Boise Girls Dominate, Nathan Green Shatters All-classification Records at Idaho State Meet

By Marlowe Hereford for DyeStat

At the end of the first day of the Idaho high school track and field state championships at Eagle High School, Boise had already scored 64 points at the 5A girls meet and led the team standings by 44 points.

The lead continued to build on day two, aided by members of the nationally ranked varsity cross country team, which won its third consecutive 5A state title last fall, and ended with a total of 157 points. The winning margin was a whopping 106 points over fellow District 3 team Capital. 

While Boise acquired the highest team total of the entire weekend, 1A through 5A, second through fourth place trophies in 5A were each separated by one point.

"It was pretty impressive," said Boise mid-distance and distance coach Aaron Olswanger, who is also Boise's head cross country coach. "Across the board, just dominant. We scored in almost everything. It was fascinating."

Olswanger said Boise's seven varsity girls cross country runners scored 74 points over the weekend, not including the 4x400. Boise claimed all three individual 5A girls distance titles, with freshmen Samantha Smith and Allie Bruce going 1-2 in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters. 

Smith claimed the 5A 3,200 title in 10:33.71 with Bruce second in 10:47.72. On Saturday, Smith won the 1,600 in 4:50.60 and Bruce was second in 4:54.91 and Smith's sister Logan won the 800 in 2:11.68.

"They're good friends," Olswanger said of Bruce and the younger Smith. "They're training partners. To have people like that who push each other and support each other, it's huge."

Bruce, the Smith sisters, and Jamie Hamlin set an all-classification state record with a winning time of 9:09.65 in Friday's 4x800 finals. Another 10 points came at the end of the meet as both Smiths plus freshman Sophia Clark and senior Stella Smith (no relation to Logan or Samantha) won the 4x400 in 3:58.76. 

Also claiming gold was senior Kayden Hulquist, who swept the 5A girls hurdles titles with 45.42 in the 300 hurdles and 14.94 in the 100 hurdles.

Boise frequented the podium all weekend. Senior and Gonzaga commit Rosina Machu was fourth in the 3,200 and sixth in the 1,600 while Hamlin, a junior, was third in the 800. Audrey Smith was fourth in the 200 and third in the 100, Grace Lanfear was sixth in the 100 hurdles, Lauren Lanfear was fifth in the 300 hurdles, Hulquist was second in long jump, Autumn Shomaker took second in triple jump on attempts and Ani Smith and Suzi Woodall were third and fifth, respectively, in pole vault.

"Our seniors, this is their first state track title," Olswanger said. "They had a lot of unfinished business. Those girls, from freshman year on, have been contributors. For them to get over the hump and not just do it close this year...it was a landslide...it's pretty remarkable for that group. It was a really nice mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen. The future's bright."

Boise nearly pulled off a 5A state title sweep as the boys team race came down to the 4x400. With Rocky Mountain placing second and Boise third in the relay, Rocky Mountain claimed the team title 88-83 over the Brave. Rocky Mountain also won the 4x100 in 42.80 and claimed gold and silver from Jarell Lucas in the  discus with a winning mark of 170 feet and shot put with a second place mark of 55-4.50.

Aside from the tight team race, Borah senior Nathan Green took the spotlight in the 5A boys meet. The Washington commit and two-time Nike Cross Nationals qualifier ran 8:53.47 to win the 3,200 and 4:07.50 to win his third consecutive 1,600 title, shattering Idaho all-classification state meet records of 9:00.73 and 4:09.04 set in 2014 by Pocatello's Elijah Armstrong and 5A classification records of 9:06.58 and 4:10.33 by Bonneville's Jed Barta and Timberline's Andrew Rafla, respectively.

"Although they are big names and they had really great times, there's just always some random kid from somewhere that's gonna beat my times," Green said by phone. "I just focus on what I can do to show off the work my coaches put in for me. (Borah coach) Tim (Severa) has put so much time in for me."

Green was impressed with Idaho Falls freshman Luke Athay, who placed second in the 3,200 in 9:19.92 and 1,600 in 4:19.11, and expects great things from him. He also complimented Athay's teammate Zac Bright, a senior who won the 5A 800 title in 1:53.03 and was part of the state champion 4x800 team with Athay.

