Bengals Shine Bright in Rainy Outdoor Season Opener

Day 2 of the Buc Scoring Invitational in Spokane proved to be nothing short of spectacular for the Bengals, despite wet and rainy conditions. The team delivered dominant performances across the board, stacking up first-place finishes, personal records, and venue records to cap off an electric weekend.
 
Heptathlon & Decathlon Finish Strong
Kylee Dimick capped off her strong heptathlon with 5034 points, securing 1^st place after a strong finish in the 800m (2:32.78), long jump (5.06m), and javelin (30.12m). Her Day 1 venue record in the high jump did well in carrying her momentum through to victory. Teammate Kaila Mederios locked in 2^nd place as well with 4248 points, highlighted by her  win in the long jump (5.44m), a new career best.
 
On the men's side, freshman Tom Stoelken finished the decathlon with a total of 6508 points, taking 1^st place by a commanding 1035 points. Competing in his first outdoor meet, Stoelken set PRs across the board, including wins in the 110m hurdles (15.81), discus (43.52m), and javelin (55.82m), along with a 2^nd-place pole vault finish (3.84m).
 
Distance Dominance
The Bengals won the women's 10000m, with Alivia Johnson powering through for a 1^st place PR (38:45.99). On the men's side, Sunny Gunn delivered a thrilling 1500m win, crossing the line in 3:58.016, edging out Hayden Roberts (unattached) by an astounding .004 seconds. Seth Babbel added to the scoring with a 3^rd place finish (4:01.20), setting a new career best.
 
The men's 5000m was another Bengals sweep, with Gunn leading the charge (14:48.05) and Gavin Pollock (15:21.07) securing 2^nd.
 
Sprints and Hurdles on Fire
Anise Becker stole the show in hurdles, taking 1^st in both the 100mH (14.41 PR) and 400mH (1:02.76 PR), setting the bar for the women's sprint squad. On the men's side, Alex Conner delivered an unforgettable day — taking 1st in the 110mH (14.57, PR), before passing the venue record in the 200m with a blazing 21.16 PR. Conner's time not only set the venue record at Puryear Field but also earned him a spot in the Bengals' history books, ranking 10^th all-time in school history.
 
The men's 400m squad swept the podium, led by Braxton Hurst (48.68), Qwentyn Petty (2^nd, 49.37), and Dalton Rasmussen (3^rd, 49.51 PR). Brody Burch added his own bit of drama to the men's 800m, taking 1^st with a razor-thin win over Hayden Roberts by .002 seconds (1:54.626).
 
Hailey Renzello shined in the women's 800m, claiming 2^nd place with a PR of 2:11.36 — a time that now ranks 8^th all-time in school history.
 
The men's 4x100m team of Jason Monroe, Ricardo Ascencio, Corbridge Bastian, and Khutsisa Rampete flew to 1^st place in 42.48 seconds, while the 4x400m squad (Hurst, Ascencio, Rasmussen, and Petty) capped the day with a strong 3:21.03 finish.
 
Field Events: Bengals Dominate the Throws and Jumps
The Bengals weren't just winning on the track — they were controlling the field too. Jay Wadley put on a throwing clinic, winning both the shot put (16.69m) and discus (51.72m), while Ryan Spaeth backed him up with a 2^nd-place shot put finish (15.34m). On the women's side, Megan Moore earned 1^st in shot put (13.06m), with Katelyn Dickemore taking 3^rd (12.84m). Dickemore wasn't done — she also won the women's discus (42.42m), with Zoie Kessinger (3^rd, 42.08m).
 
In the women's long jump, Natalia Alvarez Trujillo secured the win with a 5.27m leap, while Audrey Sampsen soared to 1^st in the high jump (1.63m), setting a new PR. For the men, Cam Davis pulled off a 1^st place triple jump (13.32m) and a 2^nd place high jump (1.81m) to wrap up an impressive day.
 
Steeplechase Showstopper
The men's 3000m steeplechase belonged to Brandon Walker, who crossed the line in 9:36.66, setting a new venue record and finishing the weekend on a high.
 
What's Next
The Bengals leave Spokane with momentum on their side, packed with PRs, venue records, and all-time records that show they're more than ready for the outdoor season. The Idaho State Track & Field team will return next Friday, March, 28^th in Orem, UT for the Utah Valley Invitational.