POCATELLO, Idaho – Hanna Tait and Keenan Kuntz made history by winning their first Big Sky Indoor titles. The Idaho women’s track and field team shone brightly, earning 11 podium finishes—their second-highest total in a decade—finishing fourth overall, while the men’s team placed sixth.
Tracy Hellman, the Director of Track and Field, expressed pride in the team’s performance. “It was an outstanding weekend,” he said. “Our athletes achieved personal bests and all-conference honors, but most importantly, we created a great team atmosphere. Winning a Big Sky title is a big deal, and now we look ahead to the outdoor season.”
How They Achieved It
Tait kicked off the weekend strong, winning the women’s pentathlon. She set the pace right away, dominating the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.65 seconds, just shy of her personal best. She followed this up with solid performances in the next three events, finishing the 800m in 2:24.76. Her total score of 4088 points is now the second-highest for a Vandal woman and the third-best in Big Sky history. Along with her indoor gold, Tait also won a bronze in the long jump, jumping 6.05 meters.
Keenan Kuntz had an exceptional indoor season, breaking both the school and Big Sky records for the 60m event. He clocked in at 6.63 seconds to qualify for the finals. On Saturday, he raised the stakes, running a lightning-fast 6.59 seconds to win the conference title and setting a new Big Sky record. Kuntz now ranks 20th among Division I sprinters.
Cami Cvitkovich also made a mark, clearing a personal best of 1.77 meters in the high jump, earning crucial points for the team. Teammate Sydnie Zywina secured her first DI medal in the triple jump, landing at 12.54 meters, a new personal best.
In the shot put, Kathryn Burnette and Beatriz Marciano brought home points for Idaho, with Burnette’s throw of 15.41 meters marking her career best. Gioele Tengattini made his mark too, taking third in the men’s shot put with a personal best of 17.57 meters.
Constanze Paoli added another podium finish in the 3000-meter race, taking third with a time of 9:47.58.
The weekend wrapped up with strong relay performances. The women’s distance medley team finished third, clocking in the third-fastest time in school history. They were followed closely by the women’s 4×400 relay team, which also took third place.
Looking Ahead
Idaho’s track and field teams will take a brief break before starting their outdoor season in early April. With impressive achievements in both individual performances and team dynamics, the Vandals are poised for even greater success ahead.
