The 2024 edition of the Washington Invitational was very good to the hosting Demons, as Washington girls’ track and field won the team championship by scoring an even 100 points, 16 better than second-place Tipton.

The Demons were led by three individual winners, including Iris Dahl, who was the champion in the 1,500-meter run with a time of five minutes 10 seconds. The Washington sophomore also finished third in the 3,000 meters and fourth in the 400.

Sophomore Leighton Messinger brought home the title in the 100-meter hurdles for the Demons by crossing the finish line in 16.89 seconds, while junior teammate Kendall Hinrichsen won the 400 hurdles in one minute 13 seconds.

Messinger and Hinrichsen teamed up with sophomores Ryen Pepper and Leighton Salazar to win the shuttle hurdles relay in 1:10, while Hinrichsen helped junior Lauren Horak and seniors Abigail Kleese and Taylor Bartholomew in winning the 4-by-800-meters in just under 10:18.

Jaedyn Moore had a busy day for Washington, finishing third in both the 200 and 400 while also taking fourth place in the long jump and fifth place in the 100. Fellow freshman Emma Horak was also fifth in the 1,500 for the Demons, who also took fourth in the 4-by-400 and third in both the sprint and distance medleys.

The Washington boys’ track team also produced a winner yesterday in their final opportunity to qualify for the annual Drake Relays. Micah Rees won the 1,600-meter run at the Last Chance Drake Qualifier in Davenport, clocking in at just under 4:23 and finishing two seconds ahead of second place.

While the Demons will have representatives on the blue oval in Des Moines next week, the Washington boys and girls’ next event as whole teams will be the Ekstrand Relays Thursday in Wayland.