"Idaho is pretty slept on in running," Green said. "This whole year, I've kinda been flying under the radar. We've had some stellar athletes this year. (Athay's) gonna be something great." 

Green concluded the weekend by collecting a third gold upon anchoring Borah to the 4x400 win in 3:22.55, securing a fourth place team trophy for the Lions with 62 points.

He described the end of his Borah career, but also expressed much gratitude. Severa and Green's former teammate Zach Garey recruited him to cross country from football, and the rest is history.

"Looking back, I'm just ridiculously thankful for Zach and Tim," Green said. "Running just opened a lot of doors for me. It really showed me a lot about myself. It showed me a lot of amazing friendships and opened me up to the amazing community that is running. I think above all, it's given me lifelong friends and great coaches. I've only ever had good ones."

Bright's 800 victory kept him undefeated in the event going back to April 20, 2019. He won Saturday's final by 76 hundredths of a second over Highland's Jacob Van Orden.

It was a personal best, his fifth sub-1:55 time of the season and his first individual state track gold at the 5A level. He won the 4A 800 title in 2019 in 1:55.46.

Bright said losing last season to COVID-19 reminded him to not take track for granted.

"Ever since sophomore year, it was the goal to keep it going," he said.

Bright ran anchor leg for the winning 4x800 team of Joseph Ereaux, Ben Behrmann and Athay. Idaho Falls ran 7:57.06, breaking eight minutes for the third time this season and giving the Tigers their first state relay gold since 2010.

"It was a really exciting race to watch develop, being the fourth leg and being able to watch everything up close on the track," Bright said. "Ever since we found out we were moving to 5A, we were super excited for the 4x800. We've been hyping it up for a long time."

A member of Idaho Falls' four-time defending state champion boys cross country team, Bright will run for the University of Idaho. 

"It definitely hasn't sunk in yet that I'm gonna have to leave this team," Bright said. "It's been a really long journey with them all. I'm so grateful to call them my teammates."

Meridian claimed three field event golds: Kaila Mederios in 5A girls long jump (18-5.25), Eli Lawrence in 5A boys triple jump (46-3.50) and Noah Peterson in pole vault (15-6). Capital's Gracie Strickland won 5A girls shot put with a mark of 40-3, while teammate Lizzie Ramey cleared 12 feet to win 5A girls pole vault. Boise's Anders Covey swept 5A boys hurdles titles, winning the 110 hurdles in 14.35 and 300 hurdles in 39.38. Eagle athletes Barrett Davis won long jump (22-5), Seth Rathbun won shot put (55-11) and Sarah Carillo won discus (136-11). Centennial swept 5A high jump, as Miya Koch cleared 5-4 for the girls title and Mike Shulikov cleared 6-8 for the boys title.

Lake City's quartet of Keturah Vogel-Greenwood, Georgia Whitehead, Hailey Parks and Angelyca Chapman won both the 5A girls 4x100 and 4x200 with respective times of 48.89 and 1:43.24. Chapman also claimed the 5A girls 200 in 24.61 and the 400 in 55.94, the fastest 400 girls time of the weekend for any classification. The 5A boys 400 went to Boise's Liam Murray in 48.54 while teammate Mason Lawyer won the 200 in 21.67.

Capital's Megan Rose, who ran a wind-aided time of 11.92 in Friday's 5A girls 100 prelims, won Saturday's final in a non-winded aided 12.02 to break Idaho's all-classification state record of 12.07 by Highland's Julie Briggs that had held since 1989. Thunder Ridge's Tao Johnson, a first-year track athlete at a school in its third year of existence, entered state with a personal best of 10.62 and won the 5A boys 100 by three hundredths of a second in 10.82.

Bishop Kelly swept the 4A titles, claiming the boys crown with 97 points and the girls with 103 points for its fourth sweep in six years. The boys winning margin was by 42 points over Pocatello, while the girls title came down to the 200 and 4x400 finals.

Bishop Kelly claimed the girls 4x200 title in 1:44.67 at the line over Pocatello and got three individual medals from Paige Tekippe: gold in triple jump (35-2.50) and long jump (17-4.25) and silver in the 200 (25.10).

