Highland’s Van Orden named Gatorade Idaho Boys Track and Field Player of the Year

POCATELLO — Highland High School junior Spencer Van Orden, owner of the state record in both the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles, has been named the 2024-25 Gatorade Idaho Boys Track & Field Player of the Year.

Van Orden bested his state record time of 13.55 in the 110-meter event during the Brook PR Invitational in Renton, Wash., in June, according to a news release. His time of 13.45 seconds at that event ranked Van Orden 13th nationally, the release says.

With times of 13.60, in the 110-meter, and 36.51 in the 300-meter — lowering the state record which he’d already held — Van Orden won both events at this year’s state championship meet. He also finished third in the 100-meter sprint, with a time of 10.78, and was part of Highland’s third-place 4×400 relay team.

The East Idaho Sports Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year earned All-American status this year, placing sixth in the 400-meter hurdles, with a time of 51.99, at the Nike Outdoor Nationals, according to the release from Gatorade.

“Spencer is an electric hurdler and sprinter,” Century track coach Bill Vasas, says in the release. “He is very technical over the hurdles and has such good acceleration over them. He’s a kid you don’t want to miss watching when he’s running.”

Van Orden excels i n the classroom as well, carrying a 3.39 GPA.

He is joined by Captial High School’s Christine Huckins, who was named the 2024-25 Gatorade Idaho Girls Track & Field Player of the Year.

Sugar-Salem’s Dawson McInelly was named the 2024-25 Gatorade Idaho Baseball Player of the Year. Skyline’s Shay Shippen was named 2024-25 Gatorade Idaho Girls Basketball Player of the Year.