March 28, 2024

Athletes from five area high schools head to Drake Relays

DES MOINES — Newton has 12 track athletes among the 28 area athletes qualified for the 2014 Drake Relays later this week in Des Monies. The qualifier list was released Saturday.

Sophomore Grace Coen has qualified in the three distance races for the Cardinals. She will compete in the 800 meters, 1,500 meters and 3,000 meters. Senior Michaela Bleeker is in the shot put event and junior Sarah Kalkhoff is in the discus competition.

Junior Deonne Harris qualified in the 110-meter high hurdles for the Newton boys. Coen, Kalkhoff and Harris competed in the Drake Relays last year.

Newton’s 4x100-meter relay teams will be on the Drake Stadium track this year. Harris combines with juniors J.T. Thongvanh and Jarom Williams and senior Jacob Walker. The Newton boys’ 4x100-meter relay qualified a year ago for Drake also.

Joining the Cardinal boys’ 4x100-meter relay team is the Cardinal’s foursome in the same event. Seniors Amber Karsten and Kacy Cazett team up with sophomores Sydney Jenkins and Leela Spencer in the race.

Jenkins, Spencer and Karsten combine with sophomore Alex Hutchinson to qualify in the 4x200-meter relay race.

Collins-Maxwell/Baxter boys are sending two seniors and a junior. Zach Samson, a senior, returns to the Drake Relays in the shot put and discus events. Junior Bryce Kemp qualified for the 110-meter high hurdles and the 100-meter dash. Senior Jordan Coughenour will run the 400-meter hurdle race final — there’s only a field of eight — at 1:43 p.m. Saturday.

Also in the 4x100-meter boys’ competition will be the Lynnville-Sully Hawks foursome of seniors Bailee Samson, Meliek Meyer and Caden Doll and sophomore Sage Ehresman. Meyer and Samson qualified in the 100-meter dash.

Prairie-City Monroe’s girls have qualifiers in three events. Pella Christian’s girls qualified in one event.

Senior Lexi Kain leads the PCM contingent. She qualified in the 100-meter hurdles and two relay races for the Mustangs. Joining her on the 4x200-meter relay team are junior Mackenzie Clarke, sophomore Ashley Van Gorp and freshman Jayci Vos. Kain, Clarke and Vos team with sophomore Emily Hugen in the 4x100-meter relay.

Pella Christian’s senior Leah Breon teams up with sophomores Sarah Meyer and Taylor Bolt and freshman Kathyrn Van Tuyl in the 4x100-meter relay race.

The high school boys’ discus is at 3 p.m. Thursday followed by the girls’ shot put at 3:30 p.m. The girls’ 3,000-meter race is slated for 4:10 at Drake Stadium.

On Friday, preliminary races and field events begin bright and early. The girls 100-meter hurdles open things up at 8 a.m. followed by the boys’ 110-meter high hurdles at 8:16. The boys’ 100-meter dash preliminary heats begin at 8:46 a.m.

The boys’ shot put is at 8:30 a.m. Friday and the girls’ discus starts at 9 a.m.

The finals for the running events start with the 100-meter hurdles for girls at 11:30 followed by the 110-meter hurdles for the boys at 11:40 and the 100-meter boys’ dash at 12:28 p.m.

The 4x200-meter relay races begin at 1:15 p.m. and the 800-meter for girls is at 1:39 p.m. The 4x100-meter relay preliminary races are at 5:10 for the girls and 6:10 for the boys.

On Saturday, April 26, the girls’ 1,500-meter race is at 12:55 p.m. The girls’ and boys’ 4x100-meter relay finals are at 3:35 p.m. and 3:40 p.m., respectively.