(Pictured from left to right: Chase Lawyer, Jordan McDonald, Will Studebaker II and Kellen Hulquist of Boise with their second-place medals from the boys 110 shuttle hurdles invitational final at the Arcadia Invitational)

Boise's Chase Lawyer is having a dream senior season so far.

On April 12 at the annual Arcadia Invitational in California, a meet notorious for numerous national high school records and performances by 203 eventual Olympic athletes in its lengthy history, Lawyer achieved a personal best that put him in the top 20 in the U.S. this season and in rare territory for Idaho athletes. Lawyer placed third in the Arcadia boys invitational 300 hurdles final in 36.98, the first sub-37 second time of his career in the event and the No. 18 fastest time in the event in the U.S. as of April 19 on athletic.net. He joins Highland's Spencer Van Orden, who placed just ahead of him in second place in 36.62, as the only Idaho boys on record to break 37 seconds for 300 hurdles.

"It's starting to really sink in, just knowing all my work over these last 2.5 years since starting hurdles has started to really pay off," Lawyer said April 17 by phone. "It amazes me that I'm able to get such feats in such little time of hurdling. I'm grateful to my coaches to be able to put me in this position."

Additionally at Arcadia, Lawyer placed second in the boys open 110 hurdles final in a personal best 14.02 and second in the boys invitational 4x110 shuttle hurdles final in 58.97 with teammates Jordan McDonald, Will Studebaker II and Kellen Hulquist.

The best way to describe shuttle hurdles is like hurdles meets a relay. Four athletes participate on the 100 meter straightaway of the track. Once the starting gun goes off, the first runners take off toward the hurdles and will tap or pass by their second runner, who is waiting in the starting position on the other end of the hurdles. The second runner then takes off to clear the hurdles in the opposite direction the first runner ran. They will tap or pass by the third runner waiting in the starting position at the end of the hurdles. This continues until the anchor runner completes the race in the same direction the second runner ran. Timing is important, and Boise's finish was especially thrilling. Lawyer made up ground for the Brave, and Boise placed second by one hundredth of a second to Brophy College Prep of Phoenix, Ariz.

It was not Lawyer's first time running shuttle hurdles, as he participated in co-ed shuttle hurdles earlier this month at Boise Relays, but Arcadia was the biggest setting he had ever competed in for the event.

"Such a fast race," Lawyer said. "I was our anchor. When my teammate Kellen passed me, I started a hurdle behind the team that ended up winning. I was able to pull my team around and get back in position to get us to win."

Lawyer acknowledged the lively atmosphere at Arcadia, which took place over two days well into the evening hours.

"It was unlike anything I think I've ever experienced in track so far," Lawyer said. "Everyone there was there to watch every event, whether it was the 100, the hurdles, even the 3,200. Everyone was invested. It was just a fast atmosphere. Everyone was there to run some fast times."

As of April 19, Lawyer is one of three Idaho boys currently ranked in the top 25 in the U.S. for 300 hurdles. Van Orden's 36.62 has him at No. 7 fastest currently, Lawyer's 36.98 is No. 18 and Nampa senior Tegon Lords' 37.21 from Boise Relays earlier this month is No.  25. Additionally, those times are the first, second and third fastest all-time on record in Idaho for boys 300 hurdles, as no other Idaho athletes have ever broken 37.30. 

"I think it's just amazing to be a part of history, to know that this state final in the 300 is going to be the fastest one ever," Lawyer said. "I think that's just cool for me to just be a part of that and really rewrite the record books and show that Idaho regardless of our cold winters and our hard training conditions, we can compete nationally. Spencer and I showed that at Arcadia and Tegon even just running in Idaho has been dropping great times. I think it really proves a lot of who we are, Idahoans and our grind through any weather, any conditions." 

Lawyer and Lords were teammates together over the winter with Orchard Athletix, which is in its third year as a club team and coached by Treigh Orchard. They were on the winning 4x200 team in February's Simplot Games alongside Orchard Athletix teammates Wade Pollock (Owyhee senior) and Ethan Kirkendall (Timberline junior). Club track allowed Lawyer and Lords to get to know one another better, train together and celebrate each other's progress.

"We ran together starting in August (when) he joined the club I'm in," Lawyer said. "Iron sharpens iron. Every day in the winter, we would just battle. We're really good friends now because of it. Just grinding together, that just makes these outdoor seasons fun."

