Aussie Athletes Travel 8,500 Miles For The Simplot Games Re-Start

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

Photos by Becky Holbrook

There is something about the Simplot Games, and the feelings it generates, that draws people to come back. 

While most of this weekend's 43rd edition at Holt Arena on the campus of Idaho State University in Pocatello come from the Northern Rocky Mountain states, hearty groups make their way in from afar ... California, Canada, and Australia.

Since 2015, the Maribyrnong Sports Academy out of Melbourne has sent a select number of its track and field student-athletes 8,500 miles to Pocatello to compete in an event that makes the claim: “North America’s Premier Indoor Track and Field Meet."

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“It’s a real honor for any of the kids from the school to make the team,” MSA head coach Darren Clark said. “We only ever bring out eight athletes and we’ve got a program of over 40 athletes trying for the spot. They love the thought of coming here.”

The Simplot Corporation has sponsored the track meet since 1979. With one of its branches located in Australia, the company made an offer to MSA a few years back with the idea of sending athletes over to compete.

“We look at that they’ve really competed throughout our program back home,” Clark said. “We also have set some standards that we’ve asked them to reach in their event. Some of them are winning their national titles and some of them are competitive at the state level back home.”

The Simplot Games finals are Saturday and mark a return. The last two years, the event was canceled due to concerns around COVID-19. 

Since there are no indoor tracks anywhere in Australia, this is the first time some of the athletes will race on a 200-meter banked track, let alone one made of wood.

“We don’t have any indoor tracks at all in Australia,” Clark said. “Our students get an opportunity to compete indoors and that’s the appeal for us and them to bring them over and experience everything that America has to offer.”

One of the first athletes to compete for MSA at Simplot was Celeste Mucci, who competed in 2015, 2016 and 2017 in various events. Since then, Mucci has been one of the top athletes in the world having competed at the Commonwealth Games and World Championships for Australia.  

Mucci remains affiliated and involved with the Maribyrnong Sports Academy.

Amelia Mazza-Downie, who has competed in six consecutive NCAA Division 1 finals for New Mexico and earned All-America honors in both cross country and track for the Lobos, won the 3,200-meter title as a sophomore at MSA in 2015 at Simplot.

With the Simplot Games operating for the first time since 2020, eight new athletes from MSA are getting to experience the magic that is Simplot, including Australian U16 national champion in the girls 200-meter hurdles, Lily-Bella Hilli, who will be racing in the 400 final Saturday.

“It’s been amazing,” Hilli said. “Our group is so good and we all get along together. It’s just made it even better.”

Also competing for MSA are sprinters Max Busuttil, Mackenzie Leith and Arden Stevens, pole vaulters Khsuhnoor and Sukhnoor Rangi, distance runner Emily Mifsud and triple and long jumper Devesh Sri Deenathayalan. 

“It’s a great opportunity and we’re so thankful that Simplot contribute to help us get here,” Mifsud said. “First indoor track meet for everyone and it’s a great opportunity to help set us up for the future.”

While competition is the foremost priority when making the trip, the experience of being in a new country is something the stuents look forward to since they traveled nearly 30 hours away from home.

“It is a long flight,” Clark said. “It’s flown into LA, or San Francisco, which ever one we come in to. Then we fly across to Salt Lake City and drive down from Salt Lake City, so it’s about 30 hours from the time we stepped onto the plane in Melbourne until we get to Pocatello.”

Following the conclusion of the meet, the MSA group will be flying down to the Los Angeles area and will have additional fun when it visits Disneyland and other sites in Southern California.