5A/4A STATE MEET

When: May 17-18

Where: Eagle High School

Defending boys team champions: Rocky Mountain, Bishop Kelly

Defending girls team champions: Mountain View, Bishop Kelly

5A rundown: Seven Highland Rams will compete in girls individual events at the 5A state championships. Saydree Bell qualified for the girls 100-meter dash and pole vault, while teammate Kyleigh Thomas qualified in the girls shot put and discus.

Hallie Austin was the lone Ram on the girls squad to place at state last season, finishing third in the high jump. She will have the chance to improve on her placing this weekend at Eagle High.

Highland’s boys squad sends three different Rams to state. Jared Harden will run in the boys 1,600- and 3,200-meter races. Teammate Adam Jones has the fifth-best seed mark in the boys triple jump. Bristin Corrigan will battle in the boys discus.

4A rundown: Pocatello heads back to the 4A state championships after the boys and girls finished third and fourth, respectively, at the event last season. The girls are paced by Madi Zink and Adison Spillett, who combined to qualify for five individual events. Zink has the second-best seed time in the girls 100-meter hurdles and top seed time in the girls 300-meter hurdles.

Spillett has the third best-seed time in girls 400-meter race, while teammate Destiny Harris, the defending 4A girls shot put champion, enters state with top seed marks in the girls shot put and discus.

Century qualified for eight individual events and one relay squad for the girls 4A state championships, led by Jacquelyn Christensen, who has the fourth-best seed mark in the girls high jump. Century did not return any girls state placers from last season’s team, which finished 19th at state.

Preston leads all District 5 girls competitors with 18 spots in individual events and two spots in the relays for state. Quincy Hyde has the fourth-best seed mark in the girls shot put, while teammate Savannah Royal is back at state in the girls long jump and triple jump. She finished sixth and 10th, respectively, at the events last season.

The Poky boys are led by Shane Gard and Dallin Bird, who head to state after strong showings at the 4A District 4-5 championships. At districts, Gard won two individual crowns and was on two relays squads that took first. Bird earned a pair of top-four finishes at state last season in the boys 1,600- and 3,200-meter races. Kobee Gunter, the defending state champion in the boys long jump and triple jump, qualified for state in the triple jump. Gunter, who suffered a lower-leg injury during football season, set a season-best mark in the triple jump at districts.

Century’s De’Qua Lang is back at state after winning a district title in the boys shot put and finishing second at districts in the boys discus. Teammate Landon Woods qualified for state in the boys 200- and 400-meter dashes. The Century boys placed 21st at state last season.

The Preston boys send plenty of new faces to state this season, including Taite Priestley, who finished second in the boys high jump at districts. He is joined by teammate Andrew Iverson, who is competing at state for the first time in the boys 110- and 300-meter hurdles.

Blackfoot heads to state with Reece Robinson coming off a boys 4A District 6 title in the triple jump, and girls district crowns from Tenleigh Smith (400-meter race) and Eboni Beasley (pole vault).

3A/2A/1A STATE MEET

When: May 17-18

Where: Middleton High School

Defending boys team champions: Sugar-Salem, Nampa Christian, Valley

Defending girls team champions: Shelley, Melba, Raft River

3A rundown: American Falls’ boys have two multi-event state qualifiers in Jaxon Kress (200, long jump) and Wyatt Kearn (discus, shot put). Kearn won districts in both events.

The Beavers’ girls are highlighted by Emma Barclay and Raquel Fehringer, who qualified for state in two events each. Barclay won districts in the 300 hurdles.

Troy Wissenbach leads Marsh Valley’s boys as a state qualifier in the 200, 400 and long jump. He won the district title in all three. Jerico Frailey, Brenden Whitworth, Dillon Peterson and Aaron Marshall qualified in two events each.

Brooke Morris leads the Eagles’ girls as a three-event qualifier. The sophomore is competing in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. Teammate Elizabeth Michaelson qualified in the discus and shot put after wining districts in both.

