With the postseason quickly approaching, the University of Idaho track and field team delivered one of its most impressive weekends of the outdoor season, highlighted by personal records, season-best marks and rising conference rankings. Competing at both the Desert Heat Classic in Tucson, Arizona, and the Oregon State High Performance Meet in Corvallis, Oregon, the Vandals showed depth and determination as they prepare for the Big Sky Championships.
The weekend belonged in large part to sophomore Hanna Tait, who continues to establish herself as one of the top all-around athletes in the conference. Fresh off being named “The Vandal” at Idaho Athletics’ annual Vandie Awards for her exceptional 2026 indoor season, Tait carried that momentum into Tucson with two standout performances.
In the long jump, Tait recorded a season-best leap of 6.08 meters, which currently ranks as the second-best mark in the Big Sky Conference and places her among the top 100 competitors nationally. The performance alone would have made for a successful day, but Tait was far from finished. After a short two-hour recovery window, she returned to the track for the 100-meter hurdles and delivered a personal-best time of 13.79.
The mark shaved two tenths of a second off her previous best, set earlier this season at the Bryan Clay Classic, and further solidified her standing as one of the conference’s most versatile competitors. Tait was not the only Vandal to make noise in Arizona.
Senior Lara Holzhauer produced one of the biggest improvements of the meet in the 400-meter hurdles. Holzhauer cut nearly seven tenths of a second off her previous personal record, finishing in 1:00.38. The time now ranks seventh in the Big Sky this season, placing her firmly in contention heading into the championship stretch. Freshman MaKenna Ritter also continued her strong development, delivering a new collegiate-best performance in the 400 meters. Ritter crossed the line in 55.27, a time that moves her into the top 15 in the conference and highlights her potential as a key contributor for Idaho moving forward.
While the sprinters and jumpers excelled in Tucson, Idaho’s distance athletes made their presence felt in Corvallis at the Oregon State High Performance Meet.
Senior Tyler Graff led the way with a breakthrough performance in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Graff clocked a personal-best time of 9:22.35, showcasing significant improvement and continuing his upward trajectory after a strong showing the previous week at the Cougar Classic.
Graff was joined by fellow distance standout and freshman Evan Jones, who delivered an equally impressive performance in the 5,000 meters. Jones cut more than 20 seconds off his previous personal record, finishing in 15:12.02. His performance not only represents a major milestone but also adds depth to Idaho’s distance group at a critical point in the season.
On the women’s side, junior Constanze Paoli added to the list of standout performances with a personal best in the 1,500 meters. Paoli recorded a time of 4:25.82, improving her previous mark by over a second and a half and continuing to build momentum heading into the postseason.
Across both meets, the Vandals demonstrated a consistent theme: improvement at the right time. With multiple athletes climbing the Big Sky performance lists and setting new personal benchmarks, Idaho appears to be rounding into peak form as championship season nears.
The Vandals will have one final opportunity to fine-tune their performances at the Whitworth Last Chance Meet. The meet will serve as the final tune-up before the team shifts its focus fully to the Big Sky Outdoor Championships, where Idaho will look to translate this late-season success into podium finishes. If this weekend fully proves this Idaho squad, the Vandals are more than ready for the next challenge ahead.
The Vandals next meet will be the Whitworth Last Chance Meet in Spokane, Washington on Wednesday, May 8.