33rd Annual Magic City Sports Medicine Conference
Speaker Bios
May 18th, 2024
Theme: Connecting Regional Culture with Sports Medicine
Wade Davies, Professor of History
For the past twenty years, Professor Wade Davies has taught courses for both the University of Montana History and Native American Studies departments on Native American history (both colonial and twentieth-century), Indigenous sporting traditions, and research/writing methods. Throughout his teaching career, he has received numerous awards and accolades for his excellence as a classroom instructor and mentor to students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Dr. Davies is also an accomplished scholar in the fields of twentieth-century Native American, U.S. Western, and U.S. Sports history. In 2021, he received the John C. Ewers Award from the Western History Association for his book, Native Hoops: The Rise of American Indian Basketball, 1895-1970, which was the first comprehensive history of Indian country’s premier sport. In that book, Davies described the ways that a sport, plied by Christian missionaries and federal employees as a tool of social control and cultural integration, was instead adopted and transformed by Native boarding school students for their own purposes, ultimately becoming the “Rez ball”-incarnation of the sport that embodies Native American experience, identity, and community.
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Steven Williamson, MD
Dr Williamson is the current Chief Medical Officer at Indian Health Services (IHS) in Billings, MT.
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Kola Bad Bear
Kola is a Montana Native who grew up in the Billings area. She recently finished her collegiate basketball career with spending four years playing at Montana State University and her final year at Montana State University Billings. She is an advocate for her Native American Community with special interest in bringing awareness to MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women).
During her high school career, Kola injured her knee and through the support of her family, faith and native american community, she was able to make a full recovery earning herself significant playing time at both the NCAA DI and DII levels.
John Sunchild, ATC
John is currently the athletic trainer at Rocky Boy – Box Elder High Schools. He is a graduate of the University of Montana with his Masters in Athletic Trainer and his bachelors in Exercise Science. He is a Board Certified athletic trainer.
John is also the Vice President on the Chippewa Cree Buffalo Committee where he volunteers his time with the Rocky Boy Reservation to aid in the buffalo restoration on the Chippewa Cree Reservation.
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Ross Powell
Ross is a Montana native who works for Pacific Medical.
Austin Reay
Austin works for Pacific Medical.
Ben Phipps, MD
Dr. Phipps received his medical degree from The University of Minnesota School of Medicine after completing his undergrad at University of Minnesota-Duluth. He completed a Family Medicine residency with Sports and Wilderness Medicine emphasis and served as chief resident at Montana Family Medicine Residency. He has also completed a Sports Medicine Fellowship.
Dr. Phipps is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine with Certificate of Added Qualification in Sports Medicine.
Dr. Phipps practice focuses on complete care of the athlete from injury prevention to the treatment of the athlete. He sees the common orthopedic injuries from sprains, strains, fractures, and dislocations to medical ailments of athletes including sports related concussion management. Dr. Phipps utilizes musculoskeletal ultrasound techniques for diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal conditions.
Josh Bowler, MD
Dr. Bowler, MD received his medical degree from the University of Nevada School of Medicine after completing his undergraduate degree in Physiology and Developmental Biology from Brigham Young University. He then performed a five-year orthopedic surgery residency at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Bowler then chose to complete a specialized fellowship program in Orthopedic Sports Medicine at The Ohio State University’s Jameson Crane Sports Medicine Institute where he worked with athletes from across Ohio State Athletics.
Dr. Bowler’s practice focuses on the complete care of complex shoulder, hip and knee injuries and conditions. These include minimally invasive arthroscopic procedures, advanced cartilage restoration, joint stabilization and ligamentous reconstructions. Dr. Bowler also treats athletic injuries of all types and ages from weekend warriors to competitive student-athletes and everything in-between.
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Steve Klepps, MD
Dr. Klepps, MD received his medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis, MO after completing his undergrad at Carroll College in Helena, MT. He then performed a surgical internship at the Washington University/Barnes Hospital and followed that training with an orthopedic residency also at the Washington University. Lastly, Dr. Klepps completed a fellowship program in Shoulder and Elbow disorders at Mount Sinaii Hospital in New York City, NY.
Dr. Klepps is board certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and is affiliated with the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, Montana Medical Association, American Society of Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) as well as the Association of Clinical Elbow and Shoulder Surgeons (ACESS).
Dr. Klepps’ practice focuses on the complete care of shoulder and elbow injuries as well as sports knee injuries.
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Garrett Baldry, OTD,OTD/L
Garrett Baldry is a Montana native and grew up in Miles City. In his home state, he attended Montana State University Billings where he was a collegiate athlete and earned his bachelor’s degree in Health and Human Performance in 2018. He went on to receive a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy at the University of Mary in 2021. His love for his home state led him back to Montana to begin his career at Ortho Montana.
Early on in his professional career, Garrett found a passion for treating patients with hand and upper extremities due to his previous experience as a collegiate athlete. Now he enjoys working with patients of all ages to develop client-centered goals in therapy and fabricating custom splints.
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Kailey Lewis-Smith, OTD
Kaily is an occupational therapist at Ortho Montana.
Anna Kasperick, RD
Anna is the Athletic Medicine and Performance nutrition advisor through Beartooth Nutrition. She is a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer. She is a graduate of the University of Wyoming. Anna completed her clinical internship through Montana State University.
Dayne Dyer, CSCS
Dayne is the Owner and CEO of Beartooth Performance who has a partnership with Athletic Medicine and Performance (AMP) to facilitate strength and conditioning programs for area athletes. Dayne grew up in St. Louis, graduated with a degree in Exercise Science before moving to Montana. He has a passion for learning, fitness, athletics and the way the human body moves weaving these components together to provide a strong foundation for athlete’s success.
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Justin Smith, MS, CSCS, SCCC
Justin is the current director of Performance at Beartooth Performance who works closely with Athletic Medicine and Performance (AMP) training area athletes. He is a graduate of the University of West Georgia with his Master and Bachelors of Science in Biology. He also played collegiate baseball earning all conference honors at shortstop. After graduating, he went to the University of Oregon as a Strength and Conditioning Intern and then to Tulane University where he spent 3 years as the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach. He has multiple certifications including, but not limited to Precision Nutrition Certification, Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.