Skyline went ahead of Bishop Kelly 82-81 after sophomore Claire Petersen won the 300 hurdles in 44.44, for her third gold medal of the day, but Bishop Kelly scored 22 combined points in the 200 and 4x400 relay finals to come back and claim the team title 103-82 over Skyline. It was Bishop Kelly's sixth consecutive 4A girls track state championship.

"It was a lot of fun," Skyline head coach Chase Meyer said of the battle with the Knights. "All of our kids achieved their potential. Bishop Kelly is always gonna reload, but I think we'll be up there again and be able to push them."

Meyer said one of the highlights of the weekend for him was Skyline's win over Bishop Kelly in the 4x100. The quartet of Hailee Mitchell, Petersen, Tasha Miller and Mattie Olson edged the Knights 49.72 to 49.96. 

"It was so cool," Petersen said by phone. "All the girls in the relay, I love them so much. We went out there and we did what we've done all year. After the race, we met up at the finish line and gave each other the biggest hug."

Petersen, who along with the 300 hurdles won the 100 hurdles in 15.11 and the 100 in a 4A state record time of 12.13, concluded her season undefeated in both hurdles events and is Skyline's first girl to win at least three golds at one state meet since Sydney Wendt in 2005. Due to losing her freshman season to COVID-19, this weekend was her state track debut and she said she did have some nerves at first. Numerous relatives came to cheer her on, however, and she was grateful to share her accomplishments with them, her coaches and teammates. 

"I was just thinking, 'This is state. It's very big, but what I need to do isn't any different than what I did at any other meet,'" said Petersen, who ran a personal best 11.95 in the 100 the previous week at the 4A District 6 championships. "It was so great to get to come and race against some of the fastest girls in the state. I now know what this competition is like. I love going to track meets and seeing myself improve. Whether it's in little things or my form was better or I ran a PR, I just really love going and and getting better every single day."

Meyer said discussions have already begun about what events to put Petersen in next year.

"She's one of those kids you wish you could run seven events," Meyer said. "When it gets to be race time, she's ready to go. She can perform when everybody's watching. It's about her doing her best on that day."

Another underclassman who won multiple gold medals for Skyline was freshman Nelah Roberts. Skyline's first individual girls cross country state champion who ran an all-time east Idaho best 5k time of 17:52.06 last fall, Roberts won Friday's 3,200 in 10:54.28 to break senior teammate Sariah Harrison's school record of 10:57.11 and won Saturday's 1,600 in a school record 5:03. Those golds made Roberts the first Skyline girl to win a state title in a distance event since Rilee Buttars in 2003.

Emmett's Lacy Yates swept 4A girls throwing titles, claiming discus by two inches (130-7) and shot put by one inch (38-11), while teammate Tatum Richards cleared 12-8 to break a 19 year-old all-classification state record. Middleton won the girls sprint medley relay in 1:51.67 and 4x400 in 4:04.54.

Bishop Kelly won the boys 4x200 at the line over Jerome in 1:30.34, the 4x100 in 42.86 and got individual golds from James Onanubosi (100 in 4A record 10.69) and Cole Miller (triple jump, 45-11)

Emmett's Landon Helms won the 110 hurdles (14.89) and pole vault (15-0) and teammate Axel Sanchez won shot put (54-2).

Pocatello's Shane Gard swept the 4A boys distance titles, claiming the 3,200 in 9:19.32, 1,600 in 4:15.69 and 800 in 1:54.27. Teammate Hailey Renzello, a freshman, won the girls 800 in 2:16.07.

Kimberly kept Sugar-Salem from claiming its seventh 3A boys team title in nine years, accumulating 134 points to Sugar's 92.5 on Saturday at Middleton High School. 

The performances of Jaxon and Gatlin Bair provided the difference for Kimberly, Sugar-Salem head coach Brett Hill said.

"The Bair boys didn't compete at districts last week," Hill said. "They came in on hardship (approval from the Idaho High School Activities Association). I believe they could have won any division this weekend. That was almost 60 points those two boys scored."

