What a time to be a Malad Dragon sports fan!  After a spring season that was painfully slow to take off, the athletes of Malad High School have demonstrated that nothing will hold them back from being anything but the best.  From softball to baseball to track and field, Dragon athletes have dominated the field as they won the IHSSA 2A Baseball State Championship, the fourth consecutive IHSSA 2A Softball State Championship, two individual 1st place state finishes at the IHSSA 2A State track meet as well as thirteen top ten finishes and an overall team 4th place finish.

  The slow start to the spring season sports did nothing if not drive these athletes and their coaches to want it more.  They worked to creatively problem solve ways that their teams could practice and be ready to hit the field when the weather finally turned in their favor.  BYU Women’s Cross Country coach Diljeet Taylor coined the phrase, “Win the wait,” as she encouraged her team to keep training and working as if their season was just around the corner when it was derailed due to COVID.  Instead of passively waiting for the pandemic to end and college sports to resume, they used their wait to train harder, move faster, and get stronger.

 Their wait wasn’t to the same level, but the MHS athletes certainly made the most of their wait time.  They were determined to get ready for the day they would finally get to compete, practicing in parking lots, auto shops and airplane hangers.  As they worked and waited, they demonstrated their grit and dedication that wouldn’t just serve them well through their season, but take them to the very top as state champions.

 The Lady Dragon softball team finished the season with a perfect record, 23-0.  It wasn't easy to keep their winning streak alive at the state tournament as they went up against the state’s toughest opponents.  The MHS baseball team came into the state tournament ranked eighth, making a big upset as they defeated the number one seed, Nampa Christian, in the championship game.  Braylin Tripp and Oaklie Hebdon medaled in multiple events, including their impressive first place finishes in the triple jump and 300 meter hurdles.  Of 21 women’s 2A teams, the MHS women’s track team finished in fourth place, an impressive feat for a team of only six.

Anytime is a great time to be a Malad Dragon sports fan, but right now, seeing these athletes prove what MHS fans have known, that they are the very best of the best, is a truly thrilling time to proudly wear the Dragon orange and black.

A break down of each individual sport can be found later in this edition.