POCATELLO, ID. - The 2023 Simplot Games was back and better than ever. After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, the 43rd annual Simplot Games posted some of the best marks in the country, and for good measure, a little history for Ryan Crouser in the shot put seen below.
One of the most noteworthy marks from the weekend was that of Gatlin Bair. The four-star, 6'2" 180-pound wide receiver has offers from the SEC, Pac-12, Big-12 and more, is only raising his football stock with his track speed. Bair, who holds outdoor bests of 10.46w (100m, +2.1), 20.98 (200m), 22-06.50 (LJ) and 46-11.50 (TJ), won the boys 60-meter with a lifetime best of 6.69, narrowly missing the meet record of 6.64 set back in 2019 by Micah Williams (Portland, OR.). Bair upset Oregon football signee, Rodrick Pleasant (Gardena, California), who set the California state record in the 100m last year with a wind-legal 10.14 and posted a lifetime best in the 200m with a time of 20.40. Bair's 6.69 is tied for the fifth fastest 60-meter mark in the country this season, in only his third indoor race of the 2023 season. Bair, formerly at Kimberly High School, is now representing Burley High School.
>>Click Here for Full Gatlin Bair Interview<<
In the girls 60-meter, Skyline's Claire Petersen placed fourth overall in a time of 7.63. The Utah State commit won the 4A state title in the 100m last season and holds a personal best of 11.95 (2021). Petersen, a standout hurdler, also won the 4A state title last year in the 300IH and holds a personal best of 44.44 (2021).
In the 60-meter hurdles, Augustas Haynes (Ridgevue) placed 4th in a time of 8.39. Haynes finished 3rd at the 4A State championships last season and holds a personal best of 14.71w, 14.97 wind-legal.
In the boys 200-meter, Idaho put another athlete on the top of the podium in Centennial's Jacob Webster. Webster, who has a lifetime best of 21.86 from last year's state championship prelim, dropped of 22.18 for a new indoor best to take the overall win. Caldwell's Trevion Walker also landed on the podium, finishing fifth overall in a time of 22.60.
Pocatello's Matejah Mangum placed 8th in the girls 200-meter with a time of 25.33, a new indoor lifetime best and not far off of her outdoor best of 25.00w. Mangum, a dual-sport athlete (track /volleyball), was the 4A state champion last season in the 200-meters.
Blackfoot's Matt Thomas is picking up where he left off last season, in sub-4:20 territory. Last year's 4A state champion, who posted a lifetime best of 4:15.29, finished second overall in the 1600m this past weekend with a time of 4:18.26. Boise's Noe Kemper, coming off an impressive cross country season, just missed his outdoor P.R. (4:19.82), placing fifth overall in a time of 4:20.32, setting the table for big outdoor season.
Boise's Allie Bruce is coming off a banner cross country season that landed her at the Champs National Championships, where she finished 26th overall and second at the 5A state championships. Bruce, who holds a personal best outdoor time of 4:54.91 (2021), finished second in the 1600-meter at last years 5A state championships, finished fourth this past weekend in the 1600m with a time of 5:09.01.
NEW MEET RECORD!! Daniel Simmons Break Simplot Meet Record
Although he is no longer at Salmon High School and has relocated to Utah, it is worth nothing that Daniel Simmons posted an indoor 3200m time of 8:53.80, a new Simplot Games meet record, and the second fastest time in the country this season.
Skyline's Nelah Roberts finished third overall in the 3200-meters with a time of 11:20.40. As a sophomore last season, Roberts not only won the 4A state championship at that event, her time of 10:30.63 set a new overall Idaho State record, besting Lexy Halladay's (Mountain View) 10:30.80 set back in 2017.
In the field events, Boise's Seth Nelson isn't resting on his state championship laurels. After vaulting himself to a state title with a lifetime best clearance of 16-00 last season, Nelson raised the bar this indoor season, literally. Nelson took home the Simplot Games title with a new personal best, 16-04.75, ranking him 11th in the country currently. In the girls' pole vault, Emmet's Tatum Richards had a solid indoor outing, placing third with a clearance of 12-03.00. Richards is your defending 4A state champion and has a personal best of 13-00.25, achieved earlier this year at the BYU High School Indoor Championships. Suzi Woodall of Boise finished 7th with a clearance of 11-09.00, just three inches off of her all-time 12-00 P.R.
>>Click Here for Full Seth Nelson Interview<<
Tui Edwin (Skyline), the 2022 4A state champion in the shot put, opened up his senior indoor season with a heave of 53-00.50, good enough for third place, just ahead of Jacob Womack (Rigby), who finished fourth with a mark of 52-01.50.
Abby Hancock (Rigby) placed 8th in the girls long jump with a mark of 17-02.00. Hancock, last year's 5A long jump state champion has an outdoor best of 18-04.50. Her speed on the runway helped her to 5A state titles last year in the 100-meter (12.03) and 200-meter (24.85w +3.0), both of which are her personal bests.
Full Day Recaps By Sean Zeitler
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