6A/5A Idaho state track: Repeat winners, five meet records highlight first day
Lauren Rynhart bounced off the mat with a big smile and tears in her eyes as she ran over to hug her coach.
It was the first time the Rocky Mountain High junior had cleared 12 feet in the pole vault, and it also meant she was a two-time state champion.
“Honestly, if I didn’t clear 12 feet, I would have gotten second, and my goal this meet was to keep the state title,” Rynhart said. “So on that last attempt I was just getting really nervous, but at the same time I was really amped up. I’ve been trying for 12 all year, and so as soon as I got 12, it was just like a relief.”
Rynhart and Rigby senior Elizabeth Poston were the only 6A girls pole vaulters to clear 11-6 at the Idaho 6A/5A state track and field meet Friday at Mountain View High School. If Rynhart hadn’t gotten over the bar at 12-0, the tiebreaker would have gone to Poston.
“It means a lot to me,” Rynhart said. “I did not think I was gonna get it last year, and then I got it again this year, which was a huge relief. I’m just so thankful for my coaches and my teammates for helping me get to where I am today, and I’m so excited for next year to hopefully get the title.”
Of the 26 events that went final Friday on the first day of the 6A/5A state meet, Rynhart was one of 12 Boise-area winners. Here’s a look at the other Treasure Valley champions.
• Ridgevue senior long jumper Caden Warren said he has a tendency to get more nervous as competition progresses, so he knew he needed a good jump early. Warren recorded a distance of 22-4.5 on his first attempt in the prelims and the mark held up, resulting in a victory in the 6A boys long jump by 1.5 inches. Mountain View’s Beau Stewart was second (22-3).
“I was so nervous that last jump between me and Beau,” Warren said. “He jumped 22-3 right before that, and so I was standing on the side, hands above my head, just praying that he wouldn’t jump (farther), but I love that guy. He’s jumped so well. But once I heard the jump, and I knew I won, it was the best feeling in the world.”
• Rocky Mountain made it a sweep of the 6A 1,600 races, as reigning individual cross country champions Hallie Heemeyer and Hyrum Tuft finished first in the girls and boys races, respectively. Heemeyer, a BYU commit, was just a smidgen off the overall meet record of 4:43.74, clocking a 4:44.55.
“It’s a super great confidence builder, just having a great first race,” said Heemeyer, who will also compete in the 800, 1,600 and the 4x400 relay. “I feel like that gives positive momentum for the rest of the meet.”
Tuft was fourth midway through Friday’s race but was confident his strong kick would help him overcome a competitive field, ultimately crossing the finish line in 4:10.43.
“I’m gonna have to go home and eat a lot of food,” said Tuft, who will run in the 800 and 3,200 on Saturday. “This took a lot out of me.”
• With a father who was an All-American in the javelin at Boise State, Capital senior Eden Francis had her heart set on a state title in the 6A girls javelin. After finishing fifth in the event at state last year, Francis set a classification record and stood atop the podium with a throw of 125-9.
“It feels really good, especially being coached by my dad all these years,” Francis said. “It’s pretty emotional, but I’m very happy I got the dub finally.”
Francis, a University of Idaho signee, is the defending state champion in the long jump and will also compete in the 100 hurdles and 4x100 relay on Saturday.
• Centennial junior Tobin Knudson established a personal best on his way to a win in the 6A boys high jump. Knudson cleared 6-8 to hold off Eagle’s Ambrose Brainard and Thunder Ridge’s Titan Nebeker, who each cleared 6-6.
• The Mountain View boys and girls took care of business in the 6A 4x200 relay. Brinley Lathrop, Tenley Johnson, Talia Johnson and Quincy Keller teamed up to win the girls race in a season-best 1:41.24. Cashton Gennette, Denton Wilson, Cooper Harger and Behr Scott raced to the win for the Mavericks on the boys side in 1:26.54.
• Two years ago, Addi Richards won a state girls pole vault title as a freshman and then took second in the event last season as a sophomore. But it was back to the top of the podium for the Emmett junior on Friday after tying her personal best with a clearance of 12-6 in the 5A girls pole vault.
“I had a rough start to the season, so putting it all together at the end was really nice,” said Richards, who said switching to a new pole at the start of the season proved a challenge.
• On the very final throw of her high school career, Mountain View senior Kami Clayton tossed a whopper. Clayton, a Weber State commit who will first serve a two-year church mission, won the 6A girls shot put for the second year in a row with a personal-best throw of 44-9.
“Going out there (for my final throw), I was like, ‘If I’m already winning, I’m going to do the clap,’” Clayton said, referring to when the fans clap in unison to pump up a competitor. “Doing that also made it so much more fun and to absolutely just huck something, that was great.”
• Consistency is kicking in for Timberline junior Nadja Burkholder. For the second week in a row, Burkholder hit her personal best on the dot, soaring 39-5.25 to win the 6A girls triple jump for the second consecutive season.
“This has just been a dream come true,” Burkholder said. “I wanted to come in here my freshman year and win, but ended up second, so to get it done my sophomore and junior year, it’s pretty special. I’ll definitely come back at it for senior year, hopefully with 40 feet.”
• Boise’s Reese Kindig, Lucy Spiess, Belen Hoobing and Audrey Orme won the 6A girls 4x800 relay with the top time in the state this season, at 9:19.13.
STATE RECORDS
In addition to Francis’ classification record in the 6A girls javelin, four other records were set on the first day of competition.
• Vallivue junior Jakobe Davis was untouchable in the 5A boys 400 prelims, clocking a 47.91 to qualify first and simultaneously set the classification record. The previous record of 48.60 was held by Twin Falls’ Daulton Monkress from 2022.
• The Moscow boys 4x200 relay that comprises Owen Lassen, Connor Horne, George Stott and Caleb Heywood set a 5A classification record in 1:26.98, bettering the previous record of 1:28.11 by Ridgevue in 2024.
• Moscow junior Mattea Nuhn broke the overall meet record in the girls 100 hurdles, clocking a 14.09 in the 5A prelims to surpass the record of 14.15 by Capital’s Jade Childs that had stood since 2012.
• The Twin Falls 5A girls 800 medley relay of Jasmine Mottern, Brooklyn Gambrel, Addisen Kohring and Isabelle Pelayo established an overall record with a winning time of 1:47.13. The old record was set by Bishop Kelly in 2010 (1:47.81).
