(Pictured: Firth's winning 4x400 meter relay team.  The Cougars defeated several teams from larger schools at last weekend's Tiger-Grizz Invitational in Idaho Falls)

The annual Tiger-Grizz Invitational, which celebrated 55 years over the weekend at Ravsten Stadium in Idaho Falls, is known for drawing dozens of teams from Idaho and surrounding states, meet records and individual personal records over its two-day schedule.

The latest edition of the meet was no different. A total of 38 teams competed, 10 meet records fell and numerous athletes achieved personal bests and much anticipated Tiger-Grizz titles.

Sugar-Salem senior Hagan Morris, who won last year's 3A state title in boys triple jump, repeated as Tiger-Grizz champion in the event Saturday with a mark of 44-7.5. It was his best mark and first win of the season, putting him at No. 5 best in Idaho so far this season for any classification.

Furthermore, it was the next step in his comeback from foot surgery. He broke his foot at an indoor track meet this winter and had surgery in January and he credited his teammates and coaches for supporting him as he has recovered and resumed competition.

"They're always rooting for me," Morris said.

With May right around the corner, Morris has high hopes for ending his senior season at the 4A state meet.

"Hopefully I can get pretty high up at state again," Morris said.

Another athlete representing one of the smaller schools at Tiger-Grizz came away with her first ever gold medals at the meet. Firth senior Kynzie Nielson won the girls 800 in 2:19.91 in a headwind and ran the third leg for Firth en route to winning the 4x400 over 11 other teams with teammates Baylie Mecham, Allie Nielson and Baylee Johnson in 4:06.73. Nielson's 800 gold is the first individual Tiger-Grizz gold for a Firth athlete since Cassi Robbins won the varsity girls 400 in 2021 and, like Nielson, was part of Firth's winning 4x400 later in the day.

Nielson expressed disbelief upon winning the Tiger-Grizz girls 800 title.

"I've never won this hard of a gold before," she said of the race, which had 27 participants from schools ranging from 3A to 6A classifications. "It's kind of unbelievable."

Nielson has committed to Weber State, and she has particular times she is aiming to run for the Wildcat coaches before this season ends: 2:16 for the 800, 5:15 for the 1,600 and 11:30 for the 3,200. All of those would be massive personal bests for Nielson, who currently has the fastest times in the state right now in those events for the 3A classification. Nielson is still in pursuit of a first ever individual state gold medal. As a sophomore, she was leading the 2A state 1,600 before collapsing with 50 meters remaining. As a junior, her best finishes were second place in the 2A 3,200 and 1,600 finals.

"Now I'm starting to hit the times I want to be able to run at state," Nielson said. "My winter training and indoor season has helped me this far in outdoor."  

Hillcrest senior Garrett Cook swept boys hurdles titles at Tiger-Grizz, winning the 110s in 14.87 and 300s in 39.82, to remain undefeated this season in 110 hurdles and add to the family medal collection. His older siblings Cassidy, Lindsay, Bryce and Brooke all competed in basketball and track like him, and Cassidy was a four-time Tiger-Grizz champion in girls 100 hurdles and three-time in 300 hurdles.

 "You want to dominate in your events," Cook said of the sibling hurdler rivalry in his family.

 Cook, who said he enjoys the camaraderie between the athletes at Tiger-Grizz, said he is still getting used to the success he's achieved this season after finishing behind teammate Mason Edwards last season. Edwards, who graduated last spring, ended his career as 4A state champion in boys 110 and 300 hurdles.

"It's been bittersweet to not have him here," Cook said.

Kuna junior Aubri Minnick, who was part of the winning 4x100 team in 47.91 with Shiloh Currin, Tylin Newton and Ophelia Robison, won the varsity girls 100 in 12.76, won the 200 in 25.63 less than 24 hours after her 25.19 in prelims to break a 33 year-old school record and was part of the third-place 4x200 in 1:45.21 with Robison, Newton and Hailey Long, was voted Female Athlete of the Meet by coaches.

