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 | YMCA Idaho Invitational
Boise ID - April 24-25, 2009
DyeStat on-site coverage by John and Donna Dye
Saturday
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Nicole Nielsen 3-peats
1600/3200 double and 3200 meet record for 3rd straight year in continued comeback from anemia.
Chari Hawkins, Alex Van Halder, Nikki Rudder, Geraldo Hiwat, AJ Boully are also multiple winners.
By Jesse Zentz
Special to Dyestat.com
Blog Jesse at the Idaho Statesman
Nicole Nielsen and the YMCA Invitational go together like bees and honey. For the third consecutive year, the Borah High (Boise) senior swept the 1,600 and 3,200 at Boise State’s Bronco Stadium with meet records in the latter event each time.
 “I love this meet,” Nielsen (left, photo by John Dye) said. “I don’t know what it is, but I always seem to run well here.”
About seven months ago, Nielsen’s illustrious high school career hit a speed bump when the BYU recruit discovered she was suffering from anemia shortly after a disappointing finish at the Bob Firman Invitational cross country meet. She began treatment immediately and managed to finish third at the state meet, then enjoyed some success during the indoor season, which helped her regain some confidence before the outdoor season began in early March.
Now, she’s back to her best. She won the 1,600 on in 5:11.05 on Friday, then posted a personal best and meet record of 10:54.69 in the 3,200 on Saturday. Nielsen added a fourth-place finish in the 800 (2:24.33) for good measure.
She was just one of six athletes who won two or more events at the meet. Madison (Rexburg, Idaho) junior Chari Hawkins was the only athlete who won three events. The defending 5A state champion in the 100 hurdles and high jump, won gold medals in the (15.30), high jump (5-4) and long jump (17-9). Her effort in the high jump tied the meet record, while her mark in the long jump was a personal best.
“It feels so good,” said Hawkins, who made a 300-mile trip from eastern Idaho to Boise for the meet. “I was just focused on times and distances to see how they compared to other athletes on this side of the state. The state meet is here next month, so it’s important to come here and get used to the track.”
Columbia (Nampa, Idaho) freshman Alex Van Halder swept the 100 and 200 for the third consecutive week at a large meet, also winning those two events at the Boise Relays and Bandanna Invitational.
She established a personal best with a time of 12.70 in the 100 and finished the 200 in 26.12. Van Halder didn’t get a chance to race the second-fastest qualifier in the 100, because Buhl, Idaho’s Clara Comer false started.
“I was kind of relieved, then sad, because you want to win it, but you want to beat the best and that didn’t happen,” Van Halder said. “It kind of hurt and I felt bad for her.”
While Van Halder swept the girls sprints Skyview senior Nikki Rudder — another athlete from neighboring Nampa — claimed titles in the shot put (41-6) and discus (133-3).
On the boys side, Capital (Boise) senior Geraldo Hiwat won the 100 (10.98) and 200 (21.75), before running a blistering second leg for the winning 4x100 team (44.31).
Like Hiwat, Borah (Boise) junior AJ Boully won a pair of individual events and contributed to a winning relay team. He claimed a title in the 110 hurdles (14.90), where he’s the reigning 5A state champion, won the 300 hurdles (39.93) and anchored the winning 4x400 (3:29.56).
Also Saturday, Boise High junior Eric Fitzpatrick, the reigning 5A state champion in the 1,600 and 3,200, cruised to an easy victory in the 3,200 with a time of 9:21.27. The win came a night after Elko, Nev. junior Eric Sandall surprised Fitzpatrick to win the 1,600.
“Coming into the last lap in the 1,600 I was thinking too much,” Fitzpatrick said. “I wasn’t going on instinct and I was kind of second-guessing myself. It hurt me in the end.”
Fitzpatrick didn’t make the same mistake twice and gradually pulled away from Sandall and the rest of the 3,200 runners after the fourth lap to claim a dominant 9-second victory.
In the fan-favorite 2,000 steeplechase, Nampa’s Columbia High dominated as senior Jordan Powell won the girls race in 7:51.00 and senior Barak Watson and Lars Lunstrum finished first and second in the boys race in 6:45.00 and 6:51.00.
AJ Boully
| Alex Van Halder
photos by John Dye
| Chari Hawkins
| Geraldo Hiwat
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