November 07, 2024

CMB’s Stover finishes 29th in 100 dash

By Troy Hyde

Collins-Maxwell/Baxter senior Brady Stover sprints out of his blocks during the high school boys’ 100-meter dash at the 107th Drake Relays at Drake Stadium on Friday. (Troy Hyde)

DES MOINES — Collins-Maxwell/Baxter’s Brady Stover came into the 107th Drake Relays with a knee injury. That made it difficult for the Raider senior to run his fastest time of the year.

It was more about the experience than the results for Stover, who was competing at the Relays for the first time in his career.

“It was really nice. I liked the experience and the atmosphere was great,” Stover said. “It felt much different than state, but I am glad I got to experience this.”

Stover qualified toward the bottom of a 100-meter dash field that included 31 other runners. While he didn’t run his fastest of the season Friday morning, Stover moved up a few places, finishing 29th with a time of 11.62 seconds.

Stover trailed Heart of Iowa Conference foe Dylan Coffin of Saydel by .01 seconds, but had a faster time than Albia’s Hunter Weldon, who came into the weekend with the second fastest time in Class 2A this year.

“There are a lot of fast people here,” Stover said. “Knowing my knee was bothering me coming into the race, I knew it would be tough to run my best or fastest time. I just tried to come in and enjoy the experience and not necessarily my performance.”

For the second straight season, 2A sprinter Isaiah Trousil of Burlington Notre Dame won the 100 dash. This season, his winning time was 10.64.

Madrid’s Michael Santi will join Stover in a 2A state qualifying meet at Van Meter later this year. They went head-to-head Friday, and Santi advanced to 100 finals before placing seventh overall in 10.95.

The injury wasn’t bad enough to force Stover out of action. It just hurts enough to slow him down a little.

“I definitely wanted to run. It’s not bad enough to keep me from running,” said Stover, who will play Division I baseball at South Dakota State after high school.

Stover has a few more events to compete in before baseball gets his full attention. He hopes his track and field career ends at Drake Stadium at the end of May.

“I want to make it to state in at least two events,” Stover said. “I would like to finish my career in this stadium. That would be nice.”