Twelfth in a series
Part 11 - Hannah Nessan, Track & Field Freshman
Part 10 - Brittanee Fisher, Softball Freshman
Part 9 - Sarah Schroefel, Women's Golf Junior
Part 8 - Lamont Frisby, Men's Track & Field Freshman
Part 7 - Kobe Terashima, Men's Basketball Freshman
Part 6 - Zharon Richmond, Men's Basketball Freshman
Part 5 - Hannah Collins, Women's Basketball Freshman
Part 4 - Izela Alvarez, Volleyball Freshman
Part 3 - Maddi Vigil, Volleyball Freshman
Part 2 - Natalie Cabiad, Women's Soccer Freshman
Part 1 - Kylee Clarke, Volleyball Freshman

BILLINGS, Mont. – There has never been a time in the lives of Riley Kaercher and Caleb Trost where the other hasn't been a part of it.
 
"We met back in daycare and we have been best friends ever since," Kaercher revealed about the history of their friendship that began as toddlers.
 
From young ages, both Kaercher and Trost were not only introduced to the other, but also to the game of golf. It was this development of their love for golf and early discovery of their swings that ultimately allowed them to make an entrance on the Montana State University Billings men's golf team. "I started golfing when I was five years old," Trost stated about the origin of his golf career. "Then I started competing when I was nine and played in the same Yellowstone County golf tournaments as Riley."
 
The two freshmen spoke of the influence that their parents had on teaching them the game of golf. With much instruction and encouragement, Kaercher and Trost immersed themselves in junior tournaments where their initial spirit of competition was born. Whether it was playing Fortnite, a pickup basketball game, or a putting contest, it was guaranteed that Kaercher and Trost would make it a competition.  

"We have competitions all the time," Trost said. "It seems like we always compete against each other."

Kaercher quickly agreed with Trost of the many spontaneous tests to see who is better, but challenged Trost with a statement from the heart of a true competitor, "But I always win."
 
After years of competing in the Yellowstone County junior golf tournaments, Trost and Kaercher stepped into high school together as West High Bears. Not only had Kaercher and Trost known and played with one another for the majority of their lives, many of the other golfers on West's team were far from being strangers.
 
"We grew up playing with the players on our high school team," Trost stated. "We were all really good friends."
It was from the days of youth tees and automatic 'gimmies' that the West High boys grew a special comradery. This unique friendship allowed them to reach a level of success that not many other high school golf teams have had the privilege of accomplishing.
 
"We won four team state championships at my time at West," stated Trost who was also the State Junior champion his junior year of high school. "It is amazing to see all of the hard work pay off. Not a lot of other kids get to experience something like that."
 
Kaercher also reflected back on his time as a West High Bear where he, too, found his most defining moment of success. "Winning the team title here in Billings at Lake Hills Golf Course my senior year, was definitely a significant moment of my career," Kaercher said. "My very first tournament I had ever won back when I was a little kid was at Lake Hills. It was really amazing to see all of the hard work I had put in come full circle."
 
As Trost and Kaercher made history during their time in high school, it was now the time to consider carrying on their careers as collegiate golfers. With the early desire and promise of playing college golf together, Trost and Kaercher explored their possibilities. MSUB was narrowed down as the obvious choice.
 
Being close to home and having familiarity with the area persuaded the two to ultimately sign letters of intent. However, this was not the only reason Kaercher and Trost desired to play for MSUB.
 
"I knew two of the three coaches really well and I knew Garrett Woodin was on the team, too," Kaercher stated about the dynamic of MSUB's men's golf team. What makes these influencing factors so significant points back yet again to their time at West High School.
 
During the duo's junior year, MSUB men's head golf coach Kevin Woodin was also the head coach for West High. Marcus Drange, an assistant coach for MSUB, then took over the role as West High's head golf coach during the duo's senior year. Yellowjacket veteran Garrett Woodin was also one of the members of West High's successful golf program during the championship run.
 
Much of the men's golf team at MSUB is comprised of West High alumni which makes the team unique as it continues to carry on the tradition of comradery.
 
"It was a true pleasure to coach both boys at West High," stated Drange who is also a West High alumnus himself. "It is definitely one of my greatest pleasures to see a high school player transition to a collegiate player. To be both their high school and college coach is simply a privilege that I never anticipated as I started my coaching career."
 
