(Pictured: Century's Ethan Hansen crosses the finish line after winning the 3,200.  Photo Courtesy of Marlowe Hereford)

The 56th Tiger-Grizz Invitational co-hosted by Idaho Falls and Skyline took place Friday and Saturday at Idaho Falls’ Ravsten Stadium, drawing athletes from 42 schools. In addition to meet records, athletes attained massive personal bests and statement wins.

Highland senior and Texas Tech commit Spencer Van Orden returned to the meet after two years, anchoring Rams teammates senior Chance Wells, junior Kellan Tingey and junior Krue Hogan to the 4x200 win in 1:27.53, which tied the meet record set by Kuna in 2025, and won the varsity boys 110 hurdles final in a meet record 13.83. Unfortunately, his meet was cut short by a pulled hamstring suffered after the 110 hurdles final. Van Orden said he will try to be back in time for the 6A state championships scheduled from May 15-16 at Mountain View, where he is two-time defending boys 110 and 300 hurdles individual champion.

Marsh Valley senior and BYU commit Lydia Townsend won three gold medals at Tiger-Grizz, clearing a meet record 12-7 to win girls pole vault and stay undefeated in the event this spring, running a meet record 14.70 to win varsity girls 100 hurdles and running a personal best 44.18 to win girls 300 hurdles.

Townsend has already qualified for the USA Track and Field U-20 Outdoor Championships from June 18-19 at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field, which will determine who will represent Team USA at the World Athletics U-20 Championships in August, also hosted by Hayward Field. Following the U-20 nationals, she will again compete at Hayward Field few days later at Nike Outdoor Nationals, which take place June 18-22.

Reflecting on what 2026 has brought her so far, Townsend expressed gratitude and joy.

“No. 1 at one point in the country (in girls pole vault), and this year having the possibility to compete for Team USA, God is good,” Townsend said. “There is nothing better.”

Blackfoot sophomore Owen Gregory threw down a meet record, personal best, school record, eastern Idaho all-time record and Idaho No. 5 all-time 800 meters time of 1:51.50 to win his first ever Tiger-Grizz gold. The athletes ahead of him on that all-time list? Rocky Mountain’s Michael Slagowski, Boise’s Noe Kemper, Boise’s Thomas Rigby and Logos’ Paul Ryan.

That time puts him at No. 34 in the U.S. this season as of Saturday evening on athletic.net, and also makes him one of six Idaho boys on record to break 1:52 for the 800.

“I want to finish out the season with another state title and a really good run at Nike Outdoor Nationals,” Gregory said.

Century junior Ethan Hansen won the boys 3,200 title in 9:30.79 and 1,600 in a personal best 4:19.31. Since running a personal best (and No. 10 Idaho all-time on record) 9:00.85 at the Arcadia Invitational earlier this month, he has his sights set on big goals for May and beyond.

Hansen said he is aiming to qualify for and compete at the 5A state meet in the 800, 1,600, 3,200 and as part of Century’s sprint medley relay team.

“I want to go for a sub-4:10 (in the 1,600),” Hansen said. “I’m pushing to run a faster 2-mile. The speed is picking up. I’m trying for four state titles and then I’m gonna run at Nike (Outdoor Nationals).”

Soda Springs senior Cole Garbett won boys discus, breaking a 19-year old meet record with a mark of 185-4 for a new personal best to put him at No. 9 all-time on record in Idaho and No. 47 in the U.S. as of Sunday evening on athletic.net.

Rocky Mountain’s Heemeyer, Boise’s Orme Take Down All-Time Idaho Girls 1,600 Record

It is only fitting that a historic April ends the same way it started: more massive records for Idaho athletes.

