Friday marked Day 2 of the 119th annual Iowa High School State Track and Field Championships, as KQRadio athletes prepared for a morning and afternoon full of field events and a heavy dose of relays.
However, the highlight of the day came in one of the few individual running events, as Clarion-Goldfield-Dows senior MaKayla Beisel would pick up a silver medal finish in the 2A Girls 400m hurdles, setting a season-best time of 1:05.00, just .27 seconds behind champion Madison Boese of Van Meter.
“I was kind of nervous at first, because I didn’t know if I would run or jump 1st,” Beisel said. “I’m just glad I got to run a good time, a little disappointed that she [Boese] got me on the home stretch, but I’m just thankful and grateful.”
LISTEN: MaKayla Beisel talks runner-up finish in 2A 400m Hurdles
Beisel would barely miss out on Saturday’s finals of the 2A Girls 100m Hurdles, placing 10th in a time of 15.83 seconds, before ending her final state meet tying for 13th in the 2A High Jump by clearing 5′ 0″, concluding a remarkable career for the CGD senior.
Huxley Lingenfelter was the other Cowboy to compete at Friday’s meet, as the sophomore finished 15th in a stacked 2A Boys Discus with a throw of 142′ 8″.
Elsewhere, Roland-Story dominated the track from a quantity perspective, starting their day with freshman Taylor Rechkemmer placing 21st in the 2A Girls 100m Hurdles in a time of 16.43. Jayden Strum and Jake Berggren followed soon thereafter in the 2A Boys 110m High Hurdles, as Strum barely missed Saturday’s final, placing 9th in a time of 15.36, while Berggren placed 22nd in a time of 16.56.
Relays took the track next, as Roland-Story’s girls would clinch a top 10 finish in the 2A Girls 4×200, in a season-best time of 1:46.22 with the team of Olivia Reitano-Kennedy Petersen-Brooklyn Jondle-Adalyn Sporleder.
“We were actually really close to not making it,” the senior Petersen said. “We put it all out there and we entered 17th and finished up in the top 10, and that’s just amazing. A great way to go out in the 4×2.”
LISTEN: Roland-Story Girls 4×200 talks 10th Place Finish
Moments later, it was time for the Norsemen boys 4×200 to take the track, and the veteran group would not disappoint, as they placed 7th in a season-best time of 1:30.06 with the team of Fiston Carlson-Ryan Fosse-Heston McIllrath-Tristen Crabbs.
“It’s a blessing to run here,” McIllrath said. “I wasn’t expecting a hamstring injury. The season was going really good before that, but I’m just glad I was able to get back and make history with these guys.”
History was breaking an over 2o-year old school record in the 4×200, which was set in 2004 in 1:30.64 with the team of Matthew Halbach-Sam Hammes-Trent Olson-Spencer Frederick.
The day concluded for the Norsemen with Maddi Lucas placing 20th in the 2A Girls 400m Hurdles in a time of 1:11.15, before the girls 4×100 qualified for Saturday’s final with the 4th-fastest time in 2A in 49.16 with the team of Adalyn Sporleder-Kennedy Petersen-Brookelyn Jondle-Kam Lande. Roland-Story’s boys 4×100 concluded the day by placing 17th in the 2A Race in a time of 43.82 with the team of Fiston Carlson-Ryan Fosse-Casey Spainhower-Tristen Crabbs.
Webster City would put together a solid Day 2 of State Track and Field, as the Lynx started their day early with 3A Girls Shot Put. That event saw senior Addysen Poppen place 21st with a throw of 34′ 0″, while junior Jakaela Cherry would place 22nd with a throw of 33′ 11.5″. Junior Justin Callahan finished the Lynx’s day with a 13th-place performance in the 3A Boys 400m Hurdles in a season-best time of 55.67.
Friday’s 1A/4A session would provide limited events as South Hamilton competed in just 3 races, the first being the 1A Girls 4×200, which qualified 17th and garnered a top 10 finish, placing 9th in a season-best time of 1:49.16 with the team of Sydnee Flaugh-Riah Van De Pol-Sara Scheller-Brooklyn Doolittle.
“At the beginning [of the season], it was a struggle adjusting to being the leader, I was used to following the other girls around,” The senior Flaugh said. “Now being the one in charge, it’s definitely different, but I love these girls and they have been doing so good, especially Riah and Sara with it being their first year at state, they got used to the area.”
LISTEN: South Hamilton girls 4×200 talk 9th place state finish
The day concluded with the 1A 4×100’s, as South Hamilton’s girls place 23rd in a time of 52.94 with the team of Sydnee Flaugh-Riah Van De Pol-Emma Lammers-Brooklyn Doolittle. South Hamilton’s boys would place 12th in the 1A Boys 4×100 in a time of 44.49 with the team of Braden Young-Tanner Twedt-Wyatt Gelder-Nick Severseike.
Action resumes on Saturday morning for Day 3, as the first area event will be the Roland-Story girls competing the 2A Girls Sprint Medley Final, which begins at 9:10 AM.