Idaho State Athletics

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Head track and field coach Hilary Merkley is excited for her team to get the chance to compete again.

The Idaho State track and field team is headed into the 2021 indoor season under unprecedented circumstances but is working hard to compete this winter.

“We’re going to do our very best to move forward and meet the challenges that come up with it [COVID],” said coach Merkley. “Idaho State, if there’s one thing that we’re used to is overcoming challenges and persevering in difficult times. I think that we hope to do again in whatever circumstances that come up, we’ll kind of face it head on and do our very best and that’s exciting.”

Throughout the 2020 Indoor season the Bengals proved their spot in the top of the conference with great improvements in both personal records and team results.

The 2020 Indoor Championships held at Idaho State last year were very successful for the Bengals. The men’s team finished second and the women’s team finished third, this was the highest finishes for the Bengals since 2009 for the men and 2013 for the women.

2021 Preseason Coaches’ Poll

The Idaho State track and field teams were picked to finish fourth on the women’s side and fifth on the men’s in the 2021 preseason coaches’ poll released by the Big Sky Conference.

The spots on the 2021 poll show the strides the Bengals have taken in the past year. Last year the teams were picked eighth on the women’s and seventh on the men’s.

“Our team did an awesome job at not necessarily looking at the expectations of others and knowing what it is that we’re capable of doing and taking care of business when it counts,” said coach Merkley.“And I think you can see that in the in-crease in what we were ranked this year versus last year.”

Big Sky Indoor Track & Field Preseason Coaches’ Poll

Men’s Results

1 Northern Arizona (11) 121

2 Montana State 102

3 Idaho 84

4 Weber State 82

5 Idaho State 76

6 Montana 62

6 Southern Utah 62

8 Eastern Washington 56

9 Sacramento State 41

10 Northern Colorado 25

11 Portland State 15

Women’s Results

1 Northern Arizona (8) 117

2 Sacramento State (2) 100

3 Weber State (1) 91

4 Idaho State 87

5 Montana State 71

6 Idaho 69

7 Southern Utah 66

8 Eastern Washington 45

9 Montana 42

10 Northern Colorado 26

11 Portland State 12