With the postseason right around the corner, the Idaho track and field team used Wednesday’s Whitworth Last Chance Meet as one final opportunity to sharpen performances before the Big Sky Championships.
By the end of the afternoon, the Vandals had done much more than simply tune up for next week; they delivered multiple career-best performances, climbed conference rankings and showed signs of a team hitting its stride at the perfect time.
The biggest performance of the meet came from senior javelin thrower Blake Sturgis, who put together one of the strongest throws in program history. Sturgis launched the javelin 73.21 meters, setting a new facility record while also moving himself up to 17th place for the javelin nationally. The mark now ranks second all-time in Idaho history and gives him even more momentum entering the conference championships.
What made the throw even more impressive was how much it improved on his previous best mark from earlier this season. Sturgis had already been leading the Big Sky in the event after throwing 71.32 meters at the Beach Invitational in April, but Wednesday’s performance added nearly two more meters to his career-best distance.
With postseason competition approaching, the senior continues to establish himself as one of the conference’s top athletes and a serious contender for a Big Sky title.
Idaho’s throwers were strong across the board throughout the meet. Junior Gioele Tengattini recorded a collegiate-best mark of 17.69 meters in the shot put, moving himself into fourth place in the Big Sky rankings. The improvement gives Idaho another athlete positioned near the top of the conference standings heading into championship week.
Tengattini has steadily improved throughout the outdoor season, and Wednesday’s results showed the progress he has made at the right time of year.
The women’s javelin group also continued its strong season as sophomore Lindi Kessinger delivered a career-best throw of 45.46 meters. The mark pushed her into fourth place in the Big Sky and added to an already impressive season for Idaho’s throwing squad.
Alongside sophomore Baylee Wroble, the Vandals now have two women ranked inside the conference’s top five in the event. Having multiple athletes near the top of the standings could give Idaho an important advantage once the conference meet begins.
While the field events stood out, the Vandals also saw strong performances on the track. In the men’s 800 meters, several Idaho runners posted season-best times in one of the team’s deepest events. Senior Griffen Parsells led the group with a time of 1:50.01, continuing a consistent outdoor season. Close behind him was senior Luca Wagner, who ran a personal-record time of 1:50.49.
Senior Ethan Sturdivant also turned in a season-best effort with a time of 1:55.84.
After months of training and competition throughout both the indoor and outdoor seasons, the Vandals appear to be carrying momentum into the most important meet of the year.
With the regular season now complete, Idaho will shift its full focus toward the 2026 Big Sky Outdoor Track and Field Championships. If every meet this season was any indication, the Vandals could be entering the postseason with confidence and several athletes capable of competing near the top of the conference leaderboard.
The Vandals will play their next meet at the Big Sky Championships in Portland, Oregon, from May 14-16.