So far this track and field season, sophomore Keenan Kuntz has recently been one of the most dominant and more consistent players on the Idaho Vandals track and field team. This season, Keenan has been nothing short of dominant, as he is coming off back-to-back first place finishes in the men’s 60 meter and 200 meter, setting himself as one of the Vandals’ most reliable point scorers.
After graduating from Richland High School in Richland, Washington, Kuntz decided to stay local and attended Washington State University for his first year as a college athlete. As soon as he stepped into his first season, he immediately made an impact with the Cougars. In the Inland Northwest Invitational, Kuntz took gold in the 60 meter with a 6.83-second time, and at the Whitworth Indoor Invite, he also took gold with an even better 6.77-second time.
But the season accolades didn’t stop there. As a freshman, Kuntz participated in the Pac-12 Open, finishing second in the 100 meter with a 10.51-second time and third in the 200 meter with a 21.82-second time.
Entering the 2026 season, Kuntz entered the transfer portal and decided to travel across the Washington-Idaho border to play in Moscow for the mighty Vandals. With over half the season finished already, Kuntz has not lost his step in the slightest.
At the 2026 Inland Northwest Invitational, Keenan got his first taste of success in the 60 meter as he took home first with a 6.71-second time, 0.05 seconds away from tying the school record, a record he set himself earlier in the season. At the same meet, he also won the 200 meter with a much-improved time of 21.21 seconds.
But, headed into the following weekend at the Idaho Team Challenge, held at the Kibbie Dome, was where Kuntz showed off his electric speed. Kuntz only won one event, and it was a win to remember. Kuntz lined up for the familiar 60 meter and once the starting gun fired, he shot down the track like a missile, easily scoring first with a 6.61 second time.
Not only did this time beat the school’s record he set himself by 0.05 seconds, it also broke the entire Big Sky Conference record by the same time. While being the best in the Big Sky, his time also makes him the no. 23 best in all of the NCAA.
“Keenan setting the Big Sky and school record in the 60 was the highlight of the meet,” Tracy Hellman, the director of the track and field team, said in an Idaho Athletics press release. “It is super impressive to know that he’s now the fastest ever in the history of the conference.”
Kuntz’s record-breaking performance has not only boosted the Vandals in the standings, but also put the rest of the Big Sky on watch. With conference championships right around the corner, his speed, confidence and consistency give Idaho a serious scoring threat.
If his current form continues, Kuntz could finish the indoor season with even more awards and become Idaho’s greatest to ever play the sport. He has proven he has the tools, now it is time to admire his art and see him etch his name in Idaho track and field lore forever.