The Bishop Kelly boys track and field team got off to a strong start in its quest for winning its fourth straight state title and seventh in the last eight state meets as both Rakeem Johnson and Cam Davis took home first-place finishes in events and the Knights’ medley relay team also winning at the 4A State Track and Field Meet at Mountain View High.
Davis claimed his second straight title in the long jump, going a distance of 23 feet, 5.75 inches. He was one of three Knights to place in the event, as teammate Alex Johnson finished second and Elvis Yah finished in sixth place.
Davis will have a chance at a second repeat on Saturday, during the final day of the state meet, when he will compete in the high jump. Davis won last year with a height of 6-4.
Johnson, who has signed to play football next fall at Michigan State, won the shot put state title with a throw of 59 feet, 7.25 inches, nearly eight feet farther than the second-place finisher, Gavin Schiffman. He will have shot at adding a second state title Saturday as he will attempt to defend his state title in the discus.
Bishop Kelly ended the day with the medley relay team of Mason Schweitzer, Owen Kane, Issac Edwards and Liam Durcan finishing in a time of 3 minutes, 36.29 seconds, just under two seconds ahead of second-place Vallivue.
Bishop Kelly sits in first place after one day at the state track and field meet, with 46 points, 22 ahead of second-place Idaho Falls.
In the 5A boys meet, Rocky Mountain is in good position to continue its dynasty, sitting in first with 31 points, but with Boise just four points behind them.
The Grizzlies have won the last seven state titles and 11 of the last 12.
Landon Heemeyer earned the only state title of the day for the Grizzlies, repeating as champion in the 3,200 meters. Heemeyer finished the race in 9:02.01. The Grizzlies also got a big day from Timothy Price, who finished second in the high jump and third in the long triple jump. His 6-4 in the high jump was only beaten by Boise’s Jordan McDonald, who cleared 6-8 after finishing second in the event a season ago. Price had a jump of 44-6.75, but Owyhee’s Matt Irwin won that event, getting a distance of 46-5.75.
Capital’s Victor Byaundaombe was second in the triple jump with a distance of 46-3.
Boise closed the gap late in the day with the 4x800 relay team of Jack Sheesley, Jacob Fornander, Jens Knutsen and Noe Kemper winning with a time of 7:52.05
Centennial’s Kai Twaddle-Dunham won the discus with a throw of 185 feet, even.
In the 5A Girls meet, three-time defending state champion Boise owns a narrow edge over Mountain View and Timberline, with the Brave at 22.5 points, half a point above Mountain View and 1.5 points ahead of Timberline.
Mountain View’s Rilyn Stevens beat out Timberline’s Ruby Ihmels in the 3,200. Stevens, a senior, won the state title with a time of 10:25.51, a little more than three seconds ahead of Ihmels, who finished second as a freshman with a time of 10:25.61. Timberline also got a second-place finish from freshman Nadja Burkholder in the triple jump with a jump of 36-8.75.
Rocky Mountain’s 4x800 team of Emme Hamm, Hallie Heemeyer, Belle Draney, Brighton Heywood won the state title with a state meet record of 9:06.62.
Emmett freshman Addison Richards kept the 4A girls pole vault state title in the family, clearing a personal-best 11-4 to win her first state title. Older sister Tatum Richards, now competing for Montana State, won the last three state titles in the event.
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