ORDER GAME PHOTOS

Snow is still lingering in much of Idaho, but the Gem State's high school track athletes are already thinking ahead to warmer weather, personal bests, their favorite meets and a chance to compete at Idaho's state championships in May.

The 2022 season brought about the end of a career for the record books for nationally ranked athlete Landon Helms of Emmett, overall classification state meet records from Boise's Logan Smith, Centennial's Eva Lowder and Skyline's Nelah Roberts and team titles to programs who hadn't won in a while (Pocatello girls and Grace boys).

Here is a look at what is in store around the state for this season.

CLASS 5A

Rigby head track coach James Parrish said everyone is looking up at the defending state champion Boise girls and Rocky Mountain boys this season.

Boise won its second consecutive 5A girls title last spring, claiming the 4x400 and 4x800 relay titles and getting four medals each from Lydia Nance, Allie Bruce, Logan Smith, Jamie Hamlin and Sophia Clark. Hamlin and overall 800 meter state meet record holder Logan Smith have graduated from that group. Smith's younger sister, accomplished multisport athlete Sammy Smith, will join the Brave after spring break as she has been competing with the U.S. Nordic ski team in Europe. Kunie Hirai (4x400 and 4x200 state medalist), Suzi Woodall (pole vault state runner-up) and Alexandra Gustavel (seventh place high jump) also return for the Brave.

"I think anytime you even think about trying to win a state title in track, you hav to have a complete team effort," Boise distance coach Aaron Olswanger said. "Kids have to show up on the light days. I'm confident we can do that consistently. You have to buy into the culture."

Rocky Mountain won its sixth consecutive boys team title last season, bolstered by 38 points from distance event finals and 30 points from relays. Returning from those point scorers are Tyler Sainsbury and Landon Heemeyer, who were part of Rocky Mountain's nationally ranked state champion boys cross country team last fall. Both broke the 15-minute barrier for the 5k, and Heemeyer finished ninth at the Champs Sports (formerly Footlocker) Cross Country National Championships in December in San Diego.

While Olswanger and Parrish both said the Grizzlies will again be tough, Olswanger pointed out that the top three teams at last year's 5A boys state meet graduated numerous point scorers.

"I think the boys is wide open," Olswanger said. "I couldn't even make a prediction at this point."

Distance runner Noe Kemper, hurdler Joseph Curtis, 4x200 gold medalist Cooper Smith and defending state champion pole vaulter Seth Nelson are among those returning for the defending state runner-up Brave.

Boise will be road warriors this spring as their new track is under construction.

Olswanger said the progam has 215 kids participating, and they are traveling to four different locations for practices every week. The final product will be worth it, however.

"We'll finally have eight lanes," he said. "Our field events are finally gonna be up to par.
We're gonna have a three pad shot area. It's gonna be pretty slick."

Abby Hancock returns for Rigby this spring after winning three events and scoring 36 points at state last year. All four of those events broke school records--12.03 to win the 100 (two hundredths of a second from breaking the all-classification state meet record), 24.85 to win the 200, 18-4.5 to win long jump and 49.27 for third place in the 4x100--and helped Rigby place third to claim its first state track trophy at the 5A level.

"I just want to PR in all my events," Hancock said at a recent indoor Rigby practice.

The goal times she and Parrish have discussed would be the fastest on record in Idaho: 11.7 in the 100 and 24.5 in the 200. She is currently tied for No. 4 all-time in Idaho in the 100, tied for No. 4 all-time in the 200 and No. 5 all-time in long jump.

Parrish said it will come down to the 'fire in her belly' for the Rigby senior who has signed with Weber State.

"I'm positively optimistic," Parrish said. "Her strength training has been phenomenal. There will be tough competition with 4A kids and among the good 5A girls."

Parrish added that Rigby is seeking two 5A state trophies this season. Injuries and illnesses sidelined athletes who could have scored upwards of 30 points for the Rigby boys last May, and the Trojans finished just outside the trophies with fifth place.

"We're reloading, we're not rebuilding," Parrish said. "Our goal is take 40 kids on the bus to state."

Keep an eye on Post Falls senior Annastasia Peters this season. Her teammate Samantha Wood won the 5A 1,600 and 3,200 titles to conclude undefeated seasons in those events last spring. Peters was second in the 3,200 and 1,600, and she had an undefeated cross country season last fall. Furthermore, she is the only Idaho girl on record to break the 17-minute barrier for the 5k. 

Also look out for Centennial's Eva Lowder, who cleared an all-classification state meet record 13-9 to win 5A girls pole vault last year as a junior.

CLASS 4A

The 4A classification will look a bit different this year.

After combining for 76 points and three broken 3A state meet records with older brother Jaxon last May for Kimberly, Gatlin Bair is now competing for 4A Burley and is garnering national attention for football and track. The junior won the boys 60 meters at Simplot Games in February in a U.S. No. 5 time of 6.69 seconds.

