HELENA — Winning track and field’s decathlon requires an athlete to be fast on the track, explosive in the jumping events and powerful in the throwing events.
Coming into this season, Carroll College freshman Carson Krack had never done half those things. But now Krack, who won high school state championships in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles at Whitefish last spring, owns the title of highest-scoring NAIA decathlete this season.
“I mean, it’s a big learning curve,” Krack said of competing in the decathlon’s throwing and vaulting events. “Especially because we started out the year focused just on those events. I never did any throws in high school. I’d never pole vaulted either. We spent the majority of fall pole vaulting twice a week and throwing just about every other day. So, it was hard at first.”
Carroll head coach Harry Clark said his multi-event athletes practice their field events upwards of three-to-four hours per day.
“Yeah, that’s the cool part, he came in as a high jumper, hurdler,” said Clark. “So, I got the great privilege to teach him how to pole vault and throw shot, disc, javelin, all the things they’ve never touched before — and when I recruit them, I tell them not to. So, when I get them, I get them from the ground level.”
And luckily for Krack, Clark is a former All-American decathlete himself, still owning Montana State’s record-high decathlon score.
“I mean, it’s great. I couldn’t ask for a better coach,” said Krack. “Having his experience, and he knows exactly what he’s talking about. I mean, he’s not going to give you any BS. He’s going to get right to the point, tell you what you’re doing wrong, what you’re doing right. So, I think him having that prior experience is probably the best thing a coach could have.”
So soak up Clark’s knowledge Krack did, not only recording the highest decathlon score in the nation so far this season, but also making his coach proud in the process.
“Oh, extremely. And it’s from the freshmen to the seniors,” Clark said of his athletes taking his coaching. “Like, the whole team is that way. My whole goal is to come out every day and put a smile on their face by learning something new or getting something done the correct way for the very first time. It’s a cool feeling as a coach and for an athlete.”