Two athletes were named Male Athlete of the Meet as coach voting ended in a tie: North Fremont senior Corbin Johnston (3,200 champion in 9:38.36, 1,600 champion in 4:27.86) and Kuna senior Myles Johnson-Nicholson (200 champion in 21.86, 100 champion in 11.04, 4x200 champion with Izaki Abongela, Izaiah Allen-Heinrich and Zephyr Robison in a meet record 1:27.53, 4x400 champion with Allen-Heinrich, Abongela and Owen Waters in a meet record and school record 3:24.54). Johnson-Nicholson is undefeated this season in the 100 and 200 and Kuna's 4x200 currently is fastest in Idaho this season for any classification.

Now a 3A athlete, Johnston won four gold medals at last year's 2A state meet and three the previous year.

"I'm just trying to get all my times down to PRs, this being my senior year," Johnston said.

Big-Time Performances

Capital junior Christine Huckins already outrightly claimed the all-time fastest girls 100 and 200 meter times by an Idaho girl last season.

At a quad meet on April 24 in Eagle, she took herself further into rare territory, becoming the first Idaho girl on record to break 24 seconds for the 200 by winning the event in 23.58 and winning the 100 in a new personal best 11.61. Two days later, she was part of Capital's winning 4x100 in 47.30 with Veronika Russell, Eden Francis and Grace Russell and 4x400 in 4:03.06 with Amelie Purcell, Cadence Mitchell and Alena Garrison at the Legends Twilight Invitational in Walla Walla, Wash. Huckins is currently undefeated in the 100 and 200 and as part of the 4x400.

At the 25th annual Nike Jesuit Twilight Relays in Portland over the wekend, Meridian senior Nate Stadtlander place fifth in the boys elite 1-mile final in 4:07.65 and teammate and fellow senior Paisley Taylor placed ninth in the girls elite 1-mile final in 4:54.36. Converted to 1,600, those times are 4:06.14 and 4:52.49, respectively. Stadtlander's 4:06.14 puts him at No. 3 all-time on record in Idaho and No. 8 in the U.S. this season as of April 28 on athletic.net and his 4:07.65 mile is No. 11 in the U.S. as of the same date.

Also at Nike Jesuit, Bishop Kelly senior Owen Kane placed fifth in the varsity boys triple jump with a personal best 44-5, Rocky Mountain junior Hallie Heemeyer placed fifth in the girls elite 1--mile in 4:49.96 (converts to 4:48.31 for the 1,600), Rocky Mountain freshman Eve Archibald placed fifth in the varsity girls 3,000 in 10:35.12, Rocky Mountain sophomore Brooke Thompson placed sixth in the varsity girls 3,200 in 10:54.59 and the Rocky Mountain boys distance medley 4,000 relay team of Jaymon Clark, Cody Lucas, Hyrum Tuft and Thomas Kurtz placed sixth in 10:43.43. Heemeyer's 4:49.96 mile time is No. 15 in the U.S. this season as of April 28 on athletic.net.

Potlatch senior Kathryn Burnett remained undefeated in shot put this season upon winning the event at the Troy Invitational over the weekend with a personal best mark of 43-9. This puts her in a tie for No. 10 all-time on record in Idaho for girls shot put.

Rocky Mountain senior Timothy Price won boys triple jump with a personal best 47-7.75 at the Bandanna Invite, putting him at No. 6 all-time on record in Idaho in the event.

On The Horizon

May is a few days away. This is the last week before district championship meets, which will determine who advances to the state championships taking place May 16-17 in Middleton and Meridian.

The Probst Walker Invitational takes place Wednesday in Emmett. Live timing will be available on athletic.net. As of Monday, 17 teams are registered. Up north, the District 1 Meet of Champions takes place Thursday in Post Falls. As of Monday, 16 teams are registered. The same day, the District 2 meet of Champions takes place in Lewiston. As of Monday, 17 teams are registered.