State track: Capital senior breaks 32-year-old record; final race decides 5A boys title
It is easy to overlook the weather circumstances necessary to obtain a state record, especially in the 100-meter dash.
Capital High senior Megan Rose knows all too well how fickle Mother Nature can be after a favorable tailwind in Friday’s prelims robbed her of a record.
But history did not escape her on Saturday.
Rose broke one of the oldest and most coveted overall records at the Idaho track and field state championships by winning the 5A girls 100 meters in 12.02 seconds. Highland’s Julie Briggs had held the record for 32 years following a 12.07-second run in 1989.
“We’ve had some really talented girls in the last 32 years that have gone after that record, but the wind wasn’t right,” Capital coach Bryan Stith said. “... Megan is easily one of the fastest girls to ever step foot in this state. She’s relentless. She works hard. She’s smart. She’s a student of her races.”
Rose clocked an 11.92 in qualifying on Friday, but the record didn’t stand because of an illegal tailwind, which is hardly a first for the state meet. Mountain View’s Kyli McSpadden fell victim to the same circumstances with a wind-aided 12.0 in the 2012 prelims, and Eagle’s Brittany Rawlins ran an 11.95 in 2013 with an illegal breeze at her back.
“After yesterday, I was hoping I would make it today,” said Rose, who will run for the University of Utah beginning this fall. “Luckily, I did. It definitely feels good.”
Just as gratifying for Rose was Capital’s second-place finish in the team standings. The Eagles edged Centennial by one point for the runner-up trophy.
BOISE GIRLS ON LEVEL OF THEIR OWN
With seven event wins, the Brave already had enough points to win the 5A girls team championship. But depth turned their victory into a landslide.
Boise totaled 157 points to more than triple second-place Capital (51). Freshman Sammy Smith led the way with four first-place medals, older sister Logan Smith won three, and senior Kayden Hulquist swept the hurdle races and took second in the long jump.
“I’ve never heard of anyone scoring this many points, and a lot of it is our freshmen. They’re insane,” Hulquist said. “It’s just really, really cool to experience with everyone, because our team is so close.”
Sammy Smith won the 3,200 (10:33.71) and 1,600 (4:50.60), and ran the third leg of the Brave’s winning 4x400 (3:58.76) and 4x800 (9:09.65) relay teams. Logan Smith came from behind to win the 800 (2:11.68) and also was a part of the 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams.
Boise racked up even more points with runner-up finishes from freshmen Allie Bruce (3,200, 1,600) and Autumn Shomaker (triple jump). Fellow freshman Sophia Clark anchored the winning 4x400 relay and took fifth in the 400 open as the only ninth-grader to make the final in the event.
All signs point toward the Brave being championship contenders for years to come.
“They love the sport, and we just have to keep fueling that fire,” Boise coach Megan Crowley said. “They’re the ones who are going to do the work. We’ll be there just to give them the tips that they need, but it’s really their heart and soul that’s gonna keep them pushing.”
FINAL RACE DECIDES 5A BOYS TITLE
The Rocky Mountain boys held a three-point lead over Boise going into the final event of the day, meaning the outcome of the 4x400 relay would determine the 5A boys team champion.
Rocky Mountain senior Ben Blythe, sophomore Zain Shipley, senior Travis Starita and junior John Efraimson finished second in the race to tack on eight more points, securing the Grizzlies a fifth consecutive team title and their ninth in the last 10 years, 88-83 over Boise. Eagle was third with 77 points, and Borah was fourth with 62.
“We knew we had to beat Boise to bring home state,” Starita said. “Especially since it was my last race and Ben’s last race, we wanted to end it on the best note that we possibly could. It’s a great feeling.”
Rocky Mountain finished atop the podium in two other events. Senior Jarell Lucas won the discus on Friday, and Nicholas Wong, Kade Thompson, Isaac Thayer and Brock Gray teamed up for gold in the 4x100 (42.80).
“It gets harder every year,” Rocky Mountain coach Brad Abbott said. “Hats off to Boise and to Eagle and to all the other coaches. We made it through a very difficult year and we made it through in classy fashion.”
BORAH’S GREEN MAKES STATEMENT
Borah senior and University of Washington signee Nathan Green walked away from his final state meet with three gold medals, including two record-setting performances.
