Athletes to Watch at 31st Simplot Games

Utah, Colorado, and Nevada bring fierce competition
by Caitlyn Lancaster

Pocatello, Idaho – Simplot Games brings hundreds of athletes from all over the nation to one competitive melting ground. This year, Utah, Colorado, and Nevada promise to send stars to the track. Look for the following athletes to shine at Simplot Games –

• Walter Schafer, a junior from Greenwood Village, Colorado, placed second at the 2008 Colorado state championship and was selected to run at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional Meet. Schafer will be competing in the 3200 meters at the Simplot Games.


• Alex Paul, a junior from Niwot, Colorado, participated in the Junior Olympics, where he ran the 1600-meter and the 3200-meter races. Paul has attended Simplot Games on two other occasions, and will be running the 1600 meter race.


• Candace Eddy, a senior from Kaysville, Utah, will be bringing the heat in the 1600-meter race at the Simplot Games. She took second in 2007 in the Games with a time of 4:58.77. Eddy placed first in the 1600 meters and the 3200 meters at the Utah state track championship.


• Casey Gray, a senior from Reno, Nevada, placed 4th in the pole vault at the Sacramento Meet of Champions, and she placed 7th at the 2007 adidas Golden West Invitational. Gray has a personal record vault of 11’-2”.

Elite athletes set stage for Simplot Games

by Luc Martin
Pocatello, Idaho – The 31st annual Simplot Games will feature high school track and field athletes from across the U.S. and Canada. The competition includes established veterans along with some impressive newcomers. Some athletes to watch during the Games include –

• Ciara Brewer, a sophomore from Logan, California, took first in the triple jump at the Run for the Dream Invitational, and participated in the 2008 Junior Olympic Games
• Ashlynn Halvorson, a senior from Matthews, North Carolina, has placed first all over the nation in the discus and the shot put, including the Nike Outdoor Nationals, the NCHSAA State Championship, the Eastern High School Challenge, and the Taco Bell Classic. She placed third at the 2008 Simplot Games.
• Johnny Carter, a sophomore from Bakersfield, California, won the California state triple jump championship as a freshman with a mark of 49’ ¾” – the best mark ever for a California 9th grader. He finished second at the 2008 National USA Track and Field finals.
• Lauren Chambers, a senior from Marietta, Georgia, is no stranger to standing on the top step of the podium. Besides winning the 2008 Simplot Games’ weight throw and shot put, Chambers was the 2008 national champion in the shot put with a mark of 49’ 1”. She has been the national champion in her age group since 2004. She has also won championships in the 6-pound shot put (2004, 2005), and the hammer throw (2007).
• Alex Paul, a junior from Niwot, Colorado, won the 3,000-meter event and finished second at 1,500 meters at the 2008 Region X Junior Olympics. At the national Junior Olympics, he placed fourth at 3,000 meters and sixth at 1,500 meters.
• Charlene Lipsey, a senior from Hempstead, New York, won the 2008 Simplot Games 800-meter event. She was named New York State Gatorade Female Runner of the Year in 2008 and earned the title of 2008 Nassau County Indoor & Outdoor Female Runner of the Year. Lipsey set a meet record at the 2008 Marine Corps Holiday Classic with an 800-meter time of 2:09.47.
• Brenden Confer, a senior from Servite, California, recently placed first in the 800 meters at the “Run for the Dream” at Fresno State University, with a time of 1:59:01. He also recorded a time of 1:53:07 at the Jim Bush Invitational.

Fill your stomach with Willie Banks at Breakfast with Fosbury and Friends

World Champion shares athletic accomplishments and excitement for present opportunities
by Caitlyn Lancaster

One word can be used to describe triple jump world champion Willie Banks: Legend. Not only was he the world record holder for the triple jump for a decade, but Banks is also a three-time track and field Olympian.
Banks will be sharing his experiences and athletic triumphs with the community at the Breakfast with Fosbury and Friends. This community breakfast event will take place at the Red Lion Inn Friday, February 20, at 7:30 a.m.

“Willie is such a wonderfully dynamic and personable guy,” says Rebecca Anderson, Simplot Games Executive Director. “Crowds love Willie, and Willie loves the crowd. He truly engages them.”

Banks has had many successes with track and field, and is responsible for making his athletic mark with the tradition of “the clap.” Before an athlete begins to make a jump, the crowd begins to clap in unison. Banks encouraged his supporters to applaud in a way that no other athlete had; it is that Banks-inspired clapping support that follows many athletes to this day.

Banks has never been a stranger to overcoming adversity. After making the 1980 Olympic Team, President Jimmy Carter declared that the United States would not be participating in the Moscow Olympic Games because the Soviet Union refused to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) claimed that President Carter could not make that decision; Carter conceded and the USOC voted. The end result was the withdrawal of all U.S. athletes from the Games.

“I was very upset,” says Banks. “The decision wasn’t a reflection of the spirit of our freedom. Sports are a way of bringing people together, not tearing them apart.”

Even with the devastating outcome of the 1980 Olympic boycott, Banks held onto his optimistic outlook, and was able to find a few positive results from the unfortunate circumstances. The concept of amateurism was eventually dropped from the Olympic charter, and athletes were given more control in matters of the Games.

