Distance runners put on show, small school records fall 

By Marlowe Hereford for Dyestat

Photo finishes, win streaks and smashed state records created a spectacle at the Idaho high school state track and field championships in Boise and Middleton.

In Class 5A, Mountain View sophomore Lexy Halladay repeated as state champion in the girls 3,200 in 10:57.60 a year after setting the classification record in the event. Friday was Halladay’s third time competing in the 3,200 this season, which for her began with three weeks on crutches.

Halladay said she first suspected something was off around Nike Cross Nationals. Shortly before outdoor track season began, Halladay learned she had a stress reaction — a precursor to a stress fracture. She aqua jogged to stay conditioned, but said it wasn’t the same.

“It was horrible,” Halladay said Friday. “You don’t realize how much you miss running until you can’t do it.”

Halladay credited her family and her coaches for helping her stay positive during the low moments throughout her recovery and expressed gratitude for being able to compete at her second state track championships.

“I’m just hoping to do the best I can and prepare for some postseason races,” Halladay said.

She said she would have competed in the adidas Boost Boston Games Dream Mile, which she won last year, had it not been scheduled the same weekend as Idaho’s state meet. She will, however, compete at the Brooks PR Invitational in June.

Halladay also contributed to Mountain View’s winning 4x400 team, which ran a classification record time of 3:55.06, and placed second in the 800 and 1,600 to Boise’s Maggie Liebich. A junior, Liebich ran overall meet record times of 2:11.26 and 4:46.87.

One of the closest finishes of the 5A state meet occurred Friday in the boys 3,200 with Bonneville sophomore Stetson Moss edging Borah freshman Nathan Green by 0.05 seconds in a photo finish. Moss won in 9:20.06 a year after placing sixth in the event.

“A finish like that…man, distance runners know what each other goes through,” Moss said. “I just was content with whatever happened.”

Green beat Moss to win the 5A 1,600 in 4:22.18, with Timberline junior Caleb Stamper defending his 5A 800 title in 1:52.60.

Mountain View senior and University of Oregon commit Tori Sloan defended her 5A state long jump title (18-8.75) and cleared 5-8 to win high jump. Madison junior Rayven Nealey leaped 37-9.50 to repeat as 5A girls triple jump champion and remain undefeated in the event dating back to the end of the 2016 season.

Rocky Mountain and Mountain View both broke the classification record in the boys 4x100 by taking first and second in respective times of 41.79 and 42.17. Three boys cleared 15 feet or better in 5A boys pole vault, which Rocky Mountain senior Ryan Shearman won with 16-0. Three girls cleared 12 feet or better in 5A girls pole vault, which Rocky Mountain senior Taylen Langin won with 12-3.

Four athletes attained the 100-200 double at the 5A/4A meet. Rocky Mountain senior Carter Kuehl won the 5A boys 100 (10.75) and 200 (21.81) for the second consecutive year, Hillcrest senior Ara Omotowa defended her 5A girls 100 (12.31) title and won the 200 (25.34), Ridgevue junior Chloe Barylski won the 4A girls 100 (12.57) and 200 (25.17) and Twin Falls senior Muamer Mujic won the 4A boys 100 (10.98) and 200 (21.99) for the second year in a row. Barylski also placed second in the 400.

In hurdles, Rocky Mountain senior Zach Meyer repeated as boys 110 champion (14.22) and Mountain View senior Melanie Marquis defended her title in the girls 300s (43.51).

Mountain View repeated as 5A girls champions while Rocky Mountain won its seventh title in eight seasons.

In 4A, Bishop Kelly junior Nick Russell won the 3,200 (9:36.25) and 1,600 (4:20.86), with Blackfoot senior Derek Thomas winning the 800 in 1:58.29 to become the second Idaho boy to win three consecutive 4A 800 state titles. Thomas also anchored Blackfoot’s 1,600 medley relay team to gold Friday.

All the 5A and 4A throwing titles went to new athletes this year with the exception of Skyline senior Daniel Helsley. A Weber State signee who swept last year’s 4A boys throwing titles, Helsley repeated as shot put champion (60-8).

