Montana Welcomes New Clubs 26'

With the beginning of 2026, the USATF Montana Association ushers in three new USA Track & Field sanctioned clubs to Big Sky Country!  The development of club members are at the heartbeat of USA Track & Field. They provide much needed support to athletes in the form of coaching, financial support, and athletic satisfaction.
The focus and goals of each club are as unique and diverse as the athletes who compete for them. Some clubs focus primarily on elite development, while others specialize in youth or masters' programs, or the many other disciplines of USATF. Whatever the case may be, each club is vital to the sport's future in the United States.

A big “Welcome” to the following new clubs of the USA Track & Field Montana Association:

• Rimrock Track Club - Billings, MT.
• Dawson Athletic Club – Glendive, MT.
• Shepard Track Club – Shepard, MT. 

In the past two years, seven new clubs have joined the Montana Association.  Only a couple being well-rehearsed with the USATF format; the rest, totally new to the USATF program.  Starting small with just a handful of athletes should not be considered a setback or disadvantage. Instead, just having the passion to share the many benefits of USA Track & Field with your youth is the bonus. 

One excellent example being the Mission Mountain Mercury Club in Polson, MT.  Going onto its fourth year, the Mission Mountain Mercury club of Polson, Montana and coached by Jason Delaney is the ideal model for building a new club. 

What generated the interest in starting their club? Interestingly, a few years ago, Jason took his daughter, Morgan, and another middle school athlete over to the USATF Montana Association Junior Olympics Cross Country Championship meet in Helena. On the way home, Morgan asked him why everybody else in her race was on a team. Jason’s explanation being, “that they were from a small town and didn’t have a track club.”  His daughter then raised the question about why they didn't have a club --- and the seed was planted! The next year their little track club was formed. 

As a six-time All-State track and cross-country athlete in Polson, a four-year letterman at the University of Wyoming, and a veteran in everything from marathons to Mountain Ultra Runs, the sport was not new to him.  However, starting a USA Track & Field youth club was. 

Jason’s initial vision was to provide opportunities for their youth athletes with some general knowledge and access to the sport outside of the school seasons. However, with the growth of the club becoming a success, Jason’s vision soon turned to getting a Board and non-profit established so the club may have a legacy beyond his interest and time working with the athletes. His hope being that their club can continue with new leadership for years to come.

Asking him what he feels most that their program has benefitted from by starting a USATF Montana Association youth club? Jason notes he thinks it’s the camaraderie that is generated so naturally with the club system; plus, building a tool to guide his daughter that wanted to start a club, Morgan, to becoming the 2025 USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country National Champion in Shelbyville, Illinois. 

"It teaches invaluable lessons to our young athletes and helps them to find other athletes with similar interests and goals outside of our school system and valley to enjoy the sport of track and field with." Not only that, but it has also been great for me personally as a coach to get to know other coaches throughout the state and have the club system to draw from their experience and knowledge.

With new clubs, the USATF Montana Association offers a variety of opportunites to individuals wishing to start a new program in their region. The Association is currently in the process of implementing its 2026 goals to assist with starting more new clubs, while also assisting current clubs to further enhance their program. If interested in more information about USATF Montana Association clubs, contact Dave Skelton, Clubs Membership Chair at bztkclub@gmail.com or Greg Mohl, President, USATF Montana Associon at mohlgb@gmail.com.