I’m proud of this story from a writing standpoint, but I’m only including it in my portfolio because it’s the first one I’ve written that included gifs I created. I think they significantly added to the piece.

Relentless guard Omar Aigbedion has ascended to top tier in 2nd season at Montana State

Whenever a new Montana State coach inks a contract, I try to obtain a copy of it via public records request. Below are the stories I’ve written about those contracts.

Montana State to pay Matt Logie slightly higher salary than Danny Sprinkle received

Montana State football coaches Brent Vigen, Willie Mack Garza get raises in new contracts

In May 2023, Montana State offensive coordinator Taylor Housewright was cited for aggravated DUI. I obtained the charging documents for that case and broke the the news of another MSU coach’s involvement with Housewright’s alleged crimes.

A couple of Montana State assistant football coaches took new jobs in early 2023. I broke one of the stories — on running backs coach Jimmy Beal — and confirmed the other with anonymous sources — on offensive line coach Brian Armstrong.

As exciting as it can be to break news with sources, I take more pride in good stories featuring on-the-record interviews (transactional news, after all, will come out even if no reporter gets someone to tell them anonymously). Below are the follows I did on Armstrong and Beal featuring exclusive interviews with both of them.

‘Hard to say goodbye’: Brian Armstrong reflects on Montana State coaching career, looks forward to Fresno State

Now at San Diego State, Jimmy Beal reflects on home away from home time at Montana State

I had the pleasure of covering an NCAA Tournament for the first time in 2022, when the 16th-seeded Montana State women’s basketball team played at No. 1-seeded Stanford. Below are the stories I wrote before and after MSU’s first-round game.

• ‘Go in fearless’: Montana State women hope to become second 16 seed to beat Stanford at NCAA tournament
• Stanford overwhelms Montana State women in NCAA tournament first-round game
• Notebook: Montana State women continue ‘year of the Bobcat,’ Tara VanDerveer displays off-court values

I covered another NCAA tourney a year later under much different circumstances. This time, the 14th-seeded MSU men faced third-seeded Kansas State in Greensboro, North Carolina. Below are the stories I published from that trip.

• Kansas State hoping to extend breakout season with win over Montana State in NCAA Tournament
• Q&A: Montana State great Mick Durham enjoying another NCAA Tournament run from Danny Sprinkle-led Bobcats
• Montana State men battle Kansas State but fall short in 2nd straight NCAA Tournament

The National Sports Media Association named me the Montana Sportswriter of the Year for 2022. I’m not the first writer to say this: honors like this are hardly my objective. But I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t gratifying. Thanks to my peers who voted for me and to all the other people in my life who have helped me do the job I love.

This is maybe my favorite interview I’ve ever done. The conversation I had with Montana State head football coach Brent Vigen about Damar Hamlin’s near-death experience during a football game and the violence of football certainly wasn’t light-hearted, but it was fascinating, illuminating and nuanced.

Q&A: Montana State coach Brent Vigen on witnessing Damar Hamlin’s injury, football’s ‘inherent risk’

ESPN’s “College GameDay” came to Bozeman in November for Montana State’s football game against rival Montana. I wrote about why the show visited Montana for the first time, interviewed the famous golfer who served as GameDay’s guest picker and explored GameDay’s economic impact on Bozeman.

Coldest ‘GameDay’ ever: ESPN producers explain why show came to Montana for first time

Q&A: Nick Faldo on ‘College GameDay’ in Bozeman, Bobcat fandom, retiring to Montana

Bozeman got boost from ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’, but full impact is hard to quantify

Stories like this are always hard to write, but this one was easier than most because Ravi Alston was incredibly open and gracious during our interview.

Finding his ‘why’: Montana State’s Ravi Alston Jr. driven by memory of late father