This year’s indoor track and field season has seen quite the list of record-breaking performances from all over the board. One player that frequently tops the leaderboard is sophomore Hannah Tait. As the indoor track and field season comes to an end, Tait has proven that she is a threat in every meet she competes in.
From dominating the pentathlon to consistently setting personal records, she continues to raise the standard for herself and her team. Her versatility across multiple events and ability to perform under pressure have quickly made her one of the most exciting competitors to watch this season.
As an Australian native, Tait decided it would be best to cross the pond and attend college at the University of Idaho. During her first year, Tait shook the Big Sky in ways that have never been seen before. At the 2024 Lauren McClusky Memorial, Tait won her first ever pentathlon, with many more to come. In the 2024 Buc Scoring Invite, Tait finished first in the 100-meter hurdles and in the high jumps.
She didn’t stop there, as in the Whitworth Peace Meet she won first in the long jump. When the Big Sky Conference championship came around, Tait dominated. She finished fourth in the 200 meter and first in the heptathlon, while also receiving the 2024 Big Sky Indoor Female Freshman of the Year, capping off a truly remarkable freshman season.
Headed into the 2026 season, Tait continued to terrorize the Big Sky Conference. In the 2026 Lauren McClusky Memorial, she would go on and have one of her best meets yet. In the pentathlon high jump, she would take first place with a 1.67-meter jump.
She also went on to win the pentathlon long jump with a 5.90-meter jump. She didn’t stop there as she also took first in the 60-meter hurdles with a personal record time of 8.64 seconds to end such a historic meet. Meet after meet, Tait proved she is one of the most complete and dangerous athletes in the conference.
Once the 2026 conference championship rolled around, Tait knew exactly what was at stake. She rose to the occasion, delivering another standout performance on the biggest stage of the indoor season. On the Thursday of the event, Tait cruised through every meet she participated in. In the women’s 60-meter pentathlon hurdles, she won easily with an 8.65 second time.
She then tied for first in the women’s pentathlon high jump, finishing the day with a 1.68-meter jump. Tait then attempted the women’s pentathlon shot put and won with a 12.37-meter throw.
Tait finished by far her best performance of her career by competing in the women’s pentathlon long jump and securing gold one last time with a 5.93-meter jump. With each event, Tait solidified her status as one of the premier multi-event athletes in the nation, leaving a mark on the Big Sky this year that will be remembered for years to come.
Tait’s career has been more than just a collection of wins and personal records, it is history in the making. From the first meet to the final jump at the conference championship, she displayed the perfect combination of talent, determination, and composure under pressure.
Her dominance in multiple events not only earned her gold medals but also inspired her teammates and set a new standard for Idaho Vandals track and field. As she continues to grow, one thing is certain, wherever Hannah Tait competes next, she will leave her mark, and the Big Sky will be watching.