Skylights sign Idaho All-State guard

The 2017 recruiting class for Montana State University-Northern head coach Chris Mouat is shaping up to be a special one.

Mouat recently announced the signing of Jilian Gilchrist to join the Skylight program this fall. Gilchrist is a 5-6 guard from Minico High School in Rupert, Idaho.

This past season, Gilchrist averaged 15.8 points while shooting 36 percent from the 3-point line and 74 percent from the free-throw-line. She missed seven games due to injury, but was still a First Team Idaho All-State selection. She was a Second Team All-State pick in 2016 and a three-time All-Conference honoree.

A three-year starter for Coach Anna Bateman, Gilchrist connected on 47, 39 and 35 three-point field goals in each of the past three seasons. Bateman is a former Skylight star and was also an assistant coach at MSU-Northern for five seasons.

“Jill is a quiet, hard-working kid who gets stuff done,” Bateman said. “She is willing to put the time in to get better and improve her skills. She hates to lose and is an ultimate competitor.”

As a starter, Gilchrist’s teams had an overall record of 66-23 in three seasons, and they were ranked as high as first in Idaho 4A basketball all three years.

“We are very excited about Jilian,” Mouat said. “She has excellent range and plays extremely hard. I know that she has been well-coached and knows how to compete, and I think we are getting a really good player. Coach Bateman has built the Minico program into something special, and Jilian has been a big part of their growth and success. I’m excited about her future at MSU-Northern.”

Gilchrist is the daughter of Brian and Amanda Gilchrist. She plans on majoring in nursing at MSU-Northern. Gilchrist joins a Skylight program that finished 24-9 in 2017, including a fourth-straight appearance at the NAIA National Tournament, where they advanced to the round of 16.