Malad Dragon fans have a lot to cheer about after a week of not one, not two, but three championship wins!  Competing in the softball district championship tournament, the baseball regional tournament, and the district track and field tournament, the MHS athletes rose to the top to meet their challenge head on, coming out victorious.

Track and Field

The Malad track and field team traveled to Soda Springs Tuesday and Wednesday, May 5-6, to compete in the highly anticipated district meet. With months of training, practices, and competitions leading up to the event, the MHS athletes entered the meet not only hopeful for success, but confident in their preparation.  

 Day one of the meet began with field events and distance races, events where the Dragon athletes were poised to succeed. Beginning with the two-mile races, the coaching staff entered more athletes than usual in hopes of scoring crucial team points that would make a difference by the end of the meet. The girls race set the tone early for Malad, as the Dragons claimed the top three places by Aezlyn Summers, Kallee Talbot, and Ellie Angell, along with another scoring finish. The boys followed with an equally strong performance, earning first and third place by Boston Burbidge and Jace Nalder, along with two additional scoring finishes to give the team an excellent start to the competition.  

Izzy Haycock and Tavanie Steed 1 and 2 in javelin

 Also taking place on day one were the preliminary races for the 100m and 200m dashes. To qualify for finals, athletes had to finish with one of the eight fastest times overall. Malad had several qualifiers advance, with multiple athletes moving on to the state meet, including Anikka Wright in the 100m, Halie Palmer in the 200m, Easton Green in both events, and Brex Martinsen in the 200m. Coaches noted that the athletes’ hard work on everything from block starts to finish-line form paid off as many competitors finished with personal best performances.  

Several field events also took place throughout the day, including javelin, discus, pole vault, and shot put. Despite difficult winds, the MHS athletes continued to compete well and delivered standout performances. Izzy Haycock and Tavanie Steed finished first and second in the girls javelin, with Steed recording a major personal best. Two additional Malad throwers also scored points for the team. On the boys side, Justin Toone earned a second-place finish along with several other scoring performances from Dragon athletes.  

Kaycee Venable and Braun Nalder battled the windy conditions in the pole vault, with each athlete finishing second and qualifying for the state meet. Both hope to improve on marks that coaches felt were limited by the weather conditions.  

Steed added another personal best in the girls discus, finishing fifth overall. Mordecai Charles and Jaxton Price also advanced to finals in the boys discus and finished in scoring positions to contribute additional team points.  

Kaycee Venable

 The day was originally scheduled to conclude with the sprint medley relay, but due to the weather, coaches agreed to postpone the race until Friday morning.  

Day two began with the hurdle events, bringing both exciting victories and disappointing falls for the Dragons. Coaches said Venable and Samantha Shrenk “ran beautifully” as both qualified for state in the 100m and 300m hurdles. Their counterpart, Nalder, captured first place in the boys 300m hurdles with a new personal best time.  

Boston Burbidge and Levi Angell each earned personal bests in the 800m race while finishing second and third. On the girls side, Summers narrowly missed a top-four finish in the 800m, but still qualified for state with a fast enough wild card time.  

The mile races were equally impressive. Summers and Angell both qualified for state with third- and fourth-place finishes, while additional Malad runners added valuable team points. On the boys side, Burbidge and Angell qualified for state as well, finishing second and fourth respectively.  

In the individual sprint events, Brielle Bastian claimed first place in the 400m with Palmer close behind in second. The boys also added several top-10 finishes to continue building the team score.  

The MHS boys were excited to learn that, although they did not automatically qualify for state by placement, the 4x100, 4x200, and 4x400 relay teams all earned wild card berths based on their fast times. “It just proves once again why you don’t give up, run hard all the way through the line, and lean,” shared the coaching staff. The girls 4x400 relay team also delivered a dominant performance, claiming first place.  

The second day field events featured the jumping competitions, another strength for the Dragons. Matt Briscoe had one of his best performances of the season, finishing second in the high jump with a personal best while also placing third in the triple jump. Similarly, Toone qualified for state in both events. Nalder also qualified for state in multiple jumps, winning the triple jump and placing second in the long jump. On the girls side, Bastian added a third-place finish in the 

Braun Nalder placed in a number of events, including first in the triple jump.

 triple jump. Commenting on the jumpers, coaches said, “These kids work and help each other so much, from measuring and watching the board to moving the bar, and because of that they’ve all improved.”  

