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HELENA, Mont. – The Carroll College track and field team begins competition Thursday at the NAIA Championship at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
 
The Saints qualified athletes in four separate relays and 13 individual events. Thursday, eight individuals and three relays teams open action.
 
"We're excited to have 21 kids here to compete after dealing with the weather that we had to this spring," head coach Harry Clark said. "The kids are here, ready to go. They are here for a reason, we don't come down to play around, they come to get on the podium."
 
Carroll opens with the first event of the weekend, the women's hammer throw with Jessica Lewis. Lewis sits 26th nationally but is just 2.5 meters out of a top-eight finish.
 
"Jess has been consistent all season, but over the last few days she has started to get out of the plateau and is ready to push for All-American honors," Clark said. "Coach Stanton has done a great job getting her ready to be at her best at this meet and I think she is ready to go."
 
The next athlete to start for the Saints is senior Bethany Lacock in the Heptathlon. Lacock enters ranked eighth in the NAIA and is coming off of an All-American performance in the indoor track and field championship.
 
"Bethany was right in the mix last year, but struggled down the stretch and missed out on the podium. This year will be different," Clark said. "She not only has the athletic ability to get the job done, but she has built the mental toughness to handle the pressure and she is ready to go."
 
Also competing in a final will be Hannah Porch in the long jump where she enters the event ranked 15th, but just inches away from All-American rankings. It will be a busy day for the junior. She also competes in the prelims for the 4x100-meter relay and the 200-meter dash.
 
"Thursday is a big day for Hannah," Clark said. "She is going to be right in the mix in the long jump and she is really excited to run the 200-meter dash and the 4x100. She is very important to what we do and if she has a great day, she can bring the rest of the team along with her."
 
The first event on the track for the Saints is the 4x100-meter relay, followed by the 1,500-meter run. The women's 1,500-meter run, featuring Samantha Mundel moves straight to a final Saturday because of low numbers, but the men's 1,500 with Chance Hyatt will run as scheduled.
 
Following the 1,500 is the trials of the 400-meter hurdles with Rhiannon Sturgess and Daniel Pendergast. Sturgess enters the weekend ranked fifth and Pendergast is 30th overall.
 
"Rhi has a shot at the title," Clark said. "She has yet to be pushed all season and I am excited to see what she can do when she is up against tough competition."
 
Closing out the day are the 4x800 relay teams. The Carroll men and women are both 12th overall entering the championship, but both qualified without the benefit of altitude adjustment that would put them closer to the top eight which they need to advance.
 
"Both teams have the potential to make the final," Clark said. "Our 4x800 teams have typically outperformed their rankings here at sea level and I think they can do it again. There are a lot of seniors and juniors on those two squads, the experience will pay off."
 
A big day on Thursday would set the Saints up for a big weekend and Clark is excited about the potential of his teams.
 
"It is exciting to think about our prospects when you look at what we can do," Clark said. "We have to set the tone Thursday with a strong showing. If we do that, that is when we can start talking about our team finish and there is a lot of potential for top-10 or even top-5 finishing spot for this team."