Two East Idaho athletes stood above the rest at this year’s Idaho Track and Field State Championships, earning recognition as the top girls track and field performers in the region. West Jefferson junior Bella Spencer and Marsh Valley senior Lydia Townsend each delivered extraordinary performances across multiple events, cementing their places among the finest prep athletes in the state.
Spencer Completes the Distance Triple Crown at West Jefferson
Spencer entered the 3A state championships with a defined mission: win the 800, 1,600, and 3,200 — a goal her coach helped her identify after a sophomore season that left her wanting more. She had placed fifth in the 800 and third in the 1,600 at last year’s state meet, and had not competed in the 3,200 at all.
That changed completely in 2026. Spencer opened the two-day meet by winning the 3,200 in a personal-record time of 11:09.01. On the second day, she followed with a personal-record 5:08.75 in the 1,600 and a dominant win in the 800, completing the Triple Crown.
“My expectations this season were kind of high because my sophomore season wasn’t very good,” Spencer said. “My coach kind of gave me the idea of the Triple Crown. ‘I think you can do it.’ So that was my goal.”
Spencer credited mental preparation as a key factor heading into the state meet. “I was locked in,” she said. While she acknowledged some disappointment at falling short of the 1,600 state record — which stands at 5:03.31 — she called the overall experience rewarding. “This season was so fun,” she said.
The Triple Crown adds to Spencer’s existing state championship in cross country, and with one year of high school eligibility remaining, the stage is set for another serious run at the record books next spring.
Townsend Cements Legacy as State’s Premier Multi-Event Talent
Lydia Townsend had already made a national name for herself earlier in the season, clearing 13 feet, 8 inches at the Arcadia Invitational to rank among the top pole vaulters in the country. But the Marsh Valley senior wasn’t done proving her range as an athlete.
At the 4A state championships, Townsend won the 100 hurdles title and captured her third consecutive state pole vault championship, also finishing second in the 300 hurdles and anchoring the 4×400 relay team to a second-place finish. Her four medals contributed directly to Marsh Valley’s fourth-place finish in the 4A team standings, earning the program a team trophy.
In the 100 hurdles prelims, Townsend and Kimberly’s Karlie Bair became the first Idaho hurdlers to officially break the 14-second barrier during competition. Townsend’s preliminary time of 13.86 was wind-aided and did not count toward official records, but her finals time of 13.79 — also wind-aided — still stands as a historic sub-14 performance.
“I remember when I ran my 13.79 in the finals, I got in the blocks and had a grin on my face because I knew it was going to be a good race,” Townsend said.
In the pole vault, Townsend cleared 13 feet to break her own 4A state record for the third time, adding another chapter to a high school career that has consistently pushed the boundaries of the event in Idaho.
East Idaho Track Depth on Full Display
The state championships showcased the broader depth of East Idaho girls track and field, with area athletes collecting dozens of individual medals and several teams earning trophies across all classification levels. Spencer and Townsend represented the peak of that performance, but the region’s overall showing reinforced East Idaho’s standing as one of the strongest track and field areas in the state.
For more coverage of East Idaho prep athletics, including recent district championship results, see our earlier report on Highland sweeping Thunder Ridge for the 6A District 4-5-6 Championship.
What Comes Next
Lydia Townsend concludes her decorated high school career with three pole vault state titles and a hurdles championship. Her next steps at the collegiate level have not been announced. Bella Spencer, a junior, returns to West Jefferson next season with the 1,600 state record firmly in her sights and a potential repeat Triple Crown on the horizon. Track and field programs across East Idaho will begin fall cross country preparations later this summer as athletes look to build momentum heading into the 2026-27 school year.