Twin Falls sophomore Mattalyn Geddes won the 4A girls 3,200 and 1,600 titles, with Pocatello senior Harlee Hales beat Geddes for the 800 title. Idaho’s all-classification 400 state record holder and a Boise State signee, Hales also won her third consecutive 400 title and anchored the winning 4x400 and 800 medley relay teams to their third consecutive state titles.

Pocatello senior Kobee Gunter won boys long jump (21-10.50) and triple jump in a classification record 46-8.25. Bishop Kelly junior Aly Tekippe won girls pole vault (11-0), long jump (17-4.75) and was a member of the winning 4x200 which ran a classification record 1:42.68. Bishop Kelly won the boys 4x200 in 1:29.16 and 4x100 in 42.94 despite senior anchor runner Khalil Forehand straining his hamstring in the straightaway of the 4x100.

Bishop Kelly swept 4A team titles for the third consecutive year, extending the win streak to three for the boys and four for the girls.

At the 3A/2A/1A meet in Middleton, eastern Idaho rivals Sugar-Salem and Shelley claimed the 3A titles Saturday. Sugar-Salem’s boys won their fifth championship in six years while Shelley won its second girls title in program history two years after winning its first. Shelley moves up to 4A next year.

Sugar-Salem scored several points in distance events for the second year in a row, getting a 1-2-3 finish from junior Kooper Williams (4:30.39), senior Brennan Anderson (4:31.73) and senior Taylor Hill (4:33.28) in the 1,600, a 1-2 finish from Williams (9:34.71) and Anderson (9:45.37) in the 3,200 in 9:34.71 and 9:45.37 and a 2-3 finish from Hill (1:58.24) and Williams (1:58.39) in the 800. Hill was also a member of the winning 1,600 medley team (3:40.07). Sugar-Salem also compiled points in pole vault as senior Ace Christensen cleared 13-6 to win it and teammates Chris Eckman (junior) and Dallin Kinghorn (senior) also placed.

Shelley piled up points thanks to placing in all four relays, including winning the 4x100 in 50.86. Three girls — junior Avery Downs, junior Amy White and senior Ashlyn Hobbs — competed in three of those relays, with senior Eden Anderson competing in two of them. Downs also placed in hurdles, with White placing in the 200 and Anderson placing in triple jump and long jump.

Parma junior Madison Jackson and Buhl senior Carlee Finney each won four medals, including three golds at the 3A meet. Jackson won girls 100 hurdles (15.15), the 300 hurdles (45.49) and high jump (5-4), with Finney winning the girls 100 (12.83), 200 (26.32) and contributing to the 4x200 win (1:47.47).

Gooding junior Keely Wolf won the girls 3,200 (11.47.18) and 1,600 (5:26.48) to snap a five-year eastern Idaho win streak in those events. Kimberly sophomore Meg Walker also won two golds, claiming the girls 400 in 58.41 and contributing to the 4x400 win in a classification record 4:01.70.

Kimberly senior Peyton Bair won four golds, repeating as 3A boys 300 hurdles champion in 38.31, winning the 110 hurdles (15.36), long jump (22-8.50) and contributing to the winning 4x400 (3:25.90). Kimberly also defended its boys 4x100 title in 43.67.

Shelley junior Ty Wright, who won a Simplot Games title and has cleared 6-8 three times this season, cleared 6-6 to win his third consecutive 3A boys high jump state title.

Sugar-Salem senior Celina Adams and Bonners Ferry sophomore Victoria Rae split 3A girls throwing titles. Adams won discus (121-1) while Rae placed second and Rae won shot put (37-9) over Adams. Kimberly senior Collin Glass swept 3A boys throws, defending his 3A discus title (148-2) and winning shot put (49-0.25), with Filer senior Jailyn Gartner defending her 3A long jump title (17-7.25).

Bear Lake’s Jackson Pratt swept the 2A boys distance titles for the second consecutive years and broke the classification records for the 3,200 and 1,600 in the process with times of 9:21.38 and 4:20.06, respectively.

The senior, who is a cousin of Blackfoot graduate and six-time Idaho state track champion Michelle Pratt, has signed with Utah Valley.

“That's what I was going for,” Pratt said Saturday upon winning the 1,600. “It's been great to end senior year with triple gold and state records.”

