GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The University of Providence cross country team will host a home meet tomorrow at the Providence Invitational. The meet, which will take place at Anaconda Hills Golf Course, will begin with the men at 12:00 p.m. followed by the women at 12:45 p.m.
"It's always fun to be in your own town," Arntson said. "I know some of our kids have their friends coming to watch them and they're excited about that. Anytime you don't have to get on a bus and travel it's just that much better."
The team has already improved immensely as the season has progressed. The team has raced against multiple Division I runners at meets hosted by Montana and Montana State, with most runners improving their splits from when the season started.
Nash Grafe,
Doreen Koech and
Ciaran Molloy have all shaved nearly a minute off their time from their
first race of the season.
The team will face off against some fresh faces, as the meet will feature Rocky Mountain College, Dawson Community College, Yellowstone Christian College and Montana State-Billings.
"The progression has been very good," Arntson said. "I'm really happy with the way the kids are working. They've really been focused on competing against themselves more than anything right now."
The meet will take place at Anaconda Hills, known across the state as one of the more challenging courses.
"It's a very hilly, challenging course," Arntson said. "We're not necessarily looking at times tomorrow, we're looking at the competitiveness of each kid. Your splits aren't going to be where they usually are so you can't check that on your watch and adjust your race that way. We're really going to go and compete against individuals."