BOZEMAN — In one of Montana State’s first practices this season, freshman Teagan Erickson nonchalantly tosses herself an alley-oop. She leaps off of her left foot and dunks the ball with her right hand. Wearing a half smile, she walks off the court and sits down.
Meanwhile her teammates erupt into cheers and share high-fives, most witnessing it for the first time. That demeanor has served Erickson well whether she’s on the free throw line to win the game, serving a game point, or taking a test to maintain her 4.0 GPA, proof it’s hard to rattle the even-keeled Bobcat freshman.
Growing up on a farm and ranch 25 miles north of Saco might have something to do with it. Erickson quickly grasped parallels between ranching and sports. She found that having a level head and staying calm is just as beneficial on the court as it is on the farm.
In her 18 years of growing up on the Hi-Line, there wasn’t a day where Erickson thought the grass might be greener on the other side — somewhere bigger with entertainment options and more people. Riding the swather, chasing cows, branding cattle, and breaking colts were all a part of Erickson's daily life. She’d like to make it part of her future, too, with Animal Science as her college major.
“I love where my sisters and I grew up,” Erickson said. My dad is a fourth-generation rancher and I wouldn’t change it for anything.” The town has more cows than people and one of the main landmarks is a gas pump without a store.
Like .