“Several good things happened,” says Banks. “This gave athletes more say in the governance of sports.”

Quitting track was not an option, and Banks continued to work for his Olympic goal and was able to compete in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics.

In 1985, Banks claimed the world record for the triple jump, and held the title for 10 years. Currently, Banks still remains on the track and is the president of the United States Olympic Association.

The Fosbury breakfast is a great opportunity for the community to meet with a true Olympian, and Banks is excited to share bits of his past. In a time of economic recession, he also hopes to motivate people about the great individual chances that are in front of people at this time.

“This is a great opportunity to be more, to be better,” says Banks. “I want to get people excited about the situation we are in. People can truly be motivated right now.”

Pure motivation and insightful views from a vibrant and legendary athlete is available to the entire Pocatello community. Besides the food, Breakfast with Fosbury and Friends gives the public a chance to meet a legend, and to learn about the diverse roles one must take to live a dynamic and inspired life.

“The diversity of our thinking promotes creativity and the yearning to be better; and, the diversity of our culture stimulates the will to be free,” says Banks.

Tickets are $20; for more information please call (208) 235-5604.

Photo provided courtesy of Willie Banks

Top Idaho high school athletes ready for the Simplot Games

National high school track and field event
by Caitlyn Lancaster

Pocatello, Idaho – Several top notch Idaho high school track and field athletes are set to compete at the Simplot Games February, 19-21. This year’s athletes hailing from Idaho include –

• Colin Riley, a senior from Pocatello won the high jump at the Idaho 4A State Championship. Riley will be competing at the Simplot Games for the second year in a row. He finished tied for third in the high jump at the 2008 Games.
• Keith Bowens, a senior from Boise is the reigning 100 meter 5A state champion. In 2008, he also won the United Heritage invitational 60-meter dash. Bowens finished seventh at the 2008 Simplot Games in the 60-meter dash.
• Amanda Ward, a sophomore from Twin Falls won the 1600 meters at the 2008 Class 5A region and finished sixth in the 1600 meters and fourth in the 3200 meters at the 2008 Idaho 5A State Championship. Ward also was 7th at the 2008 Idaho 5A Cross Country Championships.
• Valerie Jenkins, a junior from Caldwell, will compete in the 60-meter hurdles and the high jump at this year’s Games. Jenkins tied for tenth in the high jump at the 2008 Games.
• Jacob Gregg, a senior from Pocatello, finished eleventh at last year’s Games in the weight throw.
• Chelsea Lundgren, a junior from Peck will compete in the long and triple jump. In 2008 she recorded a 34’5.5” mark in the triple jump.

Simplot Growers Solution sponsors California elite track star

Anna Jelmini will be a fierce competitor at Simplot Games
by Caitlyn Lancaster

Pocatello, Idaho – For the past 31 years, the Simplot Company has been a fervent advocate of athleticism; this year they are taking another step of support by sponsoring an athlete at the Simplot Games. Anna Jelmini, a senior from Shafter, California, was invited by Simplot Growers Solution to exhibit her shot put talents at the Games.

“My Dad is a farmer, and he’s always getting stuff from Simplot,” says Jelmini “It’s very cool to get asked, and I’m very excited, I have never been to an indoor meet before.”

Jelmini has conquered several obstacles in her track career, and is accustomed to being on top of the competitive totem pole. She placed first in the discus and the shot put at the California state track and field championships and is the discus Junior National Champion as well. In 2008, Jelmini’s talent even took her all the way to the Olympic Trials. This athlete has an intense training schedule, and is working on a few things in preparation for the Games.

“Anna has been working very hard, she has a heavy training load,” says Matthew Godbehere, Shafter High School Track and Field Coach. “She is looking to be consistent with her technique, it’s a lot different to put it all together at a meet than it is at practice.”

Taking the next step in support was an easy decision for Simplot Growers Solution. Once they heard they had a top-notch athlete right in their backyard, all they had to do was write up an invitation.

“We hear great things about Simplot Games, and here was a farmer’s daughter who is a local athlete and has done well in track,” says Allan Fetters, Simplot Growers Solutions Manager. “It was time for us to step up, time for us to do something.”

Simplot Games not only defines true athleticism, but displays a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all those who participate. Both athletes and instructors look forward to the community event, especially this sponsored athlete and her dedicated coach.

“We are excited to come to Idaho,” says Godbehere, “We are very thankful to have Simplot’s backing, it was a wonderful gesture.”

Simplot Growers Solutions is extremely pleased to sponsor an athlete with such an extensive and impressive background. Jelmini personifies what the Games are all about: new experiences and outstanding track talent.

“I have never been sponsored before, it’s really an honor to be sponsored by Simplot,” says Jelmini.

Past and present Olympians support Simplot Games

by Luc Martin
Pocatello, Idaho – This year’s Simplot Games will feature a number of past and present track and field Olympic athletes. The Olympian guest list includes 1988 gold medalist Andre Phillips; National Track and Field Hall of Famer and three-time gold medalist Willie Banks; and high jump legend, gold medalist, hall of famer, and World Olympians Association president Dick Fosbury.

Other guest Olympians include 2008 Olympian Ian Dobson, 2004 Olympian Carrie Tollefson, and former Simplot Games competitor, and 1992 Olympian Amber Welty.