dIDAHO STATE MEET

MERIDIAN -- It came down to the 4x400, but Rocky Mountain secured its eighth consecutive Idaho 5A boys track state championship by two points on Saturday at Mountain View High. 

Boise, which led both team standings Saturday entering the 4x400, was after a program-first 5A program sweep and its first 5A boys track title since 1996. The Brave led by two points entering the 4x400, 101 to 99.

Boise was third in the final race for six points, just .02 seconds behind Post Falls for second.

Rocky Mountain's quartet of Carter Langin, Matthew Stevens, Porter Carlson and Cole Reed won the 4x400 in 3:20.30 while Post Falls placed second in 3:20.99 and Boise was third in 3:21.02.

The Grizzlies also won the 4x100 earlier in the day in an overall meet record and Idaho all-time record 41.19.

Braden Ankeny won the 200 in 21.45, Brady Abbott cleared a personal best 16-0 to win the pole vault and Landon Heemeyer won the 3,200 in 9:02.01 for the Grizzlies, who also had individual runners-up in Timothy Price (high jump) and Ankeny (400). The Grizzlies ultimately scored in 15 events.

Abbott chest bumped his dad, Rocky Mountain head coach Brad Abbott, after winning pole vault. Saturday was the senior's first time clearing 16 feet, which he made on his first attempt, and he also attempted a school record 16-3.

"It's been a long time coming...been working hard. It's awesome," Brady Abbott said. "It's just a dream. I've been dreaming about it since I was a little kid. It's just been a lot of hard work put into it and just finally cashing it all out."

Abbott said some of his earliest track memories are from practicing in his backyard for his future event.

"I'd vault with sticks in the backyard over like other sticks just put on like benches and chairs and stuff or like onto trampolines and stuff," Abbott said. 

The Boise girls scored 121 points over two days to extend their 5A track title streak to five years in a row. 

Multiple seniors had a hand in Boise's two trophies. Sophia Clark concluded her high school as a repeat 400 meters state champion in an overall meet record and Idaho all-time record 55.38 and along with 4x400 teammates Lily Vertrees, Allie Bruce and Samantha Smith won in an overall state meet record 3:54.60.

Clark ran sub-56 in back-to-back weeks by winning the 400 at both districts and state.

"I've been chasing that since I first started the 400," Clark said of breaking 56. "I mean as a seventh grader, I was like, 'Ok. I could totally do this when I'm older. Ninth grader, I totally was like, "I'm under 60. I can totally do this.' This year, I wanted it really bad. I had the best mental attitude ever. I know I want it and if I want it, I know I can get it. So I just went for it and I got it so I'm excited."

The 4x400 had close exchanges between Boise and second place Rocky Mountain, and the final exchange between Smith and Clark was especially tight with eventual second place Rocky Mountain.

"I was feeling awesome," Clark said. "Sammy (Smith) was handing off the baton to me and it was right even. I was like, 'I know I can do this.' I want to do it for the team. I want to do it for myself. I'm glad I did it for the team. We got the finish and we got a state record. It was all collectively our team effort."

Clark, who will run at Montana next year, was also part of Boise's second place 4x200 in 1:39.89, which along with Capital broke the previous overall state meet record. 

Smith had a strong finish to come from behind to win the 800 title in 2:13.29. Boise also got a repeat state championship from Autumn Shomaker in triple jump with a winning leap of 18-6.25 and a hurdles sweep from Grace Lanfear, who won 100 hurdles in 14.69 and 300 hurdles in 44.12.

Noe Kemper won the boys 800 in 1:53.18 with a strong bell lap and was also part of Boise's winning 4x800 team in 7:52.05 with Jack Sheesley, Jack Fornander and Jens Knusten. Kemper, who will run at Dartmouth, also placed second in the 1,600, which came down to the final stretch, and was on Boise's 4x400 team.

