Myles Sansted played four sports at Alexandria High School, kicking for the Cardinals as a junior and senior. But he figured that was it.

"I knew I had a shot, but I had never really kicked off the ground until after the season my senior year," he said.

Sansted went to Montana State and that spring decided to walk on. The Bobcats' head coach Brent Vigen is Sansted's uncle by marriage. That fall, Sansted was cut.

"Just trying to focus on the positives," said the now redshirt sophomore. "Being like, 'Hey, I'm gonna give this one more go. It's just not meant to be yet.' Really just put my head down and work and got after it. I'll say it as well. I just wasn't ready yet. I wasn't good enough yet. It was just another sign for me to keep working and keep going at it and that I wasn't where I wanted to be yet."

He kept at it. A year later, fall of 2024, it was Sansted's job.

"That phone call to my parents and that conversation with my coaches that I was gonna be the starter was — I couldn't even believe it. I was in shock," remembered Sansted.

He took it and ran. A stellar 15-of-19 mark on field goals last season, his longest a 49-yarder.

"I think I surprised myself a little bit. I obviously expect great things out of myself and I set myself to the highest standard and the team standards. My teammates hold me accountable," Sansted said. "It was super surreal. Each week it was like, alright, re-locking in. The past success doesn't dictate anything in the future."

Alexandria's Daniel Jackson was Minnesota's best high school kicker a season ago. Now he's a Gopher. Both DI products are benefiting from former University of Minnesota kicker Joel Monroe, Alexandria's current kicking coach.

So, has Alexandria become a placekicker factory?

"Hopefully," laughed Sansted, who has gone 17-of-21 on field goals this season. "We gotta get some younger guys coming up in the ranks, hopefully. We gotta figure that out a little bit. Get some guys interested in that. It's kinda just a choice. You just gotta make that choice and if it's something you wanna do, I think you can definitely have success at it. Joel is such a great resource."

Montana State is playing in the national championship game for the second straight year. They lost this game last season and had to reload. Here they are again. They will face Illinois State on Monday.

"It's gonna be a great experience. I like to always make sure to take a look around and take in the moment and not take anything for granted," said Sansted, who went 1-of-1 on field goals and 3-of-3 on PATs in last year's title game loss to North Dakota.

Kickers often have an abnormal route to high-level football. Sansted is no different — and very different.

"I think it's worked out even better than I could have ever dreamed of or imagined," he said. "I never thought I would be in the position I am right now, playing college football and fighting for a national championship again."