NEW ORLEANS, La. -- The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association honored Montana Tech's women's cross country and track & field teams as No. 14 in the NAIA in its annual Fred Beile Program of the Year Award standings, the USTFCCCA announced Tuesday. 

The Oredigger women represented Montana Tech at all three NAIA championship meets — cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field — in 2024-25, making them eligible for the award. 

The Frontier Conference champions for the first time in program history, Montana Tech's women's cross country team earned the league's automatic bid to the national meet, where they finished 21st in the 35-team field. 

At indoor championships in February, the Orediggers finished in a tie for 42nd place thanks to senior Jadyn Vermillion's fifth-place finish in the long jump. 

Last month at the outdoor championships, senior Abby Clark took third in the heptathlon, and fellow senior Jenna Jordan placed seventh in the javelin. Those performances put Tech in a tie for 31st. 

The USTFCCCA Program of the Year Award honors the institution that has achieved the most success in each academic year (spanning the cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons) based on the institution's finish at their respective Championships. 

In order to be eligible for the award, teams must qualify for each of the Championships. Scoring is based on the team's finish at each Championship in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field (i.e. 1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points … 31st = 31 points) with the lowest total score for all three championships combined determining the award winner. Ties among schools split points for positions taken. 

Taylor University won the top honor after finishing second in cross country, fifth at indoor championships, and sixth in the outdoor standings. Montana Tech was the only Frontier Conference women's program to qualify. 

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