Eight wins power PCM boys to meet title at Van Meter

VAN METER — Riley Graber was part of four wins, the Mustangs claimed victories in five relays and the PCM boys track and field claimed another meet championship at the Bill Miller Invitational on Monday.

PCM’s eight wins led to 140 points. Knoxville was the runner-up with 116 and the rest of the top five featured Des Moines Christian (104.5), Baxter (62.5) and Pleasantville (59).

The Bolts got a win from Matt Richardson in the 1,600-meter run, and he anchored the distance medley relay to a win.

The Trojans edged host Van Meter (58) by one point for fifth and the rest of the 13-team field included Panorama (41), Nodaway Valley (38), Ankeny Christian Academy (32), Grand View Christian (28), Albia (25), Saydel (23) and West Central Valley (11).

Graber’s two individual wins came in the 200 (22.58) and 400 (51.0). Tad Wilson (23.19) and Joey Ferneding (55.52) gave the Mustangs double points in the 200 and 400, respectively.

The other individual win came from Kash Fischer in the 800. He posted a career-best time of 2 minutes, 2.83 seconds and Coby DeRaad (2:08.19) placed fourth.

Gavin Van Gorp was the runner-up in the long jump, placed third in the 110 high hurdles and anchored the shuttle hurdle relay team to a win.

His silver-medal leap in the long jump covered a career-best 21 feet, 4 1/4 inches, which ranks sixth in Class 2A. Finn Wilson was sixth with a leap of 19-2 1/2.

Van Gorp (15.54) and Jake Winters (career-best 15.93) were 3-4 in the 110 high hurdles, Carson Hansen (career-best 1:00.4) placed fourth in the 400 hurdles and Alex Wendt (44-7 1/2) took fourth in the shot put.

Lewis Daye (11.82) finished sixth in the 100 and Chase Wagaman (5-10) came in sixth in the high jump.

PCM won the 4x100, 4x200, 4x800, sprint medley and shuttle hurdle relays and set season-best times in the first four.

The sprint medley relay team featured Daye, Finn Wilson, Tad Wilson and Graber and they posted a season-best time of 1:35.13, which ranks fourth in 2A.

Daye, Tad Wilson, Robbins and Graber won the 4x100 in a season-best 43.62 seconds, which ranks tied for seventh in 2A.

The 4x200 relay team set a season-best time of 1:34.31 with Jaden Houser, Robbins, Finn Wilson and Wyatt Heater.

Houser, Winters, Robbins and Van Gorp won the shuttle hurdle relay in 1:01.17 and the 4x800 relay team of DeRaad, Joe Shaver, Hansen and Fischer won the race in 8:27.98.

Baxter’s Richardson won the 1,600 in 4:34.51 and Max Handorf was the 800 runner-up in a career-best 2:03.15.

Lincoln Betterton, Logan Rainsbarger, Handorf and Richardson teamed up to win the distance medley relay in 3:47.62.

Handorf started the 4x800 relay and Richardson finished it. In between were Hayden Burdess and Maddux Tuhn and they posted a season-best time of 8:47.98 in third.

Carter Smith grabbed the other bronze medal. He was third in the discus with a throw of 140-9.

The Bolts’ shuttle hurdle relay team of Betterton, Burdess, James Esqueda and Rainsbarger finished fourth in 1:10.89.

The sprint medley relay team of Rainsbarger, Eli Dee, Betterton and Richardson finished fifth in 1:41.18.

Rainsbarger (16.46) took fifth in the 110 high hurdles and Dee placed fifth in the long jump with a leap of 19-4 1/4.