Change is a key element to this track and field season.

A new home for the Macomb County Invitational, realignment in the Macomb Area Conference and more opportunities for athletes to qualify for state finals are some reasons the sport will look different.

Fraser will host the county meet for the first time when the annual event is held on May 21.

“We can put on a first-class event,” Fraser coach Kevin Storai said during the Ramblers’ MAC Red dual meet against Utica on a cold and cloudy Thursday.

“We’ve got the facility for it. We’ve got a great throws area. There’s plenty of parking.”

The meet will be on a Wednesday, a break from the traditional Thursday schedule.

That was necessary, Storai said, because of a conflict with another event at the school.

Storai isn’t concerned about a construction project on Garfield Road.

“We’ll figure it out,” he said.

Several schools have hosted the county meet since its inception in the late 1960s.

“They have a nice facility here,” Utica boys coach Megan Berry said. “Kevin does a great job hosting meets. I think he was excited to take this on.

“I think it’ll be great.”

Fraser and Utica moved to the Red Division from the White as part of MAC realignment.

Grosse Pointe North and Grosse Pointe South went from the Red to the White.

Sterling Heights moved from the Blue to the Gold and was replaced by Lakeview.

The Silver and Bronze divisions were unchanged.

Chris Scott, Utica’s girls coach, said competing in the Red will help the Chieftains program.

“Give us a few years, and we’ll rise to the expectations,” he said. “The longer we’re in the Red, the better we’ll be later on.”

Utica had an earlier stint in the Red that ended after the 2008 season.

“It’s good to be back,” Berry said.

Either Fraser or Utica won the White Division boys championship every completed season from 2019 through last year.

Utica won the White girls title last year after Fraser shared the crown in 2023 and won it outright in 2022.

“When you are going against good teams, tough teams, it forces you to rise to the occasion and work that much harder,” Berry said.

The Michigan High School Athletic Association has sanctioned several meets that can produce “early qualifiers” for state finals in all four divisions. Previously, athletes could only qualify with performances at regional meets. Typically, the top two finishers in each event plus those meeting additional qualifying standards set by the MHSAA advanced to the finals.

The MHSAA has established early qualifying marks that are tougher than the traditional additional qualifying standards. Any athlete achieving the EQ mark in any round of a pre-approved event is qualified to participate in a Lower Peninsula final in that event.

“I’m excited for the change,” Berry said. “I think it’s a smart move.”

Utica hosted the meet against Fraser at Fraser because the Chieftains’ facility is undergoing remodeling.

Utica’s boys had three double winners while defeating the Ramblers 87-50.

Gavin Frandle won the 200- and 400-meter dashes with respective times of 23.66 and 53.94 seconds. Austin Watford won the high hurdles in 16.66 and the intermediate hurdles in 45.81. Jonathan Carter won the long jump in 19 feet, 11.5 inches and the 100 dash in 11.38.

Fraser’s Jackson Sines won the pole vault at 8-6 and the discus throw at 128-7.

In the girls meet, Utica’s Angel Ross won three events — high jump (4-8), pole vault (6-6) and long jump (13-7).

The Chieftains’ Seine Muraszewski won the 800 in 2:33.34 and the 1600 in 5:31.94.

Here are league/division meet dates and sites, according to schedules posted on Athletic.net:

Blue Water Area: May 20 at Algonac.

Catholic League AA: May 9 at Lutheran North.

Catholic League Bishop: May 10 at Detroit Country Day.

Catholic League St. Anne: May 20 at Greenhills.

Charter School Conference: May 10 at Ecorse.

MAC Red: May 6 at Dakota.

MAC White: May 13 at Grosse Pointe North

MAC Blue: May 13 at Warren-Mott.

MAC Gold: May 13 at Sterling Heights.

MAC Silver: TBA.

MAC Bronze: May 12 at Clawson City Park.