Photo Courtesy of Columbus Wildcat Track and Field Social Media (Steve Riley)
Eight schools from the KCII listening area sent their boys and girls track teams to Sigourney Thursday in search of bids to the 2024 State meet in Des Moines. Columbus Wildcat boys made it back-to-back State Qualifier team crowns with their score of 114 points, beating second place Danville’s 104. In Class 1A, all event champions automatically qualify for the state meet, with the next 14 best performances from across Iowa also advancing to Drake Stadium. The Wildcat boys qualified 11 total events for state. Event champion auto qualifiers for the ‘Cats were Alexander Rees in the 110 hurdles in 15.31 seconds and Russel Coil in shot put with a throw of 49’4”. Performance qualifiers included Kaden Amigon second in the 100 and long jump and third in the 200. Runner-up for Coil in discus. Second for the Columbus 4×100 of Juan Chairez, Riley Kaalberg, Lamar Ceant and Amigon. Third for the shuttle with Johnathan Miranda, Kaalberg, Rees and Ceant. Ceant fourth in the 110 hurdles. Fourth for the sprint medley of Kaalberg, Rees, Chairez and Damian Vergara. Kaalberg was fifth in the 100.
The Winfield-Mt. Union boys were next in the team chase with 80.5 points for fourth. The Wolves are sending seven total events to state. Auto-qualifier event champions for the Wolves included Kohlby Newsom in the 800 at 1:58.44. Gabriel Hemsworth in the 400 hurdles in 55.48 seconds. The Wolves 4×200 in 1:35.97 with Hemsworth, Sheaden Adams, Abram Edwards and Cam Buffington. The WMU distance medley with Adams, Ty Scorpil, Hemsworth and Newsom in 3:38.47. Performance qualifiers included runner-up for the 4×400 of Adams, Newsom, Scorpil and Hemsworth. The sprint medley of Edwards, Brenden Simmons, Adams and Scorpil was third. Sixth for the 4×100 of Cole Milks, Kael Johnson, Eli Miller and Simmons.
The Sigourney boys were seventh with a team score of 52. Top finishes for the Savages were Caden Clarahan third and Jayden Thompson fourth in shot put. Troy Klett fourth in the two-mile. The best Savage relays were the 4×200 of Brady Clark, Isaac Bruns, Ike Molyneux and Colt Reed fifth as was the 4×400 of Jake Moore, Brayden Wood, Molyneux and Klett, the D Med with Clark, Reed, Moore and Wood and the shuttle with Chase Clarahan, Owen Menke, Carson O’Rourke and Caden Clarahan.
The WACO Warriors were eighth in the boys team standings with 42 points. The Warriors are sending five events to Des Moines. Chase Waterhouse won discus to qualify with a throw of 147’. Performance qualifiers included second for Louden Huisenga in high jump. Fourth for the 4×100 of Hayden Shelman, Isaac Rich, Gage Samo and Clayton Miller. Fourth for the shuttle team of Huisenga, Samo, Casey Coakley and Miller, and fifth for Miller in long jump.
The Hillcrest Academy boys were 11th of 13 teams with 23.5 points. The Ravens are sending two events to state. Owen Scott won long jump to advance, flying 21’6”. Scott was also a performance qualifier in high jump, finishing runner-up.
The Keota boys were 12th with 10.5 points. Top Eagle individual finish was Jack Greiner fifth in the 800. In relays the Eagle distance medley of Ayden Galindo, Gavin Sieren, Luke Moller and Greiner was best placing seventh.
The Lone Tree boys scored nine points to place 13th. The Lions will send the 4×100 of Pietro Setti, Ethan Bockelman, Emmett Burke and Domonic Garcia to state after a fifth place finish.
The Hillcrest Academy Ravens had the top area girl’s team finish, placing fourth with their score of 68 points. Hillcrest is sending five events to state. Auto-qualifier event champs included Rya Scott in the 100, 200 and 400s with times of 12.91 seconds, 27.27 seconds and 1:03.25 respectively. Marie Yoder made her way to state with a 3000 championship in 11:17.75. Scott also advanced as a performance qualifier taking fourth in long jump.
The Sigourney girls were next in fifth place with 57 points. The Savages are sending two events to state. Performance qualifiers included Reagan Clarahan runner-up in the 400 hurdles and McKinley Chittick second in high jump.
Lone Tree was sixth in the girls standings with 53 points. The Lady Lions will have four events at State. Auto-qualifier event champs included the Lady Lion 4×100 of Addison McCullough, Rylee Shield, Vivian Zaruba and Ava Christofferson in 51.85 seconds. That same crew in the 4×2 in 1:50.78. Performance qualifiers were the sprint medley of Cate Sexton, Vivian Zaruba, Christofferson and Shield in second and third for the distance medley of McCullough, Christofferson, Shield and Vivian Zaruba.
Winfield-Mt. Union also scored 53 points, finishing in a tie for the sixth with the Lady Lions. Five total events are going to Drake Stadium for WMU. Auto-qualifier event champs included Josie Nelson in the 100 hurdles in 17.19 seconds. Quin Smith clearing five feet in high jump. The performance qualifier list was second for the shuttle hurdle with Tessa Huston, Suttyn Schlee, Aurey Meeker and Nelson, runner-up for the 4×200 of Nelson, Huston, Meeker and Smith, and Meeker third in the 100.
The Highland girls totaled 46 points for ninth place. The Huskies 4×100 of Alexa Hahn, Hailey Brun, Lilly Barre and Grace Prybil was a performance qualifier in second.
The WACO Warriors matched them with 46 points to finish in a ninth place tie. Auto-qualifier event champions were the Warrior shuttle hurdle of Ally Rinner, Brenna Graber, Madelyn Farmer and Zoey Dennler in 1:11.11.
Columbus took 11th in the team race with 39 points. Top individuals were Naveiah Garza third in the 400 and Iris Garza third in the 1500. Top relay was the 4×100 eighth with Frannie Sosa, Jessica Del Rio, Jocelyn Hernandez and Kymila Bacon.
The Keota girls were 13th of 14 schools in the team standings with nine points. Top individual was Izzi Chalpua sixth in long jump. Top Relay was the shuttle hurdle of Grace Conger, Jaylah Redlinger, Kaylee Kindred and Kimberly Clarahan fifth.
The state meet gets underway next week in Des Moines.