Jaxon Bair won the 110 hurdles (14.81), high jump (6-2), repeated as pole vault champion (14-0) and placed second in shot put (52-4) while Gatlin Bair won triple jump (43-7.50) and placed second in long jump (21-4.50). Kimberly also got gold medals from Brett Bronson (100 champion in 10.97, 200 champion in 21.96, 400 champion in a 3A state record 48.12), Bridger Schiess (300 hurdles champion in 40.14) and in the 4x100 (44.05).

Sugar-Salem was in fifth place with 27 points in seven events after day one, but had a massive day two. The moment that Hill said his athletes were still talking about on the way home Saturday evening was the boys 4x400, which Porter Holt anchored to a win in 3:32.06 over Bonners Ferry and Buhl by fractions of a second. Holt was also  part of the winning sprint medley relay (3:39.50).

"Our second leg got so focused, he ran his entire leg in lane five," Hill said. "Everybody was screaming at him to cut in. We went from about a three second lead to a three second deficit. Porter Holt ran the race of his life. Us and Bonners, it was right at the line. This old coach was on pins and needles."

Sugar-Salem did claim the 3A girls title for the first time since 2017, however, besting Timberlake 107-75 for its 11th title in program history and bringing Hill's career total to 48 combined state titles between cross country and track. The Diggers won the sprint medley in 1:54.18, 4x200 in 1:46.81 and 4x400 in 4:09.65 and got individual golds from Ryley Klingler in the 400 (59.07) and Jaresa Jackson in the 800 (2:21.83). Klingler was part of all three relay wins while Jackson was on the 4x400 and placed in both the 3,200 (third) and 1,600 (fourth). 

Hill said the Diggers also benefited from the additions of basketball players Mardee Fillmore (fourth in shot put, second in discus and member of the winning 4x400) and Natalyah Nead (third in high jump, sixth in shot put).

"At the beginning of the year, I wasn't sure what we could do," Hill said. "I knew it was a strong group, but I didn't know how to put the pieces together. The girls figured it out. We ran some relays and I was like, 'Well, we've got speed.' That was the catalyst for us winning three relays."

Fruitland's Emma Hillam was a double winner, claiming the 3A girls 3,200 in 11:46.43 and 1,600 in 5:19.68. Marsh Valley's Maycee Lunt also collected two golds, winning 3A girls long jump (16-6.5) and the 3A girls 100 (12.78). Timberlake's Blayre Jeffs swept 3A girls throwing titles, winning shot put with a mark of 42-4.75 and discus with 125-10. A 3A state record went down in girls pole vault as Gooding's Elliotte Stockham cleared 11-5 to repeat as champion.

Salmon, which has won the last three 2A boys cross country state titles, accumulated 105 points to win its first boys track state title since 2003. It is Salmon's first boys track title at the 2A level, and comes four years after the girls won a program first state title. After Friday, Salmon was in third place with 33 points through seven events.

Helping Salmon's cause was two-time defending 2A boys individual cross country state champion and Utah State signee Johnathon Simmons, who anchored the winning 4x400 to a time of 3:30.18 and placed second in the 3,200 (9:20.37) and 1,600 (4:19.15). Nampa Christian's Grady Mylander won the 3,200 and 1,600 in respective times of 9:20.13 and 4:19.08, and he and Simmons both beat the previous 2A state record times in the events. Mylander completed the 2A distance sweep by running 1:59.10 to claim the 800, in which Simmons placed third.

Salmon also got gold from Will Garrett in the 110 hurdles (15.32) and pole vault and as part of the winning 4x200 team (1:32.33). He added a silver medal with second place in 300 hurdles.

Marsing's Jacob Ankeny swept the 2A boys sprint titles, winning the 100 (11.17), 200 (22.45) and 400 (50.15). McKoy Richardson won two golds for Melba, contributing to the sprint medley relay win in 3:39.02 and winning 300 hurdles in 40.46. Orofino's Reid Thomas swept 2A boys throwing titles, winning shot put with 50-8 and discus with 138-4.

Valley's Kyle Christensen won triple jump (44-3) and long jump (22-0).

Melba had a huge day two to win its third consecutive 2A girls state title with 89 total points. Competition was tight after day one, with the top-five team standings reading as follows: Orofino 38, Melba 37, Salmon 35, Firth 33, West Side 26.5.