"I was a huge mix of emotions going into that 8," Kemper said. "There was only like an hour and 40 minutes or so between (the 1,600 and 800). I was walking out on the line just like lightheaded, not feeling great, not very focused. Went around one lap and I was a little ways behind. So I just kinda put in a move, got in the top pack and did my kick from 300."

Capital sophomore Christine Huckins won four golds on Saturday and had an overall meet record each time. She won the 5A girls 100 in 11.62, the 5A girls 200 in 24.16 to conclude undefeated seasons in both and anchored Capital to the 4x200 win in 1:39.86 and the 4x100 to a win in a record 47.45.

Huckins ran 11.51 in a club meet last summer, but her 11.62 is her fastest by an Idaho girl during the high school season, and her 24.16 is fastest all-time on record in Idaho. 

"It definitely hasn't hit me yet that I did run the times that I ran," Huckins said. "But after running three events, I knew the last event, I was just gonna give it my all. I had nothing else to lose (in the 200). Coming down the stretch and I saw the finish line and I saw the time coming, I was like, 'You just gotta push if you really wanted it. I wanted a 23.9, but I'm so happy with the time I got."

Huckins and 4x100 and 4x200 teammates Kennedy Patterson, Stella Gray and Grace Russell broke 48 seconds three times this season in the 4x100 and 1:42 three times in the 4x200.

"Coming into this season, we all didn't really know each other," Huckins said. "We ran fast times but then we got to do team bonding, got to know every single person on the team and I love every single one of those girls."

The Rocky Mountain girls came from behind to win the 4x800 in an overall meet record 9:06.62.

The Kuna boys ran an overall meet record to win the 4x200 in 1:26.42. 

Meridian junior Nate Stadtlander won the 5A boys 1,600 in 4:10.65 a wild race. Heemeyer led, then Kemper took the lead and Stadtlander moved up to pass both of them down the home stretch.

"I was feeling pretty good," Stadtlander said of his bell lap. "It was pretty hard. Going into that bell lap. I was a little tired but got that second wind, that kick energy, it's a new energy. I was happy with that. I took that last two (hundred) and I was just ready to roll."

Highland sophomore Spencer Van Orden swept the 5A boys hurdles, running a meet record 13.90 to win the 110 hurdles and 37.66 to win 300 hurdles.

Van Orden joins Emmett's Landon Helms as the only Idahoans on record to break 14 seconds in the 110 hurdles, and his 37.15 from his district meet on May 10 is fastest all-time in Idaho.

"I think my favorite part has been the camaraderie," Van Orden said. "Top six in every race is super competitive but we're all friendly and we all congratulate each other no matter how we place and I think that's something to respect."

Centennial's Kai Twaddle-Dunham swept boys throwing titles, claiming shot put with 59-2.50 and discus with 185-0. His personal best 200-3 in discus this season is No. 10 in the U.S. His teammate Kolton Osborn repeated as 100 meters state champion in 10.63.

Mountain View's Rilyn Stevens won the girls 1600 in 4:51.03 and the 3200 in a 5A state meet record 10:25.10.

Rigby went 1-2 in girls pole vault, with senior Abbie Scott clearing 13-4 to tie her PR and repeat as state champion and sophomore teammate Lizzy Poston clearing 11-6 to place second.

"I never admitted to it, but yes," Scott said of thinking about the potential to go 1-2 at state.

"It was always a hope," Poston added. 

Scott, a Utah State signee, is No. 2 all-time in Idaho with her 13-4.

"Abbie's definitely always been like the bar to set just because her heights are always so good and she always does so amazing in every meet," Poston said. "To have someone that you can always compete with just makes your marks go up."

"Lizzy's gonna kill it," Scott added. "I think the biggest thing about her is she's just such a hard worker. From last year to this year is insanely different and she just put the work in and it's obviously showing."

Skyview beat Twin Falls by two points to win the 4A girls title -- its first since 2000, when it was in 5A -- while Bishop Kelly won its fourth consecutive boys state title by a 36.5 point margin over Idaho Falls.