At the annual Nike Jesuit/Twilight Relays on Friday in Portland, Ore., Rocky Mountain senior Hallie Heemeyer and Boise senior Audrey Orme finished second and third in a blazing fast elite girls mile. Ellery Lincoln of Lincoln High (Portland) won in 4:30, which is U.S. No. 4 all-time on record for high school girls mile and No. 1 in the U.S. so far this season, with Heemeyer finishing second in 4:40.42 and Orme finishing third in 4:42.58. Not only were these huge personal bests for Heemeyer and Orme, but those times are No. 1 and No. 3 all-time on record in Idaho for the girls mile. Heemeyer broke 2020 Mountain View graduate Lexy Halladay-Lowry’s Idaho all-time record 4:41.80 from the 2017 adidas Boost Boston Games, which was No. 1 in the U.S. at the time. Heemeyer’s mile time is No. 5 in the U.S. as of Sunday on athletic.net while Orme’s is No. 7 in the U.S.

Upon converting their 1-mile times from Friday’s finals to 1,600 meters, Heemeyer and Orme also broke two additional records. Heemeyer’s 1-mile converts to a 4:38.76 for the 1,600 while Orme’s 1-mile converts to a 4:40.81 for the 1,600. Heemeyer and Orme both shattered Halladay-Lowry’s Idaho all-time record 4:43.74 from the 2019 5A state meet with those converted times. Heemeyer’s 1,600 time is No. 4 in the U.S. as of Sunday on athletic.net while Orme’s is No. 8 in the U.S.

These accomplishments follow a historic cross country season for Heemeyer and Orme, who ran all-time Idaho No. 1 and No. 2 girls cross country times of 16:29.2 and 16:49.9, respectively, and represented Idaho at last December’s Nike Cross Nationals.

More Additions To Idaho's All-Time Record Lists

Also at Nike/Jesuit Twilight, Heemeyer’s teammate and fellow senior Hyrum Tuft won the varsity boys 3,200 in 8:58.60, a personal best that puts him at No. 8 all-time on record in Idaho. Tuft is one of nine Idaho boys on record to break nine minutes for the 3,200. In the elite boys mile, Coeur d’Alene junior Wyatt Carr placed 16th in a personal best 4:13.38, which converts to a 4:11.80 for the 1,600.

Another Idaho all-time record went down at the Bandanna Invite at Mountain View as Moscow junior Mattea Nuhn made the trek from north Idaho with her team and ran a personal best 14.10 in Friday’s prelims of girls 100 hurdles. This broke 2013 Eagle graduate Allison Jeffries’ all-time (and wind-aided) record of 14.12 from the 2013 5A state meet, and makes Nuhn one of four Idaho girls on record to break 14.2 for 100 hurdles. Nuhn went on to win Saturday’s finals in 14.76. Nuhn is undefeated this season in 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, long jump and high jump. She won all four events at Bandanna, recording a personal best in 300 hurdles (44.29). Earlier this month, she moved into a tie for No. 7 all-time on record in Idaho with her personal best 18-11.5 to win long jump at the Rasmussen Invite.

So far this season, Idaho all-time records have been broken in the girls 3,200, girls 1-mile, girls 1,600, girls 800, boys 400, boys 110 hurdles and boys javelin. I will have a follow up on some of these athletes in my next Bell Lap.

Idahoans In National Rankings

In addition to Heemeyer and Orme, here are the other Idaho athletes in the top 25 in the U.S. in their events of Sunday on athletic.net:

-Marsh Valley senior Lydia Townsend is No. 2 in girls pole vault (13-8).

-Coeur d’Alene Charter senior Annabelle Carr is No. 21 in the girls 800 (2:08.67)

-Coeur d’Alene sophomore Rowan Henry is No. 11 in the boys 2-mile (9:04.37)

-Boise’s Lucy Spiess, Olivia McNeley, Reese Kindig and Orme are No. 22 in the girls DRM 4,000 (12:04.75)

-Highland senior Spencer Van Orden is No. 8 in the boys 110 hurdles (13.44)

-Boise junior Luke Bruce is No. 11 in the boys 2k steeplechase (6:13.59)

-Eagle senior Ambrose Brainard is No. 11 in boys high jump (7-0)

On The Horizon

While it may be hard to believe, the last week of the season before districts has arrived.

Some of the last big meets before districts include the Probst-Walker Invitational on Wednesday at Emmett, the District 1 Meet of Champions on Thursday at Post Falls, the District 2 Meet of Champions on Thursday at Lewiston and the Lynn Behrman Invitational on Friday at Parma.