounced dead, the passenger was transported from the scene with injuries. Update 2:30 Road is open (Update 10:08 AM) Traffic is able to get by on North Bound Shoulder. From the Madison County Sheriff's Office Facebook Page, Emergency personnel are responding to a motor vehicle accident at milepost 10 on Montana Highway 41, south of the Beaverhead County line, and will remain there for an extended period. This may cause long delays and closures in the area, please find an alternate route, either Melrose Road from Twin Bridges for passenger vehicles, or back to Whitehall/Butte and I-15 south for commercial vehicles. DVFD is on scene as well as Beaverhead County Sheriff officers, traffic headed Northbound is being stopped and turned around at the Axman Feed location. For road information check MDT511 here . According to Montana Highway Patrol the accident is being reported as a fatality. This is a breaking story and we will have more information as it becomes available.

WISDOM – Game wardens with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks are seeking information on a wolverine that was shot illegally this month in southwestern Montana. Wardens received a report on Nov. 10 of a wolverine carcass found on U.S. Forest Service Road 7377 near Schultz Saddle and the Continental Divide, northwest of Wisdom. A game warden located the carcass and confirmed the animal had been shot, skinned and abandoned. Wolverine harvest is not legal currently in Montana. Anyone with possible information about the illegal harvest is encouraged to visit https://myfwp.mt.gov/fwpPub/tipmont to provide details or call the FWP violation reporting hot line at 1-800-TIP-MONT. Informants may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Football November 16, 2023Lindsey Branch, UMW Sports Information The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the pairings of the 2023 NAIA Football Championship Series (FCS) this past weekend. The Montana Western football team (9-1, 7-1 Frontier), ranked no. 8 in the nation in the final week of the regular season, was selected for a first-round bye and will host an FCS second round matchup. The Bulldogs still await their opponent following the completion of Saturday's First Round games. Game Information There will be no passes or pass lists for this game. Tickets must be purchased to enter. Sidelines Passes - All regular season credentials (sideline passes) are invalid, new credentials will be issued and UMW Athletics will be reaching out to those individuals. Tailgating - Tailgate Information - Montana Western, University of (umwbulldogs.com) Tickets - Tickets will go on sale on Monday, November 20, 2023 via the following: Can be purchased online here until Friday, November 24 at 11:59 P.M. Can be purchased at the BARC on Campus from 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (Monday – Wednesday) (Cash only) Can be purchased at the game beginning at 11:30 a.m. (Cash only) General Admission Adult (18-59): $20 General Admission Senior (60+)/Student: $15 Livestream – The game will be broadcast on local SWX channels. It will also be available on the Bulldog Sports Network - YouTube Live Stats - UMW Football Live Stat Link

The Grasshopper Valley Ladies Club is holding their annual holiday quilt and gifts raffle. A beautiful handmade quilt created by the crafty members is the grand prize with second prize being a “box” of assorted items donated by club members. The quilt and gifts can be viewed next to Taylor Realty (previously the Knockabout) in Dillon. Raffle tickets are $1/each or 6/$5 and can be purchased December 1 at the Christmas Stroll in front of the display window 8 S Idaho. Tickets are available at Womacks Printing, Taylor Realty, Polaris Post Office or any GVLC member. Drawing will be December 19. Grasshopper Valley Ladies Club donates to 11 local charity groups and gives two scholarships to Beaverhead County graduating seniors.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is accepting applications for more than $500,000 million in recreation grants. Applications will be accepted for the Off-Highway Vehicle Grant Program and the Summer Motorized Trail Pass Grant Program. Applications can be submitted through the online system at funding.mt.gov . Application deadline is Feb.1, 2024. Off-Highway Vehicle Grant Program: This is a state-funded grant program. This program provides project funding with the goal of enhancing and maintaining OHV recreational opportunities for the benefit of OHV enthusiasts in Montana. Applications accepted: Nov. 15 – Feb. 1, 2024 Awards announced: May Contracts issued and projects begin: July Anticipated funding available for awards: $200,000 More information: fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/grant-programs/off-highway-vehicle Summer Motorized Trail Pass Grant Program: A grant program funded through the creation of the OHV Trail Pass. This is the program’s third grant cycle. The program will award funds to non-federal entities for the maintenance of OHV trails on public lands. Applications accepted: Nov. 15 – Feb. 1, 2024 Awards announced: May Contracts issued and projects begin: July Anticipated funding available for awards: $300,000 More information: fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/grant-programs/summer-motorized-trail-pass Training sessions will be offered as needed for prospective applicants of the Off-Highway Vehicle Grant Program and Summer Motorized Trail Pass Grant Programs. For more information on attending a grant application training session or applying to one of these opportunities, visit: fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/grant-programs . For questions about the Summer Motorized Trail Pass Grant Program and the Off-Highway Vehicle Grant Program, contact Seth McArthur at SMcArthur@mt.gov .

Cross Country November 15, 2023Lindsey Branch, UMW Sports Information The field is set for the 2023 NAIA Men's and Women's Cross Country National Championship race. Two Bulldogs cross country runners will be competing in the race. Olivia Heiner will be representing the women's cross country team at the national meet. Heiner earned all-conference honors after she placed ninth in the conference with a race time of 24:16.40 last Friday. Brant Heiner will be representing the men's cross country team at the national meet. He led the Bulldogs with a tenth place finish, good for all-conference honors for the second time in his career. He ran the race in a time of 26:28.50. Race Information Location: Fort Vancouver National Historic Championship Course 612 E Reserve St. Vancouver, Wash. 98661 Live Video: NAIA - Home (stretchinternet.com) Live Results: NAIA National XC Championships - Live Results | Athletic Timing Championship Program – Men: Men's Race Program Championship Program – Women: Women's Race Program Visitor's Guide – Women: click here. Visitor's Guide – Men: click here.

UMW Sports Press Release The matchup is set for the 2023 NAIA Women's Volleyball Championship Opening Round. The Bulldogs are set to take on the no. 19 ranked Southwestern Assemblies of God University (Texas) on Saturday Nov. 18 at 11 a.m. MT. After NAIA Championship Opening Rounds, the action at the final site inside the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa, starts with three days of pool play from November 29 – December 1. The top team of each pool will advance to the elimination bracket, starting with the quarterfinals, on Saturday, December 2. The semifinals will be played on Monday, December 4, and the national champion will be crowned Tuesday, December 5, with the first serve set for 7 p.m. CST on ESPN3. The Bulldogs enter the tournament by way of automatic berth following their Saturday 3-2 win over Rocky Mountain College in the Frontier Conference Tournament Championship. The Bulldogs finished the season with an overall record of 21-6 and enter on a three-game win streak. SAGU enters postseason play as the no. 19 team in the nation and an overall record of 24-7. The Lions enter the postseason as the Sooner Athletic Conference regular season champions. This will be their fourth appearance in the NAIA Women's Volleyball Championship. Opening Round Information Location: Sheaffer Center 1260 Savell Cir Waxahachie, Texas 75165 Live Video: SAGU Sports Network - YouTube Live Stats: Montana Western vs. SAGU Live Stats Tickets : Tickets for NAIA Volleyball Opening Round SAGU vs Montana Western | vivenu