Skyview's lone event win was by Melissa Eyer, Megan Cahoon, Brylee McNicol and Makayla Naylor in the 4x100 in 49.26, but the Hawks scored in 12 events over the weekend to claim the trophy and banner.

Bishop Kelly's Rakeem Johnson, who will play football at Michigan State, swept both 4A boys throwing titles. He repeated as state champion in discus with a mark of 191-1 and won shot put with 59-7.25. His personal best 201-1 is No. 6 in the U.S. this season, and he and Twaddle-Dunham joined all-time record holder and Olympian Ian Waltz as the only  Idahoans on record to ever surpass 200 feet in the event.

Bishop Kelly also won the boys sprint medley relay in 3:36.29 and the 4x400 in 3:25.08. Cam Davis also repeated as boys long jump champion with a mark of 23-5.75. 

Hillcrest's Mason Edwards swept boys hurdles titles, winning the 110 hurdles in 14.33 and 300 hurdles in 38.16.

Skyline senior Nelah Roberts concluded her career with a sweep of the 4A girls distance events, winning her fourth consecutive 3,200 in an overall state meet record 10:20.36, her fourth consecutive 1,600 in a 4A meet record 4:48.36 and the 800 in 2:14.09. The BYU signee also contributed to Skyline's fourth-place finish in the 4x400 in 4:08.58.

Roberts joins Mountain View 's Lexy Halladay and Boise's Maggie Liebich as the only Idaho girls to ever break 4:50. She said she had to start her kick earlier to be in position to win the 800, and she was aiming for an overall record in the 1600.

"This week coming in, I'd been working to get 4:40s and going for the (overall) record (by Halladay)," Roberts said. "A PR, sub-4:50, mid 4:40s, somewhere in there." 

What made her last state meet extra special was making the trip with her brother Davis, a freshman. He is Skyline's first freshman to qualify for a boys distance event at state.

"I just get choked up every time I talk about him," Roberts said. "I love how he's been with me at state. He's my go to person." 

Century senior Matejah Mangum won the girls 100 in a 4A state meet record 11.98 and the 200 in 24.83. Mangum concludes her high school career having never lost in the 200 in four years except for one meet: the 2022 Nike Outdoor Nationals.

Lakeland's Ziya Munyar repeated as girls triple jump champion with 36-5.25.

Moscow freshman Mattea Nuhn won three events Saturday: the 100 hurdles (14.49), 300 hurdles (45.31) and high jump (5-5). Another freshman Karlie Bair of Burley -- younger sister of Peyton, Jaxon and Gatlin Bair -- won girls long jump with 17-10.25 and took second in the 100, 200 and 100 hurdles finals. 

Idaho Falls senior and Utah State signee Luke Athay swept the 4A boys distance events, winning  to contribute 30 points to his team's second place finish and first trophy in 15 years. This weekend was his first state track meet since 2021, when he finished in second in the 5A 1,600 and 3,200 finals to Borah's Nathan Green. Athay missed 16 months of competition due to a stress fracture and surgery to repair it, causing him to sit out his entire junior year from cross country and track.

"In PT, there were several appointments where I left disheartened," Athay said. "I've got good support from my team. They allowed me to believe."

He added that helping to earn Idaho Falls a trophy was a nice way to go out.

"Its been one of the coolest things about this state meet," Athay said. "Every (I.F. athlete) deserves to be here. It's awesome." 

Athay's teammate and fellow senior Parker Elliott won four medals, winning the boys 100 in 10.74 and 200 in 21.54, anchoring Idaho Falls to a second-place finish in the boys 4x200 and anchoring the 4x100 to a third place finish. A football player who was recruited to track after being timed with at 4.44 in the 40-yard dash, Elliott concluded his second and final season of track this spring.

"I wish I'd done track sooner," Elliott said. 'I love meeting all the teams. All of these kids around here, they're bonding with each other. Talking with each other about PRs or their school or what they ran, how they're feeling. I'm making a lot of new friends and I really love it."

