FAIRFIELD — In any meet at which Fairfield competes, it's possible Saber Allen and Brodie Carper will be among the top finishers in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles.
"It's amazing, you know, just been blessed," Carper said during practice Thursday at Fairfield High School. "Wake up every day and go to school and then practice and see each other. And it's a good friendship and bond that we just tie together."
"Honestly, it's so awesome. Like, from freshman year all the way up to now, it's like we always had that competition," Allen said. "We're always back and forth racing against each other. Sometimes he'll beat me, sometimes I beat him. It's just a cool battle between us."
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Both said they've shared heats in the hurdle races throughout high school. The last time they didn't?
"Freshman year? It's been a while," Carper said with a laugh.
As of Thursday, Allen ranks second among Class B competition in the 110s (15.07 seconds) while sitting with the fifth-best time in the 300s (40.77). In fact, the best time Allen has put up in the 110s broke a meet record at last Tuesday's Cascade Top 8 which had been standing since 2010.
"I looked at it and I thought, 'I'm pretty close to that record.' But was never in my mind to break it," Allen said. "My mind's always on the school record, trying to beat my brother (Dawson). Get up to the starting line and starts snowing on us, blowing straight wind at us. And I thought, 'I'm going to do so good in this race.'"
Carper, on the other hand, has the seventh-best time in the 110s and ranks 10th in the 300s.
He said the duo is always encouraging each other.
"Push each other to our (personal records) and our best abilities," Carper said. "Even in practice, you know, just battling it out."
How about interactions between the two after they both cross the finish line?
"Congratulating each other and, you know, just giving each other back slaps and telling each other what we can do better," Carper said.
"Mostly it's just, 'Hey, good job,' or, 'Man, that was close,' type of thing," Allen said. "How'd it go?"
One specific heat where they raced is a funny memory, Allen said.
"One time in Choteau, I looked over to (Carper), I said, try and beat me," Allen said. "So we run that race and they forget a hurdle and he beats me that race. And I was like, shoot, can't tell him that ever again."
Allen, Carper and the Eagles next compete in their first postseason event on Saturday, as the District 1B meet takes place in Great Falls.
