The Washington Demons added to a brilliant girls’ track and field season by not only earning a sizable number of berths to the state championships, but also winning the team scoring title at their Class 3A state qualifying meet yesterday in Mount Pleasant. Washington’s team score of 138 points was enough to beat Clear Creek Amana by seven and was 20 points more than the third-place and hosting Panthers.

Part of why the Demon ladies had such a strong night at the Mapleleaf Athletic Complex was Iris Dahl. The sophomore earned a second straight trip to state in the 800-meter run by winning the race with a time of two minutes 20 seconds. Dahl was also second in the 1,500 meters to punch another ticket to Des Moines.

Leighton Messinger will represent Washington at state in the 100-meter hurdles for a second straight season after winning at Mount Pleasant in 16 seconds flat, and the sophomore also won the 400-meter hurdles in one minute seven seconds to qualify for state, with teammate and classmate Ryen Pepper finishing second in the 400 hurdles.

Messinger was part of the quartet that would help the Demons come away with a victory in the shuttle hurdles relay to earn their way to state, as the team posted a time of 1:09. Washington also brought home gold in the distance medley in 4:21.

Dahl helped senior Abigail Kleese and juniors Kendall Hinrichsen and Lauren Horak finish runner-up in the 4-by-800 meters, while the Demons also took silver in the 4-by-100 and secured a place at state.

On the boys’ side, Washington was once again led by Micah Rees. The senior won a district championship in the mile run in four minutes 40 seconds, then added another title in the two mile in a tick under 10:12.

Demon sophomore Josh Anderson will be headed back to state and looking for more medals after three victories in Mount Pleasant, setting personal bests while winning the 100-meter wheelchair races in 19.43 seconds and the 200 in 35.37. Anderson won the 400 in 1:14.

Freshman Greyson Hartman also was a winner with a top toss of 52 feet eight inches in the shot put. Junior Seth Shepherd secured his place at state for the Demons by taking second in the 400.

Both the 4-by-800 and shuttle hurdles relays finished just tenths of a second away from earning automatic state bids for the Washington boys, but they will have an excellent chance to be one of the at-large bids to the Class 3A championships if they end up producing a top-12 qualifying time in the state. The full list of state track qualifiers will be announced by Monday.