Newton boys hit Drake Relays Blue Standard, win team title at South Tama

TAMA — Caden Klein was part of four wins and anchored the Cardinals’ 4x100-meter relay team to a Drake Relays Blue Standard time on his 17th birthday on Tuesday.

The Newton boys track and field team claimed seven wins in its outdoor opener at the South Tama County Early Bird Invitational and the Cardinals won the meet championship with 145 points.

Newton was 35 points better than Oelwein (110) and the rest of the eight-team field included East Marshall (80), Dike-New Hartford (78), BCLUW (70), host South Tama (67), Ankeny Christian Academy (34) and GMG (3).

Klein led the Cardinals with individual wins in both the 100 and 200. He also anchored the 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams to victories and Nick Milburn and Isaiah Hansen also registered wins in a field event.

Newton’s 4x100 relay team of Nick Thomason, Reilly Trease, Christian Ergenbright and Klein posted a winning time of 43.34 seconds. That currently ranks fourth in Class 3A and is under the Drake Relays Blue Standard time of 43.5.

That same foursome teamed up to win the 4x200 relay, too. They missed the Drake Relays Blue Standard time by .12 seconds in that one as the Cardinals won the race in 1 minute, 29.12 seconds, which is currently second in 3A.

Newton finished 1-2-5 in the 100 as Klein won the race in a career-best 11.3 and Thomason was second in 11.6. Jace Auen also posted a time of 12.26 in fifth.

Klein’s career-best time of 22.3 won the 200 and Ergenbright was second in 22.79.

Klein’s 100 time of 11.3 currently ranks 16th in 3A, while his 200 time of 22.3 is tied for fifth. Ergenbright’s 22.79 ranks 14th.

Milburn won the shot put with a career-best toss of 53 feet, 6 inches, which ranks seventh in 3A. Koltt Ahn finished sixth with a throw of 41-7 1/2.

Milburn also placed second in the discus with a career-best heave of 150-5, which currently sits ninth in 3A. Zach Felten placed fifth with a heave of 129-10.

Hansen won the high jump with a leap of 5-10 and Cade Bauer was fourth with a mark of 5-6.

Newton’s shuttle hurdle relay team also grabbed the gold medal. The team of Austin Arauz, Cade Bauer, Drew Bauer and Trease posted a time of 1:03.39, which ranks 14th in 3A.

Arauz and Cade Bauer were 2-3 in the 110 high hurdles. Arauz posted a career-best time of 16.63 and Cade Bauer had a career-best time of 17.15.

Lance Zaabel finished third in the 3,200 with a time of 10:24.82. He also took sixth in the 1,600 in 5:06.55.

Arauz (1:01.98) and Mason Mendez (1:02.15) went 4-5 in the 400 hurdles, Levi Zaabel (2:15.34) and Reagan Maki (career-best 2:17.14) placed 6-7 in the 800 and Jaysean Evans took fifth in the 400 with a career-best 59.97.

Newton came in fourth in the 4x400, distance medley and sprint medley relays.

In the 4x400, the group of Evans, Maki, Levi Zaabel and Mendez posted a time of 3:59.28.

Auen, Drew Bauer, Maki and Levi Zaabel finished the distance medley relay in a season-best 4:08.08 and the sprint medley relay team of Henry Allen, Ali Yahia, Auen and Drew Bauer scored a season-best time of 1:46.78.