Eighth in a series
Part 7 - Kobe Terashima, Men's Basketball Freshman
Part 6 - Zharon Richmond, Men's Basketball Freshman
Part 5 - Hannah Collins, Women's Basketball Freshman
Part 4 - Izela Alvarez, Volleyball Freshman
Part 3 - Maddi Vigil, Volleyball Freshman
Part 2 - Natalie Cabiad, Women's Soccer Freshman
Part 1 - Kylee Clarke, Volleyball Freshman

MSUB SPORTS – Intimidation is a definite reality for most athletes, but nerves and insecurity are almost always more prevalent for the incoming freshman. However, when it comes to facing the giant of intimidation, Montana State University Billings freshman Lamont Frisby remains undeterred. "I just come to run," Frisby states matter-of-factly. "I am not intimidated by anyone. I don't get scared. I just come to run."
 
This unshakeable confidence can be seen from the beginning moments of Frisby's track and field career. It all began his sophomore year of high school when he moved to Casper, Wyo. He quickly became a successful sprinter winning state championships in both the 100 and 200-meters. What makes this feat even more incredible is track and field was a backseat priority in his athletics. "I played football my whole life and wanted to play in college," Frisby said. "I was set on nothing else, but I got hurt every year that I played. I got hurt twice during my senior season, and so after that I was done. I didn't want to keep getting hurt, but wanted to keep going in my athletic career. That's when I decided to stick with track."
 
This decision to focus on track more so than football opened a door to what has become arguably the ultimate reason Frisby is now a sprinter for MSUB. During one of the track practices in Frisby's senior year, in walked Yellowjacket All-American Sam Zook. "I started talking to him and we had an immediate connection," Frisby said about Zook, who graduated a year before Frisby from Kelly Walsh High School. "During the summer, we practiced every day together. That's why I came here to MSUB."
 
The friendship that was sparked between Frisby and Zook most likely never would have taken place if Frisby had not moved to Wyoming his sophomore year of high school. In fact, Frisby's life as a whole could have been an entirely different story had he not moved. "I'm originally from Baltimore, Maryland," Frisby stated. "Coming from a big city and moving to one of about 50,000 people was definitely a culture shock. I knew no one in Wyoming so it was totally different for me."
 
It was in Baltimore that Frisby developed his work ethic and lack of fear and intimidation. "I had a group of friends that I hung out with a lot," Frisby spoke of his time in Baltimore. "We always pushed each other to get better at our positions in football. We all wanted to go to college and so we continually encouraged one another." The Baltimore boys still stay in contact today.
 
His eventual move across the country placed Frisby into a perfect position to become successful. Even though Frisby did not initially know why his destination was Wyoming, he did know that he was now on the brink of becoming a successful person and athlete. Not only was he set up for an opportunity for success, this middle-of-nowhere move opened a door to meet Zook, and ultimately, become a sprinter for MSUB.
 
Zook has been one of Frisby's role models ever since they met. This friend has now become a teammate and a competitor who he often races against in his collegiate meets. In many of the meets that MSUB competes in, oftentimes Frisby, Zook, and Mason Schram are neck and neck in the 60-meter sprint. At the Colorado School of Mines D2 Invitational in Golden, Colo., Frisby placed fifth overall with a time of 6.98 seconds which left him 0.1 seconds behind Schram. In South Dakota State University's indoor meet, Frisby placed fourth overall and ran a 6.96, which became his personal best in his collegiate career. He was also the only freshman to make the finals. In this meet, he also placed fifth overall in the 200-meter race with a time of 22.32 seconds, and yet again, he was the leading freshman.
 
At the Montana State University Invitational, Frisby set another personal best in the 60m with a 6.95 and placed second overall. Zook secured first place and Schram third. At MSU's Preview, Frisby ran a 6.96 and was 0.1 seconds away from tying his personal best from the previous week. He ended up placing second overall behind Zook. In the 200m race, he placed fourth with a 23.03 which led MSUB. Looking at his showing for the indoor season, Frisby was the leading freshman in most meets and between his other two teammates, the three sprinters from MSUB often came in first, second, and third representing MSUB's track and field team quite well.
 
"Our competition is each other," Frisby answered regarding racing against his teammates. "It's fun. We race every day in practice together, and even though we are teammates, we still want to beat each other. It's a really fun experience racing with them."
 
Frisby's unmatched success as a freshman is a function of his unwavering immunity to intimidation, and lack of experience hasn't knocked him off the track. "All my life I've been playing bigger roles in sports," Frisby spoke of the key to his confidence. "I played varsity football as a sophomore. I have been playing on bigger stages all of my life. So nothing really intimidates me. I just come to play."
 
The MSUB track and field team heads to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Indoor Championships this weekend and the athletes are hopeful about their performances. Frisby has not yet qualified for the national championships, so ultimately, the GNAC meet is his last opportunity to reach the provisional mark of 6.88 seconds in the 60-meters. With these qualifying times in mind, the pressure notches up as the sprinters go into their final indoor race. "I just focus on practice and then when I get to the meet, I just focus on running the race," Frisby stated about his mentality going into GNAC. "I just have to hit a qualifying mark. I'm not necessarily thinking about the mark. I'm thinking about running a good race, and if I run a good race, the mark will come."
Frisby demonstrates his composure by focusing on one task at hand and trusting that the results will come. What many people may not know is that his personal best time in the 60m race was a 6.89.89 in his senior year of high school. With no fear of intimidation, and evidence that he can run even quicker times, Frisby is bound to make an impressionable appearance at the indoor championships.
 
Frisby's head coach, Jonathan Woehl, also spoke about the freshman's impact on the track program. "Lamont has been a great addition to our team and has added depth to our sprints crew," Coach Woehl said. "He has the opportunity to be part of something special as the men's track team will attempt to put up more points at the GNAC Indoor Championships than any other team in MSUB history. I am excited to see him continue to develop as an athlete and leader on the team as we finish the indoor season and transition to outdoor track."
 
Whatever the results may be at the indoor championships, Frisby has another opportunity to showcase great things as a freshman sprinter in the outdoor season. Frisby also prefers the outdoor track, so if he is doing as well as he is in the season he is less passionate about, one may only wonder what will happen once the outdoor season rolls around.
 
"I have a different feel for outdoor," Frisby commented about his upcoming outdoor season. "My goal for outdoor is really just to make nationals. I want to run those good times that I know I can run. I run the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100, and so making nationals in these events is what I want to do."
 
Frisby also discussed his plan of attack on how to achieve these goals for his outdoor season. "It is things like always working hard in practice and eating healthy," Frisby said about his strategy for success. "It's the little things that lead up to accomplishing great things."
 
MSUB's outdoor track and field season is quickly approaching and Frisby is not the only one with high expectations. "Lamont and the other sprinters have high aspirations for the 4x100 this spring," Coach Woehl said about his outdoor sprinters. "I believe they are primed to have a great season under the guidance of Coach Brandon Hammack."
 
Frisby is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in health and human performance at MSUB. "I chose this degree because I am not really sure what I want to do," Frisby said about his academic pursuits. "If I could run track outside of college, that's what I would want to do. Running professionally is one of my dreams."
 
With an incredible work ethic and much more potential to come, Frisby has plenty of time to prepare for his athletic career after college. No matter the race, circumstances, or competition, there is one thing that is certain with Lamont Frisby: intimidation will lose the race every time because running is the only thing on his mind. "I have to work every single day," Frisby said. "I have to make sacrifices every day, like eating healthy, in order to get to that high level. I have to put my heart into practice every time because there is not much time off in the season. You have to stay dedicated and motivated even in those times when you don't feel like it. You have to fight through it."