As results continued to come in and team points were tallied, the competition remained close. Officials announced that if the margin exceeded 10 points, trophies could be awarded before the postponed medley relay scheduled for Friday morning. As the meet progressed, the Lady Dragons gradually widened the gap before clinching the district championship with a victory in the 4x400 relay.  

The boys team fell just seven points short of West Side, earning a second-place finish. Although disappointed to narrowly miss the title, the Dragons celebrated a performance that far exceeded expectations after projections had placed them nearly 20 points behind. Coaches estimated it may have been more than 20 years since a Malad boys team scored more than 170 points at a district championship meet.  

“This team was incredible both days,” the coaching staff shared. “We got points from throwers and jumpers where we didn’t expect them, and our sprinters and distance runners exceeded expectations. Track may be an individual sport, but these athletes truly compete as a team. They push each other, cheer for each other, and genuinely enjoy competing together, and that’s what makes them successful. Scoring more than 170 points on the boys side is something we probably haven’t seen in over 20 years, and having 44 boys and 27 girls compete at districts says a lot about the growth of this program. To top it off, both sprint medley relay teams broke school records Friday morning. The future is exciting for Malad track and field.”

Dragon Baseball

District Champion Malad Dragons Baseball

The MHS baseball team was not only crowned district champions but also regional champions as well.  The baseball field was electric as the team played its games, the energy was high and the volume loud as they sailed onto two big victories.

The Malad Dragons battled through two intense regional playoff matchups against Nampa Christian to secure their place in the state championship tournament. After earning a hard-fought comeback victory earlier in the tournament, the Dragons faced the Trojans again in the regional championship game, ultimately winning both contests to claim one of the four spots in the state playoffs.

The first meeting between the two teams on Friday, May 8 proved to be a defensive battle from the opening inning. Nampa Christian threatened early after the first batter reached base in the top of the first inning and advanced into a scoring position.  But Malad pitcher Dawsyn Peterson worked the team out of a troubled position with back-to-back strikeouts to keep the Trojans scoreless.

The Dragons nearly answered in the bottom of the inning after Cale Briggs ripped a triple to right field, but Nampa Christian escaped the threat by catching Briggs in a pickle at third base as Carter Carey was up to bat.

The Trojans eventually broke through in the second inning after loading the bases with a combination of walks and a single. A batter hit by the pitch forced in the first run of the game, giving Nampa Christian a 1-0 advantage. Peterson once again limited the damage, however, recording another strikeout and stranding additional runners on base to keep Malad within striking distance.

Both teams settled into a pitcher’s duel over the next several innings. Peterson continued to dominate on the mound, piling up strikeouts while Malad’s defense made key plays behind him. Brooks Blaisdell delivered an important defensive play in foul territory during the fourth inning while Holdyn Higley handled several outs in the infield.

Malad finally tied the game in the bottom of the third inning after Easton Green singled and aggressively worked his way around the bases with steals of both second and third. Briggs then drove in the tying run on a groundout to first base, evening the score at 1-1.

The game remained tied until the sixth inning when Nampa Christian regained the lead after a double hit that was punched in from a single down the batting order to put the Trojans ahead 2-1. Once again, Peterson prevented the gap from becoming larger by recording another strikeout and stranding runners in scoring position.

The Dragons answered immediately in the bottom half of the sixth with the biggest rally of the game. Green opened the inning with another single before Briggs worked a walk to place two runners on base. Peterson then laid down a bunt single that forced a throwing error by the Trojan pitcher, allowing both Green and Briggs to score and giving Malad a 3-2 lead.

The Dragons continued adding insurance runs moments later. Holdyn Higley delivered an RBI single to center field to score Carey before Ethan Horsley lined a double to left field. Another Nampa Christian defensive error allowed both Higley and Horsley to score as Malad suddenly stretched the lead to 6-2 with the crowd exploding on the play.

Hudson Daniels entered the pitcher’s mound to close the game in the seventh inning and quickly received help from his defense after the Dragons turned a double play to erase a baserunner. Nampa Christian’s final batter later popped out to right field, securing the 6-2 victory for Malad and advancing the Dragons deeper into the regional bracket.

