HELENA — The Carroll College Fighting Saints track and field team is set to host the 2021 Frontier Conference championship starting Thursday. As they head into this year's event, the Fighting Saints feel like they're in a good position to make a deep run thanks in part to the team's chemistry.
"It's been nice to be back together after being gone for so long. Being apart from someone makes you miss them, and so having to go home and miss our whole season, it's just kind of brought us even closer this year," said sophomore Lee Walburn.
Fighting Saints head coach Harry Clark noted he’s been pushing to have Carroll College host a championship track and field meet ever since he was named the head coach nearly a decade ago. Though there's a lot of work that goes into planning and hosting an event like this, Clark can't wait to get the ball rolling on Thursday.
"We've trying to get this started for nine years now. So last year we all got together and decided really do it. We're super stoked about it," said Clark. "They have us for the host site for the first one. (It) really makes me proud as a coach of Carroll college to have that responsibility to host the first conference."
"There's a lot more to do to put a big meet on like this than people think there is," chuckled Clark. "From officials to food, I mean, there's a lot of things going on."
With the Saints hosting the conference championship, it also presents the added benefit of home-field advantage, something sophomore Sophie Loveless feels will work in their favor after traveling a good bit for meets this winter and spring.
"It is nice because we did have to wake up really early to go to those away meets. So having them here, it's just going to be nice," said Loveless. "We get to come pretty much an hour before we go and then just warm when we jump."
The Frontier Conference championships will start on Thursday at 12 p.m. at Vigilante Stadium at Helena Middle School.