Snake River’s boys feature multi-event qualifiers Lorenzo High, Rylan Anderson and Joseph Anderson. High looks to carry momentum from district championships in the 1,600 and 3,200, while Rylan Anderson enters the 110 hurdles off a district championship. Joseph Anderson won the 800 at districts and will run it at state.

Sage Stimpson leads the Panthers’ girls, qualifying for four events. The sophomore is competing in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, high jump and triple jump after winning districts in the 100 hurdles and high jump. Reagan Van Orden, Morgan Sensenbach and Kassidee Campbell are competing in two events each.

2A rundown: The Aberdeen boys finished second at state last year and look to take home more hardware this time around. The Tigers boys are led by Hulizes Ortiz, Matthew Klassen, Mitchell Spence and Jack Behrend, who qualified for state in two events each. Behrend has the No. 1 seed mark in the discus at 128-11. Aberdeen also qualified for state in the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400-meter relays a year after taking second at state in all three events.

Aberdeen’s girls are headlined by freshmen Yasmin Ortiz and Courtney Phillips, who each made state in three events. Ortiz is competing in the 100, 200 and 400, while Phillips will start in the 100, 200 and high jump.

Bear Lake’s boys are led by junior Ryan Turner, who is set to compete in the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles. The Bears’ girls are loaded and led by returning 3,200 meter state champ Josi Kelsey. The junior qualified for state in the 1,600 and 3,200 this year. She’ll have to beat her sisters to win those events. Freshman Elise Kelsey is in the field for the 800, 1,600 and 3,200, and she owns 2A’s top time in the 1,600 this season. Twin sister Elli Kelsey is competing in the 1,600 and 3,200, clocking the fastest 3,200 in 2A this spring. Bear Lake’s Emilie Collins (pole vault, 300 hurdles) and Chelsea Gundersen (shot put, discus) also qualified for two events each.

Davis Larsen highlights Malad’s boys. He owns the No. 2 seed mark in the high jump (6-0). Ella Ward (long jump, triple jump) and Bayla Tripp (triple jump, 300 hurdles) each qualified for two events.

Soda Springs’ boys are led by Kelson Arellano (1,600, 3,200), Thomas Nielsen (100, long jump) and Isaac Cunningham (long jump, triple jump). Cunningham has the second-best seed mark in the triple jump (41-11).

The Soda girls feature three multi-event qualifiers in Brynlee Simmons (800, 1,600), Alexa Horsley (400, triple jump) and Jori Balls (discus, shot put). Horsley won the district title in both her events. The Cardinals also qualified four relay teams to state, including their district championship-winning sprint medley, 4x200 and 4x400-meter foursomes. Soda's district championship time of 1:54.62 in the sprint medley is No. 2 in 2A this season.

The West Side boys are a deep group that looks to compete for a trophy. Among the state qualifiers is Jacob Moffat, who medaled in three events last year at state. There’s also Cyrus Rindlisbacher, last year’s state runner-up in the 110 hurdles. The senior has 2A’s best time in the event this season, and owns the top state meet seed time in the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles. Enoch Ward has the top seed mark in the pole vault (13-0), and Jack Moser has 2A’s best discus throw this season (133-7.5).

The West Side girls are led by Ellie Stegelmeier, who qualified for state in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and 100-meter dash. Stegelmeier won districts in the 100 hurdles.

1A rundown: Rockland leads local 1A schools with a state meet qualifier in six different events in the boys meet. Caleb Norwood made it as an individual in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles, as well as the high jump. The senior won district titles in all three events and has the second-best seed mark in the high jump (6 feet). Teammate Levi Farr qualified in the triple jump and high jump, where he’s right behind Norwood with the No. 3 seed mark. Sophomore Robin Binger qualified in the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles.

Rockland’s girls are led by Charlotte Wilson. The junior owns 1A’s best marks this season in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, long jump and triple jump. She won districts in all four events and finished third at state in the 100, 200 and long jump last year — when the Bulldogs finished second in the team standings.

Grace freshman Cambree Matthews qualified in the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles.