Fayette senior Chloe Bier signed her national letter of intent to compete for the Columbia College Lady Cougars track & field team next year. She inked her commitment in front of a large crowd of family, teammates, coaches, and friends on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 9.

Bier was a member of the Lady Falcons track team, which placed third overall in the state last year. She ran in the 4x200-meter relay team that placed eighth among all Class 2 schools across the state last year with a time of 1:49.17. She also helped her 4x100-meter relay qualify for the state meet. The relay finished shy of the finals, placing 12th in the prelims with a time of 0:52.

Bier said she chose Columbia College after contacting nearby schools. “I knew I wanted to stay close to home, and they immediately reached out to me,” she said. “When I visited, immediately I liked it, and it felt like a place I could call home. I met some of the girls on the track team who I would be practicing with, and it all just felt right.”

Bier is one of three Fayette girls making college commitments this year. Fellow relay member Payton Kindle signed with State Fair Community College a week prior, and Browyn Eubanks inked with NCMC on Thursday. Fayette coach Stacy Menees said she is excited to have so many of her athletes commit to the next level after coaching them for just two seasons.

“It’s pretty exciting to have three this year. I’m excited for Chloe to take on this next level at Columbia College,” she said.

Menees said Bier was essential to the team’s success a year ago. “She did a great job of helping keep the team focused on making sure they practiced their handoffs and made sure everybody was where they were supposed to be,” Menees explained. “They did a great job of taking on the initiative and coming together. I’m very proud of the way she developed over the year. She started off a little disappointed because she wasn’t where she wanted to be. But through trust and hard work, she got to where she needed to be, and it was a big deal for the progression of our season.”

Menees and Bier have big expectations for her final season. She will add the 100 and 200-meter sprints to her relay and long jump events.

“I’ll be a part of the short relays, the short sprints, and jumping,” Bier said, adding that she looks forward to the 4x100 and open 200 events.

Those events are what Columbia College sprint, jump, and hurdles coach Ryan Bontz said Bier will compete in next season. “She’s really good in the relay. She will do well and develop over time in the open events, the 100 and 200, as well,” he said. “I expect her to be in the 100 and 200, and the 4x100-meter relay. We should have a pretty good team this year. We graduate a couple of people, so we’re looking to fill those spots. I think she’ll fit right in. Even as a freshman, she has a good shot of making the 4x100 relay and being an impact right away.”

Although not on this season’s schedule, Columbia College often competes in track events at Central Methodist University. It’s possible Bier could return to her home track to compete before a hometown crowd.

When not on the track, Bier plans to major in Criminal Justice. And while she has not decided on a career path after college, she is leaning toward law or politics.

Bier will open her final high school season on March 20 at the Westran Invite in Huntsville.