Green began the two-day meet by breaking the overall record in the 5A boys 3,200 meters (8:53.47) on Friday. He followed with another record in the 1,600 (4:07.90) on Saturday. His times in both races rank among the top 20 in the country this season, a particularly impressive feat given his large margin of victory in both races.
“He’s once in a generation,” Borah coach Gene Albertson said. “You see it every time he comes out and races. He’s head and shoulders above his competition. He obviously has the genetics for it, but he also works his tail off every single day.”
After all-out efforts in the 3,200 and 1,600, Green somehow summoned the energy to anchor Borah’s 4x400 relay team to a victory in 3:22.55. The finish-line celebration with 4x400 teammates Nicholas Hendry, Nathan Fletcher and Quincy Ellis was Green’s favorite moment of the meet.
“More than anything, it means the most to me to win this 4x4,” Green said. “Watching these boys compete, work hard and just get in that mental mindset of winning. It was a really long process and it was a really long season, but it all came out in the end. These boys showed me how bad they wanted it today. It was incredible.”
BK SWEEPS 4A TEAM TITLES — AGAIN
The Bishop Kelly boys and girls swept the 4A team titles for the fourth time since 2016.
The BK girls made it six in a row Saturday, while the boys took first for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
“It feels great,” Bishop Kelly coach Jeff Carpenter said. “After last year and not being able to compete (because of the coronavirus pandemic), it’s just really special.
“... I’m completely proud of both the boys and the girls. It’s just a really special team, and I’m going to really miss the seniors. I love every single one of them.”
A week after winning four events at the district meet, Bishop Kelly junior James Onanubosi set a classification record in the 4A boys 100 meters with his time of 10.69. Onanubosi also anchored the Knights’ winning 4x100 relay (42.86) and finished runner-up in the 200.
“I was hoping I’d run a little bit faster,” Onanubosi said. “But we definitely got the job done and it feels good.”
Seniors Baylor Harrison and Keegan Croteau ran legs on both the Knights’ winning relay teams (4x100, 4x200), and sophomore Cole Miller took first in two events (triple jump, 4x100).
Senior Paige Tekippe overcame a sore left Achilles to account for two of the Knights’ three wins on the girls side. Tekippe bested the field in the long jump (17-4.25) and triple jump (35-2.50), took second in the 200 and third in the 100.
BK senior Jaiden Rodrigues, senior Mallory Knell, freshman Brianna Hayhurst and junior Anna Schmautz combined to win the 4x200 relay in 1:44.67.
“This morning I was a little scared. I woke up and it was kind of hard to walk,” Tekippe said. “So I took a handful of Advil, taped it up and it didn’t hurt too bad running.”
SATURDAY’S OTHER LOCAL 5A/4A WINNERS
▪ Emmett senior Lacy Yates completed a sweep of the 4A girls throwing events with a victory in the shot put. A day after capturing the discus title by 2 inches, Yates won the shot put by 1 inch with a personal-best heave of 38 feet, 11 inches. Bishop Kelly junior Jacoba Luteyn was the runner-up in both events by a total of 3 inches.
▪ Meridian junior Noah Peterson was one of the final qualifiers for the state meet in the 5A boys pole vault following an eighth-place finish at last week’s district meet. State was a much different story. Peterson cleared a personal best of 15-6 to collect the gold medal.
▪ Rocky Mountain senior Jarell Lucas and Eagle senior Seth Rathbun finished 1-2, respectively, in the 5A boys discus on Friday. The two swapped spots in the shot put on Saturday as Rathbun set a career best with a throw of 55-11 to Lucas’s toss of 55-4.5. Eagle senior Sarah Carillo won the 5A girls discus title with a distance of 136-11.
▪ Boise senior Anders Covey mastered the hurdles by sweeping the 110 and 300 in 14.35 and 39.38 seconds, respectively. Covey wasn’t the only Brave to reach the top of the podium as junior Mason Lawyer took the 200 (21.67) title and junior Liam Murray the 400 (48.54).
▪ Centennial senior Mike Shulikov was the only jumper to clear 6-6 in the 5A boys high jump. He then moved the bar up 2 inches and set a personal best at 6-8.