All the more remarkable about Lawyer's accomplishments is that he did not start competing in track until 2.5 years ago despite coming from a track and field family. His dad was a sprinter and still holds the 100-meter men's record at Boise State, and older brother and 2022 Boise High graduate Mason is currently at Washington State after winning five total 5A Idaho state titles in sprints and relays. However, lacrosse was his original sport. During the winter of his freshman year at Boise High, he got injured while skiing and surgery was required. He had to take a nine-month hiatus from sports following the surgery, and the injury impeded his ability to complete lateral movements necessary to play lacrosse.

Around that same time, older brother Mason was having a successful senior season of track. The younger Lawyer brother opted to give track a try. He was undecided of which event to compete in, but he did know he did not want to be in Mason's shadow by competing in sprints. He found his event upon meeting Boise's hurdles coach Kristi Hulquist. 

Lawyer said there was some hesitation at first due to coming back from surgery, but he accepted the fact early on that competing in hurdles would mean the occasional fall or collision. He hasn't looked back since.

"I wanted to go to college and play lacrosse," Lawyer said. "It took me a lot to be inspired by my brother, my dad and my aunts. I was pretty hesitant at first just a little, knowing that I'm still decently weak coming off my whole recovery process. But I felt pretty confident that I was old enough and mature enough."

Lawyer follows the same preparation routine leading up to and the day of a meet, regardless of the size of the meet. He ices and stretches and eats a good dinner the night before and then turns his attention to race day.

"I like to just take a moment and put in music, not looking at my phone or anything like that, just calm my mind and take five to 10 mintues to visualize what I'm gonna do the next day," Lawyer said. "It really helps me sleep well the night  before. The day of, I don't listen to music during warm ups. I think about my race, but I think about all the positives that can happen. I trust my training. I do a lot of breathing, a lot of visualizing."

Boise's school record holder in both boys hurdles events, Lawyer has signed with the University of Idaho. He has big goals for the end of his senior season, both individually and as a member of the Brave.

From taking up track and field after an abrupt ending to his lacrosse career to becoming one of the best in Idaho to ever compete in boys hurdles, Lawyer expressed gratitude for the journey and everyone who has helped him reach this point.

"I did not think it would come like this," Lawyer said. "I'm just grateful for every minute of it. I'm grateful for my coaches helping me get there. I'm thankful for my parents to fund this journey. I'm grateful to be making history in Idaho."  

New Week, New Marks

Capital made history last season with the fastest girls 4x100 time ever on record in Idaho, running 47.45 to win the Idaho 5A state meet. The Eagles beat their own record on April 18 at the Boise Invite on April 18, as Veronika Russell, Alena Garrison, Grace Russell and Christine Huckins won in 47.19. Grace Russell and Huckins both return from last year's state champion 4x100. 

Two girls are now leading Idaho this season in high jump. Coeur d'Alene senior Kimberlee Priebe cleared a personal best 5-7 to win the Christina Finney Co-Ed Relays on April 15 and Challis sophomore Lilly Stebbins cleared 5-6 to win the DirectCom Invitational on April 19.

Owyhee senior Josie Davis became the first girl this season to reach 38 feet in triple jump, winning a tri-meet at Rocky Mountain with a personal best mark of 38-2 on April 18.

Kimberly junior Isabella Burnett ran a personal best 56.66 to win the girls 400 at the Middleton Invite on April 18 to remain undefeated and the fastest in that event so far this season.

Meridian senior Nate Stadtlander, whose 800-meter personal best of 1:52.02 from last summer's Nike Outdoor Nationals is No. 7 all-time on record in Idaho, became the first boy to break 1:53 so far this season with his win in 1:52.41 at a tri-meet at Rocky Mountain on April 18.  

Mountain View senior Joseph Miraya continues to hold strong in throws this season, achieving a personal best 62-8 to win shot put on April 17 in a quad meet at Caldwell. That mark keeps him undefeated in shot put this spring and puts him at No. 20 in the U.S. as of April 19. 

Sandpoint junior Jetta Thaete and Lewiston senior Cole Arlint remain the leaders in girls and boys javelin this season, attaining new personal bests this past weekend. Thaete won the Van Kuren Invite with a mark of 132-3 on April 19 to stay undefeated and Arlint won the Rasmussen Invite on April 18 with a mark of 166-10. 

On The Horizon

The annual Bandanna Invite takes place Friday and Saturday at Mountain View. As of April 19, 26 teams are registered.

Bishop Kelly, Coeur d'Alene, Nampa, Meridian, Rocky Mountain and Rockland are registered for the 25th annual Nike/Jesuit Twilight Relays on Friday in Portland, which draws teams from throughout the Northwest.