Krack recognized for brilliant athletic achievement

Former Bulldog and current freshman at Carroll College in Helena, Carson Krack won the Frontier Conference Championship and was named the NAIA Men's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week. He also garnered the title of Frontier Conference Field Athlete of the Week.  

Krack earned the honors with his outstanding performance at the Trudnowski Open in Helena, where he won the decathlon with 6,840 points. His score represented not only a personal best, but the best posted in the NAIA so far this year. 

He won four of the 10 events: long jump, high jump, 400 meters and 110 hurdles, and finished second in three others: the 100 meters, javelin and 1,500 meters. He posted person bests in seven events. 

Typically, Krack’s strongest events are the 110 hurdles, the 400M and the long jump, although he said his long jump marks have fluctuated.  

"I had a good PR of 23-4 a few weeks ago in Great Falls and then at the meet, I only jumped about 21-6, and so a little inconsistent there,” he said. “But my hurdles came in and my 400 did, as well.” 

He said winning the championship and being recognized boosted his confidence. He recalled his high school days when getting recognition as one of the best athletes at school made him run faster and feel happier. 

“I didn’t really realize the NAIA Athlete of the Week was even a thing until a coach texted me and I was like, ‘Wow, that’s pretty cool,’” he said.  

Carroll has a strong track team and unlike last year, when there was only one multi competitor, there are eight this year. He said the team is competitive and made up of good friends. 

“We pushed each other every event, every day. It's nice to have the competitive spirit between all of us,” he said. “I'm very lucky to be where I am.” 

This is the first time since 2022 the NAIA has recognized a Carroll track team member with the National Field Athlete of the Week award. Krack is not letting the accolades go to his head. 

“I know that I have a lot more to give. I'm not, by any means, satisfied with how I'm doing. I'll just keep going and I'm going to keep working,” he said. “I don't really know where life is going to take me, but I know that I want to run track and I just want to run it well.” 

Krack is one of several Whitefish High School athletes who have gone on to find success at the college level. He said a handful of fellow Whitefish High School alums recently at a meet in Missoula. 

“Whitefish has a pretty good track culture and we've been pretty successful with sending kids to college because of it,” he said. 

He mentioned other multis, athletes like Hailey Ellis who competes in the heptathlon at Montana State and decathlete Lee Walburn, who also attended Carroll College and is now coaching and training at Washington State University after sustaining an injury at the Olympic trials. 

By the end of his fourth year in college, Krack, too, would like to go to the Olympic trials. He said that is the dream of every track athlete. 

“I’ve seen Lee Walburn doing it ... that gives me a sense of hope,” he said. “If he could do it, I can do it too.”