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The Washington Demons’ full roster for the state track & field has been set. Washington will be competing in 20 different events across the Class 3A girls’ and boys’ state championships Thursday through Saturday at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.
The latest additions to the Demons’ state roster came Friday when the top eight results in each event that finished third place or lower at districts were announced. That means Washington senior Brayden Hartman will compete in the boys’ discus toss in 3A along with the shot put that he won at the District 6 meet Thursday in Mount Pleasant.
The Demons’ four-by-800-meter relay team of senior Drew Horak, junior Micah Rees, sophomore Logan McDole and freshman Andrew Rees is also headed to state with the 13th-best qualifying time in 3A. McDole, junior Alec Ulin and seniors Ethan Patterson and Cameron Vongpanya also make it in the 4-by-400, and freshman Josh Anderson qualifies in the 100, 200, 400 and 800-meter wheelchair races.
Washington already had Micah Rees moving on for his win in the 1,600 meters and runner-up status in the 3,200. McDole will look to follow up his district title in the 800 with a strong showing at state, while Ulin will also be running in the 400 at Drake Stadium and will be joined by Patterson and senior Aidan Ulin in the sprint medley. Senior Elijah Morris was also part of the sprint medley and qualified for the 100-meter dash but is questionable for both events with an injury.
On the girls’ side, Washington added three events to their state schedule. Freshman Leighton Messinger’s third-place finish at districts in the 100-meter hurdles was good for 23rd overall in the state and gets her to Des Moines. The Demons’ 4-by-400 team of Messinger, senior Grace Voss and freshmen Iris Dahl and Eden Levetzow qualifies for state, while the squad of Voss, Dahl and sophomores Lauren Horak and Kendall Hinrichsen was third at districts in the 4-by-800 but ran the 11th-fastest qualifying time in 3A.
Voss’ district championship in the high jump and Dahl’s silver medals in the 800 and 1,500 had already punched their tickets to the blue oval. The Washington girls will first compete in the Class 3A state track championships Thursday night in the 4-by-800, with the boys’ 4-by-800 to immediately follow.