5A/4A state track recap: Meridian senior takes after dad, sister with triple jump trifecta
As the son of an Olympian, there can be a lot of pressure. But Eli Lawrence handled it like a champ.
The Meridian High senior won the 5A boys state triple jump title for the third year in a row Friday afternoon at Dona Larsen Park with a distance of 49 feet, 6.5 inches. His winning jump was more than 5 feet better than his nearest competitor.
But forgive Lawrence if he looked a little disappointed at the conclusion of the event. His dad was smiling sufficiently for the both of them.
“I am proud, because it takes a lot more to repeat,” said Wendell Lawrence, a Boise State Hall of Famer who was an Olympian in the triple jump for the Bahamas in 1992. “Because you’re defending, not chasing, so the fact that he can raise his intensity and make sure he gets it done says a lot.”
Although pleased with the outcome, Eli couldn’t help but lament what might have been. His best jump of the day was less than 4 inches shy of tying the overall state meet record, set by Capital’s Kasen Covington in 2010, at 49-10.25.
Covington, who was in the stands coaching jumpers from his high school alma mater, gave Eli a pat on the back when it was all said and done.
“I’ve known Eli since he was a little boy running around at all-comers track meets,” Covington said. “... It was definitely a new experience for me. Records are meant to be broken, but at the same time I want to see it standing for as long as possible. But I think at the end of the day, the bigger the jumps get here, the more it grows our sport in Idaho. You can’t be mad at a kid for jumping far, but I’m definitely happy it’s safe for one more year.”
Eli certainly seemed destined to be a triple jumper. In addition to his dad’s prowess at the highest level, his older sister, Josie Lawrence, won the 5A girls state triple jump championship and set an overall state meet record as a senior in 2013 at Mountain View.
“If I didn’t have my dad, I would never do this, probably,” Eli said. “It’s a big legacy to live up to. To have your dad as an Olympian and then as your coach, it’s a lot of work. And he pushed me to be where I am right now.”
Eli’s career long of 49-9.5 — set April 30 at the YMCA Invitational — is the ninth-best mark in the nation this season.
While Eli gives much of the credit to his dad, Wendell says his son takes a cerebral approach to the discipline.
Eli will compete for Washington State University beginning this fall.
“Surprisingly, he buys in and isn’t the typical teenager, ‘Oh, man, I have to listen to dad again,’” Wendell said. “It’s been really good, because he’s just been a student of the sport.”
Eli has another golden opportunity Saturday when he competes in the long jump, where he is seeded second.
“I’ve got one job tomorrow, so we’ll see how that goes,” Eli said.
BK senior sets shot put record
It took about 10 minutes for a steel measuring tape to be found, but once it was, Jacoba Luteyn’s record was official.
The Bishop Kelly senior set a 4A meet record with her heave of 44-3.25 in the girls shot put, surpassing the mark of 43-10.50 set by Moscow’s Kelsey Taylor in 2006.
Luteyn’s throw is more than a foot better than her previous career best and nearly 6 feet farther than her nearest competitor.
“When I throw, I don’t remember the throw,” Luteyn said. “I just went in and told myself to relax, calm down and forget about all the technicalities, and just put it all out there and do what I know I can do. I feel like I pieced everything together because I wasn’t thinking about it too much. And then I got it out there, and I was so excited.”
State records must be verified with a steel measuring tape as opposed to the fiberglass tape commonly used for most field events.
“I had no idea that that was the rule,” Luteyn said. “It was a lot of anticipation just waiting for the measuring tape to show up.”
Luteyn, who is the starting keeper for the Knights’ soccer team, finished second at state in the shot put as a junior. She’ll compete in the discus on Saturday.
Here are more highlight’s from Friday’s event finals:
- In the first event of the day, Skyline sophomore Nelah Roberts took down an overall state meet record in the girls 3,200 meters. Roberts clocked a time of 10:30.63 to break the record set in 2017 by Mountain View’s Lexy Halladay (10:30.80), who is now at BYU.
- Rocky Mountain senior Trent Wigod used a strong kick over the final 400 meters to put some distance between himself and the rest of the 5A boys 3,200 field. He won the event in 9:20.41.
- Emmett senior and Texas A&M signee Landon Helms had a busy but fulfilling day. He started out with a victory in the 4A boys long jump (23-1) and then claimed the pole vault with a clearance of 15-0. He would have added an overall state meet record in the 110 hurdles prelims, but the wind was too strong at his back to count.
- Mountain View junior Diante’ Cobb cleared 6-4 on his first attempt to break a tie and win the 5A boys high jump. Second-place Steve Drysdale of Idaho Falls needed two attempts at 6-4.
- Timberline sophomore Ashlyn Sandow soared 36-6 — a career best — to win the 5A girls triple jump.
- Emmett junior Tatum Richards broke her own overall state meet record from last season with a vault of 13-0, winning the 4A girls pole vault by 3 feet.
- Eagle senior Brandon Stewart picked the perfect time for a career throw. Stewart won the 5A boys discus with a toss of 171-09.
- During the prelims of the 4A boys 100, Bishop Kelly’s James Onanubosi broke his own meet record set last year, crossing the line in 10.51. The defending state 100 champ set the class record last season, at 10.69.
- Boise’s Allie Bruce, Lydia Nance, Jamie Hamlin and Logan Smith teamed up for a win in the 5A girls 4x800 relay in a time of 9:18.92. The defending state champion Boise girls lead the team standings after the first day of competition with 24.8 points. Timberline and Post Falls are tied for second with 18 points apiece.
- Rocky Mountain anchor Tyler Sainsbury retook the lead going into the final lap to secure a victory in the 5A boys 4x800 relay (7:50.70) along with teammates Cayden Tupper, Aiden Stephenson and Cole Reed. The Rocky boys, who have won five consecutive team titles and nine of the past 10, lead the standings after the first day with 30 points over second-place Mountain View with 27.
- Ridgevue’s Isis Villafane got the baton in the middle of the pack but turned on the burners over the final 400 meters to carry the Warhawks to a victory in the 4A girls 800 sprint medley relay (1:48.89) along with teammates Cadence Fehrs, Bailey Velasquezv and Abbey Clark.
This story was originally published May 20, 2022 at 6:14 PM.
