BILLINGS — Ben Ralston is going to be a busy bee this weekend during the Big Sky State Games.
The 21-year-old Montana State Billings Yellowjackets student-athlete will be a senior this fall, but before that has been spending his summer as a sports management intern with the BSSG.
Ralston — who competes in the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter dashes at MSUB — helps organize track and field events and the Montana Mile for the BSSG in his internship role.
Montana State Billings athlete Ben Ralston will be competing in the track and field events during the Big Sky State Games Sunday at the Lockwood High School track. Ralston is also a sports management intern with the BSSG.
“It’s been a fun experience. I will say that,” the Boise, Idaho, native said Tuesday during a break in preparing for the 39th annual State Games that begin Friday in Billings. “You get to see a lot of people you knew about and get to know more about them.”
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BSSG executive director Liana Susott said Ralston is one of three interns with the State Games this year. He oversees the Montana Mile, the track and field camp and working with all of our sports regarding waivers and equipment for 39 sports and working with commissioners.
“He’s a hard worker and smart and anything we ask him to do he’s willing to do it,” Susott said. “He’s willing to learn and learn more.”
Ralston holds both the 400 indoor and outdoor school records at MSUB, setting both marks his sophomore year. The indoor record is 49.75 seconds, set at the GNAC Championships in Spokane, Washington, and the outdoor mark is 48.24 seconds, established in Pocatello, Idaho, at the Bengal Invite.
Ralston, who transitioned from a distance to a sprints runner in high school, enjoys competing in the 400 because the event “still has that distance aspect, but you still get to go fast and sprint. You have to sprint the whole time, but do you have the endurance, too?”
On Sunday at the Lockwood High School track, he’ll be competing in the State Games 100, 400 and long jump — an event he hasn’t participated in for several years.
“I’m looking forward to the long jump,” Ralston said. “I used to do it. That was my main event in middle school before I got to high school.
“I’ll go out there and have fun and do something I wouldn’t do anywhere else.”
Ralston battled an injury last season and sat out several meets. When he returned, he mainly competed in the 100 and 200, but didn’t get to run in his favorite event, the 400.
Working as a resident assistant at MSUB, Ralston suffered a broken little toe on his right foot that made it painful to run.
“The water went out one evening and we were carting water between buildings,” he said. “I was pushing a cart with 12 cases of water and I hit a bump in the road and the cart came crashing back onto my toe. The wheel landed on my toe and crushed it.”
Now that he is healthy, Ralston is using the BSSG as a gauge for himself. He is also aiming to enjoy competing in the grassroots event, where participation and camaraderie is half the fun.
“Part of it is the last track season didn’t go the way I wanted,” he said. “I got injured and didn’t get a chance to compete. Now that I’m healthy, I want to get back on the track and compete to my fullest.”
MSUB track and field coach Jonathan Woehl said the BSSG are the perfect place for Ralston to test his foot.
Woehl
“I think it will be fun to see him run,” Woehl said. “It’s a good chance to see where he’s at after a frustrating junior year. I know a few of his teammates will compete, too, so it will be fun to see some of those guys and gals compete this weekend.”
Woehl explained that one of the reasons Ralston has experienced success in track and field is because he truly loves the sport.
“Ben is hard-working and cares about how he does and enjoys track,” Woehl said. “That’s one thing I look for in kids. It’s one thing to enjoy competition, but to enjoy your sport and be a fan of your sports is really important, too, and Ben has that. It helps you look forward to it and give that extra effort if you enjoy it.”
Ralston has a simple mission for his senior year with the Jackets and hopes participating in this weekend’s State Games can help him accomplish it.
“My individual goal is I want to go out there and qualify for nationals and run at the national meet this year,” Ralston said, noting he’s never ran in the indoor or outdoor NCAA Division II national meet and fell just short of provisional qualifying times in both during his sophomore year.
Woehl said qualifying for nationals is definitely something Ralston is capable of.
“He has the work ethic and the drive to do that,” he said. “What has been really fun over the past couple of years is we have grown the team, and he has a few teammates who will push him and give him a run for his money.”
The BSSG will also be offering a track and field camp in partnership with MSUB on Friday. Walston, a business management major who wants to own a landscaping business and coach track at either the high school or college level, is eager to help spread his knowledge to the campers. He’ll serve as one of the sprint coaches.
“The kids seem passionate about track and field and I’m looking forward to working with them,” Walston said.
This Yellowjacket is definitely going to be a busy bee working at, participating in, and coaching this weekend at the BSSG.
Email Gazette Sports Editor John Letasky at john.letasky@406mtsports.com or follow him on X/Twitter at @GazSportsJohnL
