Weiser’s Jackson Laird Signs With Lewis-Clark State for Track and Field

WEISER, Idaho — Jackson Laird has never been the type to back down from a challenge. When officials at the Simplot Games told him he couldn’t run in his spikes and his backup shoes were on the other side of the arena, he kicked off his shoes entirely and ran the 60-meter dash barefoot. He won his heat.

So it should come as no surprise that when the Weiser High School senior sat down Wednesday to sign his letter of intent with Lewis-Clark State College, he did so with the same quiet confidence that has defined his career as a Wolverine.

“I just want to keep seeing growth,” Laird said. “I know the coaches out there are going to treat me well. I know they have great knowledge, so I know they’re going to help me push myself to limits that I haven’t even known existed yet.”

A Three-Sport Wolverine

Laird isn’t just a track athlete. He’s been a staple across Weiser’s athletic programs, competing in soccer, basketball, and track throughout his high school career.

It was on the soccer pitch where his raw speed first turned heads. Weiser athletic director Bowe noted that watching Laird play defender was equal parts thrilling and terrifying.

“The thing that makes me nervous as an athletic director watching soccer is when he’s a defender and he’s got a close on a ball, because he closes so fast,” Bowe said. “You can see he’s not a small boy. He’s very big, very strong, and it makes me nervous that we’re going to have to take care of somebody. But every time, he never hurt anybody. He was always able to get to the ball.”

Chasing Faster Times

On the track, Laird has put together the best season of his high school career — and he’s doing it as a senior.

His current personal records tell the story of a sprinter on the rise:

• 100 meters: 11.01 seconds

• 200 meters: 22.21 seconds

• 400 meters: 52.35 seconds

He’s already set his sights on what he wants to run at Lewis-Clark State.

“In college, I’m hoping to drop that to like a 10.8, a 21.5 maybe, and maybe like a 49.5,” Laird said.

His head coach emphasized that what makes this season special is how unusual it is for a senior to be peaking at exactly the right time.

“He’s having an incredible season. By all metrics, he’s having his best season of his career,” his coach said. “It’s great that it’s coming during his senior year because it’s actually pretty uncommon. There’s a lot of stuff going on in your life at that point. It gets in the way.”

More Than Points on a Scoreboard

But ask Laird’s coach what his biggest contribution to the Wolverines has been, and the answer isn’t about times or placings.

“I think that’s really where Jackson supports our team the most. It’s not so much in the points that he scores, but this year he’s brought a real level of maturity to our team,” his coach said. “The way in which he conducts himself at meets and practices — I think that has a much greater impact, and a longer lasting impact, on our team and on our culture, more so than any points he can score.”

His coach also pointed out a rare quality in Laird’s versatility: the ability to compete across multiple events at a high level, calling it no small feat given the caliber of competition Weiser has faced this year.

The Barefoot Run

No profile on Jackson Laird would be complete without the story that made him a statewide name.

At the 46th Annual Simplot Games in Pocatello this past February, Laird arrived at the starting line for the 60-meter dash only to be told his needle spikes weren’t allowed on the indoor wooden track. His flat shoes were across the arena, and there wasn’t time to retrieve them.

The officials gave him two options: scratch the race or run barefoot.

“They just said either run barefoot or don’t run at all,” Laird recalled. “So I just took the chance to run barefoot because it was my only race. And I won.”

He clocked a 7.19-second 60-meter dash with no shoes on, winning his heat and finishing eighth overall out of the entire field. The next day, running in proper footwear for the finals, he posted the exact same time — 7.19.

The story was picked up by East Idaho News and KIFI, turning the small-town sprinter into one of the most talked-about athletes at Idaho’s premier indoor track event.

Rooted in Weiser

Laird pointed to Dave Shirts, his first high school track coach, as the person most responsible for setting him on this path.

“He really got me into track first. He was my first high school track coach,” Laird said. “He gave me my love for this sport, pushed me, never let me slack off. He was probably my favorite coach ever.”

He also credited his family — especially his father — and the broader Weiser community for shaping the person and athlete he’s become.

“I give them all the credit. They raised me great. Got my strength from my dad,” Laird said. “Couldn’t have done it without the support — not just from them, but family, friends, teammates, the community.”

An emotional Laird addressed the room at his signing ceremony, saving special words for his coaching staff.

“You guys have been with me, supporting me. It’s like you didn’t just take me on — you took me in like your own kid,” Laird said. “It just means so much to me, knowing that I have such a great support system.”

What’s Next

Laird will head to Lewiston to join Lewis-Clark State’s track and field program, an NAIA program competing in the Cascade Conference. He’ll look to make an immediate impact as a sprinter with goals of shaving significant time off his personal bests.

But more than the times he’s chasing, Laird said he’s most excited about the unknown — finding out just how fast he can be when surrounded by college-level coaching and competition.

“I’m anxious to see how I compare against NAIA runners,” he said. “And I’m really excited to see how much more I can grow.”

If the Simplot Games taught us anything, it’s this: don’t count out the kid from Weiser, shoes or no shoes.