The two teams met again in the regional championship game the following afternoon, and once again the contest proved to be tightly contested from start to finish.

Nampa Christian struck first in the opening inning after a walk-on hitter stole second base, and later scored on an RBI single to give the Trojans an early 1-0 lead. Despite the quick run, Malad pitcher Kurt Ward quickly settled in and prevented Nampa Christian from building additional momentum.

The Dragons threatened in the bottom of the first after Green singled and stole second base, but Malad left runners stranded in scoring position as the Trojans escaped the inning with the lead intact.

Both defenses controlled the game over the next inning before the Dragons finally broke through offensively in the third. Green once again sparked the rally after being hit by a pitch and advancing into scoring position.  Peterson then delivered a clutch RBI double to left field to tie the game at 1-1 before Carey followed to bat him in on a single to give Malad its first lead of the afternoon.

Malad added another important run in the fourth inning after Horsley opened the frame with a single and Daniels followed with another base hit. Following a passed ball that advanced both runners, Ky Willie lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Horsley to score and extend the Dragons’ lead to 3-1.

Meanwhile, Ward and the Dragons defense continued shutting down the Trojan offense. Malad held Nampa Christian scoreless from the second inning through to the sixth inning while Ward repeatedly worked out of pressure situations with strikeouts and routine defensive plays behind him. Peterson anchored the infield defensively at shortstop while Green tracked down multiple fly balls in left field.

Nampa Christian mounted one final rally in the top of the seventh inning after a double that later resulted in a Trojan score on an infield error to narrow the lead to 3-2. With the tying run threatening and the pressure mounting, Ward kept his cook to strike out the final batter swinging to seal the regional championship victory for the Dragons.

The pair of victories over Nampa Christian secured Malad a berth in the state championship tournament to be played at the Wolfe Field in Caldwell, Idaho May 14-16.  As the #1 seed, Malad is set to play #4 Salmon on Thursday afternoon.  Commenting on their upcoming games, Head Coach Chad Maroney shared, “I like where we are. We are the one seed, hopefully putting ourselves in the best position.   Our pitching looks great.  Our defense is solid.  We are hitting the ball well.”

While acknowledging the skills Malad is bringing to the contest, Coach Maroney isn’t blind to the challenges they will face.  He continued, “ We are going to face three other tough teams that want the same thing we want.   Now it’s a game of getting the right matchup in and knowing when to make the right moves.  The boys are ready!”

Rounding out the Malad teams heading to their state competition is the Lady Dragon softball team.  The star team won its 14th straight district championship in a row.  The title and victories were hard fought and well earned, but also took on a new meaning this season.  

After graduating nearly a whole lineup of seniors, there were many that anticipated this to be a building year for the team.  But the Lady Dragons have done nothing but prove they are an equal part of the dynasty that has reigned at Malad High School.  Their dedication, grit, and focus served them well as they dominated in their three tournament games, to earn another championship title.

Lady Dragons Softball

The Malad Lady Dragons put together a dominant and memorable run through the 4/5 district tournament, winning three straight games to claim the championship title. Along the way, they showed a mix of explosive offense, steady pitching, and the ability to respond in pressure moments. Each game looked a little different, but the end result stayed the same: Malad finishing on top.

Malad opened the tournament against West Side and wasted no time setting the tone. After a quick scoreless half-inning from West Side, the Dragons erupted in the bottom of the first.

Harlee Maddox started things off getting on base, Aubrey Shulz driving her in with a key hit to get Malad on the board. From there, the inning turned into a steady stream of traffic and pressure. Stella Merja, Sarah Toone, Liddia Gonzalez, and Kialey Pickett all contributed hits as the Lady Dragons kept extending innings and forcing defensive mistakes.

West Side struggled to get outs cleanly, and Malad made them pay every time. Extra bases, aggressive baserunning, and timely contact pushed the lead quickly out of reach. By the end of the first inning, Malad had already built a commanding advantage, 12-0.

The second inning followed a similar pattern. After keeping the Pirates scoreless again, the MHS went wild as Aspen Bingham and Shulz continued to produce, and Merja added another hit as Malad stretched the lead even further. The Dragons piled on run after run, combining hits with defensive errors and smart baserunning. By the time the inning ended, Malad had pushed the score into run-rule territory.

