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2024 Paralympic gold medalist Hunter Woodhall races a young double-amputee fan, Saturday, during the 2026 Simplot Games at Idaho State University’s ICCU Dome in Pocatello. | Kyle Riley, EastIdahoNews.com
POCATELLO — For one weekend each February, Pocatello becomes more than just a city in Idaho. It becomes a national epicenter of high school track and field.
Each year, some 2,100 athletes and thousands of spectators descend into the Pocatello Holt Arena for the Simplot Games, one of the nation’s premier high school indoor track meets.
What began as a regional competition in 1979 has grown into a nationally recognized event, a chance for athletes to test themselves against the best in the country, set personal records and catch the attention of college recruiters.
The following is a gallery of photos from the events:
Three-time Olympian and former world-record triple jumper Willie Banks takes a selfie with fans during the 2026 Simplot Games, Saturday, at Idaho State University’s ICCU Dome in Pocatello. | Kyle Riley, EastIdahoNews.comLydia Townsend, of Inkom, prepares for her winning attempt in the pole vault during the 2026 Simplot Games, Saturday, at Idaho State University’s ICCU Dome in Pocatello. | Kyle Riley, EastIdahoNews.comJosh Hamblin, right, a senior from Pleasant View, Utah, breaks his own record in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.65 seconds, Saturday, at Idaho State University’s ICCU Dome in Pocatello. He first set the mark just two days earlier during his qualifying heat. | Kyle Riley, EastIdahoNews.comJace Cook, a junior from Syracuse, Utah, competes in the shot put, Saturday, during the 2026 Simplot Games at Idaho State University’s ICCU Dome in Pocatello. Cook won the boys’ shot put with a throw of 62 feet, 7.5 inches. | Kyle Riley, EastIdahoNews.comPocatello native Spencer Van Orden reacts as he wins the boys’ 200 meters, Saturday, during the 2026 Simplot Games at Idaho State University’s ICCU Dome in Pocatello. | Kyle Riley, EastIdahoNews.com
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