Kaercher and Trost entered their fall season with high hopes and jittery nerves. Trost quickly posted scores that made him a reliable asset to the golf team. At the Saint Martin's Invitational, Trost recorded scores of 73, 78, and 78 where he followed up the next week as the leader for MSUB with scores of 79, 71, and 77 at Western Washington's Invitational. Trost continued carding scores in the 70s in the Western New Mexico Fall Intercollegiate tournament with 74, 72, and 76. At the Concordia Invitational, which happened to be his favorite tournament of his college career thus far, he posted scores of 71, 77, and 80. Trost currently holds a scoring average of 77.2 strokes and has a single-round low of 71.
 
Kaercher has also posted promising scores for a freshman during his fall season. At the Saint Martin's Invitational, Kaercher came out with three solid scores of 79, 75, and 76 which he said was his best tournament thus far. At Western Washington's Invitational, he posted an 81, 77, and 79. In Western New Mexico's tournament, he posted scores of 84, 79, and 87. Though he didn't show the results he desired at Western New Mexico's tournament, he came out and recorded a score back in the 70s (79) at Concordia's Invitational. Kaercher currently holds a scoring average of 82.6 and low single-round score of 75.
 
As the fall season came to a close and the off-season approached, Kaercher and Trost both reflected on their debut seasons. "I learned a lot from the fall, but realized I have a lot to improve on," Kaercher stated. "The competition is really good and I want to get better in the off-seasons. I also need to improve on my accuracy with my driver and placing myself in good positions off the tee."
 
"I think my fall season went pretty well," Trost stated about his overall consistent season. "I definitely need to improve on getting up and down around the greens because when I miss greens, it is often hard for me to eliminate multiple strokes."
 
With hopes of improving in these areas, both have faced challenges along with the rest of MSUB's golf program that have been completely out of their control.
 
"When you live in Montana you have to accept the fact that you aren't going to play a couple months out of the year," Trost stated about Mother Nature's desire to stay longer than most other seasons. With excess snow on the ground in the months of February and through March, the team has had to improvise its practice schedule. Playing indoors has become MSUB's option for regaining feel and getting back into the swing of competition. This is obviously not as ideal as practicing outside, but nevertheless, the team has been working with the circumstances. The men's golf team has already played in two tournaments in both California and Las Vegas despite the fact that the familiar confines of Lake Hills, its practice facility, still had a 'Closed' sign on the door at the time that the Yellowjackets' flight left for 75 degree weather.
 
"At this point, my goal is to be back in top performance by the conference tournament in April," Trost stated about his goals for this spring season.
 
Coach Drange also commented on the upcoming spring season for both Kaercher and Trost. "I expect their games to really take shape towards the end of the spring season and into next year. Their ability to adjust to collegiate tournaments, a different field of competition, harder and longer courses, and doing all of this as freshmen is very commendable."
 
Trost and Kaercher continue on in the similarities of their friendship not only on the golf course, but also in the classroom. Both are pursuing business degrees at MSUB, specifically in accounting. The two go from being in class together in the day to golf practice together in the afternoon. They are also currently roommates, so really, they are together 24/7 where they are able to add to the memories of their lifelong friendship.
 
As best friends, Trost and Kaercher admire each other not only as people, but also highly as golfers. "It's so fun to play with Caleb," Kaercher stated. "His biggest strength in his game is his accuracy. His misses are never big and he knows how to keep the ball in play."
 
"Caleb does an outstanding job of finding the best landing areas off the tee and sees the golf course in that way," Coach Drange stated as he seconded Kaercher's comments on Trost's golf game. "He trusts 'Big Blue,' the nickname he has coined for his driver, every time and it's this confidence that makes him great."
 
Trost also sees great potential in his teammate. "It has been so good for me to play with Riley because he's great competition," Trost said. "He is really good around the greens and gets up and down almost every time."
 
Kaercher also possesses an incredible mental game that gives him the edge above his competition. "Riley has a great talent in forgetting bad shots and moving onto the next," Coach Drange said. "The best thing about it is that he is a realist. He lives in the moment and truly plays every shot like the one before it did not happen, whether it was good or bad."
 
With positive admirations for the other, the two continue to challenge the other into becoming a more mature golfer and person in life. Even though there was a genuineness to the comments on the other's strengths, both could also quickly point out areas for improvement in the other. "He's got to work harder around the greens and getting up and down," Kaercher stated who finds his own greatest strength in the area Trost finds the weaker part of his game.
 
"He's got to get better off the tee," Trost stated in return. "He really needs help in the accuracy department."
 
Perhaps the two friends commented on one another's weaknesses a little tongue in cheek with the spirit of competition making a reappearance from the days of their youth.