Idaho track and field fans will learn more about Wood River High School senior runner Chase Caulkins when the State 4A meet is staged May 20-21 on the Ed Jacoby track at Bronco Stadium, Boise.
Caulkins has become one of Idaho's best at the distances.
But with three weeks left before the 93rd annual Idaho High School Track and Field Championships on the same track, observers saw what Caulkins can do Friday at the 41st annual Boise High School Relays/Pat Beiter Invitational
Caulkins led an assault on the Boise Relays 1600-meter record late Friday in the 14th of 15 events staged between many of the Gem State's best track and field athletes—on Idaho's most prestigious track.
One week after putting down a record-setting 9:08.50 winning time in the Pasco (Wash.) Invitational 3200m, Caulkins won the Boise Relays 1600m going away with a meet-record 4:17.23 time. He was over seven seconds ahead of second-place Eric Fitzpatrick of Boise (4:24.64).
Not only did Caulkins and Fitzpatrick break the Boise Relays 1600m record of 4:35.77 set by Columbia's Lars Lundstrom last year, so did four others in the same race—meaning that all top six led by Caulkins shattered the meet record.
One of those was Wolverine junior James Paris (4:26.59). Paris finished fourth in a photo finish with third-place Zach Burney of Columbia, (4:26.45), who won the 2000m steeplechase earlier Friday.
Caulkins, as a junior in last year's State 4A meet, had a personal-best 4:33.23 mile run clocking to place him third on the all-time Wood River list. But Caulkins made mincemeat of Benji Jex's 15-year-old school record of 4:24.11 set in 1995.
Summing up, Caulkins was 16 seconds ahead of his previous-best 1600m and seven seconds better than the venerable Jex school record.
Another highlight for Wood River High School's team at Friday's Boise Relays came in the first event of the evening—the distance medley relay featuring a 1200m run followed by 800m, 400m and the 1600m finale.
Wood River's foursome of James Paris (1200), Ben Stout (800), Miles Hendrix (400) and Caulkins (1600) won the distance medley by more than five seconds ahead of runner-up Boise High School.
The Hailey boys (10:49.16) broke a 23-year-old school record by a substantial margin in the distance medley relay.
Wood River with Caulkins bringing home the anchor leg were far ahead of the incredibly-close chase pack consisting of, in a photo finish, Boise (10:54.44), third-place Twin Falls (10:54.45) and fourth-place Bishop Kelly (10:54.78).
Two other Wood River distance runners competed in the girls' 1600m Friday. They were Dani McLaughlin 28th in a personal record 6:03.58 and first-time 1600m entrant Maranda Stopol 29th in 6:04.01.
Remarkably, one of the Boise Relays oldest records continues to be the girls' high jump mark of 5-10.5 set by Wood River High star Lisa Bernhagen way back in 1984.
Next up: Wood River returns to the Rupert track Friday, April 30 for the Minico/YMCA Invitational at 2 p.m. and hosts the Bob Shay Wood River Invitational Wednesday, May 5 on the Hailey oval. That will be the final chance for track fans to see Caulkins at home.
Friday’s Boise Relays winning distance medley relay team from Wood River High School, from left, Chase Caulkins, Ben Stout, James Paris and Miles Hendrix. Courtesy photo by Monte Brothwell
