Photo credit: Marlowe Hereford

POCATELLO — Four Idaho athletes stood atop the podium at the 46th Simplot Games at Idaho State’s ICCU Dome over the weekend, a meet that drew more than 2,000 athletes from the U.S., Canada and Australia.

An athlete all too familiar with the ICCU Dome’s iconic wooden track, Highland senior Spencer Van Orden competed in two finals on Saturday. He won the boys 200-meter final in 21.50 and placed second in the boys 60-meter hurdles final in 7.74, the latter of which is currently the No. 8 fastest time in the U.S. for the event per athletic.net.

Among the first people to congratulate him was his grandmother Sherry Van Orden, who hugged him in the infield on Saturday and also after Friday’s preliminary heats. Sherry was one of the meet officials shooting the starting gun throughout the weekend.

“My grandma has been working at Simplot Games ever since the ‘70s,” Spencer Van Orden said. “She’s been here for all her kids and her kids’ kids. My dad when he ran here, she shot the starting gun for him.”

Idaho’s all-time leader in both boys hurdles events, Van Orden will continue his career at Texas Tech. He is looking ahead to outdoor track and goals he is chasing for his final state track championships.

“I’ve really been staying loyal to the dome,” Van Orden said of his winter season, which has consisted of four meets all at the ICCU Dome. “I’m going to try to make it to state track in the 400 and maybe pull off the quadruple (200, 400 and both hurdles finals). I really want to go out with a bang.”

Making the 15-minute drive to Pocatello from Inkom for a long awaited Simplot Games debut was Marsh Valley senior Lydia Townsend, who cleared 13 feet to win girls pole vault. She has gone undefeated in pole vault this winter, clearing 13-0 or better four times including a personal best 13-4 on Jan. 23 to set a facility record at Weber State. She is one of seven Idaho girls on record to clear 13-0 or better in pole vault, and she is aiming for more history as she looks ahead to outdoor season.

“I think the biggest goal is hitting a PR in pole vault,” Townsend said on Friday as she watched the boys pole vault qualifications. “The biggest goal is 14-0. I think it’s there.”

A three-time placer at state wrestling and six-time gold medalist at state track, Townsend was unable to compete at Simplot Games until this year due to scheduling conflicts with district wrestling the previous three years. She made the difficult decision to give up wrestling as a senior to focus on track, the sport she will continue on at the next level at BYU.

Townsend expressed gratitude for not only being able to finally compete at Simplot, but to be healthy this winter. Her junior season of outdoor track was plagued with multiple injuries—a bulging disc, a pinched nerve and bruised navicular bone—and it came to a head late last summer when she wanted to quit track. She followed the advice of her dad, Eli, who is also her coach, to take a month entirely off from track and field. She made good on that advice, and consistently went to her chiropractor and physical therapy appointments.

Upon making her return from her time off, Townsend said her passion for track came back. She has already committed to competing at the Arcadia Invitational in April in California and Nike Outdoor Nationals in June in Oregon.

She said that she has found more consistent self worth and patience over this last year of injury and trials, as well as stronger faith.
“I prayed every night, ‘Thank you so much. Thank you for humbling me,’” Townsend said. “I’ve always been driven. (This last year) mostly taught me to have self worth.”

Kimberly junior Karlie Bair ran 7.46 to win the girls 60-meter final.

Eagle senior and defending 6A state champion Ambrose Brainard cleared 6-foot-9 to win boys high jump.

In the All Idaho 4x200 relays, the Twin Falls Coyotes won the boys final in 1:33.25 while Spike Up Athletics won the girls final in 1:46.96.

Several other athletes from around Idaho placed in their finals at Simplot.

Capital senior Christine Huckins placed second in the girls 200 in 24.64 while Mountain View senior Quincy Keller placed fourth in 25.00. Keller was also fourth in the girls 60-meter finals in 7.60.

Snake River junior Paetyn Polatis placed fifth in the girls 400 in 59.12.

Mountain View junior Lilly Stebbins, who moved from Challis to Meridian last summer, cleared 5-5 to place fifth in girls high jump and Kimberly junior Samantha Hardy cleared 5-3 to tie for sixth place.

The 2024 1A state champion and 2025 2A state champion in girls high jump when she attended Challis, Stebbins dealt with a bruised navicular bone in her foot last season just like Townsend.

“I’ve been getting a lot of PT to help with the bone tenderness,” Stebbins said. “I’m getting better. I’ve done all the meets here (this winter at the ICCU Dome). I’ve been clearing from 5-1 to 5-5. Mostly, I am just happy I’m back and not in pain.”

This weekend was Stebbins’ first Simplot Games appearance since 2024. Last year, she was registered for the meet, but ended up playing at the girls basketball state tournament the same weekend in Boise where Challis won the consolation trophy.

Looking ahead to outdoor season, Stebbins said she was unable to play volleyball this past fall due to recovery and has spent the winter offseason training at Rock and Armor, a physical therapy and fitness facility in Meridian. She added that she has been adjusting to moving from Challis, where she knew everyone, to 6A Mountain View.

“I just want to feel good about my performances,” Stebbins said. “I still want to place in the top three (at state). High jump and 300 hurdles, I will still be doing. I’ll probably end up running a 400 or in a relay.”

Boise senior Paisley Cole placed fourth in girls long jump with a distance of 17-5.5 while Mountain View senior and defending 6A state champion Kami Clayton placed sixth in girls shot put with a mark of 39-4.

Emmett junior Addi Richards cleared 12-0 for third place while Rigby sophomore Gracie West and Skyview senior Skotlynd Cagle each cleared 11-6 to tie for fifth in girls pole vault.

Skyview junior Addison Thayer placed fourth with 44-1 and Blackfoot senior Eva Grimm placed fifth with 43-0.5 in the girls weight throw final on Thursday.

Mountain View senior Austin Riley (second place, 1:54.94), West Side senior Ethan Willis (third place 1:55.84) and Blackfoot sophomore Owen Gregory (fourth place, 1:56.34) all placed in the boys 800 finals while Century junior Ethan Hansen was fourth in 4:19.62 and Rigby senior Vincent Kisner was fifth in 4:21.81 in the boys 1,600 finals.

Rocky Mountain’s Kent Bailey was fourth in the freshman boys 1,600 in 4:32.59.

In boys long jump, Cole Valley Christian senior Aiden Shanks jumped 21-7 for sixth place. Rigby junior Kade Scott cleared 15-6 to place second while Columbia sophomore Ammon Hammer and Meridian senior River Spaulding each cleared 14-6 to tie for fourth in boys pole vault.

Wood River senior Alex Ratfliff placed fifth in boys shot put with a mark of 53-3.