Track team shines in Idaho

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Feb 25, 2005 by Dale J. Neilson

The allure of Pocatello's Simplot Games track and field meet, which just finished its 26th year, is compelling. It typically hosts over 2,000 American and Canadian athletes.

Woods Cross High co-track and field coach Judy Allen estimated this year's number may have exceeded 3,000. Thirty-eight Wildcat athletes were to have competed, including 24 boys and 14 girls, said the coach.

Results were unavailable at press time.

The team hoped to improve upon its Utah 2004, 4 x 400 meter relay record of the girls' 4:20 and the boys' 3:40, fourth-best in state. Another goal was for more milers to run under five minutes than before, said Allen.

"We're hoping for six, or maybe seven or eight." Simplot was to have so many boys' running events, said the coach, that the 13 heats would each run 12 athletes. There were 24 heats of the boys' 400 of six runners each, while Allen estimated the girls' 400 would have nine or 10 heats of six apiece.

Allen said she's been to at least 20 Simplot races, and "I can't even tell you how many national or world records I've seen."

The invitational, at Idaho State University's Holt Arena, is 4,200 feet in elevation. Besides its 200-meter banked-board track, it has football stadium style-seating and "incredibly fast times," observed Allen. She noted Simplot probably had no idea how big the event would become when the Games began in 1979.

Allen hopes this meet will successfully complete Woods Cross's indoor season and inspire the Wildcats into solid outdoor success.

"I still enjoy seeing our own athletes meet their goals," she said, "just to see them being inspired by performances around them. (Simplot) is inspiring. You can do anything if you put your mind to it."

The Wildcats' reputation stands by itself. "We have pretty good team experience in the distance events," said co-coach Sam Wood. At 400 meters and above, "We have a bunch of kids with good work ethic who want to get better."

The most improvement is in the 100- and 200-meter sprints, where depth has been scarce.

Wood said all athletes are trained similarly by the coaches, "and it doesn't matter how good you are. We try to help athletes find their best-ever sprint, distance or field event." His two brothers, Seth and Isaac, are training to be distance runners. "They're great kids and it's a pretty unique opportunity" to coach them.

Wood praises Allen for building the program into what it is now, which focuses on being positive and committed.

"There's no limit to involvement," emphasized Allen, who has been at the high school for eight years. "We have close to 10 percent of the student body" participating. "There's no other sport that teaches life skills and involvement like track."

Woods Cross has several athletes who show that teamwork extends far beyond track and field, to cross-country, volleyball, soccer and basketball. The 4 x 400 girls relay team of Trisha Wright, Kimly Anderson and Janice Wilkinson also plays basketball for coach Mitch Smith.

Allen lauded Smith and his staff for working around the girls' schedules so they could compete in multiple sports.

Anderson is an all-state soccer player and Wright is all-region in volleyball. Wright was all-region and all-state in cross- country, while Anderson was all-region.

Allen also noted boys cross-country team members Zack Hallows, Taylor Hansen (postponing a double-hernia operation) and James Cutler "will probably lead the team" to the outdoor cross-country title. That season begins March 1, with state meet on May 12-13.

Woods Cross is defending Region 5 champion in both boys' and girls' track, while the boys also grabbed 2004 cross-country honors, with the girls finishing second.