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The new head coach for Hot Springs track and field, Andrew Leichtnam already knows a thing or two about Savage Heat sports.

An assistant coach for the powerful Heat football team for the last five years and an assistant in other sports as needed during that time, Leicthnam was also a legendary athlete during his playing days in Hot Springs, winning a State B-C wrestling championship for Plains-Hot Springs, starring for the football team and winning a third place medal in the State C shot put as a senior for the Heat in 2002.

Now he gets his first head coaching job following the lost season of 2020, when no prep spring sports at all were played in Montana due to the pandemic.

“It has to be very strange for the kids, and it’s going to be interesting to see how they respond,” he said. “Our juniors and seniors now were freshmen and sophomores the last time they competed and they have probably changed a lot in the last two years.”

Whatever changes have occurred, the Heat are ready to make up for lost time now, opening the season competing in the Bigfork Invitational Saturday.

Leicthnam has a large turnout for his first head coaching assignment in Hot Springs.

Seniors EmmaRae Rassmussen, Jesse Uski, Bert DeTienne, Kawika Ilac and Syrrius Robinson, juniors Kyle Lawson and Vania Afonin, sophomores Josie Uski and Austin Campbell, and freshmen Allan Peters, Clint Lien, Elijah Campbell, Jody Page, Michael Marrinan, Quincy Styles-DePoe, WilJames Courville, Will Dyson, Lauryn Aldridge, Vivi McKeever and Dylan Theademan comprise the 2021 HSHS track and field roster.

Juniors Katelyn Christensen and Moira Longeran will serve as managers this spring. Leichtnam has actually given Christensen, who won second in the javelin and sixth in the long jump as a freshman in the State C meet, much more responsibility than that of an everyday manager.

Christensen suffered a knee injury during the basketball season and underwent corrective surgery shortly after. With her possibly still having college plans in the sport, Leichtnam sees Christensen contributing in other ways on the track and field this season.

“I plan on using Katelyn as an assistant coach, she is going to help me teach the others,” Leichtnam said. “She is doing well with her recovery but helping the other kids will help her too.”

Leichtnam sympathizes with Christensen’s rare plight.

“She is going to miss two full seasons of competition,” he said. “But, all said and done, she is a very strong person and I expect her to have a full recovery.”

The Heat track and field team opens the season competing at the Bigfork Invitational Saturday.