▪ Mountain View’s Hunter Brasath, Anderson Kron, Osman Osman and Leyton Smithson teamed up to win the 5A boys 4x200 relay (1:28.70).
▪ Emmett sophomore Tatum Richards said her legs were feeling “super tired” after running in the finals of the 4A girls 100 hurdles, but that didn’t stop her from breaking the overall record in the pole vault. Richards cleared 12-8 to surpass the 2002 record by Skyview’s Julene Bailey by 1 inch.
▪ Emmett junior Landon Helms won his second straight title in the 4A boys 110 hurdles (14.89). It was his second gold medal of the meet following a victory in the pole vault on Friday.
▪ Middleton senior Mason Nichols saved his best for last, winning his first career state title in the 4A boys 300 hurdles (40.11). Middleton’s Addi Wyatt, Karli Blue, Claudia Dominguez and Kayelee Austin ran to a win in the 4A girls 4x400 relay (4:04.54).
3A HIGHLIGHTS
Kimberly ended Sugar-Salem’s run of three straight boys titles, amassing 134 points for the Bulldogs’ first championship since 2009. Fruitland was the top finisher from District Three in seventh.
The Sugar-Salem girls returned to the top of the podium for the second time since 2017 with 107 points. Timberlake was second with 75 points, and McCall-Donnelly took home the third-place trophy with 61 points.
Treasure Valley athletes finished first in six of 18 girls events led by Fruitland’s Emma Hillam’s victories in the 1,600 (5:19.68) and 3,200 (11:46.43). The other winners were McCall-Donnelly’s Ally Sofaly in the 100 hurdles (15.87), Parma’s Katie Compas in the high jump (5-2), Payette’s Sydney Denison in the triple jump (36-5.5) and Fruitland’s 4x100 relay team of Ashtyn Frazier, Madison Tesnohlidek, Ambri Hart and Faith George (50.83).
Homedale senior Thomas Symms captured his second straight 3A boys discus title with a throw of 174-2, which was the top winning distance regardless of classification. Fruitland senior Weston Jeffries was the 3A boys shot put champion (54-10.5).
2A HIGHLIGHTS
The Melba girls extended their run of 2A team championships to three with 89 points, while Aberdeen edged Orofino for second, 63-62.
The Mustangs only crowed one individual champion thanks to sophomore Meya Young’s victory in the long jump (17-4.25). Young also took second in the 100 and ran legs on the Mustangs’ runner-up 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams.
Melba sophomore Kendall Clark, who owns the state’s best triple jump mark this season regardless of classification, was upset by Orofino’s Sydnie Zywina in the event at state. Zywina won with a distance of 36-2.5 to Clark’s 35-8.
Nampa Christian’s Paiton Mills was the only other Treasure Valley girl to win gold at the 2A level, clocking a 26.42-second run in the 200.
The Salmon boys won their third team championship in program history and first since a 3A title in 2003 by holding off Melba, 115-101.
The Melba boys picked up three event wins as sophomore McKoy Richardson took first in the 300 hurdles (40.46) and ran a leg on the Mustangs’ winning sprint medley relay (3:39.02) along with Tyler Arnold, Joshua Leavitt and Andrew Herman.
Herman, Joey Bradshaw, Dillon Stosich and Cameron Wood teamed up for victory in the 4x100 (44.62).
Two other Treasure Valley athletes came away with rare sweeps in the boys sprint and distance disciplines.
Marsing senior Jacob Ankeny ran to victory in the 100 (11.17), 200 (22.45) and 400 (50.15), while Nampa Christian junior Grady Mylander won close races in the 800 (1:59.20), 1,600 (4:19.08) and 3,200 (9:20.13).
Mylander’s times in the 1,600 and 3,200 were both classification records.
1A HIGHLIGHTS
The Carey boys won their first team championship in program history, while the Raft River girls strung together their third title in a row.
Sophomore Ian Stockett helped the Victory Charter boys bring home a third-place trophy with his wins in the 1,600 (4:27.67) and 3,200 (9:36.07).
District Three athletes took first in three other events: Cascade’s Kaitlyn Drury (girls 100 hurdles, 16.43), Rimrock’s Michael Nanney (boys long jump, 20-8.5) and Notus’ Carter Woodland (boys triple jump, 42-3).
This story was originally published May 23, 2021 at 12:53 AM.
