They are few in numbers but long in competitiveness.

That’s the situation facing St. Regis track coach Jesse Allan as the team prepares for the 2022 Montana high school track and field season.

With only six, and possibly seven or eight students out for track this year, Allan and company will be looking at a group of freshmen and a few sophomores to provide team points and get better as the year goes on.

“We have only about six or seven players out this year”, said Allan before a sun splashed practice last week in St. Regis. “For a variety of reasons, some of the athletes we were hoping would come out have chosen to do other things. Several of them decided to golf this year”.

Among those Allan is hoping will shine this year is freshman sprinter and jumping events athlete Ayden Rael. He will compete in the sprint events and long jump during the coming year and has impressed the coach with his early season speed.

“We knew from basketball season Rael could run,” Allan said. “He has a good chance to be a good sprinter and jumper. He’s a hard worker”.

A sophomore showing great promise is Brooke Filek, who Allan said has a good chance to make it to divisionals later this Spring.

“Filek has the ability and a real good chance at making divisionals in the shot put,” he said.

Despite the low numbers and inexperience, Allan is optimistic the team will show improvement as the year goes on.

“We lost a lot from last season but are excited for this next group of kids coming up,” he said. “We have seven freshmen out this year, which is great for the coming years”.

Allan said he will be happy if the kids show improvement and develop their personal skills as the season progresses.

“My coaching philosophy is essentially to work hard and try for improvement each week. With young kids the focus is on them building good habits and foundations and watching them improve every week”.

And he is hoping that focus will translate into good results by the end of the year.

“I think by the end of the year our kids will compete well at districts and if they have a good day they should be able to compete one more week (Divisionals)”.

The Tigers open the 2022 season this Saturday when they take part in the Frenchtown Invitational.