It's turning out to be a banner year for Oredigger Athletics.  Just weeks after the 2022 Men's Basketball team raised their championship banner from last spring, the Oredigger Women's Track and Field team added their own to the rafters last night over Kelvin Sampson Court in the HPER complex.

In a ceremony held before tipoff of the Montana Tech/Providence men's basketball game, the 15 representatives of Digger Women's Track and Field team from last season congregated on the court along with Head Coach Zach Kughn to thunderous applause as the veil was torn away from their 2022 banner.

Coach Zach Kughn, assistant Jacob Sundberg and the 2022 Frontier Conference Champion Women's Track and Field team, with their trophy, at the unveiling of their championship banner. Photo: Tommy O/Townsqare Media
Coach Zach Kughn, assistant Jacob Sundberg and the 2022 Frontier Conference Champion Women's Track and Field team, with their trophy, at the unveiling of their championship banner. Photo: Tommy O/Townsqare Media
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The Orediggers won the 2022 Frontier Conference Championship by winning 12 of 22 events last spring.  In total, the Orediggers earned 26 All-Conference awards and all 15 of the women that competed at the conference championship scored points.  The Orediggers also swept all three of the individual conference awards.  This is the first championship banner in Track and Field for Montana Tech, a feat made more impressive by the fact that this is the program's first year of existence.

A lot of the credit for the Diggers success is due to Coach Zach Kughn and Assistant Coach Jason Sundberg.  When asked about the future of Oredigger Track and Field and the secret to their immediate success, Kughn replied, "I don't think there's ever a secret, it's a lot of hard work, of course, but the Butte community and Montana Tech as a university is a great place to recruit people."  Kughn added that the Track and Field program is a boon not only to Montana Tech, but to Butte and the rest of Montana as well.  "When you're talking Track and Field, there was just a need in the state for a public school offering a true Track and Field experience for people who want to be competitive and are serious about academics at the same time.  I feel we're filling a really big need for the state of Montana and living in a place where it's always easy to attract out-of-staters," Kughn added.

Congratulations to Coach Kughn, Coach Sundberg and their amazing season.  Here's to many more.

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