Toone handled business in the circle, keeping West Side off balance with strikeouts and limiting any chance of a response. West Side managed very little offense outside of a few scattered singles, and Malad’s defense stayed clean behind Toone.

The game ended early due to the run rule, with Malad advancing after a completely dominant offensive performance and a strong all-around team effort to win 19-0.

The second game of the tournament was much tighter, and Malad had to earn every run against Declo.

The game started rough for Malad when Declo struck early. An error helped extend the inning, and Declo capitalized with a two-run home run that gave them a 3-0 lead in the first. It was a quick reminder that this game would not be like the opener.

But Malad responded immediately in the bottom half.

Maddox and Shulz once again led things on the offense, Merja following to help cut into the deficit with aggressive baserunning and pressure on the defense.  Toone added a sacrifice fly to bring in a run, with Logan Maroney also contributing in moving runners and generating outs to advance her teammates. By the end of the first inning, Malad had worked the score back to 3-3.

From there, the game turned into a defensive and pitching battle for a stretch. Gonzalez took over in the circle and kept Declo from building momentum. She worked through strikeouts and ground balls while the defense backed her up with clean plays.

The Lady Dragons slowly started separating in the middle innings. The MHS hitters continued to find ways on base while Declo made a few mistakes defensively, and Malad stayed patient enough to take advantage.

In the third inning, the MHS team pushed across key runs behind timely hitting from Maddox and Shulz, along with smart baserunning that forced Declo into uncomfortable defensive situations. A mix of singles, errors, and pressure at the plate helped Malad build a lead.

From that point on, Gonzalez shut things down. Declo had scattered hits in the later innings, but the MHS defense consistently worked out of trouble to control the final outs of the game. By the end, Malad had completed the comeback and advanced with a strong, hard-fought win, 11-6.

The championship game brought everything together, both competition and emotion. Just a few weeks earlier, Wendell had come into Malad and handed them a loss. That game stayed in the background, and this matchup gave Malad a chance to respond.

And they did.

Wendell had high hopes of beginning where they left off but Gonzalez had a different plan as she struck out all three batters in the opening inning. Flipping to offense, the Lady Dragons were quick to get on the scoreboard as Maddox started the bottom of the first with a hit, Shulz following with a big double to drive her in. That first inning energy set an early standard for the MHS team, an expectation they solidly exceeded.

In the third inning, Maddox again played a key role with a double, with Merja coming through with a run-scoring hit to give Malad the lead. The Lady Dragons kept building momentum with aggressive baserunning and timely contact.

Wendell briefly answered in the fourth with a home run that tied the game, but Malad responded immediately in the bottom half. Maroney, Gonzalez, and Pickett helped load the bases, the MHS team capitalizing both on hits and defensive mistakes to help push the Lady Dragons back in front.

From there, the game turned into a statement stretch in the fifth and sixth. Bingham added a home run, and the lineup kept turning over with walks, hits, and pressure at the plate. Even when Wendell scored a few late runs in the sixth, Malad answered again with more offense, including doubles and key hits from Gonzalez and Maroney.

By the seventh inning, Toone had completely shut down the Wendell offense. She finished the game with three strikeouts, ending Wendell’s final chance and stealing the championship.

Celebrating the hard earned champion titled, Head Coach Bri Adams commented, “I’m just super proud of the girls. They’ve been working so hard- some of them hitting twice a week since November- and I’m so happy that it’s paying off for them. I could tell by the look in their eyes that Wendell wasn’t going to beat us again. Our dug out is so loud and keeps the girls out on the field’s energy up when it’s running low. Everything this year has been a full team effort.”

Looking ahead at their final tournament of the season, Coach Adams shared, “I’m excited for state.  I just want the girls to bring that excitement and drive they have had and play like they played that district championship. I really, truly believe that nobody can beat us if we play with that kind of strength.”

The 3A state softball will be held at Timberlake and Lakeland High Schools in northern Idaho.  The team will leave Tuesday, May 12 to travel to the game site before their first matchup against the Kellogg Wildcats Thursday afternoon.