Additionally, sprinter and relay runner Matejah Mangum, who contributed 36 points toward Pocatello's first girls track state championship since 1996 last spring, is now competing for Century.

Skyline head track coach Chase Meyer's prediction for the 2022 state trophy races was spot on: watch out for the Pocatello girls and Blackfoot boys to challenge Bishop Kelly.

The Thunder indeed won the girls state title, albeit over Skyline, while Blackfoot took second to Bishop Kelly in the boys team title race. 

Meyer shared his predictions for this year, which are similar to 2022 but with a few tweaks taking recent events into consideration.

"On the boys side, I don't think anyone's touching Bishop Kelly," Meyer said. "I could see them getting more than 150 points. Burley just got into the trophy race with Bair."

Meyer said the girls side is a bit more of a question mark due to the number of point scorers Bishop Kelly graduated. The Knights placed fifth last year, out of the trophy race by three points. 

"It will be interesting to see what incoming students they have," Meyer said. "I think Poky will still be tough even without Matejah. Century will be in the hunt now, and I think us and Ridgevue."

Returning Pocatello point scorers include Bailey Bird (fourth place 1,600, second place 3,200), Addison Tensel (fifth place medley relay), Hailey Renzello (first place 800, fifth place medley relay). Nelah Roberts, a junior and two-time defending 4A state champion in the 1,600 and 3,200 who broke Idaho's all-classification 3,200 state meet record last spring, returns for Skyline as does senior and two-time defending 4A girls 300 hurdles and 100 state champion Claire Petersen.

Roberts is aiming for an invite to Brooks PR, which takes place June 14 in Seattle, and Petersen has signed with Utah State. Both competed at Simplot Games in February, with Roberts placing third in the 3,200 and Petersen placing fourth in the 60 meters.

Roberts won her third consecutive 4A girls cross country state title in October and qualified for Nike Cross Nationals in December, finishing 24th in 17:45.1.

"I think she could get the all-classification (state meet) mile record," Meyer said. "Nelah looks strong. She did a nice job of not going too hard over the winter."

One of two eastern Idaho girls on record to break 12 seconds for the 100, Petersen already owns Skyline's 100 school record. Petersen is currently No. 3 on Skyline's all-time list for the 100 hurdles and No. 4 for 300 hurdles.

"This is the first year Claire hasn't played basketball in the winter," Meyer said. "She looks as strong as ever and had a really good Simplot."

Among the returning point scorers for the Bishop Kelly boys are Cole Miller (fourth place 100, fifth place long jump, first place triple jump), Noah Bornes (fourth place 400) and sub-15 minute 5k runner Austin Clough (fourth place 800, fourth place 1,600, third place 3,200).

Blackfoot senior and Oklahoma State commit Matt Thomas is back to defend his 1,600 and 3,200 titles. Since scoring 28 points for Blackfoot at the 2022 4A state track meet, he claimed the 4A boys cross country individual title, broke the 15-minute barrier for the 5k for the second time in his career, placed second in the Simplot Games boys 1,600 and placed fourth in the boys championship 2-mile and eighth in the boys championship 1-mile at Nike Indoor Nationals earlier this month in New York City. 

Skyline's Tui Edwin, the defending 4A state shot put champion, also returns. Edwin placed third in shot put at Simplot Games and Meyer said Edwin has a scholarship offer to University of California Northridge.

Emmett's Tatum Edwards, who broke her own 4A state meet record upon clearing 13-0 to win pole vault last year, is another returning athlete to watch.

CLASS 3A

The departure of the Bair family from Kimberly to Burley changes the landscape of 3A.

Sugar-Salem head track coach Brett Hill, who has a combined 51 state titles between track and cross country in his careers at Sugar and Firth, said it was fun to compete against the Bairs and he wishes Gatlin well.

"It was very enjoyable competing against him and that team," Hill said. "I want to see him break more records. He's absolutely incredible."

Hill's Diggers outlasted the Bairs and Kimberly 141-108 to claim last year's 3A boys state title while Emma Hillam and Lydia Lindsey scored a combined 78 points and won four medals each to propel Fruitland to the 3A girls team title 83-78 over Kimberly.  Sugar-Salem was one point back of Kimberly to place third.

Sugar-Salem returns boys state point scorers in Porter Holt (400, 800, 4x400, medley relay), Mason Kinghorn (110 hurdles), Trevon Holman (100, 200, 4x100, 4x200), Tanner Hawkes (100, 4x100), Christian Gordon (300 hurdles), Ryan Bingham (discus) and Mason Smith (3,200). Of this group, only Bingham and Smith are underclassmen.

"We're loaded," said Hill, who has more han 140 athletes in his program this spring.. "Our senior class is absolutely maybe one of the best senior classes I've ever coached."