The Mustangs had one individual gold --Meya Young won the long jump with 17-4.25 -- but spread out the points to ascend the team standings. Young placed second in the 100 and was part of the second-place 4x100, Tayler McCoy placed second in discus, Kendall Clark placed second in triple jump, Kate Clark placed third in 300 hurdles and sixth in long jump and Ahna Shaffer was fourth in the 100, fifth in the 200 and was part of the third place sprint medley relay team. Young and both Clarks were also part of the second place 4x200 team.

Aberdeen secured gold in the 2A girls 100 from Yasmin Ortiz (12.88), 100 hurdles from Liliana Ortiz (16.02) and the 4x100 in 50.58. Orofino's Lindi Kessinger won the 2A girls 300 hurdles title in 47.11 and discus with a mark of 112-2 while teammates Kaylynn Johnson won shot put (34-10) and Sydnie Zywina won triple jump (36-2.50).

Soda Springs won the sprint medley relay in 1:53.73 and the 400 with Jinettie Garbett's win in 59.14. West Side claimed the individual distance titles: Aubrie Barzee won the 2A 1,600 in 5:20.80 and 3,200 in 11:39.46 while teammate Ashlyn Willis won the 800 in 2:22.01. Firth won the 2A girls 4x200 in 1:46.78, its third consecutive state gold in the 4x400 in 4:07.53 and attained an individual gold from Tara Butler in high jump (5-2).

Carey won the 1A boys title with 95 points, securing its first track state title and snapping a three-year win streak by Valley, which moved to 2A this school year. Multiple individual medalists were Hunter Smith (300 hurdles champ in 41.69, second in 110 hurdles, second in high jump), Ashton Sparrow (high jump champion with 6-2), Riley Morey (fourth in the 400, second in the 200) and Sawyer Mecham (third in the 800, second in triple jump). Carey also placed in every relay, finishing third in the sprint medley and 4x100 and winning the 4x200 in1:32.50 and 4x400 win in 3:31.42.

Deary's London Kirk was a double champion, claiming the 100 in 11.22 and the 200 in 22.70. Kamiah's Jace Sams won the 400 in 51.47 while teammate Brady Cox won 110 hurdles in 16.02. Victory Charter's Ian Stockett won the 3,200 (9:36.07) and 1,600 (4:27.67). Raft River's Ryan Spaeth repeated as champion in both throwing events, claiming discus with 157-2 and shot put with 57-2, while teammate Kagen Knudsen cleared 12-6 for the pole vault gold.

Raft River scored 140 points to win its third consecutive 1A girls title. Combining for 97 points were Libby Boden and twin sisters and Utah State signees Karlee and Kaybree Christensen.

Boden won the 100 in 12.45, the 200 in 25.89 and long jump with 16-9, Heidi Harper won the 400 in 57.93 and Karlee Christensen cleared 5-1 to win high jump. Raft River also repeated as sprint medley relay champions in a 1A state record 1:52.44 and won the 4x400 in 4:12.60.

Repeats from 2019 and repeats of sorts occurred in the 1A girls distance events.

Butte County's Natayla Babcock repeated as 800 champion in 2:18.63, while Karlee Christensen bested her sister and defending champion Kaybree 5:12.35 to 5:13.86 for the 1,600 title. In the 3,200, Kaybree defended her title, winning in 11:12.92 to Karlee's 11:25.44.

East Idaho athletes claimed the 1A girls throwing events as Butte County's Kiya McAffee won shot put (35-11) by five inches over fellow east Idahoan Paige Ramsey of Leadore and Mackay's Meghan Moore won discus (109-2).

Team champions

Class 5A - Rocky Mountain boys 88 points, Boise girls 157 points - RESULTS

Class 4A - Bishop Kelly boys 97 points, Bishop Kelly girls 103 points - RESULTS

Class 3A - Kimberly boys 134 points, Sugar-Salem girls 107 points - RESULTS

Class 2A - Salmon boys 105 points, Melba girls 89 points - RESULTS

Class 1A - Carey boys 95 points, Raft River girls 140 points - RESULTS