Bishop Kelly sweeps boys, girls 4A track championships
Injuries to two stars had the Bishop Kelly track and field team feeling less than confident heading into the state meet.
Boys sprinter Khalil Forehand was nursing a strained hamstring, and four-event star Lindsey Schmidt needed to overcome a sprained ankle she suffered at the district meet a week earlier.
When Schmidt re-injured her ankle on her first attempt in the triple jump Friday, the Knights’ shot at defending their girls title appeared in jeopardy. But Schmidt limped her way through four events, and depth carried the Knights to a second straight title with an 82-point victory over Rigby on Saturday at Dona Larsen Park.
Schmidt won the 100-meter hurdles (15.09) and took second in the 300 hurdles, fourth in the high jump and fifth in the triple jump.
“Toughest girl I know,” Bishop Kelly coach Jeff Carpenter said.
BK’s Payton Kirtley, Payton Jolley, Aubree Chatterton and Tatum McGee set a class record in the 4x100 (48.61), and Kirtley, Chatterton and McGee joined Sena Stillman for a record win in the 4x200 (1:43.35).
“They come to practice every single day and sweat and bleed Bishop Kelly track and field,” Carpenter said.
Forehand was medically cleared Thursday, and the Knights would not have won the boys title without him. BK beat Rigby 106-96, and Forehand helped produce 30 points with wins in the 100 (11.02) and 200 (22.88), and a come-from-behind win as the 4x100 anchor.
Senior Matt Dean won the 400 in a school record 49.39, and the Knights closed out the meet with a win in the 4x400.
While the Bishop Kelly boys and girls have won a combined 13 team championships, the Knights had never won the boys and girls title in the same season.
▪ Caldwell’s Lita Forse has thrown a state-leading 45-5.5 in the shot put this season, but she didn’t have to throw that far to win state. Forse had a toss of 41-3.5, winning by more than three feet. Had the junior been able to replicate her career best at state, it would have set a classification record.
▪ Kuna’s Marty Emery had his best throw of the day (54-6.75) in the shot put on his third attempt. Although BK’s Zachary Andrew matched him on his sixth and final throw, the victory went to Emery based on attempts.
▪ Caldwell’s Mark Sullivan kept up family tradition with his pole vault win. Sullivan won with a mark of 15-0. His dad, Troy, won a state title in 1978, and his brother, Matt, won titles in 2011 and 2012.
▪ Skyview junior Auby Barr had to run back and forth between the pole vault and long jump, but the hectic schedule didn’t wear her out. Barr won the pole vault (11-0) for the third year in a row and earned her first win in the long jump (16-10).
▪ Middleton got first-place finishes from senior Jayde Nielsen (100, 12.40) and freshman Carlee Heindel (300 hurdles, 46.40).
Rachel Roberts: 208-377-6422, @IDS_VarsityX
This story was originally published May 21, 2016 at 11:44 PM with the headline "Bishop Kelly sweeps boys, girls 4A track championships."