Hill said he expects Kimberly, Snake River and Timberlake to be competitive on the boys side.

Hillam graduated from Fruitland and has continued her career at Utah State, but sprinter Lindsey was a freshman last season. Lindsey's 4x100 teammates and sprint medley Aleksi Drollinger, Ambri Hart and Zoey Berry also return. 

With Hillam graduated, keep an eye on Coeur d'Alene Charter's McKenna Kozeluh. She took second to Hillam in the 1,600 and 3,200 finals last year and won the 3A girls cross country title in 17:43.8 last fall to conclude a season where her only losses were to 5A champion Peters. Sugar-Salem, which won the 3A girls cross country team title last fall, also has returning state track point scorers in Kate Dickson (800, 1,600), Kennedy Gillette (300 hurdles), Allie Christensen (medley relay) and Nika Nead (high jump, throws).

Hill described the 3A girls team title race as wide open this season.

"This year, there's gonna be a lot of parity," he said. "I could see this year, if you score 75 points you could win state."

CLASS 2A

Melba completed a 2A state team title sweep last May in Middleton, a program first.

Numerous point scorers return for the Mustangs, especially for the four-time defending state champion girls: Meya Young (100, 4x200, medley relay, long jump), Brooklyn Dayley (800, 4x400, medley relay, 300 hurdles), Kendall Clark (100 hurdles, 4x200, high jump, triple jump), Hallie Arnold (4x200, medley relay, 100, 200), Ahna Shaffer (4x200, medley relay, 200, 400), Rozzlyn Cazier (1,600, 4x400). On the boys side, McKoy Richardson (400, 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, 4x400), Carsten Volkers (4x100, medley relay), Kaden Dayley (4x200, 4x400, medley relay) and Braden Volkers (4x200) return for the Mustangs.

Giving chase to Melba and ultimately taking second place in both the girls and boys team standings last season was Soda Springs. Jinettie Garbett (200, 400, 4x400, medley relay), Cate Walker (100 hurdles, 300 hurdles), Hannah Evans (4x200, 4x400, medley relay), Aspen Chrisensen (4x200, medley relay), Tayah Gaines (4x200, 4x400, pole vault), Izzy Shelton (throw) and Allie Blevins (4x400) are all returning point scorers for the Cardinal girls while Kayden Gentry (800, 1,600, 3,200), Degan Stoor (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles), Gary McEwen (4x200) and Caleb Thompson (medley relay) are among returning point scorers for the Cardinal boys.  

The graduation of Nampa Christian's Grady Mylander and the transfer of former Salmon runner Danny Simmons to American Fork puts the boys 2A distance event state titles up in the air this spring. Mylander is now at Utah State, and since his move back to American Fork last summer, Simmons placed second at Nike Cross Nationals, received Gatorade's National Boys Cross Country Player of the Year award and ran a meet record 8:53.80 to win the boys 3,200 at Simplot Games. North Fremont's Corbin Johnston, who placed fourth in the 1,600 and third in the 3,200 finals last year, won the 2A boys cross country individual state title in the fall and broke the 16-minute barrier twice. His older brother Zack Johnston and Soda Springs's Gentry are also athletes to watch for those distance titles.

Speaking of Soda Springs, watch out for District 5 defending girls individual state champions. Garbett (100, 400), Gaines (pole vault), Malad's Oaklie Hebdon (300 hurdles), West Side's Aubrie Barzee (1,600) and West Side's Johanna Ebert (800) were all underclassmen when they won their titles last May. 

CLASS 1A

The 1A boys state team title came down to the wire last year and was decided by a half point with Grace prevailing 71-70.5 over Lighthouse Christian. The state title was the first in track for the Grizzlies since 1958. 

Returning point scorers for Grace are Braden Kimball (4x100), Peyton Reeves (4x100),
Ty Gilbert (4x100, triple jump), Treyson Christiansen (4x100), Dallon Draper (medley relay), Kade Johnson (medley relay) and four-time gold medalist Cole Wilkerson (800, 1,600, 3,200, medley relay). Wilkerson won the 1A boys individual cross country state title in October.  

Among the Lighthouse Christian boys returning point scorers are Koby Stevenson (4x100, 4x200, 200), Hayato Yamada (4x200) and three-time gold medalist Walker Goettle (100, 200, 400).

Raft River won its fourth consecutive 1A girls track state title last May, getting multiple medals and points from mostly underclassmen. That group includes four-time gold medalist Jessi Knudsen (medley relay, 4x200), Abigail Rex (medley relay, 4x400, 4x200), Heidi Harper (medley relay, 4x400, 400) and Allie Black (4x400, 3,200) and four-time gold medalist Libby Boden (100, 200, long jump, 4x200). Harper, Boden and Black were among the seven runners who contributed to Raft River's 1A girls cross country state championship in October, with Black winning her second consecutive individual state title.