Idaho High School Track and Field: Records Fall at Tiger-Grizz Invitational as Southeast Idaho Athletes Eye Postseason
IDAHO FALLS — The annual Tiger-Grizz Invitational delivered another memorable day of high school track and field competition Saturday, with personal bests and meet records falling across multiple events as Idaho prep athletes signaled their readiness for the postseason push.
The meet, always regarded as one of the more competitive invitational meets on the Idaho prep calendar, produced standout performances from athletes across the region, including a dual-event sweep by Marsh Valley senior Lydia Townsend and a record-shattering 800-meter run from Blackfoot sophomore Owen Gregory.
Townsend Sets Records, Earns Double Athlete Honors
Marsh Valley’s Lydia Townsend walked away from Saturday’s meet with hardware in three events — the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, and pole vault — earning recognition as both Girls Track Athlete and Girls Field Athlete of the meet. The combination is a testament to Townsend’s versatility, though she was candid about the challenges that come with competing at an elite level in two entirely different disciplines.
Townsend set a meet record of 14.70 in the 100 hurdles and posted a personal-best of 44.18 in the 300 hurdles. In the pole vault, she cleared 12 feet, 7 inches despite less-than-ideal weather conditions on Friday that complicated the event.
“It’s really hard,” Townsend said of balancing training in both disciplines. Because of her school schedule, she practices pole vault in the morning and then shifts to hurdles during afternoon workouts. “Honestly, I still haven’t figured it out,” she said after collecting another first-place medal. “I haven’t been hurdling as much as I need to be … it’s still a balance I’m trying to figure out.”
Despite the challenges, Townsend said she felt strong during the pole vault competition. “My last 13-foot attempt was really good,” she said. “It was probably, technically, one of the best jumps I’ve taken all year, maybe even ever. It was really clean.” As a national-level pole vaulter with sights set on clearing 14 feet, her performances Saturday suggest she is trending in the right direction heading into postseason competition.
Gregory Shatters Own Meet Record in the 800
On the boys side, Blackfoot’s Owen Gregory turned in arguably the performance of the day. The sophomore, who won the 5A state title in the 800 meters as a freshman last season with a time of 1:55.55, came back Saturday with a personal-best and meet record of 1:51.50 — a dramatic improvement that put the rest of the state on notice.
“I was very happy,” Gregory said. “Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been feeling really good in all my races. I knew I was due for a huge PR.” Gregory also adjusted his race strategy Saturday, choosing a more aggressive front-running approach. “Usually, I kind of sit back and wait until the end and then kick,” he said. “This race I was thinking I’m just going to take the lead and see what I can do.”
The results speak for themselves. Gregory’s 1:51.50 gives him one of the top 800-meter times in Idaho high school track this season.
Other notable boys performances included Highland’s Spencer Van Orden winning the 110 hurdles and being named Boys Track Athlete of the Meet. Soda Springs senior Cole Garbett set a personal-best and meet record of 185 feet, 4 inches in the discus — placing him atop the state performance list — and earned Boys Field Athlete of the Meet honors. In the 100, Rigby’s Owen Golding clocked 10.89, the only athlete to break 11 seconds. Century’s Ethan Hansen, the defending 3,200 state champion, set a personal record of 4:19.31 in the 1,600 and also won the 3,200 in 9:30.79.
On the girls side, West Jefferson’s Bella Spencer won the 800 and posted a personal-best of 5:15.86 in the 1,600. Ririe senior Lucy Boone finished third in the 1,600 with a personal-best of 5:16.51. Rigby senior Brinley Bybee swept the triple jump and long jump competitions. Thunder Ridge sophomore Ashlynn Richardson ran a 56.61 in the 400 — the fastest 400-meter time in Idaho this season.
Southeast Idaho continues to produce competitive prep athletes across multiple sports. Former Skyline star Darius Sadiq recently arrived in the NFL as the New York Jets’ top tight end, a reminder of the talent this region has sent to the next level. Locally, community sports events remain a strong draw as well, with tickets now on sale for the Bannock County rodeo coming in May.
What Comes Next
The Tiger-Grizz Invitational traditionally serves as a key tune-up for district and state competition. With multiple meet records falling Saturday and athletes posting season-best and state-leading marks, Idaho prep track and field is entering its postseason stretch with considerable momentum. Athletes like Townsend, Gregory, Garbett, and Richardson will be among the names to watch as district meets and the state championships approach in the coming weeks.