Ridgevue won the 4A boys 4x200 in a 4A meet record 1:28.11

3A/2A/1A meet at Middleton High

In 3A, McCall-Donnelly won a program first boys track state title with a big second day effort. George Speirs won the 3,200 in 9:21.89 and placed second in the 1,600 and third in the 800, Matthew Daniels won the 400 in 49.40 and Van Vinson cleared a personal best and 3A state meet record 15-3 to win pole vault.

Spiers and Vinson were also on the winning sprint medley relay (3:36.08).

Vinson's state title was redemption.

"It's huge," Vinson said. "From no-heighting at state last year and not even placing to finally breaking that 15-foot mark that I've been trying to break for like two years now is huge. All my training paid off. I'm stoked." 

Timberlake's Caius Tebbe swept 3A boys hurdles titles, winning the 300 hurdles in 39.77 and 110 hurdles in 15.20.

The Weiser girls won the closest team race of the entire weekend, repeating as 3A state champions by half a point over Sugar-Salem.

Both the Sugar-Salem boys and girls had led the 3A standings by slim margins early on day two at a competitive 3A meet. Kailee Lerew repeated as 4A state champion in the 400 in 58.49 to remain undefeated in the event for the second year in a row and contributed to the winning medley relay for the Wolverines in 1:51.54, while Claire Matthews placed second in the 800, third in the 1600 and fifth in the 3200.

Fruitland's Lydia Lindsey added to her state medal haul, winning her third consecutive 3A girls 100 title (12.44), third consecutive 200 title (25.50), second consecutive long jump title (18-9) and the 100 hurdles in 14.90. 

South Fremont's Sage Lyon won the 3,200 in 11:37.64, taking the lead after drafting for the first lap.

Lyon became South Fremont's first individual cross country state champion last fall.

"It took a lot of hard work," Lyon said. "It's cool to see my hard work paying off. The whole year was so fun. I wouldn't have done it without my coaches and teammates and friends."

Lyon's teammate Brianne Bailey, who is in her first season of track, won the 3A girls 300 hurdles in a 3A meet record 44.38 and won triple jump with a mark of 36-11.

Coeur d'Alene's Annabelle Carr won the girls 800 in a 3A meet record 2:13.78, the second fastest 800 time in Idaho this season, and also won the 1,600 in 5:06.58. Her teammate Nathan Russell won the boys 1,600 in 4:21.61 and 800 in 1:55.84.

The Weiser boys won the 4x100 in a meet record 42.80.

American Falls' Jordyn Kearn swept 3A girls throwing titles, winning shot put with 43-6 and discus with a meet record 151-8, which was the best mark in Idaho this season for any size school.

Marsh Valley's Lydia Townsend cleared a meet record 11-6 to win the girls pole vault, 5-4 to win the high jump and placed second in both hurdles finals.

She ends her sophomore season with Idaho's fastest time this spring in girls 100 hurdles (14.37) and with Idaho's second best girls pole vault this season (12-3).

"I got a little nervous at 10-6," Townsend said. "That's usually my opening height and I came in at 10 and then at 10-6, I missed my first two attempts. I was a little nervous. After that, it was just smooth."

Bear Lake's Christian Bush made history in the 2A boys high jump, clearing US#2 7-1.50 to win and break the state championship record. His personal best before this weekend was 6-8.

Soda Springs, which once held Idaho's longest win streak for any classification for any sport with 14 consecutive 2A girls cross country state titles from 2006 to 2019, accomplished a notable first on Saturday by winning its first girls track state title. Senior Jinettie Garbett won four gold medals for the Cardinals, claiming her fourth consecutive 400 title in 57.93, third consecutive 200 title in 25.25, the 100 title in 12.58 and was part of the winning 4x400 relay (4:05.90).           

Melba's Brooklynn Dayley became a two-time 2A girls 800 state champion, winning in 2:19.51 to West Jefferson freshman Bella Spencer's 2:19.55. Spencer led an eastern Idaho 1-2-3 finish upon winning the 1,600 in 5:20.70.

