(Pictured: Marsh Valley senior, and BYU commit, Lydia Townsend.  Photo Courtesy of Lydia Townsend's Instagram Account)

To quote myself this time a year ago:

Welcome back, Idaho high school track and field fans.

This makes the third year of this weekly track and field notebook, The Bell Lap, and I am eager to continue giving Idaho high school track and field athletes space on IdahoSports.com for the duration of track season. I am grateful to the incredible crew at IdahoSports for allowing me the continued opportunity to write this weekly notebook in the spring with the same effort and attention I give my cross country weekly notebook, Breaking the Tape, in the fall.

I had the chance to catch up with a few Idaho athletes during Simplot Games in February and visit some early outdoor season practices this month and I am very much looking forward to this season. While it astounds me that this is my 13th season covering high school track in Idaho, I am astounded even more to have been witness to the continued growth of the sport in the Gem State during that time. What a privilege it has been to see so many longstanding state records fall and more Idaho athletes compete at the national level and beyond (2020 Mountain View graduate Lexy Halladay Lowry and 2021 Borah graduate Nathan Green and their recent Team USA opportunities come to mind). 

Most of all, what a privilege and honor it has been to get to know more athletes and coaches from schools of all classifications around the state and to share their journeys, goals and accomplishments. I have spent more than half my life now covering sports, but it is never lost on me when I hear from an athlete or coach telling me that they read my writing and have perhaps shared it with others. I will never take that for granted. Without your trust and willingness, I would not be able to do what I do.

April is nearly here, and there is already so much to share with this first notebook. As always, if you have a story idea or a suggestion for The Bell Lap, please reach out on IdahoSports’ social media handles and my colleagues will pass it on to me.

An Impressive March

Two meets into her season, Marsh Valley senior and BYU commit Lydia Townsend has attained a personal best in 100 hurdles. Her win in 14.26 on March 26 at the Malad Invitational was not only her first personal best in the event in two years, but it makes her the sixth Idaho girl on record to break 14.30 for 100 hurdles. She and Moscow junior Mattea Nuhn (14.62) and Boise senior Paisley Cole (14.75) are the first girls to break 15 seconds in 100 hurdles thus far this season.

West Side senior Ethan Willis ran a massive personal best of 1:52.41 in the 800 to place third this past Saturday at the UVU Utah County High School Invitational in Orem, Utah. That time is not only the fastest in the event thus far this season in Idaho, but puts him at No. 8 all-time on record in Idaho in the 800. Willis and teammates Micah Benavidez, Gage Kidman and Bryant Noreen are No. 14 in the U.S. on athletic.net as of March 29 with their sprint medley relay time of 3:38.18 from March 19.

Capital senior and Indiana commit Christine Huckins is the first girl this season to break 11.90 for the 100, running 11.85 this past Friday to win at Mountain View.

As of March 29, Highland senior and Texas Tech commit Spencer Van Orden is No. 7 in the U.S. on athletic.net for 110 hurdles (13.75) and Soda Springs senior Cole Garbett is No. 24 in the U.S. for discus (179-7).

On The Horizon

The annual Highland Gold Baton Relays and Invitational takes place Saturday at Highland High in Pocatello. Members of each winning relay team and winners of individual events will receive a golden baton. As of March 29, 22 teams are registered.

The Patriot Invite takes place Saturday at Centennial High in Boise. As of March 29, 22 teams are registered.

Capital, Borah, Coeur d’Alene, Coeur d’Alene Charter, Boise, Bonners Ferry, Kimberly, Logos, Marsing, Mountain View, Skyview, Timberline, Vallivue and Victory Charter all have athletes registered for the annual Oregon Relays taking place Friday and Saturday at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.