McCall-Donnelly sophomore Brynne Kundrick swept the 2A girls hurdles titles, winning the 100 hurdles in 15.18 and taking the 300 hurdles in a classification record 44.13.

Nampa Christian won its third consecutive 2A boys track state title while Melba won the 2A girls title by a 25-point margin.

Junior Emma Clark helped Melba’s team title cause with four wins: girls long jump (18-1), triple jump (39-0), pole vault (11-1) and the 100 (12.70).

Cole Valley Christian won all four 2A boys relays, setting classification records in the 4x100 in (43.34) and 4x200 (1:30.11).

Nampa Christian senior Jacob Englar cleared 15-0 to win 2A boys pole vault and won the 100 in 11.14 in a finish that required camera review.

New Plymouth went 1-2 in boys discus with winner Dallan Beus (144-4) and fellow senior Dylan Hendry taking second (139-2).

North Fremont junior Garrett Hawkes cleared 6-6 to win 2A boys high jump, ran 14.96 to repeat as 110 hurdles champion and took second in 300 hurdles in 40.45. Soda Springs’ senior Henry Workman repeated as boys triple jump champion (44-1.75), won long jump (21-9.25) and placed second in the 400 (50.35).

Salmon senior Katie Jo Gebhardt prevailed over the defending champions to win two distance golds. She held off West Jefferson senior Allie Severe to win the girls 800 in 2:19.24 and took the 1,600 in 5:18.88 over defending champion Josi Kelsey of Bear Lake. Kelsey did defend her 3,200 title in 11:34.05 on Friday.

West Jefferson defended its girls 4x100 and 4x200 titles in respective times of 50.92 and 1:46.48. Anchor runner Jordi Holdaway, a junior, took second in 100 hurdles (15.35) and 300 hurdles (46.24) to win four medals for the second year in a row for the Panthers, who tied a program best by placing second in the team standings.

A year after winning the 2A girls discus and placing second in shot put, Salmon senior Madelyn Beyeler won girls shot put (36-11.75) and took second in discus (123-7).

Declo junior Keegan Duncan defended his boys 200 title (22.21) and took second in the 100 (11.14) after a camera review finish. Senior teammate Courtney Christopherson defended her high jump title by clearing 5-2.

In 1A, Valley repeated as boys champions and Raft River held off Rockland by three points to win the girls title.

Valley junior Adam Elorrieta won 1A boys high jump upon clearing a classification record 6-7.50. He was also a member of the repeat state champion 1,600 medley team which ran a classification record 3:38.30 and he repeated as 800 champion in 1:57.85.

Also for Valley, senior Ben Christensen won the 1A boys 3,200 in 9:44.99 and the 1,600 in 4:28.55 and sophomore Collin Tvrdy won discus (157-4).

North Star Charter junior Josh Nichols leaped a classification record 44-11 to win the 1A boys triple jump.

Notus junior Kristin Carlin repeated as 1A girls 100 hurdles champion in 15.59. Rockland senior Jesica Robinson repeated as 1A girls 300 hurdles champion in 47.45.

Logos senior Keidi Anderson repeated as 1A girls 800 champion in 2:20.35.

Grace senior Payton Campbell swept the boys hurdles titles, winning 110 hurdles in 15.37 and 300 hurdles in 40.11.

Deary’s Tona Anderson swept the 1A girls sprints, winning the 400 (59.02), 200 (26.30) and 100 (12.78). Troy’s Nic Griffin won the 1A boys 200 (22.48) and 100 (11.18).

Prairie repeated as 1A girls 4x200 champions in 1:49.49 and Deary repeated as 1A girls 800 medley champions in 1:54.38.The Oakley girls set a classification record in the 4x400, winning in 4:10.48.

A year after taking second in each event, Butte County senior Meg Buxton swept 1A girls throwing titles with a discus mark of 123-9 and a shot put mark of 37-2.

RESULTS - 5A/4A | 3A/2A/1A 

Team champions

5A: Rocky Mountain boys 101, Mountain View girls 134

4A: Bishop Kelly boys 85.5, Bishop Kelly girls 113

3A: Sugar-Salem boys 130, Shelley girls 101

2A: Nampa Christian boys 93, Melba girls 104

1A: Valley boys 95, Raft River girls 69