Malad's Oaklie Hebdon repeated as 300-meter hurdles champion in 44.05 -- the fastest time in Idaho this season -- and won triple jump with 37-4.50.

Orofino's Lindi Kessinger won her fourth consecutive discus title (136-8) and won shot put with 41-5.75.

Nampa Christian won its first 2A boys track state championship since 2019. Ian Johnson won the 400 title in 49.46 and all four relays placed for the Trojans, including wins in the 4x100 (43.44) and 4x200 (1:30.44).

North Fremont's Corbin Johnston scored 40 points toward the Huskies' third-place team trophy, repeating as 3,200 champion (9:28.35) and 1,600 champion (4:22.46), winning the 800 in 1:56.91 and contributing to a repeat win in the sprint medley relay in 3:35.18.

Soda Springs' Degan Storr swept boys hurdles titles, winning the 300 hurdles in 39.17 and 110 hurdles in 15.47.

Seven months after winning its first boys cross country state championship, Rockland won the 1A boys track state championship. Ezra Hubbard won the 400 in 49.93, 800 in a meet record 1:53.96 (fastest time of state meet weekend after Kemper's 1:53.18) and was on Rockland's winning sprint medley team which ran a meet record 3:35.54. 

Logos won its first title since 2015 to snap Raft River's five-year title streak. Sara Casebolt swept the distance events, winning the 800 in 2:15.52, 1,600 in 5:16.49 and 3,200 in 11:28.77, and she was also on Logos' winning 4x400 relay (4:07.13). 

Raft River's Heidi Harper, a Utah State signee, won the 200 (25.62), 100 (12.73), 400 (58.42) and was on the winning 4x200 (1:48.05).

Challis freshman Lilly Stebbins made a splash in her state track debut, clearing a meet record 5-8 to win girls high jump. It was the best girls high jump mark of state meet weekend, and it was the second time this season she cleared the height. She is one of seven Idaho girls on record to clear 5-8 or higher, and Friday's effort came during a day of gusty 37-mile-per- hour winds in Middleton that resulted in the bar being knocked down and reset multiple times.

"There's a lot of patience and a lot of mental control and physical control too because when you get back there after sitting that long, you get cold," Stebbins said. "It's really hard to jump high and keep all that explosive power when you're cold. So mainly, it was stay warm, keep your mind on the right track."

Stebbins also won the 300 hurdles in 46.80 and placed second in 100 hurdles in 15.87, while Liberty Charter's Carlotta Papa won in a meet record 15.05.

Valley's Lexi Huettig won four golds, repeating as pole vault state champion with a meet record 11-0, repeating as triple jump state champion with a meet record 37-11.5, repeating as long jump state champion with 17-9 and running on Valley's winning 4x100 team, which ran a meet record 50.76.

Her teammate James Meyer cleared 13 feet in the boys pole vault to give Valley a sweep of the event. 

Prairie's Trenton Lorentz won the boys 200 in a meet record 22.03 and contribute to meet record wins in the 4x200 (1:30.23) and 4x400 (3:24.17). Prairie also ran a meet record 43.60 to win the 4x100.

Victory Charter's Luke Stockett won the 1,600 in a 1A meet record 4:19.24 and repeated as 3,200 state champion with 9:27.15.

A Utah State signee and the 1-mile winner at Oregon Relays last month, Stockett was aiming for the meet record in the 3,200 as well.

"I came through the mile a little fast and I tried to close," Stockett said. "I was a few seconds off, but it was a good race."

Team champions

5A boys--Rocky Mountain 109 points 

5A girls--Boise 121 points

4A girls--Skyview 72

4A boys--Bishop Kelly 127.5

3A boys--McCall Donnelly 98 points

3A girls--Weiser 66 points

2A boys--Nampa Christian 87.5 points

2A girls--Soda Springs 114 points

1A boys--Rockland 61 points

1A girls--Logos 96 points